Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Following years of eager anticipation, Percy Jackson returns in this follow-up to 2009's The Last Olympian that is well worth the wait.Now a high school senior, Percy wants nothing more than to leave his old life behind and attend New Rome University in California with his love, Annabeth. In order to fulfill his dream, however, Percy requires three godly letters of recommendation-and the price is completing one heroic quest for each. Reading this latest installment feels like the literary equivalent of coming home after a first year of college: Everything and everyone feels similar yet changed in ways that are poignant. The action is as gripping and well paced as ever, keeping readers guessing about the identities of the villains and culprits as Percy and his friends save the day for various gods. Happily in a committed relationship, the titular hero is more introspective and less impetuous. As graduation nears, Percy grapples with the inevitability that life as he knows it is changing, and the emotion he demonstrates as he savors moments with loved ones and mourns the missed opportunities that come with growing up imbue the novel with heart and heft. Best of all, readers will be inspired to grab the first volume and relive this modern Olympian epic all over again.An entry that renews and deepens fans' love for the series: There is no higher praise for a sequel than this. (Fantasy. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Following years of eager anticipation, Percy Jackson returns in this follow-up to 2009's The Last Olympian that is well worth the wait.Now a high school senior, Percy wants nothing more than to leave his old life behind and attend New Rome University in California with his love, Annabeth. In order to fulfill his dream, however, Percy requires three godly letters of recommendation-and the price is completing one heroic quest for each. Reading this latest installment feels like the literary equivalent of coming home after a first year of college: Everything and everyone feels similar yet changed in ways that are poignant. The action is as gripping and well paced as ever, keeping readers guessing about the identities of the villains and culprits as Percy and his friends save the day for various gods. Happily in a committed relationship, the titular hero is more introspective and less impetuous. As graduation nears, Percy grapples with the inevitability that life as he knows it is changing, and the emotion he demonstrates as he savors moments with loved ones and mourns the missed opportunities that come with growing up imbue the novel with heart and heft. Best of all, readers will be inspired to grab the first volume and relive this modern Olympian epic all over again.An entry that renews and deepens fans' love for the series: There is no higher praise for a sequel than this. (Fantasy. 9-14)

School Library Journal (Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Gr 5 Up —Percy Jackson has made it to senior year in high school, a feat for a demigod. Things are looking pretty good with his mom happy with Paul, he and Annabeth together, and going to go off to college at New Rome University next year. Well, perhaps it's not so easy because of course, the gods cannot leave him alone, and after a very uncomfortable meeting with his school counselor/Poseidon's lackey Eudora, Percy is told he cannot go to college without three recommendations from gods. How does one get said recommendations? By going on quests, of course! Without a break to breathe, Percy runs into Ganyamede on the Subway and suddenly has the quest of finding the chalice used to serve the gods in Olympus. With the trio of Annabeth, Grover, and Percy back together, they travel through the ages into Brooklyn and run into a few problems. With the expected sarcastic narration and high adventure, Riordan continues this series while still making it relatable (who doesn't dread asking people for recommendation letters?). While anyone who knows the premise of the "Percy Jackson" series can follow this book, it is much better to read the first five in order to fully understand the characters. The one drawback of this story is that while its appeal spans ages, the writing style didn't mature with Percy. Some teens might find it simplistic if they want to continue the series they loved at younger ages; but it does make it accessible to current middle grade readers. VERDICT Recommended highly for all collections; readers will want to get their hands on the newest installment in this eternally popular series.—Clare A. Dombrowski