Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Titan's Curse

It was better than the last ones, however, the characters are definitely getting smarter. I believe Percy is the one who has grown the most. And finally we see a proper reaction from hearing the nees that your loved one died. Not from Percy, that would be too realistic, but from a child, a little boy. Still, baby steps. Also, I keep hearing how amazing and kind Sally Jackson is, but she can easily be in the list of neglectful parents. On the other hand, I don't like how the relationship between Annabeth and her parents was handled.

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This one might be the best so far. I had forgotten so many plot points, it was a joy to be sucked into this world again. I love Riordan's interpretation of the gods' personalities, and the way they interact with the half bloods. I may be biased, but Hermes specifically is wonderful in this series.

I have a love hate relationship with Thalia, I dislike her as a person most of the time since she reminds me of the people who doubt me and try to stop me from making my own plans, not because I'm unable to do so successfully, but because they feel the need to control everything. The way she undermined Percy, humiliated him in front of everyone and later blamed him for Annabeth's "death" made my blood boil. Every time she did so I felt personally attacked, and I think that's partly due to me seeing myself in Percy but also to how incredibly well written these books are. I understand that she's just a mentally ill child (not an insult, just a fact. Years of parental neglect, having to survive homelessness and violence with only two other kids by her side and to top it all off being murdered and resurrected all before the age of 16 does that to a person) and I think she deserves all the care and patience in the world but I wouldn't enter a room with her in it if I could help it. However I do really appreciate her character, how complex and morally grey she is. This is just as much her story as it is Percy's, and I think that's really cool. I love that at the end she took her destiny into her own hands and joined the hunters to avoid being manipulated again. I can't wait to see her shine more in the next one.
I also enjoyed the subversion of the damsel in distress trope with Annabeth and later with Artemis, how they were captured, yes, but still showed how strong willed and powerful they are by being able to hold up the literal sky. Also, I can't describe how much my body hurt after reading the description of how it feels to hold up the sky. Absolutely terrifying and painful just to imagine. Amazing.
The last thing, I grew to adore Zoe. I was so invested by the end that it felt like a punch to the gut once the prophecy came to be. Incredible character.

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