The Battle of the Labyrinth: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4
Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thrilling fourth Percy Jackson sets war in motion.
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Based on 7 parent reviews
What's the Story?
In THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH: PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS, BOOK 4, Percy just wants to go to his high school orientation, take Annabeth to the movies, and head to Camp Half-Blood for the summer. Nothing goes as planned, because -- monster-cheerleaders. After Percy catches the band room on fire trying to get away, Annabeth decides they better skip the movies and head right to camp. Percy's usual joy at being in his favorite place is short-lived. Everyone is worried about the imminent invasion of Kronos and his monster army. Once Kronos reforms and drags all the worst monsters out of Tartarus to fight with him, he could be unstoppable. But he has to find a way into Camp Half-Blood first. During a training exercise with some nasty giant scorpions, Annabeth and Percy duck into a mysterious cave and find exactly the way they can get in: an entrance to the labyrinth, designed by the inventor Daedalus so long ago, but expanding all this time on its own under the U.S. Of course that means a quest is in order, but this time Annabeth is the leader. It's up to her, Percy, Tyson, and Grover to find Daedalus in his workshop at the center of the monster-infested maze and find a way to keep the Titans from invading camp.
Is It Any Good?
The second-to-last book in fantasy series are often long setups for the finale, but this thrilling maze quest tale stands well on its own and even offers exciting new characters to follow. The idea of a labyrinth growing on its own under the United States fascinates, and it means Percy and friends can pop in on New York City, the West Coast, and the Rockies without so much surface travel by wild boar or monster cruise ship or Pegasus. They just have to get through a ranch full of flesh-eating horses, a monster-fighting arena, and the demon-infested hot-lava center of Mount St. Helens -- no problem -- and see what part of the country they end up in next. Readers learn more about the inventor of the labyrinth, Daedalus, and his tragic tale. Fascinating layers are added as The Battle of the Labyrinth moves along. Daedalus drives not just the twists and turns of the maze, but of the twists of the story as well.
Daedalus isn't the only tragic, complex character to have an impact, however. Nico, son of Hades, grieving his sister lost in Book 3, and holding a serious grudge against Percy, plays a role in making the quest more difficult. Still, Percy won't give up on helping Nico, no matter how stubborn he is. In this way Percy is perceptive, patient, and astute. When it comes to girls, however, he's rather clueless. Poor Calypso, poor Annabeth. Maybe by the finale, sometime before the Titans' world-ending battle, Percy will navigate this dangerous maze of feelings a bit better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Nico and how he deals with grief in The Battle of the Labyrinth. Why is he so angry at Percy? How does he begin to accept what happened to his sister? The fatal flaw of the children of Hades, like Nico, is holding onto grudges. Why is that destructive not just to Nico but to those around him?
In the other books you can tell that Percy and Annabeth are starting to like each other. Now they are both 14, almost 15, things are getting complicated. Do you like that this adventure-fantasy has more romance in it now? Do you wish it would stick to quests and battles? If you're a reader under 12, do you think you will like romance more when you are older, or do you think you'll always prefer monsters over kissy parts?
What do you think is next for Percy and friends? The big battle, obviously, but how will the prophecy play in? How can they win against the Titans when the Greek gods won't fight with them?
Book Details
- Author: Rick Riordan
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Adventures , High School , Horses and Farm Animals , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
- Publication date: May 6, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Number of pages: 361
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 27, 2022
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