In this book, Luke has found a way to enter the labyrinth, but he hasn't been able to master it yet. In fact, one of the people he sends into the maze loses his mind. Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson must find a way to get to Daedalus first.
My favorite monster in this book was the Sphinx. Like her mythical version, you must answer her questions to move on and avoid being eaten. However, the modern Sphinx has been impacted by No Child Left Behind. She now asks trivial questions to assess your knowledge and makes you bubble in your answers on a standardized test sheet. As a teacher, I loved her analysis of modern education.
I also loved meeting Pan and finding the reason behind his disappearance for the past two thousand years. He left us with an important message about the environment without hitting us over the head with a moral.
Calypso was another character I loved meeting. Her island was beautiful and I loved the way she took care of Percy. I knew his departure was inevitable, but I wished she could have found a way to go with him.
I even liked Dionysus in this book, which has never happened before. After losing a son, he seemed almost "human" at the end of the book and I was finally able to relate to him.
There were only two parts I didn't like about the book. The first was the love triangle introduced with the addition of Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I liked the character, but I didn't like the way Annabeth and Rachel kept fighting for Percy's attention. I also HATE the Pegasi. The Pegasus is one of my favorite mythical creatures, and I hate the way the Pegasi in the book sound like they are stereotypes of minority groups.
This book is an awesome book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy books, Greek mythology, or Percy Jackson.
