Book four of Rick Riodan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH, takes one final step toward the final battle between the Olympians and the Titans. As with the previous books, the fact that I am not the target demographic is loud and clear. As Percy ages, the disconnect between my experience raising teenagers and Percy as a teenager grows ever larger. At the same time, as the buildup towards the ultimate battle increases, I can't help but wonder if the finale will be worthwhile. 

There are a few issues I have with THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH. All of them revolve around Percy. For one thing, Percy is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. You can summarize most of his adventures as a complete lack of situational awareness on his part. Combine that with his inability to understand context clues, and it's a miracle he is still alive. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that he always goes on his quests with other people, he probably would be. 

Then, there is his relationship with girls. Percy, in THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH, is fifteen years old. Those hormones should be surging, or at least beginning to surge, through his body. Yet, he doesn't express anything towards Annabeth or Rachel other than platonic friendships. I get him not understanding Annabeth's jealousy or Rachel's discomfort at being the third wheel, specifically because he is a fifteen-year-old boy, and they are always clueless about girls. But the books are too chaste for the characters' ages. Once again, I wish Mr. Riordan had aged up the narrative as the characters get older. 

Those issues aside, THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH isn't my favorite. The reason for going into the labyrinth is vague. There is a lot of talk about how easy it is to get lost or to go crazy in the maze, but Percy and Annabeth have no difficulties finding exits when they need them. I hoped we would learn more about Rachel Elizabeth Dare, specifically why she can see through the Mist so clearly. Unfortunately, she's merely a secondary character who is little more than a human labrador retriever. It's all a little too convenient. Then again, it is a book for kids. 

I am glad THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH is the last book before the finale. I don't think I could handle any more quests or battle prep. If I saw more growth in Percy, I suspect my feelings would be different. Instead, I feel that books one and three are the same. While book two and THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH are also quests, the fact that they are not cross-country journeys makes them different. Through it all, Percy remains the same eager, reckless, and clueless demi-god. 

Thankfully, Jesse Bernstein's narration improves. He's still not the best narrator. His other voices sound more like a father altering his voice when telling a story to his kids and less like a professional actor with a penchant for different voices. However, he brought back Percy's combination of sarcasm and cluelessness that make him the enjoyable character he is. 

I didn't hate THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH, but I didn't truly enjoy it either. I think this series is better read with large swaths of time between each book. It prevents you from noticing the similarities between each book and the lack of character growth. Instead, after four books read within two months, I'm ready to find out how it all ends.