*SPOILER ALERT*

I was in sixth grade when I picked up "The Sea of Monsters" from the book fair. I know what you guys are thinking—that’s the second book! What about "The Lightning Thief," huh? Cool your jets, I read it…eventually. Anyway, I remember the mysterious cover and the curious gleam in my eyes when I gave my mom the look that said I need to get this book today.The minute I opened it, I followed Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Grover everywhere. Every quest that Percy went on, I was right there. I followed him even in the last battle.

I remember reading "The Last Olympian" in school, only a few chapters in, when some obnoxious soul had the audacity to try and spoil the ending for me. He told me that Annabeth died. If looks could kill, he’d be dead a thousand times over by now. But rest assured, lovely readers, she does not die. Even when I closed the last page of the book, I somehow knew that this journey wasn’t over. I knew that Percy’s journey had only paused for a moment in time, and when "The Lost Hero" came out, I went bonkers. I begged and pleaded for my parents to buy me the book for Christmas. As soon as I opened the book, I felt something familiar. It was the familiar and beautiful writing style of Mr. Rick Riordan and the soft feel of the paper underneath my fingertips. And when I closed the book, I smiled and patiently awaited the next few books.

I remember being more than halfway done with "The House of Hades" when it dawned upon me: there is only one book left. One quest left, one more huge battle, one more book filled with the characters I had been growing up with for the past six years.

I put off reading the last book for six months. I busied myself with other things because in my mind, it couldn’t be over, not yet. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these fictional characters who I had followed to hell and back (literally, I followed them to the pits of Tartarus and back). I tried explaining to my friends the struggle I was facing, but most of them had not read the series and could not understand what I was going through. However, I knew I had to read it. I had to know how it ended and how they would defeat Gaea. So, one warm July day, I cracked opened the beautiful book, took a breath, and hungrily read the words on the pages before me. When I finished the final page, I closed the cover and sighed. It was over, but everything was alright.

It took me awhile to recover from this thought that I’d never get to hear Percy and Annabeth exchange their little nicknames of “Wise-Girl” and “Seaweed-Brain” or know how Nico is doing, especially with Will Solace at his heels. How I’d never hear Leo’s jokes and everyone’s groans and face-palms. How I’d never see Frank turn into a bulldog or Hazel ask what a video game was. How I’d never get to hear the bleating of Coach Hedge when Piper and Jason are alone in the same room or Dionysus’ failed attempts at names. I’d never see Grover panic about the woods or Chiron smiling and shaking his head as he watches this group of young adults try to relax for a day without either of the Stoll brothers’ antics.

But I’d always have those memories of my fictional friends. Even as a 19-year-old college student, I’ll remember them. I’ll remember that each of them is and will always be a hero and that being a hero doesn't require one to save the world from Titans and giants, but being a hero means being there for others. I’ll remember that it takes courage to face your fears and to stand up for your friends. I will remember that each person in life has a role and is significant. I will remember that sometimes even when all hell is breaking loose and you feel the weight of the sky coming down upon you, there will always be someone to help you hold the weight. And I will always remember that you should keep psychos like Octavian away from stuffed animals. Seriously, don’t give him any.

These books are more than just books. They are a part of my life. Someone once said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The one who doesn’t read lives one.” I love these books because even though I am not a demigod (well, at least we can’t prove that I am), I still understood everything each of the characters felt and they helped me when I was being bullied in school. These pages were my escape when the day was too mundane and I felt like being chased by monsters through a labyrinth instead. Each of these characters touched a part of my life, my heart and my soul that will never leave me the same again.

To close this super long explanation for my geeky love for these marvelous books...

Thank you to Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, Jason, Charles, Silena, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Chiron, Bob, Clarisse, Nico, Bianca, Will, Reyna, Leo, Calypso, all of the demigods I forgot to list, and thank you to Rick Riordan. Thank you for all the adventures and the stories, and thank you for growing up with me.