In The Battle of the Labyrinth Percy is growing up and becoming a full-fledged teenager. It's interesting to see the changes in his thought process and personality as he matures. He's definitely a unique character and has incredibly unusual circumstances surrounding his development. Percy is in the middle between having to be a Demi-God hero and at the same time a normal teenage boy with normal feelings. For example there's his evolving relationship with Annabeth. It's adorable to see them both starting to see each other in different ways now that they are getting older. Inevitably, this is going to get awkward and I'm sadistically looking forward to the laughs that will come from it. (view spoiler)[Also Annabeth kisses Percy! It's quick but still... Aww! It's not clear if it's a first kiss for either of them but I think it's a fair assumption to say it was. (hide spoiler)] In many ways Percy remains a kid but he's growing up and I'm so fascinated in what will happen next. 
 Since Percy is maturing, the story is growing with him. The stakes are finally getting real. Sometimes, the good guys suffer losses. It's not so much a lighthearted kid's story anymore. Like it's a war against monsters, demons, and Titans at a summer camp full of kids and teenagers! It's intense! In a war zone, people get killed. When it's a warzone involving kids, the kids suffer the same fate. It's getting darker in the world of Percy Jackson. Something that I find interesting is that the whole good/evil thing isn't so blank and white. The Gods seem to be real dicks sometimes. It makes logical sense that people would be against them. The Demi-gods on the side of the Titans have some genuine beef with the Gods and they aren't just being evil for the sake of it. 
 Personally, and I may be in the minority here, I thought the plot was a bit meandering. Ironic, considering it's about the Labyrinth. There was just soooooo much that happened. It's not exactly a bad thing but I think it could have been narrowed down. Once narrowed down, we could have spent more time in fewer locales and really let the characters develop. However, this is a middle-grade book so I understand the need for having action drive the plot. Younger readers aren't going to want to read about moral ambiguity while waiting for an action sequence. On the plus side, the action scenes were pretty exciting. 
 Overall, this was on par with the other entries in the Percy Jackson series. The Battle of the Labyrinth was clever, fun, and exciting. I'm enthralled and I NEED to know what happens in the conclusion. It's not just a want... I NEED it. I'm going to finish off this review with some fun side notes that I didn't know where else to bring up. 
 1.	I enjoy the running jokes that span the series. Percy seems destined to burn down every school he attends. Poor kid. 
 2.	I'm so fascinated by Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Her name is reminiscent of Virginia Dare, another mysterious woman. Her initials are RED like her red hair. ARE THESE CLUES? I'm getting all X-Files about her!