Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4531192-20141008075409/@comment-4515675-20141021064541

BenMeOver wrote: Himeyuka wrote: Leo did not need a relationship, he had so many friends that loved him, he could have just freed Calypso and the two of them could have been buddies. Instead nooo we get a pairing formed in two chapters whit the most classic misogynistic ending in literature. Guy sacrifices himself and gets the girl? I thought RR would be better than this.

It pains me that a lot of young readers don't see anything wrong with him pairing off all his main characters and having Calypso be a prize for Leo (as it was always about him having his fantasy come true rather than her finding happiness). I would have traded the sappy rooftop moment with Jason&Piper and the horrible Caleo ending with a reunion of Sally and Percy any day. Or Annabeth talking to her step-mom/siblings. Or Reyna reuniting with Hylla. Or Jason FINALLY having a talk with Reyna and setting things straight between the two of them and trying to rebuild their friendship. I get what you're saying, but in all honesty, I don't find Caleo sexist. I think it's made clear that Calypso is now in a relationship where she's the boss because she's done with the guys who show up, accept her hospitality, then never return. Leo has taken a vow (or better, an oath) to be better than those guys, and he fulfilled it. No, neither needed a relationship, but I think it was better than any of the other ones that could have been shoved in- and it cleared up the Calypso plot hole left after BotL and TLO.

In addition, I think Rick Riordian feels pressured to write romances because he will get angry fangirls who don't see their favorite characters get a solid endgame. Kind of annoying, but it's the truth. It IS hard to find a character who is happy with being single, but I think most of the relationships we see are handled well and will influence the way young readers treat their future partners. Plus the couples are cute and I don't regret shipping them :P

In my opinion, one of this series' main themes is Finding a True Family. None of the main characters have spent their entire life feeling like they fit in, which is why it so great to see them evolve and grow into mature young adults who have found their soulmates. No, they don't need a soulmate quite yet (or ever, even), and finding non-romantic true love solely with a group of friends would be a great way to finish a character arc, but that is a bit harder to explain to the targeted child audience. Until a few years ago, I felt a constant need to "pair the spares" and I know I wasn't alone with that, so I think it's okay that Rick gave us so many happy couples. My only regret is the Piper-Reyna scene where Piper assured her she would find a man because Reyna had been so worried: Reyna is our last single main character and I think she should be happy to embrace that as an independent, womanly leader (who doesn't swear off men because she doesn't need to think about men yet) in the first place.

An epilogue with family reunions (like a dinner scene with Percy and his mom, stepdad, Mrs. O'Leary, Tyson, Grover, and Annabeth) was needed though.

Aham, Caleo is not sexist? I think some of you are too naive. Leo wouldn't shut up in BoO about how hot Calypso was, RR pretty much brought her back from PJO with the only purpose to make her Leo's significant other. Now look me in the eye and tell me that isn't true. What other purpose did she have? What exactly did she do that was so relevant to the plot? Did we get to see things from her side? Did we get to know what Calypso plans to do with her future once she leaves Ogygia? Did she have any choice at all? Need I remind you that she falls in love with every hero that lands on the island? When Percy arrived there he just detonated a volcano. I don't know about you but he probably didn't look too well. He was also 14-15 at that time. Not exactly the image of the hot hero. Yet she fell for him anyway and she was kind to him. With Leo? She was mean and sarcastic almost 90% of the time he spent on the island. She was EXACTLY the type of girl Leo falls for. It doesn't make sense for her to undergo such a major character change and to be turned into the fantasy of the male hero. Being angry at the gods doesn't change her personality completely, psychologically it just doesn't make sense.

Finding true family is not the same thing as finding a girlfriend/boyfriend. That's pretty much the ONLY thing that seems to be on the mind of the seven. Hence why Leo is so completely obsessed to having someone to date. He already has a family and what does he do? Abandon them. He lands on Ogygia and asks Calypso how much time has passed since he was away. She tells him she doesn't know and asks him what he plans on doing next. He answers that he needs to fix Festus and then they can go where Calypso wants. He makes a short note that he should tell his friends he's not dead but then he thinks that flying with Calypso into the sunset is a priority. Thus his friends think he's dead, he has no idea how much time has passed since the fight with Gaea and yet he can't take two seconds to send a bloody Iris message to the ones he considers family?

No, HoO was in fact NOT about family. Hence why we didn't get a Percy and Sally reunion. Hence why there was absolutely no development with Piper and her dad after TLH. Why Jason never made amends with Reyna (who was supposed to be his dear friend but not once in BoO did he even as much as think or care for her in the very least) or with his roman family, why Jason and Thalia haven't met again after TLH and so on and so forth. Family might be important to characters such as Reyna for example, but the rest are just focused on their significant other. That is in fact a horrible message to send little kids, just look at Leo. What exactly did we even understood from his arcs? That if you don't get a gf you'll never fit in and never be happy? Great message indeed. I'm happy that Reyna didn't get to be paired up with anyone but the fact that she is the only one actually makes her look like she had an incomplete ending. These are 15-16 year olds we're talking about, thinking of marriage and children/grandchildren, how is that a good message? How does that equal to family being important? I know they're demigods but by all accounts, it just doesn't make sense.