The Struggle: A Titan Novel

I've always found Seth super interesting and hilarious and that's still the case after reading The Struggle. He goes through a lot in this book, but it all makes him a better man in the end. We all know he doesn't always make the smartest decisions, but he's learning and realizing what and who really matter to him. Josie is still a sweet girl who doesn't deserve the bad things that happen to her, but she's a fighter. I love how she can always go toe to toe with Seth. I also love the side of Seth she brings out in him. The "Army of Awesome" is what makes these books. I love all of them and their relationships with one another. They are all hilarious yet tough as nails. Alex and Aiden are always going to be my favorites so anytime they are included makes me happy. The storyline was good, definitely had some things in it that came as a surprise to me. The pop culture references that JLA includes always make me smile, especially the Supernatural ones. I have no clue how everything is going to play out in the final book of the Titan series, but I can't wait till next year to read it and find out!

The struggle is real people! Oh yes, when I finished this book there was a mighty struggle! I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR TO FIND OUT HOW THIS PLAYS OUT?! Say what? It's not a cliffhanger so much as revelation of things to come. One that makes you scream! Then pretend to throw your reading device (but then pet your iPad because you love it too much to throw). And finally, cry because you know you have to WAIT to find out how this brilliant author is going to figure out the mess the characters are in. *sigh* Obviously, I love the characters. I re-read books one and two right before I read this one and I laughed so much. I adore Seth. Anyone who looks down on him, judges him or thinks he's not good enough for Josie is gonna have to go through ME. So sometimes that's even Seth. He needs to have his own behind kicked a few times. I love that he feels bad for the bad choices he's made in the past. I adore that he tries hard to do the right thing now. I want to kick his behind when he still makes the wrong choice. But I so want to snuggle him. He needs it. And he so loves to snuggle. He loves Josie with all his heart and he's willing to do anything to protect her. Talk about some character development. I thought he'd come a long way in The Covenant series. He's made even more progress (and I do mean growth here) in this book. This book was just as enlightening to the series as Deity was to The Covenant series. And Seth is at the center of that. Now Josie is the heart of the book, as well she should be. Her struggle is very hard on her. And she's so strong. Who would have thought this girl that couldn't fight and thought she was going to college for Psychology just a short time ago could have come so far. She is a force to be reckoned with and I'm so proud of her. Her strength is not always about the fight but about the will. And her ability to stand up to Seth? Legendary! So strong this girl is. I so enjoyed seeing Alex and Aiden some more. Deacon and Luke were so much fun to have around. I love that the characters are all dear friends that I feel like I know and would love to spend time with. It's nice to see them happy as couples. And there is another character I loved so much from The Covenant series that makes an appearance in this one. I screamed when he showed up. Makes me smile. Characters? Check. What about the story? Talk about tear my heart out of my chest story! Some books I read straight threw and some books I must pace. This one is the latter. I needed time for my heart to deal with the emotions that this books stirred in me. But it called to me every time I put it down. It was back in my hands the next day. And I was cheering for these two. Hoping. Praying. Story? Double check. It's just so good, guys! The emotions, the scary Titans, the struggle to find things, the need to fix things - it's all so brilliantly woven into an emotional story that both satisfies and has you longing for more. I want the rest. I want book four. I want to sit and read all four books in order as I drink up every drop of this series. Of Seth. Of Josie. And I know in my heart that I love every last moment of it! If you've read the rest, you'll want this too. If you haven't read the rest, what are you waiting for???

The Struggle I don't believe the author or the characters of The Struggle require an introduction. It's the third book in the series, and if you are looking to read it... DON'T. Start from the beginning- the Return and The Power. And if you really want to have an amazing adventure in the world of Greek mythology, loyal friends, forbidden love and so much more, you might want to start with the Covenant series. This is where Seth's story begins after all. I must admit - so far The Struggle is my favorite in the series. We get lots of time with Josie, more interactions with old and new characters, but in my opinion, Seth appears to be the center of this book. It might have something to do with the fact that I saw the Apollyon in a different light. It's like he was a black and white drawing that got transformed into a 3D figure. Suddenly, there was so much depth to his character, so much new and unexpected that it was almost hard to believe it was still Sethie. I'm pretty sure he was surprised himself of some of the qualities he displayed in the third book. Watching him recognize the feelings growing inside of him, giving those feelings a name and coming in terms with the fact that yes, he deserves for someone to feel that way about him, was truly heart-breaking. "I was never a praying man. I didn’t believe the gods answered prayers. Knew for a fact that they didn’t care enough to do so, but in that moment, I wanted to pray. I want to pray that this was real, that this was really happening." And he is not the only one to make some unexpected discoveries. Josie goes through some changes as well, and she learns how to adapt to her new reality. Relationship between Seth and Aiden takes an interesting turn from "I wanna punch you in a throat" to "I still wanna do that but I kind of respect you", and it's pretty fun to watch. <<“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re going to do good.” Aiden smiled slightly as he nodded like he just realized he’d agreed with himself. “You’re going to do more than good, Seth.” I stared at him, unsure if he was having some kind of medical emergency.>> The Struggle broke my heart as I witnessed Seth making "the right" choices and then live with the consequences of those decisions. It shattered at the pain and regret both main characters were put through. But it was all so worth it. Because at the end my heart healed, along with Josie and Seth's, at the promise of a future. <<“Together?” Seth’s lips brushed the curve of my jaw. He stopped to press a kiss to my pulse and then said, “Together.”>> Can't wait for the final book and for all of the questions that I now have after reading The Struggle.