The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
Summary:
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena - Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This was a series that I somehow missed when they came out and so many people have such fond memories of them I decided I needed to pick them up. In this book we get a lot of world building and get to know Percy a bit. The world-building is quite good and the mythology referenced is not superficial. At a few points I did look up which Greek myth was being referenced, but this was due to interest rather than being necessary.
At times I did find Percy a bit clueless. I don’t know if this is because of age, but it seemed to me that young adults would feel the same way unless they read it quite young. That being said, I can mostly forgive it because I think it makes the book appealing to a wide range of readers and ages. All in all, this is a fast-paced book that wraps up well and could be read as a standalone. The film adaptations apparently are quite good as well so I’ll be looking forward to finding those sometime soon!
Warning: Contains some violence.
Rating: 4 stars!
Who should read it? Fantasy fans who think a Greek flair sounds like a fun twist!
Want to read the whole series?
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)
The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3)
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4)
Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4.5)
Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4.6)
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5)
Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5.5)