The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
Miramax - Miramax
Release date: 2006-03-21
Paperback
Author: Rick Riordan
Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), General, Juvenile Fiction / General, Action & Adventure - General, Legends, Myths, & Fables - Greek & Roman, Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic, Camps, Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Mythology, Greek
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The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
Date undefinedA young man thinks his biggest problems in life are his ADHD and dyslexia, maybe a bully or two, but then he discovers that he's half god.
This very clever book (written primarily for middle school to early highschool students, but rewarding and enjoyable for adults, too) imagines that the Greek gods are still around and still up to their old ways-especially going out and having children with mortals. The writing is very witty; the author had me laughing out loud more than once. The plot is great and never slows down.
Readers are rewarded for knowledge of Greek mythology by having an idea of where the author is going with his story. You can read the beginning of a description and know right away which monster or god it is. Keep in mind, this is a book written for young adults, so don't get too happy when you figure out the Oracle's prediction way before the other characters do. Also, seeing as this is a book about the gods' influence on Earth, don't be suprised by the large amount of deus ex machina in the plot.
My one and only complaint is that I felt the chapter headings contained too many spoilers.
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
Date undefinedLike many of the books I wind up falling in love with, I stumbled upon The Lightning Thief by accident. I was wandering around Border's and found this gem on a table with signs saying "If you liked Harry Potter, then you might like these..." They were right.
The concept of the famous gods from ancient mythology still existing and following the path of Western Civilization across the world is genious. And the demigod characters who star in this new series are wonderful! I found myself wishing that I was a member of Camp Halfblood and wondering which cabin I'd be a part of myself. (After careful consideration, I decided I'm clearly a child of Athena.)
One other thing that was really exciting for me when reading this novel was the almost complete accuracy surrounding the old Greek myths. I was a Classics minor in college, so I'm a stickler for detail when it comes to getting those stories right. Mr. Riordan REALLY succeeded and that's not something I can honestly say I've ever found before.
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
Date undefinedWhere do I start?
Alright,first of all,there is great character development and great characters.The story is great,almost everything about this series is great.
For those of you who haven't heard,this is about a tween named Percy Jackson.He has been kicked out of five boarding schools already and Percy has just gotten a letter telling him that he won't be invited back to Yancy Academy,the school that he is currently at.
While on a field trip he has a bizarre encounter with a demon who he knows as his pre-algabra teacher.
Through a whole turn of events Percy winds up at Camp Half-Blood,for all the demigods,or offsprings of the Greek gods.Percy finds out that he is the son of Poseidon.Meanwhile,he makes a friend,Annabeth,and finds out that Zeus is holding Percy as his prime suspect for the stealing of his master lightning bolt.
So Percy and his friends go on a quest to seek the theif and give back to Zeus what is rightfully his.
I reccomend this book to fantasy lovers and,actually,anyone who reads.You won't be dissapointed.
