Review: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief

By Rick Riordan

Published: June 1, 2005

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

My review:

I first read this book in my pre-blogging days and I'd decided to pick it up because of the movie adaptation. Though I ended up disappointed with the movie, I loved this book and the rest of the books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.  With the second movie coming out later this year (it will hopefully be better than the first), I decided to reread the series.

I remember that when I first read this book I wasn't sure I would like it. I thought maybe it would be too much of a "kid book" to hold my attention or too similar to the Harry Potter books to have any originality. I am glad I was proven wrong! While I think this book would appeal to fans of Harry Potter, it is not a copy cat by any means.  I also found it to be entertaining, educational, and really funny.

The idea of blending Greek mythology with the modern world really appealed to me. I enjoyed learning more about the myths and the world of Camp Half-Blood. I also really liked the characters. Percy is an ordinary preteen who finds out he is a demigod and that he has access to all these untapped powers. Percy comes across as a genuine character that I think kids and teens could relate to because while he is dealing with monsters and quests he also has real world problems like family drama. He has flaws as well as strengths and he shows some growth especially in dealing with some difficult losses and betrayals. 

The Lightning Thief is a quick read and I think it appeals to readers on multiple levels as an adventure story with humor, magic, and great characters. I think fans of Harry Potter would particularly enjoy it.