Thursday, January 26, 2012

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan



The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher:  Disney Hyperion Books
Publishing Date: July 1st 2005
Pages: 375
Genre:  MG Contemporary Fantasy/Mythology
Series: Percy Jackson #1
Source: Audio

  


After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities; He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning; His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There's little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus. 





This book has been on my TBR list for a while, and I recently decided to get it off the list. I did not have really high hopes for this book. I saw the movie and it was ok but my husband and many others really enjoyed the book… so I put on my TBR list and let it sit there. I am glad I finally got around to reading it. I have always been a fan of mythology and hoped this book would do it justice but in a fun way. The author pulled through for me. The book was filled with mythology, from the creatures to the gods, and it was fun. It was amazing, adventurous and humorous.



Percy Jackson is 12 years old and he thought he was normal kid. That all changed after a school field trip where he sees his teacher turn in to a creature that tries to kill him. Percy finds out his father is Poseidon and he is being hunted by those who doesn't want him around because of who his father is. He is shipped off to a camp full of descendants of Gods and Goddesses. At camp is where the real trouble begins and it sends Percy and his friends on a journey to save himself and others like him. 



The setting of the book is in the modern world and the way that the author entwined the modern world and the ancient myths were fascinating. The gods and many monsters seemed to show themselves in public throughout the book but humans were unable to see what was actually going. This made events even more amusing.


The story takes us on a journey with the main character Percy Jackson and his friends. Percy Jackson seems to be a troubled kid on the outside and he ends up getting kicked out of every school his mother enrolls him in. Percy isn’t really troubled, although he has plenty of reason why he would be, he is just different. Percy is smart, spunky, and just plain fun throughout the entire book. He seems to take things in great stride, even when he isn’t sure if he really believes what he is told. For a 12 year boy he handles every situation with bravery and skill.


We also meet his “sidekick” Grover in the very beginning. Grover is by far my favorite character. The words that come out of his mouth are extremely amusing. I would call him the star of the book. The mixture of Percy and Grover is pure comedy.


The book is also filled action, friendship, and twists. I don’t recall any boring spots that I seem to find in many fantasy books. The author is vivid and has a way with his characters that is very captivating. It really is a complete story that has it all and I can’t wait to read the next installment. 



I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers and not so fantasy lovers.





2 comments:

  1. I really liked this book as well, and like you, I was surprised.

    I was a little disappointed with the rest of the series though. Sea of Monsters was god-awful, and Titan's Curse was unspeakable.

    Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've been a fan of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series since I read it as "required' reading in 6th grade. The series is super awesome, and I love every book. Your review was a really good!

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