Title: The Lightning Thief.
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1.
Writer(s): Rick Riordan.
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books.
Format: Paperback.
Release Date: June 28th 2005.
Pages: 377.
Genre(s): Fantasy, Young Adult.
ISBN13: 9780786838653.
My Overall Rating:
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. For one kid, all he ever wanted was a simple and bully-less life. But when he learns that there was much more to who he is than what he knows, he goes on to discover his inner strength, stamina, and perseverance, unlocking an ability to do everything in his power to protect and save the people he cares about. First adapted as a movie in 2010—unfortunately failing to garner the desired success—and now awaiting a Disney+ live-action TV series adaptation, writer Rick Riordan’s critically-acclaimed series has made the rounds and become one of the most beloved young adult fantasy series in the world. It was now my turn to finally discover Percy Jackson’s story.
What is The Lightning Thief about? Percy Jackson is a twelve-year-old boy who is on the verge of getting kicked out of his boarding school once again. While his dyslexia and ADHD don’t help him perform much in class, he has lately been experiencing odd phenomenons, instances where mythological creatures infiltrate his reality and seek to take his life. With only his textbook knowledge on Greek mythology at hand, he is slowly reeled into a perilous quest that will send him looking for Zeus’ precious and lost master lightning bolt. While the road ahead is not without its fair share of obstacles, from monsters to gods, Percy Jackson needs to elucidate the riddle of the Oracle where a fate far worse than death awaits him.
“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”
— Rick Riordan (2005)
Writer Rick Riordan does a remarkable job in infusing Percy Jackson’s world with a soft take on Greek mythology as he ventures into a mystical facet hidden in plain sight, right in the United States of America. Sequentially exploring notorious Greek monsters and Gods, he offers readers the chance to rediscover them through the eyes of young children who are ready to tackle the worse that destiny has in store for them in order to achieve their deepest desires. The modernized interpretation of these myths jumbled with the breakneck pace of this story ultimately makes this quest riveting in unimaginable ways. The minimal effort put into merging these worlds together and bringing it all to life is a feat in itself, one that makes the journey refreshing and delightful.
And then you have these characters at the core of this adventure. None of them are flawless, yet somehow they shine like beacons of light in a scary world. They all have unique identifying personalities, they all have dreams, and they all have qualities and talents that make them all the more special in their own way. The main trio also procures some fun banter that highlights their charismatic nature, whether it’s through their silly jokes or their insecure deflections. The various different creatures and gods that they encounter also embody iconic traits of their respective mythological counterparts and bring readers additional entertainment in their particular interpretation. While you might know everything about who they are, writer Rick Riordan assures readers a thrilling ride with fun surprises to make it all worthwhile.
The Lightning Thief is an electrifying and enchanting quest drawing upon Greek mythology and sending a couple of friends through a myriad of exciting trials to seek the truth.
Roars and Echoes 
So glad you enjoyed this one Lashaan. This was a favourite in our library with our older students. I keep saying I’m going to read it, but haven’t yet.
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I can only highly recommend it. It’s such a refreshing read, super fast-paced, and fun all around! Thanks for reading, Carla! 😀
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Oooh that’s an old favorite here Lashaan!!
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I’m glad to hear that, Sophie! 😀
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Finally you read this and I’m glad you enjoyed the book. It’s gets much better from 2nd and I think 3rd and 5th was my favorite. I hope you continue series. Great review, Lashaan!
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Thanks, Yesha! I’m so glad to have finally read it too. I look forward to your favourites then. I’m going to make an effort to get through the series for sure. It’s too much fun to not complete it hahaha
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I enjoyed this first series but gave up on the 2nd when it moved on to other characters. Best of luck reading it 🙂
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Which series killed it for you? The Egyptian one? Glad to hear that this worked for you though.
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No, the Greek/Roman one, with Jason, where Percy was more of a side character. Hang on…..
The Heroes of Olympus series.
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I’m very glad to see you enjoyed this one, Lashaan. It’s been on my list of books for the young at heart for some time now. I’m really looking forward to trying it and seeing how the author weaves Greek mythos into modern life. And I can’t wait to let myself journey back to days gone by when I was of a simiilar age to those in the book and perhaps had thoughts of extraordinary things also happening to me. At the time those days had their share of hardships but looking back I have fond memories of them.
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That’s also why I wanted to dive into it. Just to relive those younger, more reckless, and carefree days. It turned out as fun and entertaining as I thought it would be and I hope you’ll have a similar experience with it when you get the chance to pick this one up in the future, Todd!
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Lol! Glad you liked it too. I was so curious to see your thoughts on it because this series is a lot of silly fun. I tend to turn to them and the early Harry Potter books when I’m stressed and need something fun and light.
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It’s so much fun and I can see why this and HP would figure among those books that you’d reread just to get out of a slump and whatnot! Thanks for reading, Zezee! 😀
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“Soft take on Greek mythology” is just right 😉 It’s a nice enough book, especially if read at a certain age – I’ve read the whole series and enjoyed it, though I started to have symptoms of fatigue by the book 4, I believe, and struggled with book 5. It’s a very Americanized version of Greek mythology, that’s for sure. Great review, Lashaan!
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I won’t lie. I wrote that thinking about how you’d have reacted to Rick Riordan’s take on Greek mythos hahahahahah I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed more than half of the books in this series though. Have you tried the other series with other mythos by Rick Riordan? Any thoughts? Warnings? 😀 Thanks for reading, Ola!
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Heh, I should feel honored 😀
Nope, honestly I was so fatigued by the end of this series that I didn’t want to try any other books by Riordan 😉 They’re not bad, but very formulaic, so be prepared that after the first one the novelty of the idea gets somewhat stale. Still, they’re quite readable 🙂
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Yes! I totally agree with your assessment on the characters- they’re not perfect but they just came to life!
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These guys are really loads of fun! I’m glad to have finally gotten around to reading this one. I look forward to book 2! 😀
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Great review, Lashaan! I’m pretty sure that I didn’t read this when I was younger and that I didn’t see the movie either, but I have heard tons about it! Just the other day I was talking to a frind about how cool some YA fantasy novels were really great ahah! 😊
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Thank you so much, Juliette! I haven’t seen the movie too but I remember back in high school friends not being too impressed by it either. However, the books have only been loved by just about everyone who has read them, as far as I know, and that’s why I had to try it out for myself! It’s totally worth checking out. It’s fun. It’s silly. It’s American. 😛
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It sounded like fun but after reading Ola’s comments, I’m worried. Plus, the more books in a series the harder it gets to convince me to pick it up.
Do you prefer standalones over a series? Or vice versa?
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At least it’s just five books! Five similarly-proportioned and relatively short and action-packed novels. 😀 It’s hard to say, honestly. I think I’ll always say a stand-alone novel would get more praise from me, especially when I think about other mediums (video games, movies, and comics).
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Oh my this was a such a classic! I read this probably more than 10 years ago in one single sitting. I read it under the covers at night and can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Was utterly devastated with the movie adaptation though. Will you be reading the rest of the series? Would love to see what you think about the rest of it.
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What an awesome memory to have. I think what people had to say about the movie adaptation back then didn’t make me want to read the books as quickly as I would today. I definitely plan on finishing this series at least. This book alone was just too much fun and a nice breather in between the big books I usually pick up! 😀
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I want to read this series eventually!
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Totally worth checking out. 😀
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I read the Percy Jackson series years ago. I like the first two books but the rest of the series was meh to me. Overall it was a good series. Honestly I prefer the Magus Chase series.
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Ohhh, that’s interesting to hear. I’ll be careful with my expectations going into the sequels now. Thanks for the warning! 😀
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