The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

The book came in fantastic condition and my Grandson was delighted with his Birthday gift....thanks...

I am a senior citizen--a librarian--a woman-- who could not possibly be interested in the story of a 12-year-old boy whose ADHD behavior causes him to be moved from private school to private school or that he has momentary lapses when strange behavior takes over or that he finally learns that he is a half-blood (no, not a HP half-blood), but the son of a god. No, I could not possibly be interested in such a far-fetched story, but then again I AM interested in this story because--WOW--what a story!!


Percy Jackson (Perseus at that!) learns in this first installment of The Olympians that he is indeed the son of a god and not some little podunk god, but one of the big three--Poseidon, god of all the seas. As a half-blood, he is given a quest: to find Zeus's thunderbolt. Someone has stolen it, giving rise to the book's title: the Lightning Thief.

If all this seems really strange, then you are normal. After all, we thought Greek mythology was dead. How little we knew, when in reality, it is alive and well and operating in the New West---America. The reader gets so caught up in this new telling of the old myths, ahem, stories of the living gods, that it becomes fresh and vibrant again. In fact, Mt. Olympus is now located on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building and accessible only through a special elevator ticket. You must have an appointment to get there.

Percy Jackson's pursuit of the lightning thief is just plain out fun reading. When I had to stop for any period of time, I couldn't wait to get back to the story. If the reader thinks it unrealistic that a 12-year-old is the hero, then put two and two together. Being a hero does not always take brawn--often thinking, intellect, strategy are required to solve a problem. It doesn't hurt that the hero's father is a god who nudges a bit.

The most exciting stop in the quest is coming before this horribly evil presence. I guessed its identity long before it was revealed (as any student of mythology will), so I am giving away no secrets here.

The most fun episodes occur when Ares, god of war, appears as a big ol' motorcycle punk in a black leather jacket. He must wear sunglasses to shield onlookers from his fiery eyes (literally fiery) and his macho, belligerent behavior. Hey! This is the god of war--how did you think he would act? A new piece of information comes out concerning Ares--Yo, are you paying attention?!!--Anyone in his presence suddenly becomes aggressive and must keep a constant check on his temper to prevent untoward behavior! Reader! Stop looking around--I'm right here on this page trying to tell you about Ares!

Does Percy find the thunderbolt? Do you really think I am going to tell you? Whew, that Ares is something else. Glad he is gone for now!

Anyway, quests usually end well, but not without cost, as is true here. Certain things must be addressed. Certain decisions must be made. Ah, this is all so vague. Whatever happens in Book 1, Percy Jackson is ready for whatever awaits in Book 2: "The Sea of Monsters."

Over the summer, I had to read a book for homework and then write about it. The assignment seemed unappealing until I came upon "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief." I read a couple pages thinking "Oh, another cheezy kid's fantasy." When I read on, it drew me in. I am not the kind of person who gets excited about reading a book, but this book made me want to read it. I finished the book disappointed that it was over and it made me extemely eager continue the series.
I havn't started the second book yet, but I am looking forward to it.
READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!

Percy Jackson isn't your normal hero: He's intelligent, dyslexic, polite, wry, mature beyond his years, sensible, a natural leader, vulnerable, unforced and a lot of fun to read. That's a really tall order for any kind of book, but it does work. Really well.

Riordan is one of the most skillful authors around today. He fuses classical Greek mythology with a modern-day schema in a fresh take that is safe for all ages and will really appeal to teenagers. While his descriptions are full and exquisite, almost nothing he does is new. And still the reader walks away refreshed and entranced.

In a topsy-turvy thousand-mile-an-hour ride, Percy discovers he's the son of a Greek god, gets mixed up in a plot to start war in Olympus (and Earth), has to learn how to survive as a monster magnet, and deal with the loss of everything normal in his life. This page-turner is suspenseful in a way I haven't experienced before. It's a worthy, fun ride.

Riordan is so faithful to the spirit of the ancient mythology that the reader can sense he's tapped into something special. Just be warned when you start reading--you might want to clear away any loose objects (i.e., anything that would be rattled by an earthquake) before you open the book. You might experience some turbulence during the ride!

Note: Families interested in further reading about Greek Mythology might want to look into Dr. Russell's Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children. This would be a good start for further reading on these ancient stories!

I have a hard time getting my 11 year old to read fiction. He loves non-fiction but getting him to sit down and read a novel is like asking him to scrub the grout between the tiles... except I think he would rather scrub the grout!

When he was younger, he enjoyed the Magic Treehouse series because he could relate to the characters -- they were the same age and they were dealing with subjects that he was interested in: dinosaurs, ancient civilizations etc.

My son's 5th grade teacher started reading this book to their class toward the end of the last year and the entire class was completely enthralled. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), the teacher only got about half way through the book before the end of the year. My son was hooked and wanted to know how the book ended.

We got this book for him and he finished the latter half in a few hours. So I got him books 2, 3, and 4. He read all 3 of those books within a week. He even turned down watching TV or playing his computer games in order to read -- truly a miracle.

My son is in sixth grade and is considered AG for reading so these books were a pretty easy read for him. He was constantly telling me what was happening and talking about the characters as if they were classmates in school.

My son has never shown an interest in Harry Potter or Spyderwick or other currently popular fantasy series.

When asked what he liked about this series as opposed to so much of the other fantasy that is currently available, he liked the fact that:

1. Percy was about his age and had his struggles in middle school (something my own son is dealing with though he isn't a demi-god!).
2. Greek Mythology -- my son loves the ancient greek civilizations. He had originally wanted to read the Odyssey by Homer for his book report but I talked him out of that.
3. Percy was a "modern kid" which, again, made him more relatable.
4. The style of writing was funny and conversational.

I'm just disappointed that Book 5 will be the last in the series. Now I have to find another set that will capture his attention.