For those of you who follow me, you’ve probably already read my reviews for The Trials of Apollo series. Having finally been able to read those I was inspired to go back and start at the beginning with The Lightning Thief, book one of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It opens on Percy Jackson‘s field trip to a history museum with his friend Grover. While there he is attacked by hi math teacher only to be saved by his Latin teacher throwing him a pen that turns into a sword. Afterwords, no one at the school seems to remember his math teacher. Early the next summer while on vacation with his mom, Sally Jackson, they are interrupted by Grover and attacked by the minotaur. Percy kills the minotaur and escapes with Grover to Camp Half-Blood while his mom is believed to be dead. There he meets Chiron, who posed as his Latin teacher, and Mr. D or Dionysus, along with several other campers such as Luke, Annabeth, and Clarisse. Being thrust headlong into a world straight from Greek mythology, Percy discovers that his father is Poseidon, he is being blamed for stealing Zeus’s thunderbolt, and the actual culprit is probably Hades so he has to go and steal it from Hades in order to return it. Oh, and he only has ten days to do so and he only has the help of Grover, a satyr, and Annabeth, a daughter of Athena.
This is the first book in Riordan‘s mythology universe, so to speak, as this book is really what started it all. There are many different reasons why I like both this book and this series. One of the biggest ones is the humor that is present throughout the whole thing. The first time I read The Lightning Thief I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I did not expect was to open a kid’s book to chapter one and see the following title: I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher. It really made me curious though. That sense of humor is prevalent throughout the book and really made it enjoyable. Another thing I like is the way that it treats people who would be considered different. What I mean is that right from the get-go Percy admits that he is often considered a troubled kid and that he has both ADHD and dyslexia. However, the story also presents Percy as a person who refuses to let these things get him down and instead tries his best despite these. It’s a valuable lesson in don’t judge a book by its cover, or maybe don’t judge a person by a label. Perhaps the best part, besides the humor, is how seamlessly Riordan blends Greek mythology and the modern day United States to create this stunning and enthralling subculture, complete with alternate history. I have come across very few works that make Greek mythology so accessible to kids while still being so highly enjoyable. This book definitely deserves a full five stars.
Overall, this is a great book and a great start to a new world. I know that it is aimed primarily at kids and teens but I think that it might appeal to adults as well, at least those who enjoy a good fantasy work. In my opinion, this is a great story for kids to read and not just because it is fun. It is because it helps show kids that it is okay to be different and to make mistakes, as long as you try your best and really put in the effort. Kids should know that it is okay to not be perfect and I think this book can help them see that. Hopefully, they will get that, along with a pretty good basic understanding of Greek mythology as well. Let me know what you think in the comments as I am curious if others viewed it the same way I did.