Utena reviewed The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson & the Olympians -- book 1.)
An Enjoyable Adventure with Greek Mythology
5 stars
Twelve-year-old Perseus "Percy" Jackson knew he was different from other kids. For most of his life, he had struggled in school. His ADHD and dyslexia made it impossible for him to learn anything. One day, his boarding school decided to take a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was meant to be an ordinary field trip filled with boring droning over history but an incident with a fellow student draws the attention of a teacher named Mrs. Dodds. The woman changes and charges after Percy only to have him defeated.
Percy knows that something is going on and his concerns are addressed when he hears Grover and Mr. Brunner discussing him. Even more, he sees three old ladies knitting while on his way home. Then, a trip with his mother takes a turn for the worst placing Percy on the doorsteps of a camp for children like he …
Twelve-year-old Perseus "Percy" Jackson knew he was different from other kids. For most of his life, he had struggled in school. His ADHD and dyslexia made it impossible for him to learn anything. One day, his boarding school decided to take a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was meant to be an ordinary field trip filled with boring droning over history but an incident with a fellow student draws the attention of a teacher named Mrs. Dodds. The woman changes and charges after Percy only to have him defeated.
Percy knows that something is going on and his concerns are addressed when he hears Grover and Mr. Brunner discussing him. Even more, he sees three old ladies knitting while on his way home. Then, a trip with his mother takes a turn for the worst placing Percy on the doorsteps of a camp for children like he is and to a teacher he has met previously.
But Percy is not given a chance to process this change when he learns that the Gods are fighting. Zues' thunderbolt is missing and his arrival signals a belief that Percy's father may be the guilty one. With a demand for the bolt to be returned by the Summer Solstice, Percy has no choice but to clear his father's name and find the bolt before it leads to a war.
I remember reading this book a long time ago. My niece had to do a book report in school and this was the novel she had chosen to do. Unfortunately, my niece had a strong dislike for reading and my Mom asked me for help..asked me to spend an evening reading it.
And I don't regret it. I loved this book from the first page to the last page. The chapter titles are hilarious and I love that we see things from Percy's perspective. Here is a young boy who has lived his life shielded away from the knowledge of a world he should have known about and should have been a part of. I understand his mother's reasoning for keeping him from it - she thought she could protect him but realized that this world had already started creeping into her son's life.
Unfortunately, the world belonging to his father has come knocking on his door (or, if you will, bulldozed) and forced him into taking a quest that would not only clear his father's name but lift any suspicion that had fallen upon his shoulders. We see other mythological creatures as we set out on the quest and we get to see a deep bonding friendship begin to form with Annabeth, Grover, and Percy.
This series is fun and I think this would be a great book to begin any middle schooler with especially if you are looking to introduce your child into mythology without having to discuss the whole incest. LOL
Riordan's incorporation of mythology into his books has been a successful and beloved aspect of his storytelling. He combines ancient myths with modern settings and relatable characters, making these stories appealing and accessible to readers of all ages.