Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Reviewed by Emma

Percy Jackson has had some ”issues” in the past. He was kicked out of more than three boarding schools because of some accidents on field trips, and he’s about to be kicked out of another one. But that’s really the least of his problems.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a book about twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, a young demigod who is facing a number of different problems. One of them is the fact that Greek mythology and Gods seem to pop out of nowhere, causing dilemmas almost everywhere he goes. His biggest concern is the fact that Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy has everyone’s suspicions. In this fast-moving book, Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s lightning bolt before certain doom. Along the way the group makes friends, enemies, and discovers things about the gods more powerful than themselves. 

One reason why I enjoyed this book is because it is really suspenseful, and I just couldn’t wait to find out what happens to Percy and his friends next. A scene I felt was suspenseful is when Percy finds out he is the son of a certain special god, a god who had sworn not to have any mortal children. That really caught my attention, and I started to think what Percy was going to do with this new information. 

Another special trait of this book is the fact that it is based on Greek mythology, which I personally find very intriguing. Ever since I’ve been introduced to Greek mythology, something inside of me clicked and I knew that this would be one of my favorite mythologies to study. This book combines Greek mythology with our modern world, which is super cool since we can somewhat relate to Percy in the “normal world.” The novel also gives some facts on some things in Greek mythology, which I also find awesome because we can learn a little bit about it with this book, as well. 

I would rank this novel a solid 10/10. I would recommend this book to people who love action and adventure. Trust me, once you start reading this book, you won’t want to stop. This book is the first book in a very long series, so definitely check the other books out, too. The end of the Percy Jackson series is the fifth book, but there are sequel series such as The Heroes of Olympus series and the Trials of Apollo series. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did, and keep on reading!

Disney Hyperion, 375 pages