Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse – Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena – Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

How was it?

My first experience with this story was its 2010 movie adaptation Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief I vaguely remember. So this was my first time diving into Rick Riordan‘s source material. The Lightening Thief – the book – brings a somewhat refreshing twist to Greek Mythology, reimagining it for a contemporary younger audience.

It’s very much a middle-grade book and very much of its time but it still entertains and takes us on an exciting and not-so-predictable adventure. We’re introduced to Percy, a young dyslexic kid, with an absent father and a history of weird happenings around him. He’s a demigod but doesn’t know it yet when the story starts. In the first chapter, hints of his divine lineage are dropped, and it sets the tone for a storyline brimming with twists and turns that’ll keep younger readers on the edge of their seats.

The narrative is full of humor, keeping a light-hearted tone, despite diving into more serious matters regarding family dynamics. Despite having Percy telling us about his story, there is a real sense of danger during this whole first adventure, I wasn’t worried about him but Grover and Annabeth seemed like goners a few times. The story does start to lose momentum at some points, one in particular – The Lotus Casino – really just felt like filler otherwise it has a really nice pace.

As young as it skews The Lightening Thief manages to captivate all readers, younger and older, with its clever blend of ancient mythology and contemporary adventure.

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