The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book One
Written by Rick Riordan
Mythology, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Edition Published December 1st 2009
375 Pages
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Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... Again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend, and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Twelve year old Percy Jackson has just been expelled from Yancy Academy, a private school in New York for troubled teens. But after his last predicament, Percy has released that perhaps he's no ordinary teen when a teacher attempts to take his life. He has no where to go, his step father refuses to allow him to live with he and his mother and Percy can't remember his real father. But it seems that his father had always wished for Percy to attend a summer camp. Camp Half Blood. And his mother cannot assure his safety any longer. But what does he need to be protected from?

Along with best friend Grover, Percy's introduction to the camp couldn't come at a more crucial time. But this isn't any ordinary camp, but a camp for the children of the Gods. Percy soon learns that the mythical creatures from his school curriculum are no longer fiction, and finds himself at the center of a brewing war. Until he is claimed as a son of a God, Percy is to train and learn the art of defense with teachers such as a Centaur, his best friend is turns out is a Satyr and he's on the verge of being sent on a quest to Zeus's lightning bolt, a token that Percy is accused of stealing.

Along with best friend Grover and long term camp resident Annabeth, Percy must find and retrieve the bolt before the Summer Solace in ten days time. Along his journey, the three will be tested, hunted and tricked, but when Percy's father finally claims him as his son, it seems that Percy may be persecuted for merely existing. The quest will take him to hell and back, but will Percy be able to stop the war in time?

My Thoughts

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was fantastic. It completely surprised me, delighted me and I simply loved it. It follows the story of Percy Jackson, troubled student who's not only dyslexic, but suffers from attention deficit disorder. In the past six years, he's moved from several different schools and each ending in Percy being asked to leave. He's not intentionally difficult by any means, but strange and unexplained predicaments seem to find him. Percy is a Demigod and the only place the offspring of the Gods can find sanctuary is at Camp Half Blood, and finds himself thrown into a world of mythology. Considering he's only twelve years old, Percy's voice seemed mature beyond his years. He's overwhelmed, needs answers and rightly so. He's not a strong character, but a reliable narrator who's nativity only endeared me further.

Annabeth was troubled. She covered her insecurities with awkward humour which almost always fell flat. Thank goodness for Grover. The Satyr and tin can eating boy who is using the quest to prove his own worth as a protector. He was simply delightful. Although the series falls under the middle grade genre, the Greek mythology was brilliant and it was delivered with humour and sarcasm. It was nothing short of incredible. I'm an instant fan and luckily already have the next two books waiting for me on my bookshelf.