In honor of the finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1, I decided to release a special book review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. This was such a fun book to read, and the new show has done a great job of keeping the story and the characters book accurate. If you’ve watched the show and loved it, I highly recommend checking out the series. They are fun, quick reads full of humor and relatable characters!
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school…again. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he’s not even sure he believes himself.
Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.
Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he’s coming to realize, are very much alive in the 21st-century. 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 has just 10 days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends, one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena, will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed in 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 failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
Treasure Maps
Percy Jackson explores the world of Greek mythology; characters like Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, and even Medusa all make appearances. Although the book is technically set in “our world,” there are many places in the story (like Camp Half-Blood) that are fantastical and imaginative.
The writing style is very fast paced, to the point where I would read for ten minutes and find myself halfway through the book. On one hand, I enjoyed the pace because of the speed in which Riordan managed to create and develop such a rich world. On the other hand, I feel like certain areas were glossed over and that there could have been more time spent on certain plot points. (Do keep in mind that this series is aimed at a middle grade audience.)
Percy Jackson himself is an incredibly relatable character. He has real relationships with his friends and family and deals with real struggles like identity and trust throughout the story. Percy also learns how to think for and take care of himself.
The side characters are equally developed. Annabeth is clever and determined, and she always has a plan (a true daughter of Athena at heart!). Grover is lovable and quirky. Neither character felt like they existed just so that Percy could have his adventure.
In addition, I want to comment on the character of the Greek gods. Riordan did a wonderful job of writing them in such a way that the reader is never quite sure how to feel about them. Do you love them? Do you hate them? It depends on the chapter. Every character is truly dynamic.
Poisoned Apples:
This book has no innuendo. L1 profanity. The violence is moderate (similar to that of Greek mythology).
Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust
Seeing as this book delves into the depths of Greek mythology, it is given that there are many spiritual references to the Greek gods. Even still, we can see that these gods are “divine” beings with human issues. In Acts, Paul encounters the gods of the Greeks, as well as a statue to “The Unknown God.” Paul begins to share the gospel with them, saying, “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything… yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17: 16-34) Paul understood that there is one God, and all glory and honor and praise should go to Him.
The Frog Prince
Percy Jackson is a beloved middle grade series, not just by its target audience, but also by teenagers and adults alike. This is no surprise—the book is well written and has fun characters and an exciting plot. I definitely recommend it! I have no doubt that once you do, you’ll be wanting your very own Camp Half-Blood shirt (even if it is orange).
You can buy The Lightning Thief here.
𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑒