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The Lightning Thief

(Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)

Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author)

4.26 · Rating details · 2,101,674 ratings · 63,971 reviews

In this stunning collectors' edition of The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson's world is brought to life with eight full-color plates by the series jacket artist John Rocco. The edition comes in an elegant slipcase with a ribbon bookmark, rough edges, and cloth cover--a perfect keepsake for fans of this truly epic series.
After getting expelled from yet another school for yet ...more

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Kindle Edition, Film Edition, 400 pages

Published January 29th 2010 by Disney Hyperion (first published June 28th 2005)

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· 2,101,674 ratings · 63,971 reviews

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Jun 19, 2011 Ela rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorites, favourite-heroes, movie-tie-in, fangirling-over

I'm slightly ashamed to say that I watched the movie before I read the book. But I'm even more ashamed that I watched the movie only to experience the hotness that is Logan Lerman.

But, come on! Someone tell me that this , is not hot:

Really. What did I tell you? (I do imagine that you probably won't read the rest of the review anf just stare at this gif instead, but that's no reason not to like my review! :D)

But, I really have to thank Logan. I really do. Because without his unfreakingbelieveabl ...more

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Oct 30, 2014 Jesse (JesseTheReader) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A+ Writing
A+ Plot
A+ Characters
A+ MONSTERS

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I wish I hadn't watched the movie before reading it, because I felt like that ruined a bit of enjoyment of this book for me, but for the most part I had such a fun time reading this book and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the series. ...more

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Jan 18, 2016 chan ☆ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

alright maybe y'all have a point ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Jayson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-american, genre-young-adult, 300-399-pp, genre-folklore-myth, genre-juvenile-fantasy, read-in-2018

(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: It’s sugar and caffeine: a dulcet pop sonnet moved by rhyming couplets of worldbuilding and perilous confrontation.

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Jul 30, 2008 Destinee Sutton rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Destinee by: The children of SPL

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grade, harry-potter-alternative

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When I was about halfway through this book, I started making a list of its similarities to Harry Potter. Here is a sampling from that list:

1. There are three young heroes: a brainy girl (Annabeth/Hermione), a funny screw-up type (Grover/Ron), and a somewhat troubled but very brave lead (Harry/Percy).

2. People freak when the Harry/Percy character says the name of a powerful character.

3. The main bad guy (Kronos/Voldemort) is seeking to return to his former power, but most people are totally in d ...more

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Feb 15, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: action, middle-school, gary-stu, quest, mythology, ya, magic, kick-ass-heroine, children

Chiron looked surprised. “I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles.”

As someone who has worked in Los Angeles, I can tell you that this is completely accurate.

While Harry Potter was spending his summers at the Dursleys, Percy Jackson attended Camp Half-Blood. This book has done the impossible: it has redeemed the name of Percy.

Yes, that's right, that snot-faced, lily-livered waste of air of the very same name from the Harry Potter universe. That name is now relegated to the ranks of "acceptable," because of my love for this book.

Perseus (Percy) Jackson is the kind of kid with whom you can't help sympathizing. He is the type that's born under a dark star, because inevitably, wherever he goes, whatever he does, however good his intentions, he can't help but fuck everything up. Everything that can, does and will go wrong. A simple field trip can turn into a disaster in seconds.

Jay-Z's got 99 problems, Percy might have more. He nearly flunks all his classes, he's got dyslexia, he's got ADHD, and then there's Nancy Bobofit.

Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she’d gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover’s lap.
“Oops.” She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.

Nancy Bobofit is not a major character in the book. I have to mention her because her character resounded with me. I had my own Nancy Bobofit back in grade school, only her name is Mimi. Nearly 2 decades later, the memory of her horrible face still makes me shudder. But I digress.

As if the bullies aren't bad enough, his dad is a no-show, his stepfather is LITERALLY named Ugli, and there are crones foretelling Percy's death as well as a minotaur chasing his ass around. AND NOBODY'S TELLING HIM A SINGLE FUCKING THING. What's with all the secrecy, man?

As it turned out, Percy is *whispers* special. He is a half-blood, meaning one of his parents is a Greek deity. He gets sent to Camp Half-Blood, with roughly 100 other kids like him.

It's a freaky place for a kid who's known nothing but relative normalcy his entire life. All of a sudden, he's playing Pinochle with a Greek God (Dionysus---what a drunk), his best friend Grover turns out to be a satyr, and the gorgeous blond girl who rescues him thinks he's a doofus and she keeps calling him "seaweed brain."

To be fair, Percy had it coming. He is kind of a seaweed brain.

"Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her.”
“They must really like olives.”
“Oh, forget it.”
“Now, if she’d invented pizza—that I could understand.”
“I said, forget it!”

Not your best moment, Percy.

As it turned out, Percy IS special. His dad is one of the Big Three gods. Which kind of sucks, because that's not supposed to happen.

“About sixty years ago, after World War II, the Big Three agreed they wouldn’t sire any more heroes. Their children were just too powerful."

A lot of people would think it was pretty cool to have such a powerful dad...not really.

Now that I was declared a son of one of the Big Three gods who weren’t supposed to have kids, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.

Not only does Percy have to struggle to fit in at Camp Half-Blood, but there's some shit going on in Mount Olympus. The gods are fighting again (when are they not)...

"During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: ‘Mother Rhea always liked you best,’ ‘Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,’ et cetera."

...and consequently, like a brother playing a prank on his younger siblings, someone's stuff was stolen. And Zeus thinks that his bro, Poseidon, put Percy up to it.

Of course, blame the poor kid. Now Percy is shit out of luck YET AGAIN, and he's got no choice but to go on this huge stupid quest into the underworld (Los Angeles, ha!) to clear his name.

He's not alone, he's accompanied by the snarky, gorgeous, fiercely competent Annabeth (she of the seaweed brain name-calling), as well as the most incompetent satyr that ever lived.

In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff’s “So Yesterday,” both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.

It's going to be a loooooooong trip to the Underworld.

The Setting: THIS. THIS IS HOW YOU DO GREEK MYTHOLOGY. I am a Greek mythology buff. I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK. This book is just absolutely fucking perfect in every way when it comes to rewriting and reinterpreting the Greek pantheon. It is so hilariously, awesomely irreverent, but completely fitting. The gods are reimagined, but they stay true to their true nature, and the myths are retold in a cheeky, flippant manner that had me giggling my ass off. This book is so fantastically snarky to the Greek gods. Everything is incredibly well-explained to a lay audience, like how the Greek gods can't seem to keep it in their pants.

Annabeth nodded. “Your father isn’t dead, Percy. He’s one of the Olympians.”
“That’s...crazy.”
“Is it? What’s the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they’ve changed their habits in the last few millennia?”

And apparently, the habit runs true for both male and female goddesses.

“What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?”

The existence of Greek gods and goddesses themselves are well explained, and believable.

“Come now, Percy. What you call ‘Western civilization.’ Do you think it’s just an abstract concept? No, it’s a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it."
"Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England. All you need to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods."

I had my doubts about the execution of the premise of Greek mythology, and all my doubts have been destroyed. his book does great justice to the Greek gods, it is the most faithful rendition than I have ever read.

The Characters: Yes, Percy is a special snowflake, but HELL, I LOVED THE LITTLE SHIT. He's got a special destiny. He is a special child. I DON'T CARE. Percy is such a sympathetic character, and although he won't be replacing Harry Potter in my heart any time soon, there is a special spot for him. He can give up pretty fast. He's kind of a wimp, but you know, finding out that you're a hald-blooded demigod is kind of a big deal, and I understand his attitude of "GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE."

I didn’t know what else to do. I waved back.
“Don’t encourage them,” Annabeth warned. “Naiads are terrible flirts.”
“Naiads,” I repeated, feeling completely overwhelmed. “That’s it. I want to go home now.”

He doesn't really want to do anything big. He's pretty stupid sometimes (Auntie Em, geez), he's not exactly heroic. He only does the heroic shit when there are no other options.

“All right,” I said. “It’s better than being turned into a dolphin.”

I loved Annabeth, she is all I could want from a female supporting character. I can't say that I'm fond of Grover...but I can't help feeling that we'll be seeing more of him in the future.

“But a quest to . . .” Grover swallowed. “I mean, couldn’t the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine’s very nice this time of year.”

Overall: a fantastic book. A good middle grade book makes you feel like a child again, and this book did just the trick. I found myself giggling throughout the book, and an hour after reading it, there's still a smile on my face that can't be wiped off. ...more

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Sep 30, 2013 Emily May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, 2014

Were you a bit weird in school? Or are you still in school and think you're kinda weird? I mean, everyone is weird, but you know that I mean. Maybe you didn't fit in, maybe people thought you were a bit of a loser. Maybe you had learning difficulties, were a target for bullies, got into trouble a lot, maybe it seemed like your teachers just didn't like you. Maybe you sucked at reading and were even diagnosed with dyslexia. Or ADHD.

Well, don't worry. Truth is, you're actually most likely a child Were you a bit weird in school? Or are you still in school and think you're kinda weird? I mean, everyone is weird, but you know that I mean. Maybe you didn't fit in, maybe people thought you were a bit of a loser. Maybe you had learning difficulties, were a target for bullies, got into trouble a lot, maybe it seemed like your teachers just didn't like you. Maybe you sucked at reading and were even diagnosed with dyslexia. Or ADHD.

Well, don't worry. Truth is, you're actually most likely a child of the gods with secret powers that enable you to zap those bullies and fulfill your true destiny. Screw school, you've got bigger things to deal with anyway.

Lol, this book is amazing. My only regret is that I didn't have it when I was twelve years old because I would have read this until it was falling apart in my hands. Every insecure kid (so basically every kid) should read The Lightning Thief. I would want my hypothetical kids of the future to read this book. It's the ultimate childhood fantasy - discovering that everything people labelled as "weird" or negative about you is actually caused by your secret awesomeness. Pretty perfect message, if you ask me.

I know, I know - this is plain old childhood wish fulfillment at its finest. But who cares? The best kids books are all about wish fulfillment to some extent and it's not like Percy Jackson doesn't have his fair share of enemies and heartache. It's the same idea that we all loved to buy into. The orphaned and neglected Harry Potter discovering he is a wizard. The nerdy loser-ish Peter Parker developing special abilities and becoming Spiderman. Children in the middle of WWII discovering a secret world through a wardrobe door in which they reign as royalty. Percy Jackson finding out he is the son of a god and has his own super powers.

On top of the powerful message, this is a fast-paced exciting fantasy story full of friendships, Greek mythology, magic, mystery, bad guys and girls, and constant adventure. I enjoyed it now, despite me being a good ten years older than the target audience. I would have enjoyed it even more ten years ago. You should definitely go read this. Then, when you're done, give it to a kid to read too.

Blog | Leafmarks | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr ...more

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May 28, 2017 may ➹ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star, my-heart, pov-1st, middle-grade, fantasy, read-2018, diverse, my-soul-hurts, rereads, rep-disability-neurodiverse

Annabeth: calls Percy a wild animal

me: 🥺🥺 romance 🥺🥺

——————

DISNEY+ ADAPTATION THE GAYS WON WE WON!!!!!!

(if you think I am handling this well I absolutely am not)

——————

all right who’s going to step up and convince me not to reread this for the sixth time....... somebody’s gotta do it and it’s not me

——————

yeah I’ve read this five times and want to reread it again, what about it

——————

I’m crying I love this book and series so much my parents taught me how to read just so I could read this book I can ...more

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Sep 11, 2016 NReads marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I don't care if this is middle grade literature. I am starting this soon! ...more

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Jan 20, 2021 Tharindu Dissanayake rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-fiction, favorites

"You need to study war, punk."

Given how well received this book is (and the entire series), I was looking forward to continue my fantasy to-read list with Percy Jackson and the Olympians for a while now. I know it's children's book, but when has that ever stopped me.. But still, one cannot help but be somewhat anxious while starting a new series, for things could go either way. And when things turn out better than expected - like it did with Lightening Thief - life is beautiful. This is a wonder ...more

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Oct 22, 2017 Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-series

Believe it or not, but this was actually my first Rick Riordan book!!!

AND

I really enjoyed it!!! *lol*

This was such an epic adventure and I loved the countless hints and references to Greek Mythology! XD Rick Riordan’s approach definitely was a more than just funny one and I couldn’t help but had to laugh out loud whenever Percy opened his mouth!
I swear that young boy is the embodiment of sass and the more I read about him, the more I got attached to this awesome boy! <3 I want to adopt Perseus Believe it or not, but this was actually my first Rick Riordan book!!!

AND

I really enjoyed it!!! *lol*

This was such an epic adventure and I loved the countless hints and references to Greek Mythology! XD Rick Riordan’s approach definitely was a more than just funny one and I couldn’t help but had to laugh out loud whenever Percy opened his mouth!
I swear that young boy is the embodiment of sass and the more I read about him, the more I got attached to this awesome boy! <3 I want to adopt Perseus and if Poseidon doesn’t want him it’s his own fault! XD

After reading the first book I don’t really feel a connection to Annabeth, but maybe this is going to change?! She seemed to be an interesting character and I liked their easy banter, altogether she was just too reserved for my taste though, which is pretty sad because I’m more than just certain that she’s actually a very cool girl! (On a side note: I really loved that she gave Percy the nickname “Seaweed Brain”! *lol* I’m fairly certain it could have been worse! ;-P)

And Grover? Well, I guess I liked Grover as well! His habit to eat tin cans was a little unsettling but hey, I’m not going to judge him for his rather questionable diet. XD After all his heart is in the right place and when it comes down to it, this is everything that counts! ;-P I just hope he’ll survive his personal quest and I can’t help but wonder if we’re going to see him in one of the next books!

Since my jump on the “Percy Jackson” train seems to be more than just a little delayed, I finally decided to leave it at that. I guess there is really nothing I could write or say that hasn’t been said already! I mean there are actually 55.567 reviews on goodreads! (Yes, I looked it up! ;-P) So yeah, I guess that says it all! XD

If you haven’t had the pleasure to read the book yet I recommend you to do the following though:
Get a copy of “The Lightning Thief”, snuggle into your soft and comfy bed, ignore the bad autumn weather and enjoy the freaky ride! ;-P ...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Samadrita rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, children-s, yawn-inducing, fantasy-mythology, abandoned-without-ado, should-not-have-been-published, loathed-this-book

EDIT 09/06/2013:- That's it. I have had my fill of too many stupid, brain-cell destroying comments posted on this review in the past few months asking me to write a 'best-selling book' before attempting to take apart Rick Riordan's writing. As if the exclusive privilege of negatively criticizing a book is accorded only to published writers and not ordinary reviewers/readers.
I do have the right to record my feelings about a book in my review. And it's such a shame that I am actually being fo ...more

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Nov 21, 2016 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I just had to get the illustrated edition! It's so awesome! I will leave some pics below and I took them last night so they are not great shots. =)

There are A LOT more pictures as you can guess. Like I said, sorry about the darkish pics. I was taking them while laying in bed last night. Lol

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

•••••••••••
First Reading

I am FINALLY getting around to reading this series.

I thought the movies were okay, I do wish they would remake them and make them better, like the books =)

Poor P ...more

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Feb 16, 2017 Mark Lawrence rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've read all (I think) of this series to my daughter, Celyn, but somehow this one escaped being reviewed until now.

I half-watched the film a year or two before we read this. Actually it was Rick reading (and being kind enough to review) my own trilogy that steered me toward picking up these books for Celyn (she's very disabled and can't read books for herself).

Anyway, it was a very good read. Celyn enjoyed the action and humour, and I enjoyed seeing the Greek legends I loved reading about as a ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2020, middle-grade, fantasy

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Sep 02, 2020 Teodora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, on-app, mythology, fantasy

me: *two months ago* I don't think I'm going to read this any time soon
me: * right now* oh yay Percy Jackson!!

I'd lie if I'd say I did not enjoy this :D

(Book-styled) ...more

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Mar 19, 2017 Bentley ★ Bookbastion.net rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

My inner child is absolutely devastated that I didn't read this series when I was a kid. Percy Jackson was one of those series that was always there, just on the periphery of my social conscious. I knew I should read it, but for one reason or another I gravitated to other things instead.

Thankfully, as an adult who likes reviewing books for fun in my spare time, I have absolutely no shame about reading the series now, even if it was originally intended for a younger audience. In some ways, I thi My inner child is absolutely devastated that I didn't read this series when I was a kid. Percy Jackson was one of those series that was always there, just on the periphery of my social conscious. I knew I should read it, but for one reason or another I gravitated to other things instead.

Thankfully, as an adult who likes reviewing books for fun in my spare time, I have absolutely no shame about reading the series now, even if it was originally intended for a younger audience. In some ways, I think I might have even enjoyed it more as an adult.

I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology. (I may or may not have filled electives in high school and college with classes on mythology; just like I may or may not have obsessed over shows like Xena and Hercules in my teenage years.) I had a great time comparing my own personal knowledge of Greek mythology against the ways that Riordan weaves the stories into Percy's larger adventure.

It's such a fun way to introduce Greek mythology to children and teens while staying entertaining for adults as well! The mythology remains faithful to the original stories, but it feels fresh and fun here as each character is full of personality and charm. The world is full of magic and wonder and I never once felt bored as the characters explored within it.

Speaking of characters full of personality, Percy Jackson himself is one of my new faves in terms of characterization. He's brave, loyal and hilarious and his friendship with Grover and Annabeth has quickly become a favorite for me. Also, can I just say that I think it's so cute that Riordan based Percy on his son, who had been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia? I think it's so awesome that Percy gets to sort of stand apart from other heroes in stories as a champion for those kids forevermore.

When I finished reading this book, I immediately went and told my 11 year old nephew that he absolutely had to read this book so I had someone to talk to about it. I'm proud to call myself a Percy Jackson fan and will be continuing the rest of the series shortly!

★★★★★ = 5 stars!

See this review and more on my blog: Book Bastion my blog:
__________________

Can ya'll believe I've never read this series before? I picked up the first 3 books on a whim the other day and am excited to give it a go.

RTC. ...more

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Jul 20, 2016 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

this is one of the most common books that pops up on my feed. no joke. i probably see this at least a couple times a week, so i finally gave in and read it! yay me! hehe.

i will admit, this is the first time i have read a middle grade novel since i was that age, but i have to hand it to rick riordan. this story is sooo unique, which is hard to do considering how many fantasy novels are out there for young readers. and i have no doubt that, if i had first read when i was a kid, i would have been b ...more

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Dec 16, 2009 Cara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: reluctant readers

Recommended to Cara by: Gerson

Shelves: series, recommended-to-me, books-i-own, books-made-into-movies, fantasy, male-protagonist, 2010

Really is there something I could say that hasn't been said? Doubtful, but in utterly stupid human style I will write a review anyway attempting to tell people how cool this book is.

This is plainly an awesome idea. I had always wondered what happened to the kids of half gods/goddess and humans. Here's the story to quench your curiosity. Percy Jackson has been dumped around from border school to border school. He has never been quite like anybody else, but as the end of sixth grade approaches h ...more

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Jul 27, 2017 emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, mythology, buddy-reads, urban-fantasy, favorites, fantasy, rereads

A list of reasons I love this book, brought to you by Nostalgia™:

- clickbait chapter titles
- middle grade book that doesn’t write down to its audience
- percy jackson was my first book boyfriend and remains the most iconic of my middle school crushes
- ~~I kind of like him better than harry potter???~~
- he mails the severed head of a monster to the fucking gods bc they weren't being appreciative enough of him
- basically, the son of the sea god is literally and figuratively salty
- annabeth is only 12 y ...more

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Nov 16, 2010 karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: and-so-this-is-grad-school

this is a perfect book for young teenagers. if you were trying to devise a formula for writing a perfect book for this age group, you could not have done much better than this.

1) mysterious parentage. kids are totally self-absorbed. some never grow out of it, of course, but in younger people, it is more excusable - their internal life makes up the majority of their experience, they are used to being the center of attention and they spend a lot of time thinking about themselves and fantasizing. s this is a perfect book for young teenagers. if you were trying to devise a formula for writing a perfect book for this age group, you could not have done much better than this.

1) mysterious parentage. kids are totally self-absorbed. some never grow out of it, of course, but in younger people, it is more excusable - their internal life makes up the majority of their experience, they are used to being the center of attention and they spend a lot of time thinking about themselves and fantasizing. so having romantic, mysterious origins is the best thing ever - "maybe i am the son/daughter of a god/goddess/russian count, etc..." i still wonder about that, even though it is clear where i came from.

2) this book has excellent gender equality, so it appeals to both younger girls and boys. goddesses are just as cool as gods, and their children are equally badass. this is rarely the case in teen adventure lit. (see naruto)

3) this makes history class relevant.(or wherever it is that kids learn about those wacky greeks) personifying the gods and goddesses makes them more recognizable and immediate for kids; bringing old litterature aliiiive and all that. and they will definitely learn not to mix up chiron and charon.

4) but it is also wonderfully subversive. it is all about polytheism and it makes the point that what we consider mythology today used to be a very real belief system for tons of people. any bright kid is going to make the logical leap to thinking about contemporary religion and how one day, it may well fall under mythology for students of the future, and how any current religious disagreements will be just like poseidon and athena's quarrels. because of this, i am surprised that this series has not been more frequently challenged/banned. oh, i know why, because the people most likely to challenge shit are not themselves capable of making that logical leap; they operate solely on knee-jerk see-a-bad-word reactions.

but this book is great - it has fantastic pacing, the characters are incredibly appealing, i like the premise, and i really really like that it is five books only. i will definitely read the rest of these puppies when i get around to it.

come to my blog! ...more

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Feb 07, 2008 Brigid ✩ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, mythology, young-adult, fantasy, favorites, superpowers, middle-grade

6/9/20:

Some friends and I are doing a reread of this series in light of the TV series announcement, so yeah! Finished rereading this one for the...fourth time I guess? And I truly never tire of it, still one of my absolute favorite books/series of all time.

I feel like my previous reviews pretty much sum up my thoughts so I’ll just leave it at that haha, anyway my older reviews of it are below.

—

Yet another review (5/30/14):

Well I feel like I've rewritten/updated my review of this like a billion 6/9/20:

Some friends and I are doing a reread of this series in light of the TV series announcement, so yeah! Finished rereading this one for the...fourth time I guess? And I truly never tire of it, still one of my absolute favorite books/series of all time.

I feel like my previous reviews pretty much sum up my thoughts so I’ll just leave it at that haha, anyway my older reviews of it are below.

—

Yet another review (5/30/14):

Well I feel like I've rewritten/updated my review of this like a billion times at this point, but I'm here to do it again. I re-read this over the span of the past two days when I had to take two super-long bus trips. This was the third time I've read the whole thing, I'm pretty sure (kind of the fourth time I guess, since I read a lot of it out loud to my younger siblings last year). There are few books that I loved when I was 12 that I still deeply love now, and this is one of those few books. In fact, the more times I read it the more I fall in love with it. I adore the series as a whole and think it develops so wonderfully as it goes along, and sometimes I almost forget how great the first book is. Maybe it's not the strongest of the series, but it's still fantastic. It's exciting, it's hilarious, there are so many lovable characters and great character development/backstories/etc. and as a giant mythology nerd I love how all the Greek myths are tied in and modernized. The rest of the series just gets better and better, and I love the Heroes of Olympus series as well––and it always makes me happy to go back to where it all started, and remember why I first fell in love with this book/series nine years ago. (Gosh that makes me feel old.)

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Old/crappier review from like two years ago under the spoiler.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Oct 31, 2017 Tina ➹ the girl who lives in Fandoms rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, favorite, cover, under-24hrs, reviews, 5-stars, doubt-to-read, all-time-fav, fav-heroine, regardless-of-age

4.5 Golden stars

before I start talking about how awesome this book/series is; I should say:
description

&
second,

"Read Rick Riordan's books in English or you miss half the FUN!"

I saw that happened!

This Book/Series/Universe is a "must read" to anyone who loves myths, Regardless of Age. {for proof: I read it first when I was 22 & fell in love immediately by the first sentences! (which was the chapter's title!)} though it probably depends on you have active inner child & love mythology in modern days with lots o ...more

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Nov 03, 2016 Mohammed Arabey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Mohammed by: Raoufa Ibrahim

One of the Greatest Urban Fantasy's Beginning I've ever read.

Now as I join Hogwarts every September to May, I'll spend my Summers in Half Blood Camps.
It's awfully late for me, I know. But I was stubborn enough to not listen to 2 of my best half blood friends here on Goodreads to visit the Olympians.
“Gods—the forces you call the Greek gods—are very much alive.”
I can't believe it's just Mr. Rick Riordan’s first novel.
And Believe me if you didn't read it..you missed a real great series..

Very well w ...more

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Dec 31, 2015 The Burning Rose (Jess) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I found a file on my computer with pictures of percabeth fanarts and felt the urge to re-read this masterpiece.
Read it in one breath. YES YES YES. I miss all of these characters 🖤

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Aug 25, 2017 mxa ☂︎ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, re-read-worthy, babes-favs, fantasy

The only word I can think of that’s relevant to how I felt about this book is Fun, Fun, Fun . Why in the world haven’t I picked this book up when I was in middle school, I’ll never know. Lbr, what’s in the past is in the past and I’ll just have to get over the fact that I might have crawled out of my shy shell sooner if these books were in my life earlier. On a positive note, I have the whole series on hand ready for me to binge as well as 2763274 other series to look forward to. that’s #sort ...more

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Aug 05, 2020 Reading_ Tam_ Ishly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

(Imagine my eyes bleeding after reading non-stop for almost 6 hours holding the book rolling on my bed, pacing nervously in my room and actually telling myself to calm down every 10 minutes because things are happening too fast in the book)

*Imagine Rick Riordan obsessed with Hilary Duff's So Yesterday* (it was fun to know how while reading this book ☺️)
.
.
.

Dear Peter Johnson 😁😁
(If you remember this particular line from the book, you know what I mean)

🖤 4 stars 🖤 for all that if-you-are-not-running ...more

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May 27, 2018 Sabrina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Finally I have done it! I’ve read a book by Rick Riordan.

I guess 2019 will be the year of reading books that have been on my bookshelf for thousands of years.

3.5/5 stars ✨

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Jan 25, 2018 Val ⚓️ Shameless Non-Snowflake ⚓️ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mythology, ya-fantasy, 4-stars, 0-in-my-library-read, fantasy

This was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it.

I can obviously see the similarities to Harry Potter that everyone talks about, but being that I only read the first book in the HP series in 2017...I didn't really care all that much, quite frankly.

I thought Percy's sarcastic wit made for a great narrator and, as always, I love it when mythology is tied into a story in a way I enjoy.

Looking forward to the rest of the series. ...more

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Jun 02, 2017 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, owned-physical, middle-grade

#1 The Lightning Thief ★★★★☆
#2 The Sea of Monsters ★★★★☆
#3 The Titan’s Curse ★★★★☆
#4 The Battle of the Labyrinth ★★★★★
#5 The Last Olympian ★★★★★

“The real world is where the monsters are.”

First of all, yes, this was actually my first time reading any of Riordan's books. I know, about a decade late on this one, but this book released right as I was reaching that funny teen age where I felt like I had to shift away from MG, into YA, so I kind of turned my nose up at these years ago. As an adult, of course, I've started coming back to my beloved middle grade books, and I knew it was about time that I started this series.

This book was, more than anything, really cute. Percy is a very enjoyable narrator: he's spunky, brave, quick-witted, and sarcastic as hell, plus he has a few great friends at his side, like Grover and Annabeth. It was so fun to watch these three interact with one another, and I found myself with a particular soft spot for Grover's vague patheticness most of the time. The interactions between the kids, of course, did remind me of another brave young trio, with a spunky "chosen one" MC, a dopey and vaguely pathetic male friend, and a smart and snarky female friend... Hmm, I wonder...

I digress. I will admit that I had to remind myself not to compare too heavily to the early Harry Potter books, because there were some definite parallels, in my opinion, but they weren't blaring enough to make me dislike the book or feel any sort of need to blame Riordan of ripping anyone off. Despite the similarities, this book did have its own special style, down to the very casual and authentic-sounding voice of Percy's narrations, which definitely reminded me of, well... talking to a preteen boy, except maybe not as annoying as those interactions often go in real life.

The plot is fun and predictable, the humor is cute and silly, and the twists probably won't shock anyone who isn't in the book's intended age range, but none of those things take away from the fact that this was a really solid start to the series. I was especially fond of the depictions of the gods; especially cold portrayals of Charon and Hades, who have always been two of my absolute favorite Greco-Roman beings.

All in all, it wasn't a book that made me want to binge read the entire remainder of Riordan's bibliography in one go or anything, but I did definitely enjoy it and will be picking up the rest of this series (as well as his other series, I'm sure). I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys middle grade fantasy, and especially any younger teens or preteens who want something fun to read. ...more

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Did they screw up the movies or what?	34	152	Mar 04, 2021 02:40PM
Middle Grade Madn...: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief Goodquiz - June 2020	95	104	Mar 04, 2021 10:34AM
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Hey guys! I have a question for you, I hope you can help me ... What color is Annabeth Chase's hair?	11	46	Mar 01, 2021 10:13AM

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About Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan

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Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson series. You can follow him on Twitter and via his official website.

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