Author Name: Rick Riordan
ISBN #: 0-7868-5629-7
Publisher Name: Miramax/Hyperion Books for Children
Date Released: March 2006
Genre: Young Adult
Book Format: Print

Back Cover Blurb:

What if the gods of Olympus were alive in the 21st Century? What if they still fell in love with mortals and had children who might become great heroes — like Theseus, Jason and Hercules?

What if you were one of those children?

Such is the discovery that launches twelve-year-old Percy Jackson on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction – Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.

Cover Snark:

With the exception of the lightening in the sky, I believe that this cover conveys the theme of the story very well.


First Lines:

Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.

If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.

Favorite Lines:

I turned and jumped. My clothes on fire, poison coursing through my veins, I plummeted toward the river. I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera.

The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!


Lynette's Two Cents:
It is very hard to write a review of this book and not mention Harry Potter. There are a lot of parallels. A young boy realizes that he is not who he seems, he enters a world of myths that turn out to be real. He learns that even in that world he is considered unique and to discover himself he must take a journey with his two best friends in which one of them who is a young girl of extreme intelligence.

Now, that I got that out of the way, I'm going to try to write the rest of this review without mentioning Harry Potter.

Very rarely do I watch a movie adaptation of a book before reading the book. But I did with Percy Jackson. So when I saw the movie I had no idea what the book was like and enjoyed the movie immensely. It actually made me more interested in reading the series, so I bought the first book and then life got in the way, other books needed to be read, and I forgot that I had purchased it until recently.

When I first opened THE LIGHTNING THIEF, I didn't think I was going to like it as much as the movie. It startled me that Percy was so young (in the movie he's like 16, in the book he's 12) and of course the book doesn't start off with a sexy actor climbing out of water. However, as I read through the pages and navigated through the interesting plot turns, I forgot about the movie and actually became annoyed that the best stuff was cut out of the movie. After I finished the first book, I immediately went to the library to get the next two and read them right away and I have the fourth book in the series waiting to be read.

There are a couple things that bothered me about THE LIGHTNING THIEF. I understand that Percy and Annabeth are demigod's, but they appeared to be way too mature for their ages and were given far too much responsibility. It distracted me a lot, because it was hard for to picture a twelve year old acting that mature. The totally lack of parental responsibility shown by the gods in THE LIGHTNING THEIF, drove me crazy and I think the movie tried to lessen that. I think because I saw the movie, it affected me more . . .. Well no, because the lack of parental responsibility in YA always drives me bat sh-t crazy.

Despite those issues, THE LIGHTNING THIEF is a great read, with an unique plot that keeps you turning the pages. It's a series that I'd highly recommend to you and your family.



Where Purchased:
Bought with my own money!
Rating:

B