Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Title: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Year of Publication:

Reader’s Rating: 5 [Please see my post on ratings to learn more. :)]

The first book in the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, this book is set in modern times; even the Greek gods are a bit more modern.

In a Nutshell: The story is about twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, a not-so-ordinary kid for two reasons: one, he’s dyslexic and has ADHD; two, he’s a demigod. That means he’s half-mortal, half-god. Lately, monsters and gods, supposedly just myths, seem to be after him. Apparently, Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen and all fingers point to Percy. Now he, along with two friends, must retrieve the bolt and bring it back to Zeus before he declares war. But it isn’t as easy as that. Percy and his friends discover something more powerful than Zeus himself.

The Good Stuff: The book is really nice, especially if you’re a fan of Greek mythology. Plus, the characters are hilarious. Funny books written for kids by people over the age of thirty are rare, so if you’re looking for laughter this is a good book to read.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: This book does not say anything about God. In fact, the book is about gods (boo, it makes me feel guilty!). The author also has a worldly view, not very Christian-like. The book is pure awesome for non-Christians, but for Christians…hmm, think about it first. For those of you who are Christians, I read the book and enjoyed it but I always remember that Jesus is the true God, and there is no one else. I also have to be careful not to let the book (or Greek mythology as a whole) take over my thinking.

Reader’s Say: Although this book doesn’t say anything about God, it made me realize how awesome He is. The Greek gods don’t know everything. God knows and sees everything; He is omniscient. The Greek gods aren’t the most powerful beings. God is the most powerful Being ever. He wasn’t even created. He was always there. He’s the beginning and the end. There are a lot more things I realized, but they would be too much to put in here. God is truly awesome! :D