Genre: Young Adult, Middle School, Fantasy & Magic, Action & Adventure, Friendship
Order Online: Amazon.com
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 3 stars
Borrowed this book from the library.
In A Nutshell:
This book brought Greek Mythology to the 21st century and led me to better appreciate some of the classics I had read years ago. I want to read more of these books--but also more of the classics that serve as the foundation for this book.
Review:
I still remember study Greek Mythology in school. I loved reading about the gods, goddesses, heros, and all of the stories that explained natural phenomenons. Rick Riordan brought all of that to life for me again in The Lightning Thief, where Greek mythology comes to the 21st century.
Percy Jackson has been in and out of many boarding schools for as long as he can remember. Each time he has trouble with the course work (his dyslexia and ADHD making it hard for him to study the material) and trouble with his classmates (particularly the ones that try to bully him). This time he is hoping he can stay home with his mom, even if staying home means living with smelly Gabe.
Fate however has other plans. Instead of staying at home with his mother, he ends up at a summer camp with people he seems to have in common with than any other group he has ever been a part of. But he is also drawn into a world he thought did not exist outside of Ancient Greece--a world where the Greek gods and goddess are using their children and other mortals to sort out their disputes.
In some ways I felt like Rick Riordan had taken parts of classics that I loved and even some that I did not quite "get" when I read them and made them easily accessible. The strongest example for me was when Percy and his friends were drawn into the magical casino where they lost track of time. When I read the Odyssey in high school, I did not feel for Odysseus when he ended up not returning home for many years. I felt like he made poor choices--he could have come home on time if he had wanted to or if not on time at least much earlier than he did. But in The Lightning Thief
, I got how Percy and his friends got sucked in. It made me want to re-read the Odyssey--maybe Odysseus deserves the benefit of the doubt?Recommendations:
I cannot wait to read the next book in the series! And then in the following series!
I also want to read more of the classics in:
It's a great series! And then, once you finish this one, you can start the lost hero series (it picks up where Percy left off). I love Riordan's books!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
Amanda
@Amanda I am really excited about the series, I already have book 2 from the library. Is Lost Hero the one about the pyramids?
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I always find it hard to review Rick Riordan's books. I end up gushing, so I don't bother posting at all. But your review was totally spot on! I'd definitely recommend reading all the books in this series and I promise it won't disappoint. And if you're planning on reading more about mythology, you should check out Edith Hamilton's Mythology.
ReplyDeleteSarah @ Smitten over Books
I just finished The Sea of Monsters last week and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully, you will too! Glad to see you starting the series!
ReplyDelete@Sarah I now have Edith Hamilton's Mythology on hold at the library. Thank you for the idea. :)
ReplyDelete@Natalie It has been a lot of fun to jump into!
It sounds like a great book. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThis is a series that I really need to get started on! Thanks for your review, it's really reminded me to pick it up. New follower :)
ReplyDeleteI've heard such great things about this writer and thanks for this review. Its on my TBR list now.
ReplyDelete@Dree You are welcome. It was a fun book. :)
ReplyDelete@Stepping that is how it happened for me--I just kept hearing about this series and finally remembered to get it.
@Wendy I think Rick Riordan has the voice of an early teen nailed pretty good. I had no trouble imagining Percy Jackson through the words.