Sonderbooks Book Review of The Lightning Thief

Reviewed December 11, 2005.
Miramax Books (Hyperion), New York, 2005. 377 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (J MCN F RIO).
Sonderbooks Stand-out 2005 (#2, Children's Fiction)

The Lightning Thief is perfect for a kid who’s outgrown the Myth-O-Mania series. This book (the beginning of a series) is longer and more complex, but it also takes off from Greek myths, resulting in a funny and exciting adventure.

12-year-old Percy Jackson thought his math teacher was bad before she turned into a monster, sprouted talons, and tried to kill him. After he turns her to dust with a sword thrown to him by another teacher, no one else seems to remember her existence at all.

More monsters come after Percy, and his only hope seems to be with his friend Grover, who turns out to be very different than he appears. Percy learns that the Greek gods are not mythical, but alive and well. Currently, Olympus hovers over the Empire State Building. Just like before, the gods are often attracted to humans and have children with them. Those half-bloods are destined to become heroes—unless they get killed first.

Percy finds out he is a half-blood himself and takes on a quest to try to save the world.

This book is a lot of fun, including humor and suspense and good strong adventure. My 11-year-old son (who also introduced me to the Myth-O-Mania series) read it first and highly recommended it to me.

Reviews of other books by Rick Riordan:
The Red Pyramid
The Maze of Bones

Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

*****The Lightning Thief*

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One

by Rick Riordan