(Reread Write Up) The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Publication Date: March 1st, 2006

Pages: 366 (paperback)

Genre: Young Adult

My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Syonpsis: Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Reread Write Up: 

This is not the first, or even the second time, I've picked up Percy and his friends again. To me, this series is as timeless as Harry Potter is. Some people might disagree, but I feel it deeply. 

Prepare for me to wax poetic about Percy Jackson, okay? 

Percy's just a regular kid with a whole lot of problems. He can't sit still, he can't concentrate, and words move around on the page. Trouble follows him everywhere he goes. He's been kicked out of numerous schools and his life is just rough. 

While he thinks he's just a kid with ADD, he soon learns that's not the case at all. 

Percy is a demigod. He's the son of his mortal mother Sally Jackson and Poseidon, the god of the sea. 

This is, obviously, news to Percy. 

When Percy's mother is taken and he winds up at Camp Half-Blood with Chiron (who Percy thought was his teacher, but is actually a centaur) and Grover (a satyr, not Percy's weird best friend). There's also a whole slew of characters that you will meet and love. There are also some you will hate, despise, and loathe. 

I love this book for so many reasons. I love Percy's wit and charm. He's sarcastic and fun, completely bent on pissing everyone off as he figures out what it means to be a demigod. Percy is powerful. He's the son of  "Big Three" and technically he isn't supposed to exist. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades took a pact to not sire anymore children...only none of them listened. 

The main point of the first book is that Zeus thinks Percy stole his lightning bolt. It's Percy's first quest to find out who actually stole it. 

This books opens us up to an entire series built on magic and mythology, and what it takes to defeat the bad guys. 

I truly wish that the first two movies had been done better, because this series deserves it.

After the initial five Percy-centered books we are introduced to a spin-off series where Greek and Roman demigods come together. Though there are plenty of new characters to love, Percy is still my favorite. His wit and sarcasm keep me going through the whole series. I don't think I've ever rooted for a character more than I did Percy Jackson.