Book Review: The Lightning Thief

Last week or so I posted a blog post about how my nephew had asked me what books I was reading. I mentioned that he had made a recommendation himself. What he recommended was The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. So of course I had to read it. And I'm so happy I did.

The premise is so familiar. A young boy finds out that he is not like the other kids in his class. He is magical. He is taken away to a special place to be trained in his abilities. I know what you're thinking. I've read this story before. But you haven't. Percy Jackson, the main character, is not magical and he is certainly not Harry Potter. Instead he's a demigod. The story goes that the Greek gods are still living and have moved to America, they tend to live in the most powerful western nation. The gods are up to their old ways, controlling the weather, creating wars, and seducing humans to create offspring. Percy is a son of one of the gods. (I won't tell you which one but it's pretty easy to figure out.)

He is taken to Half Blood Hill, a summer camp for demigods, to learn about his powers and to keep him safe from the monsters that are trying to kill him. (think Medusa, Minotaur...) At the camp he is surrounded by others like him. The camp is really set up interestingly and the book is well worth reading for the descriptions of the camp and the way the god's children reflect their tendencies. Athena's children are smart and excellent strategists, Hermes children are fast, and Ares children tend to be boorish and violent.

But Percy doesn't stay at camp long. War is breaking out between the gods and only he can stop it. With the help of a clumsy satyr and a child of Athena, Percy sets out to the west coast, battling monsters to stop the war. The references to Greek mythology are wonderful and very entertaining for adults. I'm not sure how young adults will view this if they are not familiar with some of the stories. I will say that having the background knowledge does actually make the story a little less suprising. The discovery that one person is a monster has been hinted at so much that it was well known to me. But for young adults and children these may still be surprises. And perhaps the prior knowledge helps with the suspense.

Many people have discussed how the series (there are several Percy Jackson books) are like the Harry Potter series. There are some similiarities to the Harry Potter series. Percy is a gifted student who often acts in a way that would get other kids in trouble. He is insulent to the gods and has an almost fearlessness in the face of danger. (He tells Hades off. That takes guts) His companions include a helpless, always hungry satyr Grover who tends to mess up regularly and a brilliant girl who also has the power of invisibility.

But this is a very different series with a very different tone. The Lightning Thief has a much lighter tone than the Harry Potter series and is willing to play a bit more between regular people and the god world. While Harry is confined almost completely to the magical world (after the first 40 pages) Percy must interact with the populus. Percy has a human family as well. His mother, who Percy adores, has protected him over the years by sending him to private schools, which he flunks out of. His stepfather is a terrible man who Percy can't stand. The dynamics between the three of them are almost painful. Not because they are not well written but because I has seen families like this.

I actually learned quite a bit of mythology through this first book. The depictions are hilarious. I adored the depictions of Charon (who ferries souls across the river Styx) and Cerberus. And with chapter titles like "Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death" and "I Become Supreme Ruler of the Bathroom" this is much lighter more fun book. While the book is listed for young adults I found it just as enjoyable, perhaps more, than any child could. This is such an entertaining book I might break my rule about series and read the next one.