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.
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I forgot how much I loved enjoying these books. I read the Percy Jackson series 7-8 years ago and I really loved them but it's been so long I honestly remember very little from the series as a whole so I am excited to continue!
"If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself."
Percy is such an amazing main character. He is witty, brave, sarcastic, and so smart despite being told all his life that he wasn't smart (because of his ADHD and dyslexia). His love for his mom is so incredibly sweet and his mom's love for her son, the things she does to ensure his safety is heartwarming. I love seeing present and loving parents especially in middle grade stories. Percy's desire to belong somewhere and to fit in is so present in the story. There are a lot of parallels to Percy and Harry Potter that I find really interesting. Honestly both book's trios hold a lot of parallels, but I am not saying this is a bad thing or that I am accusing Riordan of anything. Even with the similarities between the two, The Lightning Thief has it's own style and vibe that is so much fun to read that I am not surprised it is such a popular series.
Annabeth and Grover are Percy's amazing best friends that help Percy on his journey not only of self-discovery but their literal journey when they are assigned a quest. Percy and Annabeth start off bickering and often fighting but as the story progresses their friendship grows stronger and I think that is done very naturally and gradually. It didn't feel like a plot device but instead an example of a great friendship. And Grover is often the comic relief and overall the ultimate cinnamon bun character. He is determined to one day get his searcher's license and follow in his family's, and many other satyr's, footsteps (hoovesteps?) by going on a quest to find Pan. One of the many things I love about Grover is that although it is his dream to be the first satyr to find Pan, he takes his job protecting Percy seriously no matter what even if that means giving up his dream. I think his loyalty and bravery are often overlooked because of how much of a goober he can be.
"'Braccas meas vescimini!'
I wasn't sure where the Latin came from. I think it meant 'Eat my pants!'"
Like I mentioned earlier, Percy has ADHD and dyslexia. I do not have either, so I cannot talk on the representation but from what I have seen in other reviews Riordan is praised for his representation in so many of his books, including this one. I have heard that Riordan's stories are often praised because it is rich with diversity that feels both natural and real. I am so excited to continue this series.
One thing I really love is that the way Riordan teaches the reader about Greek gods and goddesses without any sections of info-dumping. It's educational without being dry or boring. He has fun with them too, they become real characters that you learn to hate, love, etc. On top of that, I think the writing is really well done. Between the great characters, witty dialogue, well written action scenes, and suspenseful and exciting plot I easily fell in love with this book.
"The real world is where the monsters are."
I really love journey stories, where the characters have to travel to complete a mission or something of the sort. I think it allows for really great settings and seeing how the characters adapt to the conflicts that arrive because of their trip. Our three main characters, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover go through some major obstacles during their journey and it was really cool to see how they reacted and how they solve their problems. It is such a fun reading experience.
Overall, I highly recommend this book if you haven't read it so far! I already have requested the second book from my library and I am so excited to continue the series. I know I am over a decade behind reading this series (despite reading it before, I remember so little it's like reading it for the first time) and I am hoping to continue the spin off books once I am done with this one!
"Even strength must bow to wisdom sometimes."
Thank you for reading!
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