Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)

My nine year old son and I started reading this book together at the beginning of the summer.  It has been on my TBR list for a long time, but I don't know if it ever would have made it to the top of the list if Preston hadn't selected it when we were at the library.  It is an excellent mix of Greek mythology and current times.  My son was not aware of any of the Greek Gods and their stories, so we spent a lot of time discussing each of the characters and their history when they were introduced.  (This was one of the few times my four years of Latin came in handy.)

Now that I have completed the book, I have to say this cover is PERFECT!!  I didn't really understand the meaning behind it until close to the end of the story.  The water, lightning, New York City skyline, and specifically the Empire State Building are all significant aspects of the story.  Much like the Harry Potter series, this is a book that parents can share with their children that will captivate and entertain both adults and children alike.

Percy Jackson has been kicked out of one boarding school after the next.  No matter how hard he tries trouble always seems to find him.  He lives with his mother during the summers and has never met his father. He eventually discovers that his father is one of the Greek Gods, but he has no idea which one.  When a monster attacks Percy and his Mother he ends up at Camp Half-Blood, which is a safe haven for the children of the Gods.  They learn to fight and try to discover their true identities.  While participating in a game of capture the flag one of Percy's talents is revealed, which in turn reveals his father's identity.  

Shortly after Percy's arrival at Camp Half-Blood it is discovered that someone has stolen Zeus's lightning bolt. Percy sets out on a quest to find the lightning bolt, clear his father's name of any wrong doing, and to prevent a war between the big three Gods...Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.  Accompanying him on the quest is Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, and a satyr named Grover.  Satyrs are half human and half goat.  

I've already requested a copy of the movie from the library and it is ready for pick up.  We should have time to watch it this Friday, so I will have a review either this weekend or sometime next week.  Preston also asked me to pick up the next book in the series, so we will be reading The Sea of Monsters next. 

3 comments:

  1. My husband and I both LOVE this series! I cant wait till we have a child and read it to them. I am also going to be a elementary teacher, and this will be in my classroom library for sure! So happy you liked it!
    Bloglovin follower =)
    http://bookstothetea.blogspot.com/

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    1. This book took us a long time because my son only reads for about 20 or 30 minutes at a time, but it is one of the few stories he was really interested in and wanted to see what happened next. If you end up teaching 3rd grade or up it will be perfect!

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  2. Yay! Welcome to the world of Percy Jackson!!

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