Review: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
by Rick Riordan
MG Fantasy
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Review:

This was such a fun adventure read!  The story is told in first person, and Percy Jackson's humorous way of telling his story elevated this simple story because he has such a down-to-earth and sarcastic way of seeing things.  The way Greek mythology is re-imagined in this modern setting was fun to explore as well - I think knowing a good deal about Greek mythology helps with the enjoyment of the story because it's nice to understand the references and the nuances to the characters.

There's a bit of a mystery in Percy's quest to find out what happened with Zeus' master lightning bolt, but it didn't take over the story, because there was more interest in Percy learning more about his powers and limits, and in how the Greek Gods are a part of modern society.  They all have their quirks too, and it's fun to read how the author tweaks them.

The story as a whole, is a light read - I wasn't so caught up in the story that I couldn't put it down - I would categorize it as a nice read, with lots of potential in the characters and the world building.  I am looking forward to knowing more about Percy and his adventures in the next books in the series.