| Title | : | The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 377 |
| Publication | : | First published July 28, 2005 |
| Awards | : | Young Readers' Choice Award (2008), Books I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Awards Older Readers (2011), South Carolina Book Award Junior Book Award (2008), Grand Canyon Reader Award Tween Book (2008), Nene Award (2008), Massachusetts Children's Book Award (2008), Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Grades 6-8 (2008), Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2007), Sunshine State Young Readers Award Grades 6-8 (2007), Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award Intermediate (2008), Iowa Teen Award (2009), Lincoln Award (2009), Oklahoma Sequoyah Award YA (2008), Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (2009) |
here
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.
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) Reviews
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I'm slightly ashamed to say that I watched the movie before I read the book. But I'm even more ashamed that I watched the movie only to experience the hotness that is Logan Lerman.
But, come on! Someone tell me that this , is not hot:
Really. What did I tell you? (I do imagine that you probably won't read the rest of the review anf just stare at this gif instead, but that's no reason not to like my review! :D)
But, I really have to thank Logan. I really do. Because without his unfreakingbelieveable hotness, I wouldn't have watched the movie, and I would've never read the awesomeness of The Lightning Thief.
Yes, I loved the book. I've always taken an interest in Greek Mythology and I thought Rick Riordan's take on it was very unique, and unlike anything I've read before.
I absolutely loved Camp- Halfblood. Well, it sure seemed better than the budget summer camps I've been to. RR seriously out did himself with writing the camp. I could imagine everything vividly and I like to think that I know the camp from back to front. The cabins would have to be my favourite feature of the camp, though. If only they were like that in the camps I've been to.
Percy. What can I say? The guy has amazing underwater powers, is kick- ass and is a demigod. He's super loyal to his friends and family, is brave and has the looks (this is the part when you look at the gif of Logan Lerman again ;D). And he can make me laugh. Come on. You have to give a guy who make you laugh some credit. In short, the guy's the full package.
Another thing I loved were the other characters. Especially Annabeth, who looks like Cinderella in Percy's words (am I right? I don't have the book on me, sorry. Stupid library fines). And I'm expecting something to develop between her and Percy, if you know what I mean....
So, yeah. I loved the book, it was exciting, fast- paced and humorous. Just one thing though, I'm kind of pissed that they didn't have cabins in the movie. Or Clarisse. Or the Oracle. Though it's hardly RR's fault. I just had to get it out there.
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A+ Writing
A+ Plot
A+ Characters
A+ MONSTERS
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I wish I hadn't watched the movie before reading it, because I felt like that ruined a bit of enjoyment of this book for me, but for the most part I had such a fun time reading this book and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the series. -
alright maybe y'all have a point
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I need more......
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(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: It’s sugar and caffeine: a dulcet pop sonnet moved by rhyming couplets of worldbuilding and perilous confrontation. -
When I was about halfway through this book, I started making a list of its similarities to Harry Potter. Here is a sampling from that list:
1. There are three young heroes: a brainy girl (Annabeth/Hermione), a funny screw-up type (Grover/Ron), and a somewhat troubled but very brave lead (Harry/Percy).
2. People freak when the Harry/Percy character says the name of a powerful character.
3. The main bad guy (Kronos/Voldemort) is seeking to return to his former power, but most people are totally in denial of that happening.
4. The heroes train at a school that divides its students according to their character. (Chiron, the head trainer of the camp, equals Dumbledore.)
5. Chiron/Dumbledore knows a prophecy about Percy/Harry but won't tell Percy/Harry what it is exactly.
6. Percy/Harry has a gross stepfather named Smelly Gabe who protects him during his childhood, so Smelly Gabe obviously equals the Dursleys.
7. Harry/Percy can talk to a certain animal because of his special gifts (Harry could talk to snakes, Percy can talk to horses).
8. Riordan's three young heroes face down a three-headed dog at the end of their big quest, which if I'm not mistaken is exactly what happens in HP1 (granted, the three-headed dog is straight out of Greek mythology, so I should cut Riordan some slack on this one).
I could go on (and on and on) which would be fun for me, but I won't. Instead, I'll shock you by saying that I totally loved this completely derivative book. It's super fun and fast-moving and the fact that it's kind of a HP rip-off actually makes me like it more. God, I loved Harry Potter. The Lighting Thief is like methadone. That might be what I said about the
The Amulet of Samarkand but it's more true here. I can't wait to read the second one! -
Chiron looked surprised. “I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles.”
As someone who has worked in Los Angeles, I can tell you that this is completely accurate.
While Harry Potter was spending his summers at the Dursleys, Percy Jackson attended Camp Half-Blood. This book has done the impossible: it has redeemed the name of Percy.
Yes, that's right, that snot-faced, lily-livered waste of air of the very same name from the Harry Potter universe. That name is now relegated to the ranks of "acceptable," because of my love for this book.
Perseus (Percy) Jackson is the kind of kid with whom you can't help sympathizing. He is the type that's born under a dark star, because inevitably, wherever he goes, whatever he does, however good his intentions, he can't help but fuck everything up. Everything that can, does and will go wrong. A simple field trip can turn into a disaster in seconds.
Jay-Z's got 99 problems, Percy might have more. He nearly flunks all his classes, he's got dyslexia, he's got ADHD, and then there's Nancy Bobofit.Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she’d gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover’s lap.
Nancy Bobofit is not a major character in the book. I have to mention her because her character resounded with me. I had my own Nancy Bobofit back in grade school, only her name is Mimi. Nearly 2 decades later, the memory of her horrible face still makes me shudder. But I digress.
“Oops.” She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.
As if the bullies aren't bad enough, his dad is a no-show, his stepfather is LITERALLY named Ugli, and there are crones foretelling Percy's death as well as a minotaur chasing his ass around. AND NOBODY'S TELLING HIM A SINGLE FUCKING THING. What's with all the secrecy, man?
As it turned out, Percy is *whispers* special. He is a half-blood, meaning one of his parents is a Greek deity. He gets sent to Camp Half-Blood, with roughly 100 other kids like him.
It's a freaky place for a kid who's known nothing but relative normalcy his entire life. All of a sudden, he's playing Pinochle with a Greek God (Dionysus---what a drunk), his best friend Grover turns out to be a satyr, and the gorgeous blond girl who rescues him thinks he's a doofus and she keeps calling him "seaweed brain."
To be fair, Percy had it coming. He is kind of a seaweed brain."Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her.”
Not your best moment, Percy.
“They must really like olives.”
“Oh, forget it.”
“Now, if she’d invented pizza—that I could understand.”
“I said, forget it!”
As it turned out, Percy IS special. His dad is one of the Big Three gods. Which kind of sucks, because that's not supposed to happen.“About sixty years ago, after World War II, the Big Three agreed they wouldn’t sire any more heroes. Their children were just too powerful."
A lot of people would think it was pretty cool to have such a powerful dad...not really.Now that I was declared a son of one of the Big Three gods who weren’t supposed to have kids, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.
Not only does Percy have to struggle to fit in at Camp Half-Blood, but there's some shit going on in Mount Olympus. The gods are fighting again (when are they not)..."During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: ‘Mother Rhea always liked you best,’ ‘Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,’ et cetera."
...and consequently, like a brother playing a prank on his younger siblings, someone's stuff was stolen. And Zeus thinks that his bro, Poseidon, put Percy up to it.
Of course, blame the poor kid. Now Percy is shit out of luck YET AGAIN, and he's got no choice but to go on this huge stupid quest into the underworld (Los Angeles, ha!) to clear his name.
He's not alone, he's accompanied by the snarky, gorgeous, fiercely competent Annabeth (she of the seaweed brain name-calling), as well as the most incompetent satyr that ever lived.In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff’s “So Yesterday,” both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.
It's going to be a loooooooong trip to the Underworld.
The Setting: THIS. THIS IS HOW YOU DO GREEK MYTHOLOGY. I am a Greek mythology buff. I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK. This book is just absolutely fucking perfect in every way when it comes to rewriting and reinterpreting the Greek pantheon. It is so hilariously, awesomely irreverent, but completely fitting. The gods are reimagined, but they stay true to their true nature, and the myths are retold in a cheeky, flippant manner that had me giggling my ass off. This book is so fantastically snarky to the Greek gods. Everything is incredibly well-explained to a lay audience, like how the Greek gods can't seem to keep it in their pants.Annabeth nodded. “Your father isn’t dead, Percy. He’s one of the Olympians.”
And apparently, the habit runs true for both male and female goddesses.
“That’s...crazy.”
“Is it? What’s the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they’ve changed their habits in the last few millennia?”“What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?”
The existence of Greek gods and goddesses themselves are well explained, and believable.“Come now, Percy. What you call ‘Western civilization.’ Do you think it’s just an abstract concept? No, it’s a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it."
I had my doubts about the execution of the premise of Greek mythology, and all my doubts have been destroyed. his book does great justice to the Greek gods, it is the most faithful rendition than I have ever read.
"Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England. All you need to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods."
The Characters: Yes, Percy is a special snowflake, but HELL, I LOVED THE LITTLE SHIT. He's got a special destiny. He is a special child. I DON'T CARE. Percy is such a sympathetic character, and although he won't be replacing Harry Potter in my heart any time soon, there is a special spot for him. He can give up pretty fast. He's kind of a wimp, but you know, finding out that you're a hald-blooded demigod is kind of a big deal, and I understand his attitude of "GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE."I didn’t know what else to do. I waved back.
He doesn't really want to do anything big. He's pretty stupid sometimes (Auntie Em, geez), he's not exactly heroic. He only does the heroic shit when there are no other options.
“Don’t encourage them,” Annabeth warned. “Naiads are terrible flirts.”
“Naiads,” I repeated, feeling completely overwhelmed. “That’s it. I want to go home now.”“All right,” I said. “It’s better than being turned into a dolphin.”
I loved Annabeth, she is all I could want from a female supporting character. I can't say that I'm fond of Grover...but I can't help feeling that we'll be seeing more of him in the future.“But a quest to . . .” Grover swallowed. “I mean, couldn’t the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine’s very nice this time of year.”
Overall: a fantastic book. A good middle grade book makes you feel like a child again, and this book did just the trick. I found myself giggling throughout the book, and an hour after reading it, there's still a smile on my face that can't be wiped off. -
Annabeth: calls Percy a wild animal
me: 🥺🥺 romance 🥺🥺
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DISNEY+ ADAPTATION THE GAYS WON WE WON!!!!!!
(if you think I am handling this well I absolutely am not)
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all right who’s going to step up and convince me not to reread this for the sixth time....... somebody’s gotta do it and it’s not me
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yeah I’ve read this five times and want to reread it again, what about it
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I’m crying I love this book and series so much my parents taught me how to read just so I could read this book I can die happy now I have no other reason to exist than to read this book -
Were you a bit weird in school? Or are you still in school and think you're kinda weird? I mean, everyone is weird, but you know that I mean. Maybe you didn't fit in, maybe people thought you were a bit of a loser. Maybe you had learning difficulties, were a target for bullies, got into trouble a lot, maybe it seemed like your teachers just didn't like you. Maybe you sucked at reading and were even diagnosed with dyslexia. Or ADHD.
Well, don't worry. Truth is, you're actually most likely a child of the gods with secret powers that enable you to zap those bullies and fulfill your true destiny. Screw school, you've got bigger things to deal with anyway.
Lol, this book is amazing. My only regret is that I didn't have it when I was twelve years old because I would have read this until it was falling apart in my hands. Every insecure kid (so basically every kid) should read The Lightning Thief. I would want my hypothetical kids of the future to read this book. It's the ultimate childhood fantasy - discovering that everything people labelled as "weird" or negative about you is actually caused by your secret awesomeness. Pretty perfect message, if you ask me.
I know, I know - this is plain old childhood wish fulfillment at its finest. But who cares? The best kids books are all about wish fulfillment to some extent and it's not like Percy Jackson doesn't have his fair share of enemies and heartache. It's the same idea that we all loved to buy into. The orphaned and neglected Harry Potter discovering he is a wizard. The nerdy loser-ish Peter Parker developing special abilities and becoming Spiderman. Children in the middle of WWII discovering a secret world through a wardrobe door in which they reign as royalty. Percy Jackson finding out he is the son of a god and has his own super powers.
On top of the powerful message, this is a fast-paced exciting fantasy story full of friendships, Greek mythology, magic, mystery, bad guys and girls, and constant adventure. I enjoyed it now, despite me being a good ten years older than the target audience. I would have enjoyed it even more ten years ago. You should definitely go read this. Then, when you're done, give it to a kid to read too.
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(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: Revival by amping, old myths, modern camping, showcases America in Greek esoterica, a clever, kinetic, revamping. -
"You need to study war, punk."
Given how well received this book is (and the entire series), I was looking forward to continue my fantasy to-read list with Percy Jackson and the Olympians for a while now. I know it's children's book, but when has that ever stopped me.. But still, one cannot help but be somewhat anxious while starting a new series, for things could go either way. And when things turn out better than expected - like it did with Lightening Thief - life is beautiful. This is a wonderful little story, and hopefully the first of many, of an interesting series.
"Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their version of reality."
Being a children's story, it's understandable that character building plays the bigger role compared to setting up the environment. Still, I think the environs were adequately defined. The main characters - including the first person protagonist - were interesting, fun and delightful to observe. However, for me, the secondary characters appeared a little too funny, even when they were supposed to be threatening. It took away some of the suspense/ thrill that could've been there in my opinion. And also, if the set of main characters were a little older, may be things would appear a little more realistic (relatively). But as the plot itself is great, it's easy to forget those shortcomings, and enjoy the story. Obviously, none of these would matter to kids at all, who will find the entire thing to be quite entertaining. Sequence of events is very well thought out, and laid out in a way that will make you want to read the entire thing in one go, which is not difficult to do actually, as the book is not very long. Everything is well written, and well capable of intriguing one to continue with the rest of the series (which I'll be doing shortly).
"The truth is not always clear until events come to pass." -
HJFJSJDKJFKSJDKAJSJSJDJSJ THEY JUST RELEASED A TEASER ITS SO GOOD AND IT STAYS CLOSE TO THE BOOK, IT LOOKS SO GOOD 😭😭😭 IM CRYING THIS IS PERFECT
https://youtu.be/Y3gF6Duh_z0
GO LOOK FOR YOURSELVES
Okay hello i'm back with updates we now have a Dionysus, Alecto, Sally, Chiron, Luke, Clarisse, Gab and Nancy.
Here they are:
This is Dionysus AND HES LITERALLY PERFECT HE LOOKS CRAZY ALREADY AND THAT SCENE IN BROOKLYN 99 HES PERFECTION
Alecto:
And Sally:
SHE LOOKS SO KIND I LOVE THATTT
CHIRON HE LOOKS SO KIND AND APPARENTLY HIS ACTOR IS SO LIKE CHIRON
Now, Luke might not look like Luke or as menacing BUT I trust Rick so i trust when he is in character he will be as evil and menacing as he is in the book:
Clarisse IS SO PRETTY LOOK:
Now i mean this as no offence but this actor gives off the sleasy man that Gabe is
And finally Nancy she is so gorgeous
{edit} I have been watching too much of Logan Lerman and istg if they dont cast him as posiden I will be throwing hands. He is literally perfect and hes SO FINE. Look at him
WE HAVE A POC GROVER AND ANNABETH THEY ARE STUNNING LOOK AT THEM ALL TOGETHER::
IM SCREAMING
Okay but this photo of (Leah) Annabeth gives me 'really seaweed brain' vibes AGHHHH ITS AMAZING
ALSO LOOK AT HER WITH BLOND BRAIDS
And the actor who plays grover (Aryan Simhadri) is EXACTLY how i saw grover, a bit awkward a nerd and kind.
*screams in excitment*
what do you think of these actors?
{my percy jackson casting freak out}
My wonderful friends, we have a Percy Jackson:
isnt he perfect?
He is also so so funny so he has the Percy charm
Oh wait!?
Him in a camp half blood shirt you say?
*unintelligible screaming*
will be updating as more cast is shown. (RR said they will be announced soon so i'm hoping before the end of the month, filming set to begin June 1st eeeeeeeeeeeee) -
EDIT 09/06/2013:- That's it. I have had my fill of too many stupid, brain-cell destroying comments posted on this review in the past few months asking me to write a 'best-selling book' before attempting to take apart Rick Riordan's writing. As if the exclusive privilege of negatively criticizing a book is accorded only to published writers and not ordinary reviewers/readers.
I do have the right to record my feelings about a book in my review. And it's such a shame that I am actually being forced to put up this edit to make people aware of this fact. If this review hurts your sentiments as a fan, I am sorry I can't help you there. You must grow up and learn to let dichotomous opinions co-exist in harmony on the same page. That is all.
Caution:- Brutal honesty ahead. Read at the expense of having to respect someone else's views.
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What a feeble attempt at recreating the Harry Potter magic! Aside from being highly unoriginal and unimaginative, the book grates on your nerves due to the frequency of Percy's lame attempts at sounding witty. Seriously, I'm supposed to laugh at his observations on the 'Bull Man' and 'barnyard animals'?
Not only did the writer not bother racking his brains to come up with a plot or a proper story, choosing instead to recycle key elements of the Harry Potter series, but he also ignored important aspects of a fantasy novel, one of which is the language. To call the narration just bad will be an understatement. Same can be said about the dialogue and the way the plot progresses - it's one cliched event unfolding after another.
The only novel thing about this book is the seamless integration of Greek mythology into a fantasy-based set-up. The 1 star is for that.
And so I'd like to put a premature end to my review because I just realized the futility of writing one of a book I hated. -
I don't care if this is middle grade literature. I am starting this soon!
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Chapter One: I Accidentally Vaporize the Person who Tried to Take this Book Away from Me
Look, I didn't want to be obsessed.
If you're reading this because you think you're only going to read The Lightning Thief once, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about binge-reading, and try to be a normal person.
Being obsessed with this book is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed because you want to read it just one more time.
If you're a normal kid, reading this book because you were forced to, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe you're immune to being obsessed.
But if you recognize yourself in these pages - if you feel something stirring inside - stop reading immediately. You might be becoming a member of the Percy Party. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before you read it again. And again. And again.
Don't say I didn't warn you. -
I've read all (I think) of this series to my daughter, Celyn, but somehow this one escaped being reviewed until now.
I half-watched the film a year or two before we read this. Actually it was Rick reading (and being kind enough to review) my own trilogy that steered me toward picking up these books for Celyn (she's very disabled and can't read books for herself).
Anyway, it was a very good read. Celyn enjoyed the action and humour, and I enjoyed seeing the Greek legends I loved reading about as a kid given a new lease of life, offered up to the most recent generation.
It starts off with that irresistible device beloved of fantasy books that you (vicariously the hero) were meant for more than this regular old world and that all those odd things you don't understand about everyday life ... really are odd and full of special meaning. In fact ... your dad's a god, and not just any old god but Poseidon himself. And that means you're part god yourself! Hoorah!
So Percy gets inducted into hero school, makes friends with good monsters, fights and kills bad ones, and dives into adventure.
The hero school (Camp Halfblood) has demi-gods descended from all the Greek mythos, which makes for fun conflicts. Meanwhile in the wider world there are rumblings that the titans (from whom the gods wrested control of the world at the dawn of time) are about to stage a comeback. Zeus has lost his lightning bolt and the thief must be found before the gods fall to blows and Olympus topples.
The genius is in the mix of modern day America with all its kitsch, landmarks, cities etc with mythical Greece. It shouldn't really work, but does. And to cap it all, your kid is getting a classical education on the sly!
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“The real world is where the monsters are.”
Believe it or not, but this was actually my first Rick Riordan book!!!
AND
I really enjoyed it!!! *lol*
This was such an epic adventure and I loved the countless hints and references to Greek Mythology! XD Rick Riordan’s approach definitely was a more than just funny one and I couldn’t help but had to laugh out loud whenever Percy opened his mouth!
I swear that young boy is the embodiment of sass and the more I read about him, the more I got attached to this awesome boy! <3 I want to adopt Perseus and if Poseidon doesn’t want him it’s his own fault! XD
After reading the first book I don’t really feel a connection to Annabeth, but maybe this is going to change?! She seemed to be an interesting character and I liked their easy banter, altogether she was just too reserved for my taste though, which is pretty sad because I’m more than just certain that she’s actually a very cool girl! (On a side note: I really loved that she gave Percy the nickname “Seaweed Brain”! *lol* I’m fairly certain it could have been worse! ;-P)
And Grover? Well, I guess I liked Grover as well! His habit to eat tin cans was a little unsettling but hey, I’m not going to judge him for his rather questionable diet. XD After all his heart is in the right place and when it comes down to it, this is everything that counts! ;-P I just hope he’ll survive his personal quest and I can’t help but wonder if we’re going to see him in one of the next books!
Since my jump on the “Percy Jackson” train seems to be more than just a little delayed, I finally decided to leave it at that. I guess there is really nothing I could write or say that hasn’t been said already! I mean there are actually 73.916 reviews on goodreads! (Yes, I looked it up! ;-P) So yeah, I guess that says it all! XD
If you haven’t had the pleasure to read the book yet I recommend you to do the following though:
Get a copy of “The Lightning Thief”, snuggle into your soft and comfy bed, ignore the bad autumn weather and enjoy the freaky ride! ;-P -
I just had to get the illustrated edition! It's so awesome! I will leave some pics below and I took them last night so they are not great shots. =)
There are A LOT more pictures as you can guess. Like I said, sorry about the darkish pics. I was taking them while laying in bed last night. Lol
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
•••••••••••
First Reading
I am FINALLY getting around to reading this series.
I thought the movies were okay, I do wish they would remake them and make them better, like the books =)
Poor Percy.
Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.
If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close the book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.
Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.
If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.
But if you recognize yourself in these pages-if you feel something stirring inside-top reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they'll come for you.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
My name is Percy Jackson.
Most people already know the story of Percy Jackson and how he found out he was a half-blood. How he ended up in a half-blood camp (almost didn't) How he beat a Minotaur and later on, many things.
I thought it was a fun read and I loved all of the different mythical creatures! That was so wicked cool!
Percy makes some good friends in the camp and they go with him to do a quest. He has been blamed for stealing something from Zeus, which he did not, so they have to set out to find who really did it. Other wise there is going to be some knock down drag out with Zeus and Percy's father (Poseidon) and others of course.
So they set out on this quest.
They have to go have a little chat with Hades <-- fun times. They get attacked by many creatures of all shapes and sizes. They also get help from certain creatures and a pink poodle named Gladiola who ran away from home and doesn't want to go back but does so the kids can have some reward money. Wasn't that sweet!
↑ Can you blame little Gladiola? I mean I love the color pink, but NO, JUST NO!
Anyhoo, I did want to smack the group a few times because of stupid things, but who doesn't do those from time to time. *raises hand* I loved when they saved the animals in the old truck they were riding in, Grover is awesome!
I look forward to reading ALL of the other 50 billion books in this ongoing Rick Riordan world! ♥
MY BLOG:
Melissa Martin's Reading List -
five stars, because this book just makes me so very happy.
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Content and Trigger Warnings: bullying, loss of a parent, minor blood depiction, talk of abuse, and arachnophobia. -
me: *two months ago* I don't think I'm going to read this any time soon
me: * right now* oh yay Percy Jackson!!
I'd lie if I'd say I did not enjoy this :D
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Book-styled) -
My inner child is absolutely devastated that I didn't read this series when I was a kid. Percy Jackson was one of those series that was always there, just on the periphery of my social conscious. I knew I should read it, but for one reason or another I gravitated to other things instead.
Thankfully, as an adult who likes reviewing books for fun in my spare time, I have absolutely no shame about reading the series now, even if it was originally intended for a younger audience. In some ways, I think I might have even enjoyed it more as an adult.
I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology. (I may or may not have filled electives in high school and college with classes on mythology; just like I may or may not have obsessed over shows like Xena and Hercules in my teenage years.) I had a great time comparing my own personal knowledge of Greek mythology against the ways that Riordan weaves the stories into Percy's larger adventure.
It's such a fun way to introduce Greek mythology to children and teens while staying entertaining for adults as well! The mythology remains faithful to the original stories, but it feels fresh and fun here as each character is full of personality and charm. The world is full of magic and wonder and I never once felt bored as the characters explored within it.
Speaking of characters full of personality, Percy Jackson himself is one of my new faves in terms of characterization. He's brave, loyal and hilarious and his friendship with Grover and Annabeth has quickly become a favorite for me. Also, can I just say that I think it's so cute that Riordan based Percy on his son, who had been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia? I think it's so awesome that Percy gets to sort of stand apart from other heroes in stories as a champion for those kids forevermore.
When I finished reading this book, I immediately went and told my 11 year old nephew that he absolutely had to read this book so I had someone to talk to about it. I'm proud to call myself a Percy Jackson fan and will be continuing the rest of the series shortly!
★★★★★ = 5 stars!
See this review and more on my blog:
Book Bastion my blog:
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Can ya'll believe I've never read this series before? I picked up the first 3 books on a whim the other day and am excited to give it a go.
RTC. -
this is one of the most common books that pops up on my feed. no joke. i probably see this at least a couple times a week, so i finally gave in and read it! yay me! hehe.
i will admit, this is the first time i have read a middle grade novel since i was that age, but i have to hand it to rick riordan. this story is sooo unique, which is hard to do considering how many fantasy novels are out there for young readers. and i have no doubt that, if i had first read when i was a kid, i would have been beyond OBSESSED with it. it makes me so sad to think that my childhood missed out on this series.
but reading this as an adult is an entirely different experience. i can appreciate this for what it is, which is fun and exciting, but it honestly just made me feel old as it has a very juvenile feel to it. i have heard some of riordans other books are aimed towards older readers, so i may give them a shot since i do love me some greek mythology!
↠ 3.5 stars -
Really is there something I could say that hasn't been said? Doubtful, but in utterly stupid human style I will write a review anyway attempting to tell people how cool this book is.
This is plainly an awesome idea. I had always wondered what happened to the kids of half gods/goddess and humans. Here's the story to quench your curiosity. Percy Jackson has been dumped around from border school to border school. He has never been quite like anybody else, but as the end of sixth grade approaches he'll find out how unique he actually is...
I picked this up thinking that I would enjoy it, but not to the extent of really being hooked so fast. Literally from the first pages I knew I was gonna finish this book. It's geared towards middle grade readers and mostly male I think, but really all that goes away when you're reading this. As an older reader I did see most of the twists coming but that is because the author is generous about hints, which I have always liked. What really sold it for me though is the action. I have mentioned this numerous times, but I'll say it again, I am a total sucker for action scenes . Give me a good fight sequence and I'm there.
A few reviews mention how this is ripoff of Harry Potter, and now that I think about it I could see where they are coming from. There are definitely similarities, but to be honest I didn't really catch that, (I guess I'm kind of dim...I shouldn't probably admit to that *shakes head* moving on) because the world the author set was so original that the similar setup can be easily forgiven.
We all love heroes. Especially ones like Percy. People never expect much from him, and that's what makes this journey of his so personal to the reader. You root for him and are so glad that his muscling his way through it. It has the feel of cheering for the underdog. And I'm guessing this underdog is going to blow everyone out of the water.
Extra Note: Oh glorious goodness they made a movie!
Here is a link to the movie trailer. -
(Imagine my eyes bleeding after reading non-stop for almost 6 hours holding the book rolling on my bed, pacing nervously in my room and actually telling myself to calm down every 10 minutes because things are happening too fast in the book)
*Imagine Rick Riordan obsessed with Hilary Duff's So Yesterday* (it was fun to know how while reading this book ☺️)
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Dear Peter Johnson 😁😁
(If you remember this particular line from the book, you know what I mean)
🖤 4 stars 🖤 for all that if-you-are-not-running-alongwith-Percy-Grover-Annabeth-while-you-are-reading-this-you-might-actually-die kind of reading!
Otherwise the first book in the series failed to impress me much regarding the characters or the plot development, or the ending.
The big reveals or the surprises didn't do the trick. Yes, it may seem like I read a book which doesn't deserve that rating. But I say it deserves that rating still 👏
But yes, it is one interesting fast-paced read, too fast paced for my comfort 🤦 that I had to put down the book for every fifteen minutes or so and remind myself to collect my thoughts or to just actually breathe normal.
One thing keeps happening before another thing comes up. One character keeps happening before you try to grasp the character you have been just introduced to. Yep, I was low-key struggling at the beginning few chapters but dang, everything just gets along just like that. That's why I couldn't stop in between and had to just keep on reading.
Honestly, I didn't have too much expectations from the book or the series as it came out 15 years ago. But I knew I would like Riordan's writing. Yes, it worked like charm.
But.
The first book felt like the second book or a sequel to a book that happened before. Don't get me wrong. I want better character introductions, character descriptions, better plot and character development and yasss, the so called villians to be more intimidating.
For gods sakes, it's a gods' story! Mortals in contemporaries seem more intimidating to me.
I know it's a middle grade book and I give all the credits to the book that it deserves being so easy to get into and for being written in such an adventurous, fun, fast-paced style (ah, the gods seeming more us mortals than the actual mortals 😁) and for being still interesting to read considering it was written more than 15 years ago.
I wanted more emotions when the story demanded it but it was like the author was telling me 🤦 No! Stop right there! You are not supposed to feel sad!
No! You cannot cry while reading this book!
No! You cannot smile or feel cute and warm and fuzzy inside!
Yes, there were many scenarios where I was ready to feel more because.... the issue with Percy's mother. And more so when Percy gets to meet ...(ok. Stop. No spoilers.)
But I wanted to feel so much more because those moments right there demanded my emotions and feelings. But no. The author had to zip it and rush on to the next scene 😭
I do not like anything that much about everything in this book.
It's just that everything worked on its own for a fun, fast easy read.
I hope I get to get more invested from the second book onwards.
I really want to love this series. More than I do now.
4 more books.
10 more books after that.
💌 Awesomeness 💌 -
He just called her wise girl for the first time i can't breathe.
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yeah, that reread was really what i needed. rtc! <3
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this is a perfect book for young teenagers. if you were trying to devise a formula for writing a perfect book for this age group, you could not have done much better than this.
1) mysterious parentage. kids are totally self-absorbed. some never grow out of it, of course, but in younger people, it is more excusable - their internal life makes up the majority of their experience, they are used to being the center of attention and they spend a lot of time thinking about themselves and fantasizing. so having romantic, mysterious origins is the best thing ever - "maybe i am the son/daughter of a god/goddess/russian count, etc..." i still wonder about that, even though it is clear where i came from.
2) this book has excellent gender equality, so it appeals to both younger girls and boys. goddesses are just as cool as gods, and their children are equally badass. this is rarely the case in teen adventure lit. (see naruto)
3) this makes history class relevant.(or wherever it is that kids learn about those wacky greeks) personifying the gods and goddesses makes them more recognizable and immediate for kids; bringing old litterature aliiiive and all that. and they will definitely learn not to mix up chiron and charon.
4) but it is also wonderfully subversive. it is all about polytheism and it makes the point that what we consider mythology today used to be a very real belief system for tons of people. any bright kid is going to make the logical leap to thinking about contemporary religion and how one day, it may well fall under mythology for students of the future, and how any current religious disagreements will be just like poseidon and athena's quarrels. because of this, i am surprised that this series has not been more frequently challenged/banned. oh, i know why, because the people most likely to challenge shit are not themselves capable of making that logical leap; they operate solely on knee-jerk see-a-bad-word reactions.
but this book is great - it has fantastic pacing, the characters are incredibly appealing, i like the premise, and i really really like that it is five books only. i will definitely read the rest of these puppies when i get around to it.
come to my blog! -
The song is Thunder by Imagine Dragons.
"It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality.”
The Lightning Thief is a book that is very close to my heart. I loved it as a child, and I loved it as I grew up and had much heavier tastes in the fantasy genre, but I still love it. If whoever is reading this book, if you don't like this book, then I am really, really sorry, but we can't ever be friends. Like, I know everyone has different tastes, but still, my heart can't take any sort of criticism for this book. I love this book so much.
“Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.Being a half-blood is dangerous. It’s scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.”
Percy, a 12-year-old kid with ADHD and dyslexia, is the protagonist of The Lightning Thief. He had been expelled out of schools for the majority of his life for reasons he was not responsible for. But when his instructor transforms into a monster on a school trip and his other teacher saves him, he realises his life is about to change drastically. We then follow his experiences as his mother is kidnapped, he is sent to a camp he has never heard of, he discovers that his best friend is a satyr and his favourite teacher is a centaur. And the worst of all, he discovers that his father isn't human but a god, making him a demigod. Now, I'm not going to go into too much detail about the plot because you should read it for yourself.My only purpose was to raise your curiosity so that I can trick you into reading this favourite book of mine.
“I’ve been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?’
A smaller ego, I thought, but I said nothing”
Let's talk about Annabeth. I love her. She is the daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She is smart, clever, brave, and full of logic, and she is the main reason for their mission's success (this may sound biased, but that's what I believe).Grover is a satyr who pretended to be Percy's friend before he knew of his demigod blood, but became an actual friend over the course of the book. He is the comedian of the trio. His backstory is sad. I felt so bad for him because of the guilt he was carrying for not being able to save Thalia and complete the task he was given.I love you too, Grover. Luke is the son of the god Hermes, the god of so many things that I lost track of them. I never hated him, but I am saying this after reading the complete series, so...
If you haven't read this book then you are missing out on a lot of fun. -
4.5 Golden stars
before I start talking about how awesome this book/series is; I should say:
&
second,
"Read Rick Riordan's books in English or you miss half the FUN!"
I saw that happened!
This Book/Series/Universe is a "must read" to anyone who loves myths, Regardless of Age. {for proof: I read it first when I was 22 & fell in love immediately by the first sentences! (which was the chapter's title!)} though it probably depends on you have active inner child & love mythology in modern days with lots of fun or not too. (my dad liked it too.)
it's an art to write a book suitable for everyone.
& Percy's character reminded me of one of my teenage years bookish crush, Bobby in
Pendragon series by D. J. MacHale; sassy, quick witty comebacks with funny thoughts & comparisons in the narration.
First book in the masterpiece of Riordanverse,
First book in
Camp Half-Blood Chronicles
I LOVE ALL UNCLE RICK'S BOOKS!
the way it started, from the very first page, it shows & promises how amazing & funny it would be. I mean, just look at the chapters name!
I laughed with almost every sentences!
(also full of "I-can-relate" moments!)
2019: I read this for my dad & he actually liked it very much. another proof for this story is regardless of age XD (also I was a very good narrator.)
finished a day before Percy's 26th birthday! [August 17]
I'm a sucker fror finding relatable things in my life & my fandoms. :D
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plot (excitements): ★★★★/5
the start was amazing
also the way magic & myths related the real world & wrapping up the story.
I love this way that myths got modernized.
in general, full of excitements & surprises!
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World building: ★★★★★/5
the real world & its relation to myths world, is very realistic, the way I can assume it is real & actually can be happening somewhere!
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Characters: ★★★★★/5
many lovable characters!
Percy is awesome.
also Grover & Annabeth<3
& Sally Jackson is an Angel! strong & supportive.
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Written style: ★★★★★/5
even though it is first person view, but Percy is awesome narrative. & Riordan KNOWS how to write FUNNY & also giving us the Adrenaline Surge!
HUMOR!: ★★★★★/5
LOL like after every sentence!
“She'd also called me brave...unless she was talking to the catfish.”
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Cover: ★★★★★/5
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General idea: ★★★★★/5
Real world+Mythology+Fantasy: Sign me in -
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