The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & the Olympians #1)

This is a brilliant read. I love mythology, so I was excited to read this one. In honesty, I only knew about it because I heard about the film, so I wanted to read it before the film came out as I can't watch a movie and then read the book. Just doesn't work that way. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. It was a non-stop adrenalin rush. I went out and got the other four books. This is a must read.

Reader reviewed by Wolfgang Bail

         The Lightning Thief 
 Percy Jackson is an ordinary kid& until he figures out what he really is: son of the Sea God, Poseidon. As he trains at camp, he figures out that the Greek god Zeus is blaming him of stealing his master bolt. Now Percy and 2 of his friends go on a journey to save the master bolt and see it safely returned. Percy really wants to go to the underworld and save his mom. Will he save his mom and see the master bolt returned safely? Read to find out.                    

         I would recommend this book to whoever is willing to read this great action packed adventure. One reason would be that it is greatly known and well liked by many people around the world.

                 An adventure quest with a rip edge- School Library Journal

                 Packed with humorous illusions to Greek mythology along with rip snorting action sequences, this book really shines-The Horn Book

                 New York Times Notable Book of 2005

                A Child Magazine Best Book of the year

               A School Library Best Book of the year

           Another reason would be the action and power of the book. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering what will happens next. The book will blow your mind .Every page has something exciting to keep you going.

Percy is static because it does not tell much about him. He is round because his personality, thinking, and more changes in and about him.           

Reader reviewed by Hannah O

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a great book. I like this book because it has a lot of details, action, and I felt like I was in the book. There were some things I did not understand and I felt the author could have explained them better.

The story begins as Percy Jackson being a normal boy living in upstate New York. He played basketball, skateboarded, and did things that all normal boys like to do. but some weird things have happened to him, and he cant  figure out how or why they happen to him. For example in fifth grade when he was on a field trip at the Saratoga battlefield he had an accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. He didnt mean to aim at the school bus, but  it ended up with Percy shooting the school bus.

Some other characters are Grover and Mr. Brunner. Grover is Percys best friend, who always sticks with Percy. Mr. Brunner is Percys Latin teacher who is very nice to Percy.  Percy trusts these people very much

The story is about Percy finding out that he is not really just a normal kid, but he is a half-blood - someone who is the son of a Greek God. Percy found this out when one day Percys math teacher asked to talk to Percy alone. They walked into a room and Percys math teacher turned into a dragon! As she flew over Percy she asked where the lightning bolt was and then she flew off through the window.

Percy then went on this adventure to find out who he really was and who had really taken the lightning bolt from Zeus. Along the way, Percy was helped by his friend, Luke, who knew more about the Greek Gods than Percy.

I think all kids ages 10 and 11 should read this book because its a fun and easy book to read and its filled with action and adventure that youll love!

Reader reviewed by Reading Angel

"I had been putting of this series for awhile now. Although I normally love YA, I just thought this one would be more along the lines of a children's book and wouldn't keep my attention. And, I was wrong (and someone better record this, because I don't say it often...hehe). This was a very engaging read from the beginning to the end.

I really love reading about Greek mythology and this book really went in depth with it, there were several times that I wrote down names just so I could look them up later, made me feel NOT smarter than a 5th grader!! Percy is a great charcter, he's a scared kid who still stands up for what he believes is right, even when it would have been alot safer for him to run away. Percy meets some great characters along the way, some destined to be his friends, some destined to be his enemies. And sometimes the ones he thinks are friends don't turn out that way.

It's a perilous world that Percy finds himself thrown into, and I was glad to go along for the ride with him. I dug through this book at lightning speed and I'm really excited to read the rest and see what trouble Percy and the crew find their way into next time!"

Reader reviewed by Ashley K.

          The Lightning Thief is a fictional greek mythology book with a maze of twist and turns. Percy Jackson is a twelve years old with an odd past that is the result of being the son of a greek god. When he goes to Camp Half-blood he gets a quest. Zeus, Percy's uncle, loses his master boltand every one thinks Percy is the thief. Now Percygoes on an adventure with his satyr friend Grover and Annabeth Chace, daughter of Athena, and battle monsters and gods.

Reader reviewed by Jonah

The Ligthning Thief  is the first book of the amazing series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" by Rick Riordan. The Lightning Thief is a must read book if you haven't read it yet.  Once you start reading you can't stop, trust me. Rick Riordan does the best job that I've ever seen in a book describing the setting and characters. For example, he describes Percy's best friend, Grover, as someone who is an easy target for bullies, scrawny, cries when he gets frustrated, and much more. Another reason this is my favorite type of book is because it's written in first person.

One of the things the author could've done better is to make the endings of events less predictable. The author practically tells who Percy's father is. For example, Percy's mother eats blue food,  the Poseidon cabin smells like Montuak (the place where Percy's mom met his dad), and Percy makes pipes burst without hitting himself. But I can see that the author most likely does this on purpose but he should make the clues a little harder to piece together.  In conclusion, Rick Riordan does an awesome job of storytelling in The Lightning Thief.  Even though some of the events are predictable, you won't be able to put this book down and will really enjoy reading it.

Reader reviewed by Ananya

12 year old Percy Jackson life is flipped around when

a. his mom dissolves into yellow light

 b. he finds out hes a half blood

 c. he discovers that his father is Poseidon

d. all of the above

If you guessed d, you have probably read the book, a riveting novel by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief is a story about a boy who has to go on a quest to find a lightning bolt he is accused of stealing.

The book is humorous and I also like the adventure parts.

Reader reviewed by Victoria Morris

After several months of not reading, as I was head deep in a story of my own, I picked this up at the bookstore in preparation for the movie coming out this month.

Reader reviewed by Nikki aka SpunkiiReader

The first time I head about this series I wrote it off as a childrens book.  I didnt think I would enjoy it because it was targeted for the younger reader, but I finally convinced myself to read it and I loved it. Even though Percy is only 12, I still found myself interested in his struggles and choices. I didnt know much about the Greek gods before I read this, but that wasnt a problem Riordan does a great job of explaining each myth as it comes along. I find myself extremely anxious to read the next book in the series and find out what happens next.

Reader reviewed by Katie

This book is great if you like Greek mythology, and if you don't you will soon! The author brings together all the myths and says, "What if the Greek gods were real? What if they were your parents?" Percy has never fit in, and when his math teacher tries to kill him he knows he's not normal. This book will keep you laughing from 'Chapter One: I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher' to the end!