The Lightning Theif

Many of you have seen this book, but by another cover. When I read this book - this was the cover for moi. I like it a bit more than the other versions.

Percy Jackson is a troubled teen. He's been to numerous schools only staying a year in each. The teachers have labeled him a trouble maker with ADHD and dyslexia. That alone, doesn't cause him to relocate to a new school every year. No, instead it's something entirely different. Weird things keep happening to Percy - sights that are confusing and scary.

When we are introduced to Percy Jackson he is a sixth grader at Yancy Academy. Yancy Academy is a private school in New York for 'troubled kids'. The year was going ok, until he went on a trip with his Latin teacher Mr. Brunner and other kids to Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at the Greek and Roman artifacts. Mrs. Dobbs his mean spirited Algebra teacher accompanies them. Now, that alone is nothing out of the ordinary, except Mrs. Dobbs hates Percy Jackson with a passion and makes sure that she always punishes him. Some kids were picking on Percy's best friend Grover, but Percy is unable to do anything because he already skating on thin ice. He gets angrier and angrier at the girl picking on Grover and suddenly she's drenched by the fountain water. How could that have happened? The water could not have acted on its own.

Mrs. Dobbs zeros in on Percy and tells him to follow her into the depths of the museum. Mr. Brunner is unaware of what's happening (and is Percy's only hope.) When Percy catches up with Mrs. Dobb, they are all alone and suddenly she turns into this hideous creature! Frighted and with nothing to fight back with Percy begins to back up until Mr. Brunner comes to his rescue and gives Percy a mighty sword. After killing Mrs. Dobbs the evil creature Percy returns to Mr. Brunner who doesn't even know who Mrs. Dobbs is.

That's only the beginning for Percy. Soon he's told that he is a demi-God, and even though he doesn't know his father, he has to go to a camp for half-bloods such as himself. While at the camp he befriends fellow half-bloods and learns that there is a feud brewing in Mt. Olympus. Percy has been thrown between 3 fighting gods - Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon. Hades and Zeus are blaming him for stealing Zeus Master Lightning Bolt. However Percy just found out he is a demi-god and Poseidon is his father. He didn't steal the bolt but now he has to prove he didn't. But the odds are stacked against him; he has little training and will be going up against the might of the gods.

Don't worry. I won't finish the paragraph with "Can he prove himself to the gods and live?" Lol. I have always loved Greek mythology. I know all the gods by their Greek names, and Vince knows them all by their Latin names. It's funny b/c I have a little Greek in my family tree and Vince is Italian. So it's always fun for me to say that the Romans copied everything from us Greeks :P Getting back to the point, is I love how this book weaved the mythology into present day life! Chiron (the centaur) told Percy that the gods are very much real and that they follow were the "torch" is. So it once was in Rome but is now in the West. Such a cool idea! Percy has to fight other "myths" such as Medusa (one of the Gorgons) and fight a Minotaur. god it was so good! I read the book in like a day because I was hooked :)

Do y'all read Greek Myths? Vince and I love them and talk about them often. In fact he has this amazing book that has all the Greek and Roman myths told in the best versions. *Swoon*

I suggest quickly re- learning your myths before you read this book otherwise you won't be as impressed and you'll be very confused. Please read this book. It is SOO AMAZING! and Pretty please read up on your Greek Mythology!! Promise? AND PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK !!

Books in this series:

1) The Lighting Thief

2) The Sea of Monsters

3) The Titans Curse

4) The Battle of the Labyrinth

5) The Last Olympian

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. New York (c) 2005