Percy Jackson and the Olympians ~ Book One ~ The Lightning Thief
Written: Apr 10 '09 (Updated Apr 11 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A good adventure story for older kids with an introduction to Greek mythology.
Cons: A few minor things to watch out for if you're reading with your kids.
The Bottom Line: The Bottom Line wonders if she is really a daughter of Athena. It would make sense. Really, it would.
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| dramastef's Full Review: Rick Riordan - The Lightning Thief |
I rented the audio version of Rick Riordan's book The Lightning Thief before one of our car trips as a way to distract the kids with something a bit more educational than movies and video games. This is the first of (currently) four books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and it was well received by mom, nine-year-old DramaGirl and six-year-old DramaBoy.
We are first introduced to Percy Jackson, a twelve-year-old boy with a penchant for getting into trouble in his boarding schools, never having yet made it more than one year in any that he's attended. Percy is initially shown to be a young boy with normal troubles. He's got ADHD and severe dyslexia. He has trouble controlling his temper. He adores his mother, but has never met his father. His step-father, however, is a whole different set of problems.
So as not to further upset his mother after yet another expulsion, Percy decides to not tell his mother how his math teacher turned into a monster and attacked him during a field trip. On their way to the beach, however, they're attacked again and Percy's friend from school, Grover, who reveals that he's actually a satyr, tells his mother that Percy must go to Half Blood Camp, where he'll be safe. After fighting a minotaur and watching his mother explode into a light shower, Percy wakes up to the ministrations of fellow camper Annabeth Chase feeding him nectar and ambrosia.
Percy soon finds out that all he'd learned about Greek Mythology is true. Gods and monsters exist. Currently Mt. Olympus is residing somewhere above the Empire State Building as the Olympians oversee the Western World. The gods sometimes mix with mortals, with the result being half-bloods, or demigods like Percy. The "Big Three" (Hades, Zeus and Poseidon) had taken an oath after World War II that they would father no more demigods due to a prophecy that could end their existence. When Percy's parentage is revealed, however, Zeus threatens a war to rival that of the titan-god war unless Percy can return his Master Bolt before the summer solstice.
And so, with Grover and Annabeth, Percy embarks on a quest for the gods.
The Lightning Thief is not the best-written children's adventure story I've ever read. Much of Percy's quest feels like a basic, linear story as the trio moves from one dilemma to the next to the next. But... there really is so much to like about this story. Both of my children love hearing stories of other children heroes. I also liked that it was an early introduction to Greek mythology. Parents of children with ADHD and/or dyslexia will like that Percy, and all demigods, have these afflictions because of their heroic status. They are ADHD because of their inherent battle reflexes and they are dyslexic because their brains are wired to read Greek first and foremost.
The audio version we listened to was read by Jesse Bernstein who was a wonderful narrator. Each voice was different and easily identifiable, keeping the kids' interest far longer than I could have done.
A couple things to note before deciding that this is the book for you and your family... thought it's glossed over, your children may be confused by the idea of a god creating a child with a mortal. Also, near the end of the book, when Percy figures out that his step-father had hit his mother on more than one occasion, he leaves her the means to protect herself via Medusa's severed head. Some time later, she sells her one and only stone statue that looks remarkably like her husband.
Final thoughts? Though The Lightning Thief suffers from some series debut-itis, and has a few minor issues, we all loved the story and can't wait for our next trip to the cottage so we can rent the sequel, The Sea of Monsters.
Recommended:
Yes
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