Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1)

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1)
The Lightning Thief - Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1
Author: Rick Riordan
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 s...  more »
ISBN-13: 9781423141877
ISBN-10: 1423141873
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 375
Rating:
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 57

4.2 stars, based on 57 ratings
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 3
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

dukesangel002 avatar reviewed The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1) on + 91 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
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!
reviewed The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1) on + 120 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
My son and I read this book together. I think this book is better than the final few Harry Potter books. Really funny too! We are looking forward to reading the rest othis series.
daedelys avatar reviewed The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1) on + 1218 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book has an overall interesting story concept, but it's fairly obvious that the author was trying to break into a genre made popular be series like Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl. So if you like those types of books, like I do, you will most likely enjoy this.

Initially, Percy doesn't know who his father is, but the mystery isn't really that hard to figure out for anyone who has a basic understanding of Greek mythology.

There are several plot-holes in the story, one coming to immediate mind is the repetition of Percy being warned not to speak the names of Gods or creatures aloud so as to not draw their attention. This rule seems to be inconsistent, since other characters manage to do it, plus you have to wonder how they keep the average public from mentioning these names. There's several other things you'll notice that don't make sense when you analyze it, but overall, it doesn't make the story something you can't enjoy, so it's easily overlooked.

I'd suggest reading this series, just for wanting to find out what happens, plus it'll be good reference for when the movie comes out.
sla506 avatar reviewed The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1) on + 35 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I picked up this book because my students were raving about it. I did like it, but it's not one of my favorite young adult books. I felt it was very Harry Potter-esque. So many books these days are about these young heroes battling a variety of superhuman creatures. I think many aspects of these themes are becoming redundant and cliche.

However, I do like the use of Greek mythology. That is a foreign topic to most everyone, and this is a fun way to learn about it.
Read All 12 Book Reviews of "The Lightning Thief Percy Jackson and the Olympians book 1"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

c-squared avatar reviewed The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1) on + 181 more book reviews
I know I shouldn't be surprised when a book is infinitely better than it's movie adaptation. I watched the movie version of The Lightening Thief before I'd read anything of this series, which is fortunate. I liked the movie enough to start reading the series, but if I'd read the books first I would have been sorely disappointed by the movie.

Besides the characters being better developed, there are major plot differences that work much better in the book. Additional characters play major roles and many details about the characters are changed -- mostly things like AGE. The books are about awkward early teens, while the movie featured pretty teenagers. Ugh.

Criticism of the similarities to Harry Potter put aside, this is a great series so far -- quick, entertaining, imaginative reads.
susieqmillsacoustics avatar reviewed The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1) on + 1062 more book reviews
I read this because I love the "Harry Potter" series, and try to check out the new YA fantasy books that have some potential for that kind of enjoyment. This does have the potential, however there are parts that are along the lines of silly humor for an 11-year-old. On the other hand, there are some very rough parts, such as these kids going into Hades, and the dead standing in line there, that I felt were not for the faint of heart and might be hard for young kids to process. Overall, it is a good beginning with some surprising twists and wraps up nicely, though open for the sequel.
daedelys avatar reviewed The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1) on + 1218 more book reviews
This book has an overall interesting story concept, but it's fairly obvious that the author was trying to break into a genre made popular be series like Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl. So if you like those types of books, like I do, you will most likely enjoy this.

Initially, Percy doesn't know who his father is, but the mystery isn't really that hard to figure out for anyone who has a basic understanding of Greek mythology.

There are several plot-holes in the story, one coming to immediate mind is the repetition of Percy being warned not to speak the names of Gods or creatures aloud so as to not draw their attention. This rule seems to be inconsistent, since other characters manage to do it, plus you have to wonder how they keep the average public from mentioning these names. There's several other things you'll notice that don't make sense when you analyze it, but overall, it doesn't make the story something you can't enjoy, so it's easily overlooked.

I'd suggest reading this series, just for wanting to find out what happens, plus it'll be good reference for when the movie comes out.
reviewed The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, book 1) on + 1159 more book reviews
When my 4th grader walked into our local independent bookstore and asked the children's expert what he should read now that he was done with the Harry Potter series, this was the book she put into his hands. He enjoyed it so much he read the entire series and now his dad and I are trying to catch up! This is an exciting and enjoyable read about an outsider hero (diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia) who discovers that there may be good reasons for certain "weaknesses" and even moments when they can be strengths. Percy is accompanied on his quest by a wise female friend and a satyr who provides comic relief. This is a great way for kids to learn about mythology if they aren't quite ready for Edith Hamilton, and I suspect a whole bunch of related books will be around because of the movie. My son is currently enjoying Mythlopedia, a cartoonish who's who of the gods.


Genres: