Bibliofreakblog

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

A quick trip to Ye Olde Wikipedia will inform you that Rick Riordan first began writing the Percy Jackson series back in 1994, ergo you can can then deduce (induce?) that the Percy Jackson series is not derivative of Harry Potter.  

Is it derivative of every epic questing, good vs. evil story in the history of stories?

Well, yes.

Then again, so is Harry Potter.

And anyways, this is INTENTIONALLY so.  And it allowed me to get my geek on so hard that I even forgave the silly gross humor than only little boys love (and love a little too well, and never grow out of whence they become big boys, I might add).  

And OMG, how I wish wish wish that these books were around back when I was a kid, because I read Greek mythology and all the other kids in my class thought I was weird for it.  Though, that also brings me to another point: Greek names are really hard for kids to pronounce, and there should be a little glossary in the back describing each character and how to pronounce their names.  Hyperion Books: get on that.

The story itself was good, though a little far-fetched.  Far-fetched because it turns out that this kid who has ADHD and dyslexia is being chased by monsters because he’s part god?  No.  Far-fetched because it turns out that his learning problems are because his brain is hard-wired for ancient Greek?  No.  Far-fetched because there is a camp devoted to training and saving these half-bloods?  No.  Far-fetched because his bff is a satyr?  No.  Far fetched because he has to go on an epic quest to save the day?  No.

Far-fetched because he has to battle Medusa, Ares, and descend into the Underworld and he is only 12?  Yes.

See, because the world Riordan as (re)created here assumes that all of the Greek and Roman legends are true, I found it hard to believe that this kid who is only 12 was on par with Jason, Hercules, etc.  And, granted, he has help from his friends and uses his wits, but still.  Don’t get me wrong, I am all for Hero’s Journey, of which descent into the underworld is a major theme and all, but maybe it didn’t have to be taken so literally in the very first book.  It’s like the series jumped the shark in book one.  

But will I read it to see what sort of hijinks happen next?  I already am.

 
Buy The Lightning Thief on Amazon 

If you like this book/author, you might like:

(my reviews in blue)

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Inri and Edgar D’Aulaire
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
Ruby and the Stone Age Diet by Martin Millar

Other works by Rick Riordan:

The Sea of Monsters 
The Titan’s Curse 
The Battle of the Labyrinth 
The Last Olympian
The Demigod Files 
The Red Pyramid 
The Maze Of Bones
Big Red Tequila
The Widower’s Two-Ste
The Last King of Texas
The Devil Went Down to Austin
Cold Springs
Southtown
Mission Road
Rebel Island

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