The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan has always been a series which is massively popular especially in the Booktube and Bookstagram community and I was always too scared to pick it up and try it. Mainly it was because I didn’t want to commit myself to a series which has 5 books in it, I was exactly the same before I picked up The Mortal Instruments – City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and that is now my all time favourite series, so I finally bit the bullet and read The Lightning Thief and I kicked myself for not trying it sooner.
When we first meet Percy Jackson he is a 12 year old boy living in New York with his Mum and awful Stepdad Gabe, he is currently at a boarding school battling Dyslexia and ADHD and trying his best not to get kicked out. It is when his class go on a school trip that these things start to get weird for Percy, he could of sworn his teacher Mrs. Dodds tried to kill him. But then nobody seems to have any recollection of there ever being a Mrs. Dodds, finally the school year is over and he returns home to his mum. Once she learns of the situation she takes Percy to a special camp for more kids like him, this camp is where Percy will find out more about himself and why he is like he is. This camp is called Camp Half Blood.
I will be honest, I struggled to get into The Lightning Thief, but this is because I had sadly seen the movie so I was constantly finding myself comparing the book to the movie looking for all the similarities and differences. Although this only hindered myself in terms of getting into the book faster and finishing it quickly, the story itself takes a different route to the movie. Things happen at a slower pace and you can fully immerse yourself into Percy’s world and learn more about Camp Half Blood before he sets out on his quest.
Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief is a genre of books which is new for me, I of course am a big fan of Young Adult Fiction but this is the first book and series I will have read which feature Gods and Greek Myths. Therefore I have nothing to compare this series too.
I give this book 4/5 stars as it really is a fantastic read, Rick Riordan is a brilliant writer. He has the ability to draw so many emotions out of you in under 400 pages, you experience Humour, Sarcasm, Happiness and Sadness. I highly recommend the Percy Jackson series for anyone who has not tried it yet, regardless of your age. If you are into Young Adult Fiction and Fantasy Novels specifically then definitely pick it up and give it a whirl.
I have already moved onto the Next Book – Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters. Which as I can’t remember watching the film for I have got into far more easily and think I will move fast through this one. I’m too excited to see what happens in Percy’s World. I am seriously kicking myself though for not biting the bullet and starting this series sooner, I feel like I have missed out on so much regarding this series in the Bookstagram community. Although it has recently been the birthday of Percy Jackson therefore I think I chose the right time to finally pick it up. (Happy Birthday Percy Jackson)
If you are interested in trying out Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief then you can do so by clicking the following links:
The Book People – The Lightning Thief
Book Depository – The Lightning Thief
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