Title: Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Author:  Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books

Copyright Date(s): 2006

Reading Level: ATOS 4.7

Interest Level (Age): 12-14

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Synopsis: Percy Jackson does not fit in; if the relentless bullying and having to bounce between schools constantly while growing up doesn't show this fact, he doesn't know what else does. Percy lives his "rebellious" middle-school life in New York with his mother, Sally Jackson, and his couch-potato step-dad, Gabe Ugliano, and he attends Yancy Academy, a school for troubled youth. As "fun" as it is attending Yancy, Percy finds himself struggling with more than just his Latin homework and school-bully. After escaping a near-death scrape with a dangerous creature while on a field trip, Percy learns that his long-lost dad is actually Poseidon and he's a half-blood. A demigod. Seriously. To make matters worse, there is a literal storm brewing between the mightiest gods (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades). These ancient beings are arguing about war, missing magical items, and worst of all: him. To protect himself, Percy must make the trek to Camp Half-blood, and what awaits him there is so much more important than any school assignment: his destiny.

Personal Reaction:

Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2005) is a delightfully clever odyssey of both mythical and realistic proportions, and that's what I loved about it. I'm always hooked when a story starts out with an underdog kid who's misunderstood, since I can relate. As the story progressed, I felt more and more for Percy on a black-sheep level since I dealt with similar school hopping and bully sources when I was a kid. This representation got me thinking about how a lot of young-adult resources cover negative aspects of school in different perspectives, and that Percy's grey-area perspective of not hating yet not loving his school was refreshing.  As the conflict was further unraveled, I felt more and more sympathetic to Percy for the devastatingly traumatic quest that unfolded out to him. 

I will not lie, I was excited when I learned about Camp Half-blood and Percy being a demigod. I was less excited for Percy when it was revealed that he was target number one for mythological monsters. One of these monsters, the minotaur, had seemingly killed Percy's mother right in front of him, and I shared Percy's deep, unwavering rage. This act brought to my attention how many youth fantasy books I've read and heard of that seem to have dead, dying, or missing parents as a central factor. I understand now that, from this younger perspective, losing one's parent(s) is a true horror due to how central they are to young-adult life. So, I can see why this is a character defining moment for Percy, since it marks a symbolic moment where he's no longer a child due to his innocence shattering experience, yet he's still not a man. 

On the topic of parents, I appreciated how deified Percy's mother was since there are so many stories where teenagers vilify their mothers. I recognize that there are family divides worthy of highlighting in literature, but I appreciated that Percy and his mother were so close and loving to one another. It reminded me of my father, with whom I am extremely close. It was no wonder I felt the same disdain for the step-dad that Percy did. The relationship between Percy and his step-dad made me think about how, again,  so many literary sources vilify step-parents. Though this time the step-father being vilified was called for, I wondered why there are so many youth media sources that showed this tension filled divide. This made me sad to think of the healthy familial relationships that are forged by step-parents that often go un-recognized in media. But, I recognize that Percy's experiences are both not uncommon and totally valid. 

When it's revealed that Percy is actually the son of Poseidon, I mentally shrieked in delight at how cool it must be to live a life like that. If I were twelve and reading this, I can say with great confidence that I would fantasize about being a demigod too due to the dread of homework and bullies. I found a lot of myself in Percy, especially when he learned of his heritage and who he truly was. The feeling that Percy got when he felt at home at Camp Half-blood is one that I wish I felt earlier in my life as well. This moment of contentment in the book got me thinking about how teenagers often feel isolated, unwelcome, and misunderstood by society. Teenagers search for this feeling of acceptance and warmth in many places, and I'm glad that it's positively represented in this book, albeit in a fantastical way.

Recently dubbed Poseidon's heir, Percy was conflicted and I shared in his mental conflict. Harboring resentment for his father over his lacking presence is something that I can completely empathize with. The feeling when a family member suddenly recognizes you, but only when it suits them, is a hard feeling to maneuver, especially for a kid like Percy. It got me thinking about the experiences of children with absentee parents and how complicated their feelings must be when their parents suddenly appear. I feel that more resources should highlight this conflict of opinion, rather than the so often referenced total rejection.

Having dealt with his mother's death, the beheading of Medusa, surviving an encounter with a Chimera, and countless other tasks, I couldn't help but think about how resilient Percy was in dealing with trauma. Percy didn't skip a beat despite having dealt with a mind-altering shift in perspective, and I was pleasantly surprised by this. I think that teenagers, especially middle-schoolers, are not given enough credit for how resilient they are in dealing with traumatic events. So, it makes me happy that Percy's unwavering determination in the face of trauma and danger is positively represented. I also noticed that as the story progressed, Percy's confidence level in the face of the unknown grew in a way that mimics institutional experiences for younger adults. Speaking from experience, the more one does something, the easier that something gets. I really enjoyed Percy's perseverance and how he grew as a character throughout all of these troublesome trials. 

By the end of the story, I was heavily inspired by Percy's growth and was left with a feeling of elation and slight concern for Percy's future. Was Percy going to be able to deal with Luke's betrayal and the potential return of Kronos? These questions were seared into my brain and made me think about my own life. Could I get this work done? Could I move past this goal? The answers to these questions are overall yes, all because Percy inspired me to do so. His determination, sass, care, and cleverness align with how I view myself even now, and I think it's excellent because it shows that Riordan's writing transcends recommended age groups. 

Awards Won: ALSC Notable Children's Books, (1995-2025), CCBC Choices Selection (2006), Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award, (1997-2025), YALSA Best Books for Young Adults Award (2006),  School Library Journal Best Book of 2005, Hampshire Book Award (2007)

Award Worthiness: It was shocking to me that this book didn't receive nearly as many awards as I thought it would since the writing style and subject matter are phenomenal. For the awards it did receive, I think they are well earned since Riordan perfectly captured the adolescent struggles of belonging in a fantastical, engaging way.

Recommendation: I absolutely recommend this book for people that are interested in Greek mythos, as well as those interested in youth fantasy in general due to its believable weaving of realistic and fantastical elements. Based on the subject matter, I do suggest that kids around the ages of 10 to 14 read this book, but younger children may be interested in it as well. I do suggest that younger children have some parental guidance since the violence portrayed isn't necessarily gruesome but can be disturbing to younger audiences. I also suggest that adults read this book to gather a sense of the self-actualization process for adolescents. 

I base my recommendation on the quality of the work, since Riordan's deceptively simple writing style excellently displays the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the twelve-year-old central character. Rather than long-winded paragraphs with mind-bending details, the text is often fragmented into sentences with tangible figurative language spurts. The writing style seems to mimic middle school conversations or diary entries, which in turn makes the story all the more relatable. What further sells this relatability is Riordan's use of first and second person perspective which engages the reader, forging a relationship between Percy and the audience. Both literary tools are artfully used to orchestrate the fantastical plot that thrives on both believability and surreality. 

Riordan artfully introduces greek mythos creatures and gods in a realistic way throughout the story's progression. Having the plot's setting be in Western civilization is an excellent way to ground the surrealist elements of Greek mythology for the reader. The plot of the story similarly reflects that of the Odyssey but modernizes it in a way that makes it relatable to the adolescent audience. The plot's pacing seems a bit rushed due to the severity of the conflict introduced (the theft of Zeus' lightning bolt and Hades' helm of darkness), but overall it doesn't detract from the theme too harshly. The theme in question surrounds accepting one's self and becoming who you are meant to be; this theme being perfectly aimed at the intended adolescent audience. Riordan's characters contribute to this theme by learning to embrace themselves and their heritages. Away from their mythical heritage, the main trio (Percy, Annabeth, and Grover) are all interesting in their own ways, and they grow closer as friends by the end of their quest. 

So, the text's quality is high based on the age range, culture, and fantastical elements its successfully portrays. With this in mind, the value of the text lies in its ability to realistically portray the life of an adolescent boy and how he endures a massive shift in reality, growing and evolving to become his destined self. So, based on my estimations, I think this book is a fabulous read for those interested in what being a half-blood is like, on top of what the identity struggle potentially looks like for adolescents. 

Possible Discussion Topics:

1) Do you think how Riordan handles mental disorders like AD-HD and Dyslexia is politically correct? Why or why not?

2) Should at-risk kids be introduced to media sources with characters like them? Why or why not? 

3) Are fantasy books better at portraying the theme of self-discovery than other genres? Explain your thoughts.