The Lightening Thief
Miramax, 2005
Fantasy Fiction
ISBN-10: 0786838655
392 pages
Synopsis
Percy Jackson, labeled a troubled young man, has gone from school to school, only to get expelled because of his behavioral problems or his lack of focus. Suffering from both ADHD and Dyslexia, his home life is difficult because of a selfish stepfather, and he doesn’t seem to have much of a bright future.
Suddenly, he is thrust into a world he thought long gone, the world of Greek mythology, and it turns out that he is a powerful son of Poseidon. Now things are all starting to fall into place and make sense, but before he can get settled into his new life, he must go on a quest to find and return Zeus’s most prized possession, his Lightening Bolt or the entire world will go into chaos again and create World War III.
Critique
Riordan has capitalized on a unique idea: create Greek mythological stories in modern times using people from this time period. Many books in the fantasy fiction genre are written from an interesting premise, but have poor execution, however this series is great in both concept and execution. The writing in fun and uses metaphors and tropes with a current twist, like comparing freckles and pimples on a girl’s face to Cheetos. Percy is an interesting character who’s fun to follow throughout the narrative he tells, and the story is engaging.
It’s not going to win any major awards, and is likely not life changing, but it’s a fun, quick read that makes you root for the hero. I recommend any of the books in this series to readers 9+, skewed toward boys 9-12.
The other books in this series are The Sea of Monsters (book 2), The Titan’s Curse (book 3), The Battle of the Labyrinth (book 4), and The Last Olympian (book 5).
Rating Rubric
Enjoyable Read: Original Fantasy: Original Plot: Language: Asthetics: Depth In Characters: Depth In Story: Social Commentary: Layers/Complexity: Classroom Text: Overall Rating:
For the Classroom
This series make great companion books to the study of Greek mythology, and in many ways, it makes the ancient storied come alive for a modern audience. Also, Rick Riordan has a handful of companion materials to accompany with the study on his website, including teacher’s guides and other great elements: http://www.rickriordan.com/.
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