The Lightning Thief: An Academic Book Review

     The Lightning Thief. Rick Riordan. USA: Miramax Books. 2005. 377 pp. 0-7868-5629-7. 

     Greece was one of the most progressive countries back in the ancient times. As home of many respectable and notable scientists and philosophers, Greece is, despite its technology or lack thereof, a prominent contributor to today’s knowledge. Greek mythology refers to their beliefs, particularly in the different gods and goddesses that reside in Mount Olympus. The Lightning Thief is a fiction book that centers on Percy Jackson, his true heritage and the world beyond mundane means that has recently just come to his awareness. 

     The Lightning Thief begins with the 12-year dyslexic and ADHD-diagnosed Percy Jackson. During a school trip to a museum, Percy gets attacked by his teacher, Mrs. Dodds, who transforms into a monster. Mr. Brunner, another one of Percy’s teachers, comes to the rescue and throws a pen in Percy’s direction and tells him to uncap it. The pen turns into a sword and Percy then slays the monster. Later in the story, his mother, Sally takes him to a beach house on the last day of school. Along the way, they are attacked by a monster- a different one this time-; Sally is captured and the outraged Percy kills the monster and loses consciousness. He wakes up three days later, in a foreign environment, surrounded by centaurs, men and women in armor, and what seems like Ancient Greek civilization in action called Camp Half Blood. Percy sees Mr. Brunner, who is now a centaur. He is told that he is a demigod, a child of an Olympian god and a mortal. He meets Annabeth, who is also a demigod, and she teaches him everything that he needed to know about Ancient Greeks, the gods and goddesses and even the demigods’ shared impairment: dyslexia and ADHD. Zeus master lightning bolt is stolen and he believes that it was Poseidon who stole it while Poseidon believes the culprit to be Hades. Mr. Brunner, who is actually Chiron, sends the trio off to a quest to retrieve the lightning bolt. The story later reveals it was Hades who captured Percy’s mother who, in turn, thought it was also Percy who stole his helm and that the true lightning thief was Luke, a demigod who befriends Percy in the beginning. In the end, Percy reunites with his mother and Luke is actually working for Kronos, a titan, who plans to bring back the titans’ reign. 

     

     The Lightning Thief is the first installment of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The book is truly a masterpiece, with just the right amount of humor, seriousness, and action. The first line of the book already got me: “Look, I didn’t want to be a half blood.” I personally liked Percy Jackson’s character. In the story, Percy is shown to be caring, brave and daring and sarcastic all at the same time. The Lightning Thief is written in his perspective and his side comments, in combat or not, is just downright hilarious. I take my hats off to Rick Riordan for covering such an intense genre without actually letting his readers feel and sense the gravity of it. I also notice that no character was perfect and flawless and they all had their own unique weaknesses and strengths that were essential for achieving their common goal. The Lightning Thief gave me a breathtaking experience that made me want to turn from one page to the next. The plot itself is flawless and every one had their own significant roles to perform and fulfill. I have also come to adore the antagonist, Luke, and Riordan’s clever and thrilling chase of hide and seek of the culprit’s true identity. 

     The Lightning Thief deserves the fame that it currently basks in. The book is highly recommendable and suitable for all sorts of audience. It is fun and enjoyable to read, and Riordan’s creative and brilliant concepts will keep you hanging on to his every word as the story unfolds. Indeed, The Lightning Thief proves to be one of the best and worthy reads I have come across and it certainly fails to disappoint.

     Kenneth Rowelle S. Butalid