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sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
1.0
Somebody please tell me that a twelve year old who just saw his mother being kidnapped won't go around making jokes. Okay, I don't mind a few jokes, but i don't want a joke as big as this book. It actually took me over a year, after once starting it, to develop courage to finish it.
The first person account is one of most annoying things in the book, which twelve year old talks like that - I don't think Rick has it to enter psychology of a twelve year old. No wonder the guy in movie wasn't twelve year old; I mean honestly has the author seen a kid in all his life.
If you ignore for once the little trivia about Greek gods (which I shall criticize shortly), it is just a shameless coping, no, an insult, of Harry Potter series. If anything, it goes on to show, why Harry Potter is more than just a adventure story. Besides the little adventures, HP was full of allegorical references (to real world), wonderful characters and beautiful writing. She had managed to enter the psychology of both children and adults like no one else can. HP created in one a philosophy that can act as basis for a child to form attitudes towards such things like death, drugs, good or evil, hunger for power. This one has nothing of that. There is no way for example, that it would come so intriguing a character as Snape or such wonders as Platform Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
It is just how timid mind of a gamer would have seen HP - fights and pranks. Just think of it, a monster doesn't die, if you kill it; and will come back to haunt. Isn't that the kind of thing, that happens in video games?
Now the only argument in favor of book was connections it made to Greek goods. Here are four replies that can be made against it:
1. The basic system is stolen from HP - full time school became summer school, Greek creatures rather than magical ones and so on.
2.Anyone in our generation knows about Greek gods, there are video games and movies all over places, and it is internet age friends. Hades actually looks like same character from Disney cartoon series 'Hercules'.
3. This is most important argument, it was stupid. I mean just give it a thought - 'spirit of western civilization', I mean are you kidding me. what about eastern, northern and southern civilizations - do they have gods too? and if these children of gods are so undesired, how come they are called heroes? What about children gods would have with goddesses? Will they be immortal? because in that case, we must have a population explosion of gods.
I normally don't care about logic that much, if it is a good story but it is just nonsense redefined. I mean, I never asked the logic of wands in HP but that was because Rowling made it look real.
Yes, it is a best seller but that doesn't make it a great book, does it? HP fans were hungry for more and so switched to sub-prime authors. And don't tell me that i'm too old to like it, I read children books all the same. I could go on criticizing the book but i don't see any point in doing that.
Instead of reading it, I would recommend reading HP; and if you have read it, read it again and if you have already read it twice; just give it one more reading - it would still have much more in it than Percy Jackson.
The first person account is one of most annoying things in the book, which twelve year old talks like that - I don't think Rick has it to enter psychology of a twelve year old. No wonder the guy in movie wasn't twelve year old; I mean honestly has the author seen a kid in all his life.
If you ignore for once the little trivia about Greek gods (which I shall criticize shortly), it is just a shameless coping, no, an insult, of Harry Potter series. If anything, it goes on to show, why Harry Potter is more than just a adventure story. Besides the little adventures, HP was full of allegorical references (to real world), wonderful characters and beautiful writing. She had managed to enter the psychology of both children and adults like no one else can. HP created in one a philosophy that can act as basis for a child to form attitudes towards such things like death, drugs, good or evil, hunger for power. This one has nothing of that. There is no way for example, that it would come so intriguing a character as Snape or such wonders as Platform Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
It is just how timid mind of a gamer would have seen HP - fights and pranks. Just think of it, a monster doesn't die, if you kill it; and will come back to haunt. Isn't that the kind of thing, that happens in video games?
Now the only argument in favor of book was connections it made to Greek goods. Here are four replies that can be made against it:
1. The basic system is stolen from HP - full time school became summer school, Greek creatures rather than magical ones and so on.
2.Anyone in our generation knows about Greek gods, there are video games and movies all over places, and it is internet age friends. Hades actually looks like same character from Disney cartoon series 'Hercules'.
3. This is most important argument, it was stupid. I mean just give it a thought - 'spirit of western civilization', I mean are you kidding me. what about eastern, northern and southern civilizations - do they have gods too? and if these children of gods are so undesired, how come they are called heroes? What about children gods would have with goddesses? Will they be immortal? because in that case, we must have a population explosion of gods.
I normally don't care about logic that much, if it is a good story but it is just nonsense redefined. I mean, I never asked the logic of wands in HP but that was because Rowling made it look real.
Yes, it is a best seller but that doesn't make it a great book, does it? HP fans were hungry for more and so switched to sub-prime authors. And don't tell me that i'm too old to like it, I read children books all the same. I could go on criticizing the book but i don't see any point in doing that.
Instead of reading it, I would recommend reading HP; and if you have read it, read it again and if you have already read it twice; just give it one more reading - it would still have much more in it than Percy Jackson.
alexandra52's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
eamcmahon3's review against another edition
5.0
Genuinely good. It's not the most lyrical prose I've ever laid my eyes on but I really enjoyed the action and the plot. Should I start reading fantasy??
ranee_samaniego's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first time reading Percy Jackson as an adult, and The Lightning Thief held up well! The writing and characters are on the simpler side, but the story was still fascinating and intriguing. The Lightning Thief teaches us that we can be brave (even in the face of great fear... and death itself), we can carve our own path (no matter what others, including oracles or great centaurs, tell us), and we are valuable and wonderful in spite - and even because of - our differences.
As an adult, I think the true, unsung hero of the story is Sally Jackson. Her love for her child and the lengths she went to to support, protect, and love him is greater (in my opinion) than any hero's journey.
I will say that, as an adult reading young adult / middle grade novels, I find it ridiculous and wildly irresponsible that these ancient, thousand-year-old adults/beings put the fate of the world on three 12-year-olds' shoulders (yes, technically Grover is 28, but, because of how satyrs grow, he is the equivalent of a 12-year-old). No reasonable adult would ever do this. (And, yes, a huge point is that the Olympians are not very reasonable or responsible.)
As an adult, I think the true, unsung hero of the story is Sally Jackson. Her love for her child and the lengths she went to to support, protect, and love him is greater (in my opinion) than any hero's journey.
I will say that, as an adult reading young adult / middle grade novels, I find it ridiculous and wildly irresponsible that these ancient, thousand-year-old adults/beings put the fate of the world on three 12-year-olds' shoulders (yes, technically Grover is 28, but, because of how satyrs grow, he is the equivalent of a 12-year-old). No reasonable adult would ever do this. (And, yes, a huge point is that the Olympians are not very reasonable or responsible.)
itslorei's review against another edition
5.0
This book really brings back my obsession with Greek Mythology. I still remember the first time I saw the movie and eventually was the main reason why I read the Percy Jackson series and I literally wept because of it.
I was really hooked with the series having to find out that it did not just tell the story of Percy Jackson but also a kind of retellings of the Greek Myth that perfectly blends with how the story goes. I love how it was easily read. Perfect for children and adults.
I just love everything about this book like the first series that I literally was obsessed with ( aside from Iliad and Odyssey which is my everything) and just the main reason I started reading books aside from Greek Mythology.
I was really hooked with the series having to find out that it did not just tell the story of Percy Jackson but also a kind of retellings of the Greek Myth that perfectly blends with how the story goes. I love how it was easily read. Perfect for children and adults.
I just love everything about this book like the first series that I literally was obsessed with ( aside from Iliad and Odyssey which is my everything) and just the main reason I started reading books aside from Greek Mythology.
mimisandi1007's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
anders_holbaek's review against another edition
2.0
Et stærkt præmis, mange gode idéer og et frisk take på myterne... kunne ikke forhindre denne her bog i at være forfærdeligt underskrevet, ikke have nogen forståelse for dramaturgi eller opbyggelsen af spænding, samt et persongalleri, der var så kliché, at det til tider var helt pinligt at læse. At denne bog er beregnet til børn og unge teenagere er ingen undskyldning for dens svagheder, og det er en skam, for det ER et godt præmis.
jadethereader's review against another edition
4.0
OMG!!!!Oh, It was wonderful. I couldn't put it down!! I got in trouble by my math teacher for reading in during a lesson. Don't judge me harshly, it was a review and I'm a quick learner!