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rikuson1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I Really Liked It 😄
-★★★★☆- (4.00/5.00)
My Grading Score = 80% (B+)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a franchise I surprisingly actually never heard of until I started to read books more recently and heard that it's basically up there in popularity right behind Harry Potter. I guess it never reached the popularity closer to Harry Potter because of the movies that bombed back in the 2010s. Either way, I heard heavy praise for this middle grade series and, over time, gained more and more interest.
The Lightning Thief I'll say did live up to the praise that I heard people throw around. I haven't read Harry Potter, but I did watch it, and I'll at least say that I prefer this to that. Nonetheless, The Lighting Thief, from jump, is very fast paced and throws you into the mix and intrigue of it's main character Percy Jackson and its plot at breakneck speed but it never felt like it was being rushed surprisingly and impressively enough. The other characters were all introduced fairly clearly and quickly as well, and the trio meshed pretty well as they went out on their quest, I liked them all.
The middle portion did almost lose me with them stopping to a location, a person tries to pull lure them in, they get tricked and barely get out of the situation. It was falling into a formulaic loop that was getting a bit stale for me, but as soon as I started to feel that way the climax of the book was here and the best chapters of the book which were the last 5 or so brought it back up very well. Also, the final chapter ended with a very good cliffhanger that entices me to read book 2 sooner rather than later.
Verdict
The Lighting Thief is a very good short and sweet book with a strong start, the bulk in the middle was alright but as soon as you may get an inkling of the feeling that it's overstaying it's welcome the climax of the book pulls you back in more engaged that the start of the book. Even with me not being its targeted audience, I would still say this book holds up for an older age reader like myself, and I'd recommend it.
I Really Liked It
-★★★★☆- (4.00/5.00)
My Grading Score = 80% (B+)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a franchise I surprisingly actually never heard of until I started to read books more recently and heard that it's basically up there in popularity right behind Harry Potter. I guess it never reached the popularity closer to Harry Potter because of the movies that bombed back in the 2010s. Either way, I heard heavy praise for this middle grade series and, over time, gained more and more interest.
The Lightning Thief I'll say did live up to the praise that I heard people throw around. I haven't read Harry Potter, but I did watch it, and I'll at least say that I prefer this to that. Nonetheless, The Lighting Thief, from jump, is very fast paced and throws you into the mix and intrigue of it's main character Percy Jackson and its plot at breakneck speed but it never felt like it was being rushed surprisingly and impressively enough. The other characters were all introduced fairly clearly and quickly as well, and the trio meshed pretty well as they went out on their quest, I liked them all.
The middle portion did almost lose me with them stopping to a location, a person tries to pull lure them in, they get tricked and barely get out of the situation. It was falling into a formulaic loop that was getting a bit stale for me, but as soon as I started to feel that way the climax of the book was here and the best chapters of the book which were the last 5 or so brought it back up very well. Also, the final chapter ended with a very good cliffhanger that entices me to read book 2 sooner rather than later.
Verdict
The Lighting Thief is a very good short and sweet book with a strong start, the bulk in the middle was alright but as soon as you may get an inkling of the feeling that it's overstaying it's welcome the climax of the book pulls you back in more engaged that the start of the book. Even with me not being its targeted audience, I would still say this book holds up for an older age reader like myself, and I'd recommend it.
I Really Liked It
Content Warnings
Minor: Classism, Abandonment, and Gore
eowyn_zoe's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, War, Car accident, and Bullying
another_dahlia's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Classism, Toxic relationship, Death, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Car accident
Minor: Child death
orchidlilly's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Kidnapping, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Classism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Gun violence, and Death of parent
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