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rikuson1's review against another edition
- 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
-β β β β β- (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
Minor: Classism, Abandonment, and Gore
jstar1's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Mental illness, War, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Bullying, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse
rchatterjee188's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Minor: Car accident, Bullying, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Violence
tkivinen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
These books deserve the same kind of popularity as Potters and hopefully a couple of new eyes will find them through the TV adaptation
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Abandonment and Domestic abuse
crieraylas's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Torture, Ableism, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Murder, Violence, Grief, War, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexism, Toxic friendship, Child death, Incest, Infidelity, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Addiction
gaymoonreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, and Grief
ellaticonstellation's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Violence, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse
cozy_academic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death, War, Abandonment, Child death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Car accident
lovesarahmae's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
...
Ahhh.... the great middle school adventure book. You know he is in the 6th grade in this book! Anyway- this book captures their attention, does an amazing job of making Greek myths more contemporary and the new Disny+ series does it justice. Put this one in the hands of your kids.
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
grace_b_3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Child abuse