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sofipitch 's review for:
The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was raised on these books. This book specifically was what got me to start reading for fun and enjoying it at 8 years old. From elementary through high school I could look forward to a new book by Uncle Rick every year (maybe even twice a year depending on what he was working on). I can't remember if I ever reread this book since I was 8, but I think I had to have, or at least reread parts, because, now at 22, I can still remember most of this book pretty vividly.
It's a fast-paced action adventure book, which isn't really my speed anymore. But it's jokes still had me snorting or even laughing out loud. The lore is so rich, well planned, and creative. A lot of greek mythology adaptations tends to portray characters the same way over and over. And while this might not be the most unique take on the gods, their incorporation into the modern world is. Sometimes it's easy to forget how unique this book is for when it came out, but it is. And god I love the themes. I remember years ago finding this book on smoop (or whatever the website that was equivalent to sparknotes was called) and when I went into the themes and motif's section was kind of bare. Maybe you have read the whole series to get to them but there really is a good play on good and evil. One of the main antagonists (I won't spoil it but this book is from 2005) is a character who used to be the other's friend, but they got tired of putting up with the Olympians. Especially with Olympian parents having kids but doing nothing to raise them. And Percy struggles with this a TON throughout the series. He grew up poor, his mom married his shitty step dad, he was constantly changing schools. You get the feeling his life would have been way different if his dad had stayed. But the book reflects that that isn't Percy or his mom's fault, which can be a powerful message to kids in similar situations. And the antagonist's complaints are taken seriously. Also the theme of the god Pan's disappearance and the talk of climate change is so good and affected me as a kid. I think climate change might be considered "too heavy/boring" of a topic for young kids, but honestly I think respect for nature needs to be taught at a young age. You see a lot of the values Uncle Rick wants to share with his young readers in his books.
It's a fast-paced action adventure book, which isn't really my speed anymore. But it's jokes still had me snorting or even laughing out loud. The lore is so rich, well planned, and creative. A lot of greek mythology adaptations tends to portray characters the same way over and over. And while this might not be the most unique take on the gods, their incorporation into the modern world is. Sometimes it's easy to forget how unique this book is for when it came out, but it is. And god I love the themes. I remember years ago finding this book on smoop (or whatever the website that was equivalent to sparknotes was called) and when I went into the themes and motif's section was kind of bare. Maybe you have read the whole series to get to them but there really is a good play on good and evil. One of the main antagonists (I won't spoil it but this book is from 2005) is a character who used to be the other's friend, but they got tired of putting up with the Olympians. Especially with Olympian parents having kids but doing nothing to raise them. And Percy struggles with this a TON throughout the series. He grew up poor, his mom married his shitty step dad, he was constantly changing schools. You get the feeling his life would have been way different if his dad had stayed. But the book reflects that that isn't Percy or his mom's fault, which can be a powerful message to kids in similar situations. And the antagonist's complaints are taken seriously. Also the theme of the god Pan's disappearance and the talk of climate change is so good and affected me as a kid. I think climate change might be considered "too heavy/boring" of a topic for young kids, but honestly I think respect for nature needs to be taught at a young age. You see a lot of the values Uncle Rick wants to share with his young readers in his books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse, Violence