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brettmichaelorr's reviews
192 reviews
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
4.0
I'll admit that I didn't know very much about the Percy Jackson series. I saw the two films, like most people, and came away with a relatively neutral impression. I'd heard favorable comparisons to Harry Potter, and naturally assumed it would be a Greek-themed derivative of JK Rowling's modern classic.
I'm happy to say that Percy Jackson managed to stand on its own feet as a fantastic Middle-Grade fantasy, and was written well enough that it could capture the attention of younger children, and big kids, just the same.
The Lightning Thief tells the story of 12-year-old Percy Jackson, a young boy who has grown up with his mother and a horrible step-father. Saddled with ADHD and dyslexia, he's had no short of trouble in the many boarding schools he's attended.
It turns out that Percy is a half-blood, the son of an Olympian God and a mortal human. In this case, his mother is a mortal, and his true father is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Dozens of these half-bloods (or demigods) are trained every summer in Half-Blood Camp, Percy Jackson's version of the 'boarding school for kids with magic powers'.
Rick Riordan clearly did his research into Greek gods and culture. There's an emphasis on major and minor gods, as well as the extended mythology such as satyrs (the lovable Grover playing the part of Percy's best friend), naiads, centaurs, spirits, Furies, and every other type of mythological creature you could find. It's simply and easily explained that the Greek gods are the 'true' gods, and although this might prove a contentious issue for some readers, I personally found it a nice touch.
Comparisons between franchises are easy to draw, and I couldn't help but find the core trio a little trope-ish. The young boy chosen by prophecy, helped by his nerdy and strong-willed female friend (Annabeth), along with the lovable goofy male friend (Grover); I couldn't help feeling I'd read this all before. But The Lightning Thief is just so darn enjoyable, I could easily look past it all.
At the heart of it, The Lightning Thief is an addictive read. Characteristic of MG fiction, the prose is simple and clean, but not 'dumbed down' by any means, offering just as much incentive for an older YA or Adult reader to enjoy the novel as a Middle-Grader. The true mark of any great fiction is its ability to cross genres and age categories, and Percy Jackson not only does that, but does it in style.
The pace is relentless, and although I could easily have read more, I felt the length was suitable for the target market. There was layered plot, prophecy, betrayal, action and sheer charm in spades. Riordan cleverly weaved in a more modern side to the Greek mythology, with famous names turning out to be demigods (Houdini and Thomas Jefferson standing out as two). I would have loved to see this historical fiction expanded on more, but for the first novel in the series, The Lightning Thief cleverly sticks to the big guns, wheeling out the major gods, all with well-crafted personalities.
At this point I have to comment on the Kindle version. I was reading the Complete Collection, and was quite disappointed with the copyediting. There were numerous, almost constant, punctuation errors; from missing quotation marks to entire words missing, it was rather annoying to see such a rushed digital translation. I would hope the physical edition is made to a higher standard.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lightning Thief, and I'll be moving on to the sequels right away, to see how the series matures along with its main characters.
I'm happy to say that Percy Jackson managed to stand on its own feet as a fantastic Middle-Grade fantasy, and was written well enough that it could capture the attention of younger children, and big kids, just the same.
The Lightning Thief tells the story of 12-year-old Percy Jackson, a young boy who has grown up with his mother and a horrible step-father. Saddled with ADHD and dyslexia, he's had no short of trouble in the many boarding schools he's attended.
It turns out that Percy is a half-blood, the son of an Olympian God and a mortal human. In this case, his mother is a mortal, and his true father is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Dozens of these half-bloods (or demigods) are trained every summer in Half-Blood Camp, Percy Jackson's version of the 'boarding school for kids with magic powers'.
Rick Riordan clearly did his research into Greek gods and culture. There's an emphasis on major and minor gods, as well as the extended mythology such as satyrs (the lovable Grover playing the part of Percy's best friend), naiads, centaurs, spirits, Furies, and every other type of mythological creature you could find. It's simply and easily explained that the Greek gods are the 'true' gods, and although this might prove a contentious issue for some readers, I personally found it a nice touch.
Comparisons between franchises are easy to draw, and I couldn't help but find the core trio a little trope-ish. The young boy chosen by prophecy, helped by his nerdy and strong-willed female friend (Annabeth), along with the lovable goofy male friend (Grover); I couldn't help feeling I'd read this all before. But The Lightning Thief is just so darn enjoyable, I could easily look past it all.
At the heart of it, The Lightning Thief is an addictive read. Characteristic of MG fiction, the prose is simple and clean, but not 'dumbed down' by any means, offering just as much incentive for an older YA or Adult reader to enjoy the novel as a Middle-Grader. The true mark of any great fiction is its ability to cross genres and age categories, and Percy Jackson not only does that, but does it in style.
The pace is relentless, and although I could easily have read more, I felt the length was suitable for the target market. There was layered plot, prophecy, betrayal, action and sheer charm in spades. Riordan cleverly weaved in a more modern side to the Greek mythology, with famous names turning out to be demigods (Houdini and Thomas Jefferson standing out as two). I would have loved to see this historical fiction expanded on more, but for the first novel in the series, The Lightning Thief cleverly sticks to the big guns, wheeling out the major gods, all with well-crafted personalities.
At this point I have to comment on the Kindle version. I was reading the Complete Collection, and was quite disappointed with the copyediting. There were numerous, almost constant, punctuation errors; from missing quotation marks to entire words missing, it was rather annoying to see such a rushed digital translation. I would hope the physical edition is made to a higher standard.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lightning Thief, and I'll be moving on to the sequels right away, to see how the series matures along with its main characters.