"2nd Quarter Book Review"

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. First Hyperion Paperbacks edition, 2006. Genre: Fantasy/mythology
Rick Riordan’s first novel of the Olympians series features a 12 year old, Percy Jackson. He is on a quest from the Greek gods, which include Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, etc. He is Poseidon’s son and has to find Zeus’ lightning bolt to stop, what Percy calls World War III. He has to fend off monsters (Medusa, the furies, etc.) And stop a war to save the world.
"One need not be an expert in Greek mythology to enjoy Percy’s journey. The narrator’s voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty."-- Kirkus, starred review
This book reminds me of another book that I have read, called Fablehaven. Both of them are fantasy and have mythical creatures like centaurs and satyrs. In both stories the main characters have to save something. In The Lightning Thief, Percy has to save the world from a massive war. In Fablehaven, Kendra has to save the magical preserve from a witch and her demon. This also reminds me of The Contender, because both of the main characters need to work hard to reach their goal. Alfred’s is to become a contender, while Percy’s is to clear his father’s name.
“There he was, waiting for us, in his black leather duster and his sunglasses, an aluminum baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbled beside him, its headlight turning the sand red.” (321)
This book has made me a lot more interested in Greek mythology. It even got me to believe that he gods could in fact be living today. I like how Rick Riordan said that Geek gods could take the form of humans if they did not show there true form. He said a lot of believable things that told you that he had done a lot of research before writing the book. It even tells how mortals can’t see all of these things. There is a mist clouding their eyes and makes them see their own reality to strange events. I like the fact that Rick Riordan gives an answer to everything that you could ask about the book. Overall, Rick Riordan has become one of my favorite authors, because of this book. I hope to enjoy more of his books in the future.