Percy Jackson’s life stinks.  At least in his opinion, it does.  The angsty pre-teenager finds himself being continually moved from boarding school to boarding school – there is always some problem at each one that necessitates his removal.  Some incident that means that he cannot stay.  It’s not as if learning comes easily to him, either, with his dyslexia and his ADHD.  And it doesn’t help that he misses his mom, and hates that she works so hard to keep him in school, and puts up with the likes of his obnoxious stepfather, Smelly Gabe, who seems to exist solely to make life miserable for  Percy and Sally Jackson.  His last name fits him so well, too – Ugliano.  Now Percy is at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York, and he just knows that it’s going to happen again.

 

 

The weirdness  begins on a class field trip to Manhattan, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, under the direction of Percy’s wheelchair-bound Latin teacher, Mr.  Brunner.  Percy is being annoyed by the class bully, Nancy Bobofit, and his best friend, Grover – his oldest friend too, since it’s difficult to make or maintain close relationships when you’re constantly being shifted to a new venue – attempts to keep Percy calm, so that nothing untoward will happen to end his time at Yancy.  Mr. Brunner gathers the kids around a large stele, and attempts to teach them about Kronos and the Titans and the gods; how Zeus fed his own father an emetic in order to get him to disgorge his siblings – and also take over as chief god. The teacher then queries his students as to what does this matter in real life?  No one has an answer.  As the rest go to lunch, he corners Percy, repeats the question, then demands that he must learn the answer, it is important – he will only accept the best from Percy Jackson.  Surely this can’t end well.

 

At lunchtime, Nancy Bobofit begins to annoy Percy and Grover once more – and somehow the bully ends up flat on her bum in the fountain, accusing Percy of having pushed her in, although he never even touched her!  Mrs. Dodds, the other field trip chaperone, who always seems to take Bobofit’s side,  materializes as if from nowhere and hauls Percy away for private discipline, and he knows he is in for it now, but the weirdest thing happens – she starts talking some nonsense that he has no clue what she is talking about, demanding he confess – but to what?  And before his startled eyes, she….. she….. changes into a weird batlike creature with claws and fangs….. and attacks!  And then Mr. Brunner is there, tossing a ballpoint pen at Percy as if his life depends upon it – what use is a pen against a creature like Mrs. Dodds has become?  But Percy has no choice, he uncaps the pen, and suddenly there is a sword there – he recognizes it as Mr. Brunner’s bronze sword.  He takes a swipe at the creature, and watches in amazement as she/it dissolves into nothingness.  And the sword is a pen once more.  And Percy Jackson is speechless.

 

The truly strange thing is that when Percy asks Grover about Mrs. Dodds – or anyone else on the bus, for that matter – no one knows who he is talking about, never heard of her.  And Mr. Brunner takes back his pen, recommending that Percy buy his own in the future.  What is going on here?

 

It is only by accident that Percy later overhears a strange conversation between Mr. Brunner and Grover, one which speaks of Kindly Ones, the summer solstice, and failing in one’s duties.  And the next day he gets the news from Mr. Brunner that he is out of Yancy too, not to return after the summer.  So Percy and Grover take a bus home together, probably his last chance to see his friend, he realizes bitterly.  Why does Grover freak out, though,  when Percy mentions seeing three strange old women by the side of the road knitting, and one snips at a piece of yarn…

 

Percy’s mom is happy to see him of course, and he doesn’t wish to burden her, so he doesn’t tell her any of the strange things that have been happening to him.  She decides to take him to Montauk for a little vacation, leaving Smelly Gabe behind.  He is afraid that he is a disappointment to her, with his inability to stay in one school, and she confesses there is one more place he could go, a summer camp,  that she might have to send him there, but she has held off on doing so, even though his father wished it.  But Percy has never met his father, who left when he was a baby, only a vague memory of a warm smile,  so this makes no sense to him.  That night he dreams of a fight between a horse and an eagle – a terrible fight upon a beach.  When he suddenly awakens, a temptestuous storm rages, and there is a pounding at their cabin door – it is Grover!  Instantly Sally realizes that there is something Percy hasn’t told her, demanding to know what is going on, and strangely when Grover says, “It’s right behind me” – in ancient Greek – Percy understands him!  But even stranger than this is that Grover is not quite human, and has the lower half of a goat!

 

The three make a hasty exit, and it becomes a race to see if they can reach the summer camp in time!  Or will the mysterious creature which hunts them have its way with them?

 

 

Percy Jackson is no ordinary boy, but what he is does not make sense nor become apparent until he reaches Camp Half-blood, and even they do not know at first.  And Grover’s revelation as to his true nature is only the tip of the iceberg!  Put on your seatbelt, take your dramamine and get ready to rock and roll, cause this book will take you places you haven’t been before, through familiar territory as well as new – names straight out of Greek mythology come to life in the present day, and not always in a pleasant way!  Everyone at Camp Half-blood is special and Percy Jackson is too.  But is he a hero?  Only time will tell.  He has a quest to fulfill – not only is his honor at stake, but his mother’s life.  There are no seconds chances – the gods do not allow it.

 

Rick Riordan has written a novel ostensibly for teenagers, but, like Harry Potter, this will be enjoyed by people of all ages.  Percy Jackson is a young hero with issues, one that we can all commiserate with and root for, a very likeable young man who hasn’t had an easy life, but hopefully that is going to change.  It’s not just about the gods and Greek mythology, though it is undoubtedly that, but it is also about finding oneself and being true to who you are, fulfilling one’s destiny.  And that is something that everyone can identify with.  The Lightning Thief is the first in the Olympian series – there are five of them now, and this one has been made into a film, which has been reviewed elsewhere on this site.  The movie is undoubtedly good, but the book goes beyond that, and into greater depth, as books tend to do, and I heartily recommend it.  I am disappointed, now that I have read the book, at some of the things that were omitted, such as all mention of God of War Ares, and the significance of blue food.  But I also have to say that the movie ending is more visually satisfying.  Doesn’t matter if you read the book first or watch the movie first.  Percy Jackson is a great story, well told – fast-paced, exciting, emotionally charged, and a very satisfying read.  It has something for everyone, you won’t be disappointed.  I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

 

ComicsOnline gives The Lightning Thief 5 out of 5 rasta caps.