Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson has always had issues in school. He’s been diagnosed with attention disorders but still ends up failing out of school every time. In his latest boarding school, Percy has a peculiar encounter with one of his teachers, after which no one seems to remember the teacher! Perplexed, Percy starts listening in on conversations and begins to realize that his life is not at all what he’d thought. Things get even stranger when mythological creatures appear in his life and Percy is sent to a summer camp for half-bloods; children descended from one god and one human. When Zeus’s lightning bolt is stolen and Percy is the prime suspect, he must get it back before the mythological world erupts into war.
While this was certainly a fun book, it was definitely a children’s book. Let me clarify. Percy is 12, so the book doesn’t exactly count for young adult literature because I believe that means a teenage protagonist is necessary. Yet with some kid’s books, I can still enjoy the intricacies of plot and character, so I don’t even notice that they’re written for children. I noticed here, and while the book was a lot of fun, there were times when I rolled my eyes. Others have agreed with me, so at least I’m not alone.
That said, I read this during the Read-a-Thon and it was a perfect choice. It’s fast-paced, there is a lot of action, there was some humor that I still found funny, and the book sped by very quickly. For a light read, if you’re not expecting much, this is perfect. I think this would be a brilliant read for a kid. It has a lot of tame humor and situations that a kid who hadn’t gone through puberty yet would probably enjoy. And with all the mythology, it’s educational as well, in a way that kids could perfectly understand because the gods are all described in familiar terms. Percy doesn’t know who they are at first, so each of them is described fully in his own words, giving kids an easy introduction to exactly who these gods are before they’re presented with an unfamiliar name to remember. It’s easy to see why Rick Riordan is so very popular. This is clean, adventurous fun that would probably appeal to both boys and girls of that age.
So, The Lightning Thief does what it’s meant to do for kids, it’s just a shame I didn’t love it as an adult. I do intend to continue with the series, though, because I liked Percy and I’m intrigued enough to see what happens next.
You guessed it, I’m an Amazon Associate.
Hmmm.. I know what you mean about some kid books don’t let you feel they are for kids! But the plot is intriguing and I am sure it will make a good gift option for my young friends
.-= Veens´s last blog ..Short Story Review ReCap =-.
We read this book for our Mother-Daughter book club and the girls consider it their all-time favorite. As a mom, I liked it too! And I loved that they all wanted to read more books in the series and learn more about mythology.
.-= Julie P.´s last blog ..Review: One Thousand White Women =-.
I’ve read the whole series, and I thought they were really fun. Not quite the caliber of Harry Potter, but close. Perhaps the other books in the series are a little less directly kid-oriented; I don’t really remember having the same issue you did. I found them to be more “boy” books than “girl” books though, at least imho. My fiance loved them, haha.
When I read middle-reader books, I have to remind myself of the target audience. I’ve heard good things about this series and I have the first one on audio (unlistened to). I’ll save it for when something light and fun.
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Isn’t it funny how some kids’ books translate well for the adult market and others don’t? I think I’d still give this one a try given the opportunity.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Green Books Campaign Review: I Have My Mother’s Eyes =-.
I kind of tend to stay away from children’s books for the reason you mentioned–I love YA, but children’s books are usually not something I enjoy as much as an adult.
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesday: Peony in Love =-.
I want to read this one, but I didn’t realize the main character was so young! Thanks for the warning.
.-= S. Krishna´s last blog ..Bed of Roses – Nora Roberts =-.
My daughter (9) read the second in this series at school and loved it. She wants all of them for Christmas.
Kiddo and I read this together and I completely agree with everything you said. I really enjoyed reading it only b/c I was reading it with him and he was having such a blast. As an adult reader it wouldn’t be for me, but as a mom reading wither her son it was perfect.
.-= Heather J.´s last blog ..The Gathering Storm =-.
I loved this book even as an adult. I guess I am still a kid at heart
My review is up here: http://nishitak.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/the-lightning-thief-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-series-book-review/
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I’m on book 4 of this series.
My son is a little older than the target audience for this book, but he loved it and has read all the sequels. I think that it sounds like a fun read, but I would also probably react the way you did because I am not really much a reader of children’s literature. Great review!
.-= zibilee´s last blog ..Home by Marilynne Robinson – 336 pgs =-.
Wait… what kind of an associate are you?!
This sounds like a fun, light read. I enjoy stories that integrate mythology, but this might be too little-kid for me.
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Great review! I get what you mean by books for kids written for kids… I sometimes see it too, sometimes, even in YA. I still want to try that one, too. I wonder if the movie will be any good?
.-= Kay´s last blog ..Looking Forward to 2010 =-.
I want to read this because I thought the author was so much at the Book Festival. Also there’s a movie coming out. But it’s good to know I shouldn’t have too high of expectations!
.-= Amy @ My Friend Amy´s last blog ..Say Hello To Your Friends….Baby-Sitters Club Week Day Two =-.
I’ve had this one on my stacks for a while now, and I’ve sort of avoided it because I can’t imagine it’s going to grab me the way some other books have for the younger set.
.-= Andi´s last blog ..Birthday Bliss! =-.
I’ve had this on my shelf for a long time, but I’ve had such mixed luck with mid-grade YA fantasy that I’ve been putting it off. But at least when I get around to it, it’ll be short.
.-= Fyrefly´s last blog ..Lev Grossman – The Magicians =-.