Classical mythology geeks of all ages will be delighted by this book. The hero, Perseus “Percy” Jackson, is a modern day son of the ancient Greek god Poseidon. After all, in the old myths the gods did little but caper about the countryside having children, so why should they have changed their ways since? When Percy’s algebra teacher turns out to be a demonic Fury in disguise, Percy is sent away to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for the young offspring of Greek deities. There he is assigned a quest – to journey into the Underworld and retrieve the stolen lightning bolt belonging to the god Zeus.
Riordan is a good writer, though older readers might object to the occasional campy or cheesy moment. He knows his mythology well and does not bog down the story with explanation. He also knows how to be truly funny without throwing jokes in the reader’s face. A lot of humor comes from the situations the ancient mythological beings have created in order to adapt to modern life – Ares is a biker, Charon wants a pay raise, etc.
The narrator-hero Percy handles it all with admirable aplomb and does not waste time with heroic whining or disbelief. He is a very strong and sympathetic character, though Riordan tends to fall back on cliches for many others. The Token Female, Annabeth, has a bad Hermione Complex – she seems to be the smart, strong, competent one because girls these days aren’t allowed to look wimpy, but when the going gets tough she still needs the bumbling male hero to pull her butt out of the fire. Still, there are four more books in the series for character development.
This book has recently been made into a movie, starring an actor who looks far too old to be a sixth grader.
The Lightning Thief is available at any Barnes and Noble, Borders, public library, and The Red Balloon.
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