Monday, 16 March 2026 05:26 pm
Book Review: The Lightning Thief
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deckardcanineOn the first of this month, there was a local production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. I didn't watch it, but it demonstrated that the 2005 start of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series still has its fans. That may have inspired my reading choice.
Percy, age 12, has been dealt a bad hand. He has both dyslexia and ADHD, his stepfather is abusive, and he keeps getting expelled for accidental destruction. Only after an attempt on his life does he learn what really sets him apart from most people: His biological father is one of the gods associated with Greek mythology. He is thus invited to stay at Camp Half-Blood with a few dozen others hidden in New York, where he can train for combat against classical monsters. (A magic mist prevents most modern people from perceiving anything they'd think impossible.) His mother wanted him to live as safely normal a life as possible, but that's no longer an option.
It's not long before Percy gets a quest, pretty much the only way he gets to leave the camp even temporarily. Someone has stolen Zeus's elite weapon, the Master Bolt. Suspicion falls on Percy, the only living child of Zeus's least favorite fellow Olympian. (Gods usually delegate the dirty work against each other.) Director Chiron believes that Hades has the Master Bolt, so he tells Percy to visit the underworld, which now has an entrance in L.A. Since Zeus has dominion over the sky, the trek cannot involve air travel. Joining Percy are his friend from school, Grover, who turns out to be a satyr hoping to find Pan; and a 12-year-old daughter of Athena, Annabeth, who partly resents Percy for their divine parents' rivalry but has been desperate for a quest. They have two weeks to deliver the weapon before war breaks out, which would have serious consequences for the mortal realm.
I might as well tell you which god sired Percy: Poseidon. It's not much of a spoiler; the cover illustration provides a hint, and some interesting things happen with water before the explicit revelation. Yeah, Percy is almost Aqualad, with a few extra pieces of exotic equipment. The other significance of his particular heritage is that Poseidon broke a vow to abstain from human women. He and Percy aren't sure how to feel about each other.
I can see why people consider the series in the same vein as Harry Potter, for more reasons than I care to enumerate. But it doesn't feel like a retread. A strict basis in one lore sets limits on what we can expect. There aren't nearly as many characters to keep track of. The camp isn't as detailed as Hogwarts. The trio faces peril more frequently than Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
More often than not, I figured things out before Percy did. That's OK; he's smart and informed enough for his age, upbringing, and mental disorders. Besides, part of the fun for me was in letting the connections click gradually.
That's in addition to the obvious elements of adventure, comedy, and...well, let's just say that Greek myths seldom get happy. The first-person narration sets a rather dour tone up front. A later message from the Oracle makes disaster sound inevitable. Nightmares provide further warnings. The underworld visit doesn't focus on the fun area. I found myself most annoyed by Percy's closest affiliates blatantly continuing to hold secrets from him, as well as nearly every hospitable stranger turning treacherous.
Regardless, the ending is nice enough that I may well check out the next entry someday. This is largely what I look for in YA novels. No wonder I finished so quickly.
To take a break from fantasy and sci-fi, I'll try Sue Grafton's O Is for Outlaw. Not long since my last mystery, but this one should be magic-free.
Percy, age 12, has been dealt a bad hand. He has both dyslexia and ADHD, his stepfather is abusive, and he keeps getting expelled for accidental destruction. Only after an attempt on his life does he learn what really sets him apart from most people: His biological father is one of the gods associated with Greek mythology. He is thus invited to stay at Camp Half-Blood with a few dozen others hidden in New York, where he can train for combat against classical monsters. (A magic mist prevents most modern people from perceiving anything they'd think impossible.) His mother wanted him to live as safely normal a life as possible, but that's no longer an option.
It's not long before Percy gets a quest, pretty much the only way he gets to leave the camp even temporarily. Someone has stolen Zeus's elite weapon, the Master Bolt. Suspicion falls on Percy, the only living child of Zeus's least favorite fellow Olympian. (Gods usually delegate the dirty work against each other.) Director Chiron believes that Hades has the Master Bolt, so he tells Percy to visit the underworld, which now has an entrance in L.A. Since Zeus has dominion over the sky, the trek cannot involve air travel. Joining Percy are his friend from school, Grover, who turns out to be a satyr hoping to find Pan; and a 12-year-old daughter of Athena, Annabeth, who partly resents Percy for their divine parents' rivalry but has been desperate for a quest. They have two weeks to deliver the weapon before war breaks out, which would have serious consequences for the mortal realm.
I might as well tell you which god sired Percy: Poseidon. It's not much of a spoiler; the cover illustration provides a hint, and some interesting things happen with water before the explicit revelation. Yeah, Percy is almost Aqualad, with a few extra pieces of exotic equipment. The other significance of his particular heritage is that Poseidon broke a vow to abstain from human women. He and Percy aren't sure how to feel about each other.
I can see why people consider the series in the same vein as Harry Potter, for more reasons than I care to enumerate. But it doesn't feel like a retread. A strict basis in one lore sets limits on what we can expect. There aren't nearly as many characters to keep track of. The camp isn't as detailed as Hogwarts. The trio faces peril more frequently than Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
More often than not, I figured things out before Percy did. That's OK; he's smart and informed enough for his age, upbringing, and mental disorders. Besides, part of the fun for me was in letting the connections click gradually.
That's in addition to the obvious elements of adventure, comedy, and...well, let's just say that Greek myths seldom get happy. The first-person narration sets a rather dour tone up front. A later message from the Oracle makes disaster sound inevitable. Nightmares provide further warnings. The underworld visit doesn't focus on the fun area. I found myself most annoyed by Percy's closest affiliates blatantly continuing to hold secrets from him, as well as nearly every hospitable stranger turning treacherous.
Regardless, the ending is nice enough that I may well check out the next entry someday. This is largely what I look for in YA novels. No wonder I finished so quickly.
To take a break from fantasy and sci-fi, I'll try Sue Grafton's O Is for Outlaw. Not long since my last mystery, but this one should be magic-free.