REVIEW: Rick Riordan – The lightning thief (4/5)

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1

Couple of covers:

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

How did I get it: I borrowed it from a friend

Summary: After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There's little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus.

This first instalment of Rick Riordan's best-selling series is a non-stop thrill-ride and a classic of mythic proportions.

(from Goodreads)

Favourite cover: The covers are, in order: American cover, British cover, Dutch cover and first UK cover. I actively dislike the British cover, it’s too ghoulish, too dark. I like the dramatic atmosphere of the Dutch cover, which I think does that drama a little bit better than the American cover. But I definitely prefer the first UK cover. Firstly, because I usually prefer to have no actual people on my covers – it makes it easier to form my own image in my head. Secondly, I like the text. Thirdly, I think it’s a cover that really piques your curiosity and grabs your attention.

Title: The title is a good summary of what the book is about and an attention grabber. I think it’s perfect.

Characters: I liked Percy, his bravery and his willingness to fight made him really awesome. Especially after the scene with his mother in Hades there is no way I could not like him for who he is and what he stands for. I had to warm up a bit to Annabeth, but Percy did too, so that’s okay. I actually did like her in the end.

But my favourite character has to be Grover! I love him, I love how he’s always trying to help, I love his determination to find Pan, I love how he never leaves Percy’s side if he can help it. Besides, he’s a satyr! How can I not love that?

Setting: It’s set in the USA, but the most important part of the setting is that it takes Greek mythology and brings it back to life. I love Greek mythology, I devoured their myths and legends when I was kid, so it’s just perfect for me. I like how the Gods are just as faulty as they were in the myths and how they feel so real, so tangible, in the book.

General story: I had a hard time getting into the story. I’m not sure what brought that on, but for the first quarter or so I had to fight my way through it. After that, it really got a lot better and when I got to the end, I couldn’t put the book down! It was really fast-paced towards the end, with some twists I hadn’t seen coming (and some I had).

I’d really recommend this to anyone who has some interest in Greek mythology or wants to read a book about the virtues of friendship, family and heroism.

Will I read other books from this author? Yes.

Will I read the next instalment in this series? Definitely.

Overall rating: 4 stars