The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

By Rick Riordan

1152 ratings 1555 reviews 1764 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 5 - 8Grades 3 - 8W4.787223

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he's not even sure he believes himself. Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp. Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he's coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
ISBN-13: 9780786838653
ISBN-10: 0786838655
Published on 3/21/2006
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 416

Book Reviews (1486)

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My whole 4th grade class read this book. We all loved it, it's amazing. It has lots of Greek mythology. There are a lot of plot twists that made me want to keep reading. There is also a lot of action. I like that Percy has ADHD and it's one of his superpowers- very cool. If you haven't read it yet, you should!

I love this book I think this has been the best book out of all four that i've read it's a really good book and if you haven't read the book (I know you guys have but anyone else) Read the book. : )

I love these series so so so so so so so so so MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could never put them down.

This is the first book of my favorite series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It is a story about a demigod (people who are half god and half human) named Percy who is accused of stealing the lightning bolt of Zeus. If he does not find who actually has, the world he knows may just end. Read to find out more.

this book is science fiction, and i am not a fan, but if you like suspense then this is a good read. There is Greek mythology which is cool, but I thought it was a hard book to get through

Percy Jackson isn't your average kid. He has ADHD, Dyslexia, and is constantly in trouble with bullies or fighting at one of the many boarding schools he has attended. But life is consistent enough. Until one day his math teacher turns into a flying monster and tries to kill him. After that, things get interesting. He finds out his best friend Grover is actually a Satyr (half goat), his favorite teacher is a Centaur. And the most important thing: Percy is a half-blood. His mother is human, but his father(who he has never seen) is a Greek god. Percy soon finds out that his father isn't just a 'regular' god, he is one of the Big Three-Poseidon. Being a half-blood means that monsters are constantly attacking him-monsters he previously thought were myths. But Percy will have to face the facts at Camp Half-Blood, where he is forced to take cover. Camp Half-Blood is definitely different than any other camp. Besides the fact that Capture the Flag includes deadly weapons, there are nymphs and dryads at every corner, and even a battle arena. But of course things don't quite down for Percy once he arrives at Camp. His mother is taken hostage by Hades, who isn't the only god angry at him. Percy has been framed for the ultimate crime-stealing Zeus's master lightning bolt. In just a few days Percy must journey on his first quest with Grover and Annabeth (a stubborn and skilled daughter of Athena) in order to clear his and his father's name before the ultimate war breaks out. I recommend this book to mythology and adventure lovers. I think this is a great introduction to Greek mythology in a fun way. I think this book is primarily geared toward junior high aged kids, but I also think high schoolers will enjoy it. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This is one of my favorite series of all time, and the first book just sets it up so well. I love looking back on this book, when Percy was only 12, and all of our favorite characters were young and inexperienced. I definitely recommend this book for all people, young and old alike.

I love this book! It is full of monsters and adventure. I've read it several times, and I love the loyal friendships it portrays! I highly recommend this book.

This book was great! I recommend it! (I'm not going to say anything because I don't want to spoil anything.)

This book is awesome. I love Greek mythology and tried out this book. It is filled with action, adventure and real Greek mythology about the Titans and other Greek gods. I would highly recommend reading this!

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