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Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes
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Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes
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Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes
Audiobook15 hours

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes

Written by Rick Riordan

Narrated by Jesse Bernstein

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Who cut off  Medusa's head? Who was raised by a she-bear? Who tamed Pegasus? And whatever happened to that Golden Fleece?

It takes a demigod to know the answers, and Percy Jackson can fill you in on all the daring deeds of  Perseus, Atalanta, Bellerophon, and the rest of the major Greek heroes. Told in the funny, irreverent style listeners have come to expect from Percy (I've had some bad experiences in my time, but the heroes I'm going to tell you about were the original old-school hard-luck cases. They boldly screwed up where no one had screwed up before. . . .), this story collection will become the new must-have classic for Rick Riordan's legions of devoted fans-and for anyone who needs a hero.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 18, 2015
ISBN9781101915875
Unavailable
Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes

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Rating: 4.084948158733741 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    *Originally Reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank*The film adaptation of the second book, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters is currently running in the theaters. I saw the first movie a while back and quite liked it. However since the original books are about a twelve-year-old boy, I was not so keen on reading them. I mean how could a children’s book possibly capture the attention of a grown-up woman? Wouldn’t it be too simple for me?? So when I saw it standing on a shelf in the library I thought: Yeah so not the book for me and walked past it. Oh why not, there are gods and other mythical creatures featured in this book. And took it with me. I’m sooooo glad I did it! You don’t notice at all that the book is about a young boy and his friends. That its intended audience are middle graders. This book proves once again that books can be read by everyone ^^It also proves that books are usually better than their movie adaptations. They left so many fun and important things out! The “real” story was also much and much better. It’s way more fascinating, funny and intriguing. You get to see more of the wonderous world of the gods. The movie even left out some amazing and great moments that I would have loved seeing on-screen. This makes me a bit curious to how this will influence the second movie, cause some events were quite important ^^Like I said it’s a fantastic story, for young AND old. Especially for someone who loves to read about Greek Mythology. Rick Riordan really created an amazing world full of gods and other mythical creatures. He even makes it believable by introducing Mist. The veil that keeps the world of the gods from being seen by mundanes. It’s very funny when Percy’s veil was lifted and he could suddenly see everything that was kept from him. The story is also quite good and exciting. It’s a great puzzle to find out who did it. Who stole Zeus’s lightning. I loved the hints and dead ends I was given. The twists and turns. Even for someone who already saw the movie (and so knew how it ended ;) ), I was never completely sure I got it right ^^Conclusion4 HEARTS. This book proves that books are usually better than movies and some stories can be read by everyone, regardless their age. It also proves that it never grows old to read about the Greek gods and their latest antics. It has an intriguing mystery, that will keep you guessing till the last page and a good dose of humor. A lovely book I can recommend to everyone ^^
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.It’s kind of funny how time can change things, and in really strange ways. I read The Lightning Thief back in 2008 when I was first really getting into YA. At the time, I thought it was okay, but I wasn’t particularly charmed by the characters and got bored of it by book two. Now, though, I’m appreciating it a lot more, so I really think I tried the series at the wrong time. What I was in the mood for then, I suspect, was YA and romance. I picked up The Lightning Thief on a recommendation and there are all these 12-year-olds and it was so not what I was hoping for. On the reread, though, I was prepared for a middle grade and my expectations were way lower, so Percy Jackson soared way above them.The best thing about liking Percy Jackson, aside from Debby not flying across the Atlantic to kill me in my sleep, is that I always felt a bit weird about the fact that Percy Jackson was one of the characters I named my cat for. Why would I name a cat for a character for whom I had no emotional attachment? But now I can honestly say I enjoy the series. Plus, I think Percy Jackson’s character is a fairly good fit for my Percy, though the cat version really hates people. No telling where he got that from.Right, the book. I should probably stop reviewing my cat.I’m curious why younger me wasn’t more impressed with the world building. Maybe I was and I just forgot over time? Either way, now I feel the need to praise it to the skies. Riordan clearly has a lot of knowledge of how awesome Greek mythology is and plays homage to it in amazing ways while fitting it into the modern world. Tying the pantheon to the center of Western Civilization is absurdly clever. Plus, I’m all about Greek mythology. The Lightning Thief is pretty heavy on the world building and dropping knowledge, but Riordan does that primarily in hilarious and entertaining ways.The pace of The Lightning Thief is really fast. All told, I probably read it in a few hours. Percy’s pretty much always got a goal to accomplish, even when it’s not an official quest. In every chapter, he’s up against something, even if it’s just his creepy uncle. Riordan clearly has a sense of how to keep his target audience engaged, or any audience really. He also assembles a cast of characters that’s vaguely Harry Potter-esque: Percy, who’s always been an unwanted screw-up (except by his mom who loves him dearly), Annabeth (who’s a total know-it-all genius), and Grover (who’s a disappointment to his kind and a bit of a comic relief character). There are a couple of other similarities, particularly at the start, but thankfully there’s so much unique in the world building that they didn’t overwhelm me at all. Plus, Percy doesn’t brood nearly so much, though that could come with age.The humor does often skew slightly young, but a lot of it still amused me. It’s silly humor, but not scatological like some middle grade books (this is my line). The characters do read a bit young, but they’re intelligent and, from everything I’ve seen on the internet, are going to grow up fast. I’m looking forward to seeing them not be twelve anymore. Come on, age where I can not feel creepy about shipping things!Percy Jackson hasn’t quite gotten me in the emotions yet, but I can see some possibility here. I love the foreshadowing of tragedy in the coming books and the fact that I KNOW Riordan is actually going to go to those places, based on the wails of many fans. The Lightning Thief is fun, but it’s also the first book. There’s lots of room for Percy to grow in age and knowledge. The Lightning Thief has occasional middle grade moments where a twist is really obvious to me and not so much to the characters. Plus, sometimes Percy didn’t know basic things about the gods, but then he’d know what a caduceus is, which was a bit uneven and distracting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Twelve year old (not eighteen, as in the film) Percy Jackson finds that instead of a troubled teen thrown out of too many schools to count, he is the half-blood son of an immortal Greek god. This means that he lives life at a different pace from 'normal' people, and attracts the attention of deities, both good and bad. And then he is sent on a quest to find Zeus's lightning bolt, to prevent the gods going to war...This story, narrated in the first person by Percy (Perseus) Jackson, involves the reader from the twelve year old's view point; friends and enemies at school, good teachers, evil teachers, monsters, exploding harpies and so on. I think it should hit its target audience (presumably twelve year olds or so) quite well, and reads well for adults, too. The action flows continuously without being frantic, and Greek mythology melds interestingly into the modern world (you didn't know that you get to Mount Olympus from the six hundredth floor of the Empire State Building, did you? In fact, you hadn't realised there were six hundred floors.). All in all, an engaging story, with more to follow!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Oh, this book wants to be Harry Potter for the American set so badly. While it does have an imagination and inventiveness all its own as far as worldbuilding is concerned, it is otherwise extremely and disappointingly derivitive. The majority of elements in The Lightning Thief have an equivalent in the Harry Potter universe. But I might have been forgiving of that if the writing were particularly strong in its own right. It isn't, though it does have its moments; in particular, it just doesn't seem like an authentic voice or mental landscape of a 12-year-old boy, even a particularly mature one, exacerbated by the fact that it's written in first person. Rather, it feels like a grown man pretending to be a 12-year-old boy. That made it very hard to fall in love with the main character, and none of the supporting cast had enough life of their own for me to do the same with them.

    I had a reasonably enjoyable time reading this, but I'm unlikely to recommend it or seek out the rest of the series.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The idea of this book is very fun, and I did crack a few smiles. I had more difficulty with its predictability and the forced youthful quality of the reader's voice.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I started reading the first book of Percy Jackson, it started to get very interesting and couldn't stop reading. I thought this book was a great book. I have also watched movie and saw some difference and similarity to book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I saw the movie first and this reminded me of what the movie had in it. Really enjoyed the movie and really enjoyed this book. I'm looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I did a 2-in-1 review on my blog comparing the book to the movie version. Check it out if you're considering reading or watching!

    Riordan introduces Percy Jackson as this 12 year old kid who can't stay out of trouble. He's been to six different schools and is only in sixth grade. It's not all his fault, though, he just happens to have really weird things happen to him. For instance, he is in sixth grade at Yancy Academy, a school for "troubled" kids. While on a field trip with his class, his math teacher who has always had it out for him turns into this winged demon creature and attacks him. After it happens, no one knows what he is talking about and the teacher, Mrs. Dodds, is replaced by a completely different teacher who everyone thinks has been there all year long. Percy thinks he has lost his marbles. It isn't until he and his mom go on a weekend vacation to their favorite cabin on the beach and get attacked by a minotaur that people decide maybe they should start coming clean with the truth. First of all, Grover, Percy's handicapped best friend, turns out to be not-so handicapped and is part goat. Percy's dad is actually an Olympic god, and that is why he ditched Percy and his mom after she got pregnant. Things go from bad to worse with being chased by the minotaur. Percy's mom gets "taken" (seems to be dead, but isn't dead) right as they arrive to the safe haven that they were all trying to get Percy to before he is attacked. The safe haven turns out to be Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demi-gods to hang out with each other and practice their fighting skills so that they are protected against monsters out in the real world. After finding out some hard truths about his past and predictions about his future, Percy is given the task of taking a quest. He must find who truly stole Zeus's lightning bolt to prove his own innocence. This quest takes Percy, Grover, and Annabeth across the country in one misadventure after another. There are a lot of twists and turns, mostly regarding people not being truthful about who they say they are or who they are loyal to.

    I just loved this book. I loved how Percy is a young kid and it truly reads as though I am reading a 12 year old's thoughts as all of this happens to him. Percy is smart, funny, and witty as well as a bad ass demi-god. I loved the friendships that Percy forms. Grover is his best friend from the start, but once Percy finds out about the truth about Grover, it only brings them closer. There is also Annabeth, the feisty daughter of Athena who wants to hate Percy but needs him as much as he needs her. You can tell there is obvious attraction between the two, but given that they are both 12, Riordan keeps it very innocent and focused on the plot. It was really refreshing.

    Overall, this is just a great middle grades/young adult book that is a fun read. It's a fun light read that lets you use your imagination and lets you feel like a kid again. I'm really excited to get my hands on the rest of the series, because I have heard nothing but good things about ALL of Rick Rioardan's books. I'm definitely a fan!

    5/5 stars
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time that I review this series because it is the one that got me into reading, as well as one of my favorite hobbies, Greek mythology. Yes, I am a nerd. Haven't we already established that? None the less, I hold this series near and dear to my heart. Anyway, onto the review, my friends.

    This book starts off with a troubled 12 year old kid named Percy Jackson-who lives in New York with his mom- and his best friend Grover. He is constantly going in and out of schools for many different reasons, and never feels like he truly belongs. Until one day, when he has to kill his math teacher because she is really a monster(aren't all math teachers?). A while after that he finds out that his Greek Mythology teacher is Chiron(go figure), and also that his best friend is really a satyr...Yeah. I love this book, oh my gosh. He, his mother and Grover are chased by the Minotaur. in the chase Percy kills the beast and then passes out(*swoon* what a manly man.We all end up having a crush on him in the end). He wakes up in Camp Half-Blood, a camp for demigods, and meets Annabeth Chase(*wiggles eyebrows*), along with many others. I'm not going to tell you all the details, but some pretty awesome stuff goes down. Percy ends up going on a quest. He kills like ten thousand monsters, goes to the Underworld and talks to Hates, kills Medusa, and defeats Ares. You know, just the everyday norm. He's a hero, and this review....
    You can find the rest of this review (along with many more) here.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Lightning Thief is one of the few YA novels I've read lately that I felt was really worth the hype. The book was well-written, fast-paced and very enjoyable. The narration reminded me a little of the Septimus Heap series, although I had a hard time putting my finger on the reason. It isn't quite as off-the-wall hilarious as the Septimus Heap books sometimes are, but there's something about it... I think it may be that both books prevent some rather unbelievable events in a very matter-of-fact way. Whatever the reason, I really liked the narrative style in this book as well.

    Read more here...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to read this book, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Percy is a loveable hero who suffers from ADHD, as well as dyslexia. However, these disabilities do not stop him in any way. He is clever, courageous, loyal and stubborn, and his inability to keep quiet at times can land him in serious trouble. I also really liked Percy's two friends, Grover and Annabeth who accompany Percy on his quest. I am so glad I finally picked up this book as Riordan has woven a page-turning, modern, action-packed adventure effortlessly with Greek mythology to create a delightful read for all ages.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fun YA adventure. Percy finds out he is a HalfBlood and meets more of his kind when he gets to Camp HalfBlood. His friends Grover and Annabeth help him on his way. The quest he is on is exciting and dangerous. Very enjoyable, I look forward to more of this series. (And now I want to watch the movie)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A lightly entertaining coming of age story that reflects a universal desire to belong to something.The Percy Jackson series hooks us all in the end by forging strong bonds amongst its characters.Although, if you are the rare fantasy hater don't read this book, it will likely cause you to burn it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was an amazing book I loved how the author was able to tie in ancient mythology into modern times.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Lightning Thief is the first book in Rick Riordan's young adult oriented five book Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. As one would expect, the central character of the story is Percy Jackson, who opens the book as a fairly typical twelve year old struggling through his classes, dealing with both ADHD and dyslexia and trying to fit in socially and avoid getting kicked out of yet another school. Everything is turned upside down for him when he discovers that he is pursued by mytholgical monsters, his favorite teacher is actually Chiron, and Grover, his only friend, is actually a satyr who spends his time combing the Earth for the children of the Gods. In what is surely the fantasy of every socially awkward kid struggling through middle-school, Percy learns that he is, in fact, one of those children, which makes him a demi-god.Percy quickly finds out, however, that being a demi-god means that monsters will hunt you down and try to kill you, which is why Grover and the other satyrs seek them out, so they can take them to safety. Along with his mother, Percy and Grover flee in his stepfather's car to Camp Half-Blood. Along the way Percy's mother is killedby a minotaur, which Percy slays. Camp Half-Blood turns out to be not just a refuge, but a a training ground for would-be heroes, and Percy, his parentage undetermined, takes up residence in the Hermes house. Things go more or less well until a crisis forces Percy's divine parent to openly claim him, and then sends Percy, along with grover and his newfound friend Annabeth (daughter of Athena) on a quest across the country to enter the Underworld and recover Zeus' stolen masterbolt. The heroes face several classic villains of Greek mythology along the way, make the acquaintance of Ares, the God of War, and finally confront Hades in his throne room. Of course, things aren't as simple as they appear to be on the surface, and various subtrefuges are revealed until finally the ultimate villain is uncovered and his plan foiled.Through the book the story rolls forward at a pretty swift pace, moving Percy and his companions from point to point in fairly short order. The only somewhat slow portion of the book is between when percy arrives at Camp Half-Blood and when he sets out on his assigned quest, as most of the world building that develops Riordan's alternate reality takes place in this section, requiring a fair amount of information to be dumped on the reader while limited actual action is taking place. The other major weakness of the book crops up here too, which is that while everyone is wondering about who Jackson's actual divine parent is, the clues dropped are so heavy handed that any reader with any knowledge at all concerning Greek mythology will figure it out in pretty short order, and be left wondering why all these figures from actual Greek mythology like Chiron and Dionysus remain befuddled.The one major criticism I have of the book is the idea that Mount Olympus, and thus the Greek Gods, follow the heart of Western culture and civlization about, which is why Mount Olympus is located above New York City in the book. Leaving aside the fact that it take a considerable amount of hubris to assert that the United States is the "heart of the West", the various cults of the Greek Gods were, by and large, impediments to the development of Western thought and culture. It was only when the Greek philosophers rejected the various divine explanations for things that science began to flourish - the birth of the idea of a natural universe probably began when Thlaes left Marduk out of his explanation for how the continents formed out of the sea. And the Greek Gods in Riordan's version live up to this - they are petty, vain, argumentative, short-sighted, and quite simply exemplars of why they aren't the source of Western culture, all the while remaining completely in line with their established character traits from actual Greek mythology.Even so, Riordan has created a very believable fantasy reality, weaving in the mythological Gods and monsters of Greek myth into the fabric of modern life, giving the fantastic elements of the story a rooting in reality that serves as a reference point for young readers. Through their travels, Percy, Grover and Annabeth meet and overcome foes, but those foes are embedded in the world around them sufficiently well that famous figures of Greek mythology such as Medusa or Procrustes don't seem out of place (although a knowledgeable reader will probably spot the monsters long before the heros in the story do). The strong background coupled with the well-paced action scenes and the fact that all of the youthful protagonists are quite well-written and likable characters makes The Lightning Thief a great young adult fantasy, and an excellent book for any young reader who loves Greek myth, or just one who would enjoy being introduced to it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    his book had been on my list of books to read for a long time. The release of the film really inspired me to want to read it, not to mention borders had the hard cover copies on sale for $10. I was surprised that I really really enjoyed this book! It is about a young boy who finds out that he is the son of a god but not of just any god one of the big three .. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. He is accused by Zeus of stealing his master lightening bolt and if it is not return by the summer solstice, then there will be a war between the big three worthy of being called World War 3. He must go on a quest to retrieve the stolen item and return it to its rightful owner before time runs out.One of the greatest things about this book is that it answers the question of what it would be like if ancient greek gods were still around today. It stays true to Greek mythology but takes on a modern twist. Percy is todays Hercules and a true hero. He is a very likable and believable character. I love his confusion of a world he thought was fictional and how he goes through feelings of disbelief. It's nice that throughout his adventures he encounters memorable villains found in the myths. His companions are charming, helpful, and trustworthy. I like how he has one demigod and a satyr accompanying him instead of two demigods. The book was really slow in revealing who his father is and reader can easily figure it out before he does himself. This does not bother me because it is a perfect play on how the gods like to make big dramatic statements. I really appreciated the small details in the book and it's a good read for all readers young and old.I decided to read this book before I went to theater to watch the movie adaptation. The book version of most movies are usually better and this one is no different. I think I may be more critical of the movie because there are a lot of thing that have to be left out due to time restraints. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had not read the book first. However, overall, the movie was good and the special effect were excellent. They made good choices for the actors selected to portray the characters. There were a lot of things about it that I did not like and it did not stay as true to greek mythology as the book did. If you have seen the movie, whether you liked it or not, I strongly suggest you read the book it will make parts of the movie make more sense plus it's just plain good.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One of the clearest memories I have of elementary school is my 6th grade teacher reading the story of Persephone, Demeter and Hades to the class from Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. The Greek gods captivated me from the start. After that day in class, I scoured the library for every book even remotely hinting of Greek mythology, so you can imagine my delight when I picked up The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. The gods, alive and well in Manhattan? Monsters and godlings among us? A dangerous quest? Oh yeah!

    Percy Jackson isn’t like other kids, a thought that becomes fact when, in the first chapter, he turns his evil Math teacher to dust with a ballpoint-pen-turned-sword. His life goes from bad to worse when he’s sent home from boarding school with an invitation not to return next year. Living with his stepfather, Smelly Gabe, is even worse than boarding school, but life gets even more complicated when Percy and his mother are attacked by The Minotaur while fleeing to the safety of Camp Half Blood, a training ground for demi-gods. Percy soon learns that his real father is the god Poseidon, and he is potentially one of the most powerful “heroes” to come along in years. But all is not well on Mt. Olympus. Someone has stolen Zeus’ thunderbolt, a most powerful weapon, and all fingers point to Percy. To prove his innocence, Percy, along with Daughter-of-Athena Annabeth and a satyr named Grover, embarks on a dangerous quest to the Underworld, where he learns a thing or two about friendship, trust and self-worth.

    Action abounds from the first pages of this book. Great characters, great story, superb writing. My only quibble comes from the feeling I kept getting that I was reading a Harry Potter book. We have a boy who never fit in, finding out he has remarkable powers, teaming up with a smart, sassy girl who has equally strong powers and a less talented but very amusing third boy — all sent off on a quest to recover something very powerful that, if in the wrong hands, could mean the end of the world. Throw into the mix a mysterious, powerful, and dangerous evil thing that everyone thought was dead and we have…..Sorceror’s Stone, anyone? Even the typeface used for the chapter headings was the same as in the HP books.

    Despite the similarities to HP, The Lightning Thief was a fabulous read, and I can’t see any kid putting it down. Read the first chapter to a class and I guarantee they’ll be in the library looking for this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The first of the series by Rick Riordan. If you've only seen the recent movie, please please please read the book. The movie was good, but the book is better. That's not just my belief, but also that of most of the 5th graders who read this novel. I'm hooked now, and will read the rest of the series. What a great way to get kids (and adults) excited about Greek mythology.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Lightning Thief is a wonderful story that follows a slightly cliche'd boy in Percy Jackson —he struggles in school, with relationships, and comes from a supposed broken home.

    Like many other self-discovery and coming of age stories, through various events Percy comes to understand that he's special, and their is more to him and his "struggles" than he could have known.

    He has been framed for stealing Zues' famed lightning bolt. The adventure ensues in which Percy seeks out and discovers the real lightning thief. Along the way he meets a host of fun, and well-developed characters (both good and evil), until he has the final reckoning with the real thief.

    I would recommend this book, and this series, for sure. Rick Riordan has carved himself out a nice niche with his original, well-executed idea.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great book for help getting over a reading slump, which I'm currently experiencing at the moment.

    Mythology is one of my most favorite sub-genres, I could tell the author did a lot of research on the topic and I really liked his interpretation. It didn't stretch too far from the original stories, but it was creative and interesting in it's own way. Exciting and adventurous would be the words I would use to describe this book.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Every you-aren't-strange-you're-special chosen-one adventure book ever written featuring watered-down Greek mythology on the side. Banal. Deeply predictable.DNFd ˜33% of the way through.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a really great book. I've always had a soft spot for greek mythology, and I was not let down. Each and everyone of Percy's adventures were action filled and exciting. The writing was amazing and the dialog was enticing and witty. I watched the movie before I read the book and I can now see how much it was lacking. Never doing that again. Can't wait to read the sequel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was pretty good. It seems to borrow a lot from Harry Potter in a superficial way. I think it's great that it's getting a new generation of kids interested in mythology. The premise is that the Greek gods still sleep with mortals and demi-god children are born and what happens to them.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was not expecting to wnjoy this book as much as I did. My 9 year old recommended it to me. It was great! The storyline was fantastic, lots of action and fun. I can't wait to read more in this series.

    I highly recommend this book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a cute kids’s tale. Percy is 12 and apparently gets kicked out of schools often. His mom currently has them living with a dead beat, verbally abusive man that has a body odor problem. Life is just tough on Percy. But it’s about to get a lot tougher when Greek deities and monsters pop up in his life!There were several moments that made me laugh…. like Grover suddenly yanking off his pants. That’s the moment where Percy is all, ‘What the hell!’ but then Grover has fur and hooves below the waist, so Percy is stunned into silence. Grover is a Satyr assigned to protect Percy but he’s been keeping his Greek mythology side on the down low with a disguised lower half. Grover isn’t the only one who’s been keeping their real identity from Percy. In fact, there were a few times I thought Percy’s young mind might melt from the over load of reveals.After a harrowing chase and the death of someone important to him, he ends up at the Half Blood training camp where he meets other kids who are half mortal and half deity. Now, I did think that Percy took that death in stride and it was a bit glossed over. I expected tears for days and scars for life but this book seems to veer wide of any serious stuff. There’s several examples of this, like Medusa and how she really came to be a snake headed monster. It wasn’t some jealousy over dating partners.Anyhoo, pretty soon Percy gets a quest and goes on a road trip. Annabeth (a daughter of Athena) and Grover accompany him. There’s also the gifts from Luke (a son of Hermes). As Western culture has shifted further and further west, key places in Greek mythology have also shifted and several now reside in the USA. I liked this bit of world building because it meant I didn’t have to bang my head against a wall every time a Greek mythological location popped up.Percy isn’t the only one to face their fears and take on a personal challenge in this story. His companions also suffer and have a chance at victory. There’s treachery too. Percy must figure out who his true friends are while also discovering who stole Zeus’s lightning. It’s a fun tale but I didn’t have a strong reaction to it as I did with Harry Potter. 4/5 stars.The Narration: Jesse Bernstein does a really good job. He sounds like a 12 year old boy who has gotten kicked out of a lot of places. His voice for Grover is great, as he sometimes has a little goat in it. His female voices are spot on. There’s several monsters with their various yells, hisses, snorts, etc and Bernstein carries them off without a hitch. 5/5 stars.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Eh, not bad. There are a lot of logic holes in the plot, and the world (Grover can talk to dogs, but he couldn't tell the chihuahua wasn't one? For one small example), but it carries you along. I do want to continue reading - not sure I'll finish the series, but I'll at least read the next one. I doubt I'll reread any of them, though, unless later books are a lot better.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not really what I was expecting, I imagine if I read this when I was younger I would of enjoyed it a lot more. I still liked it. There characters were funny and I liked that Percy really felt like he was a middle school aged kid who found out something crazy and didn't know what to believe. I don't know greek gods well and this is a good way to learn about them a little bit.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm hooked! I've always loved Greek Mythology, but haven't read any in years....this book rekindled my love for the gods in a whole new way. I love the way Riordan modernized the gods...gotta love the leather-clad Ares and the beach-bum version of Poseidon. So glad I waited to read the book before heading to the theaters to see the movie...it gives me something to look forward to...hopefully, the movie version isn't way off track.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a lot of fun to read! It was better, in my opinion, than the movie, largely because it filled in a lot of the background bits that typically get left out of a movie. I really appreciated the way Percy and Grover and Annabeth got along--they really learned to work well together and are on the way to building a very solid relationship. I really like the way Riordan writes, and I'll be reading more of his work soon!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    While maybe not as literary as the Harry Potter books, the Percy Jackson books are wonderful in their own way. First, the characters (particularly Percy) are irresistible. Second, they are quick-paced and funny (and probably a good deal easier for some children to read than the Potter books.) Finally, Riordan weaves the Greek Myths through so easily and flawlessly that they will spark an interest in mythology into any kid that picks these books up. The final book in the 5 part series remains, three years later, my fifth grade son's favorite book of all time. These are perfect for kids about 4th grade and up.