Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan

From Goodreads:
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But 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 betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.


***

Some books just have it, and the Percy Jackson series is one of them.  I had a tremendous amount of fun reading this series.  Rick Riordan created a humorous and exciting set of stories.  I couldn't put the books down.  As soon as I finished one book, I grabbed the next one.  


I've seen a lot of reviews comparing it to Harry Potter, and for a good reason.  It takes an ancient theme (Greek mythology) and brings it into modern times, with modern characters and modern problems.  The entire series engrosses you into the modern world of the ancient Greek Gods.  Percy Jackson was the perfect hero for the series.  He was a little stubborn and spontaneous, which only added to his likability.  No hero can be absolutely perfect, and Percy was just the right mix of passion, adolescence, and wit.  


I loved many characters in the books, and hated the ones that I was supposed to.  It was surprising how much back-story there is in Greek mythology and how many different Gods and monsters they have.  It was fascinating to learn about the ancient civilization and their beliefs while enjoying a good adventure. 


Reading level: Ages 10 and up
Paperback: 1824 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
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1 comment:

J Whitus said...

New follower from Book Blogs. I loved these books and I'm now reading them with my 11 yr. old. She loves them too. Hope you'll come by my blog and follow back.
www.walkingonbookshelves.blogspot.com