The Lightning Thief

Greek mythology comes alive in the 21st century, when 12 year old, Perseus (Percy) Jackson discovers that he is half human, half god. Too make matters worse, there is a big, bad world of scary monsters that seek his destruction. This novel unites epic adventure with classical ancient history as Percy finds out why history is relevant to our age.

With ADHD and dyslexia, Percy's special needs and behavior issues have gotten him kicked out of one learning institution after another. After his expulsion from his most recent boarding school, Percy looks forward to summer with his loving mother. Percy and his mother take a trip to Montauk Beach, and end up in a battle with a Minotaur, running for their lives to the only safe haven for demi-gods or heroes, Camp Half Blood. Percy makes it to camp, where he learns about Olympus (still exists), the gods (still fighting), and the rest of this crazy immortal family that is his.

Eventually, Percy is given a quest, a prophecy, a sword, and the opportunity to save western civilization from complete annihilation. He is allowed two companions on his quest, Annabeth, daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and Grover, a satyr, half boy-half goat. The trio have fabulous adventures along the way including an encounter with Charon on the observation deck of the St. Louis Arch, and an extended stay at the Lotus Casino in Las Vegas.

The author, Rick Riordan, deftly acknowledges a difference between "God" and "god" early in the book. He writes, "God--capital G, God. That's a different matter all together. We shan't deal with the metaphysical...Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter." For example, Hermes controls the winds, Poseidon, the sea, Zeus, the sky, etc. The behavior of the Olympian gods has not changed since Homer's times, and if your child is too young for those adventures, then he or she is probably not ready for these. Riordan handles the issue of illegitimacy well, by not dealing with the physical implications of gods mating with mortals. But the ideas of fathering (or mothering) multiple children, by multiple mortals, with no concept of loving marriage are present. Percy's mom is trapped in a loveless and implied violent marriage to a total slob. We find out that she has done this to protect Percy. She married the stinking (literally) jerk to hide Percy's scent from the monsters. The other children at Camp Half Blood are all in similar situations, some having parents who married mortals, suffer subsequent rejection from their step-parents. These issues are of concern, especially when traditional marriage and family life is under attack in our culture. Notably though, these behaviors are not glorified in the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as the sequel, The Sea of Monsters, but I have some reservations recommending it for everyone. I think that Riordan has done something wonderful by reinventing ancient myths for today's youth. The issues of marriage and parentage are present, but not the focal point of the story. These stories are about what it means to be a hero, to be brave, to be a friend, and why history is important to us all.