The plot: Perseus Jackson, troubled New York kid who gets kicked out of school regularly, finds out that he’s actually a demigod, and that all the Greek gods and goddesses are real (and lots of them are related to him!) In this first book, he’s accused of stealing Zeus’ original lightning bolt, and sent on a dangerous quest with his best friend Grover (a satyr who’s searching for the god Pan) and Annabeth (a demigod daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom) to retrieve it and prove himself innocent.Why You’ll Love It: As epic as Harry Potter, but with a little more real world, and a lot more attitude. Riordan creates a world alongside ours that makes a lot of sense (the entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles, and the entrance to Mount Olympus is at the top of the Empire State Building), all the while including chunks of Greek myth; Percy meets Medusa, who sells garden statuary out of the people she turns to stone. And Percy, while a hero very much like the wizard Potter, is a little less tragic, and little more sarcastic. Part of the fun is reading his reactions to all of the new things his new world has to offer.
Who Will/Should Read It: While the Percy books are classified as juvenile/children's, readers of all ages can find delight in his stories. Chapters are short (only about ten pages each), so it makes for a great read-before-bed book. Read if you loved Harry or Charlie Bone, and especially if you have an interest in Greek mythology.
JFic Riordan WCV WMB
YA Fic Riordan WAM
Also available as an e-audio book!
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