The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is the first book in the series Percy
Jackson and the Olympians. The main character Percy is a troubled student who struggles to fit into society. Percy continues to live this way until he is suddenly attacked by a strange creature. At that point, he is brought to a camp, named Camp Halfblood, where he begins to live with a group of kids, each with one mortal and one immortal parent. Percy soon discovers that his father is one of the three most powerful gods: Posideon. During the rest of the novel, Percy and two of his friends, Annabeth and Grover, embark on a long journey to stop a war with the Gods, knowing that if they fail, the human race could be destroyed. This plot continues throughout the five books in the Percy Jackson series.
The main external conflict of the book is that peace needs to be created between
the gods. The inner conflict of the book is the doubt that Percy lays upon himself. This
doubt causes Percy to question his abilities and worry his father, and it begins to affect
his performance. Throughout the book, no matter what challenge Percy faced, he found a way to move forward with bravery. Percy and his friends all displayed heroic actions during their journey. This book taught me to have courage. Percy and his friends managed to stay strong and be brave despite their terrifying experiences. This encouraged me to see that my worries did not compare to their own, and therefore made my fears seem less rational. This book can also teach students more about Greek mythology all while pulling the reader in for an action-filled adventure.
Written by Arianna, Teen Volunteer
CBPL Reviews 