The Lightning Thief

infinity/5 stars “The real world is where the monsters are.”

I guess since I reread this, for perhaps the billionth time in my life, I now get the opportunity to review it. Hopefully, I don't screw this up.

I didn't like Harry Potter when I was little (though I love it now, and that's all that matters), but I can imagine that my feelings towards Percy Jackson reflect those that many people who grew up with Harry have. I couldn't get enough of the story, I told everyone I knew to read it, and I impatiently waited for the next release.

I was ten when I read PJO for the first time, only two years younger than Percy himself in the first book. Now, I am the same age as Percy, perhaps a year or so older. As Percy has grown, so have I. Through the trials of my life, and through the trial of his fictional one, it's as if we've grown together, and no matter what we do, we just can't escape one another. People complain about Rick not letting this world go, but I disagree. I just don't think I could ever let go either, as this story is a huge part of my life.

I remember ordering The Lightning Thief from a Scholastic book Magazine and receiving it at school a few weeks later. I remember sitting down and reading it for the first time ever, and loving every word. I remember spending every penny I got for Christmas on books 2-4. I remember finishing them and going to my school library craving more books on Greek Mythology. Then, one day in May, when The Last Olympian was finally released, I remember sending all the money I saved up with my mother for her to pick it up at Barnes and Noble during her lunch break. I remember taking the beautiful black book out to recess the next day to read it on the playground. The Percy Jackson books changed my 10 year old life, and it has influenced my current tastes in books and the person I am today.

I don't know where to go with this review, but I think I should talk about the characters for at least a few paragraphs. As a child, the cast was one of the first I've ever read that I could entirely relate too.

Take Percy Jackson, a young boy unsure of himself, who doesn't know where or if he belongs. Watch him learn that being different is okay, watch him become powerful and still stay humble. Or Take Annabeth, the smart girl with ambitions bigger than herself, and watch her evolve to someone who is more than just smart, but caring and wise. Even take Grover, the awkward kid with dreams of saving nature, and watch him slowly get the chance to actually live his dreams.

Yet, I want to talk about my favorite character in the series, perhaps one of my favorite fictional characters of all time: Luke. As a child, I didn't understand why I loved him so much. I found myself always rooting for him even if I probably shouldn't. With this reread, since it's been almost 6 years since I have last reread it, I thought that my more mature mind would finally see the evil traitor that others see in him. Yet, I found myself loving him even more than I previously did, and I finally figured out why I liked him so much, and I know my explanation is going to get confusing, so bare with me.

The reason: he's easy to understand.

Many antagonists in books are hazy, you don't get where they are coming from. Luke is different, it's easy to pick up why he hates the Gods so much, how they have made him feel used. He's done all these things for them, and he doesn't even receive a simple thank you. In later books, you see Percy struggle with the same issues. Percy has saved the world countless of times, had a year of his life taken away from him by the Queen of the Gods, gone through countless shit without much recognition. Even Percy is tired of the Gods, but unlike Luke, he doesn't turn evil and try to take down Olympus. I find Luke to be so interesting, because he can be used as a example of what makes Percy such a strong character. It's a Neville vs Wormtail situation. It's what could have been. I find it an interesting way to develop a character. It makes me love Luke just way too much.

It makes me love this series just way too much. It's one that I will never grow to hate, but will stay with me for ages. I will reread it more times to count, force my children one day to read it, and I will love it more with each read.

To me, this series is revolutionary.