Reviews

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

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fraggerbot's review against another edition

4.0

Buddy read with Lia and Zara

4 stars.

The Lightning Thief is a very enjoyable, quick read that builds a fun, modern tale over the older greek mythology.

Before starting The Trials of Apollo, I've decided to read the previous Camp Half-Blood books. Reading this again after 2 years, I still enjoyed the book despite knowing the plot, the (somewhat predictable) twists and how things are going to unfold. The book is very light and quick - you will finish the book even before you realize. So, if you are looking for something light to read that doesn't stress you, consider this book.

This book is the beginning of Camp Half-Blood stories and as you expect from the first book, the primary focus is on the world and the plot. I like how the story is built over the old greek mythology, and harnesses the use of 'heroes/demi-gods' throughout it. I've loved the plot and how it unfolds as you progress through it. The complete story is setup in the US, and as someone who didn't visit/grow up there, I had a certain difficulty following through the descriptions of certain iconic monuments and places in the story. I didn't feel so connected to the characters, but that didn't affect my reading experience. I adore Percy who is a rash, impulsive 12 year old brat who sometimes reminds me of myself when I was that age. Annabeth sure is smart, but I haven't got so much love for her in this book and I find her behaving like a jerk towards Percy during the first half. I am not fully convinced in the U-turn in her attitude after that one event. This time, I found myself paying more attention towards the details, picking up clues about

Spoiler

who betrays in the end

.

A particular aspect that leaves room for a moral discussion is the fate of Smelly Gabe at the end of the book. Sally is a sweet woman and Gabe is a violent abuser hitting his wife, not contributing much to the family, playing poker with his buddies, even threatening 12 year old Percy all the time. However, does

Spoiler

turning him into a statue

the right thing to do? Is there not something else, that could have been done and if Sally tried to do something, would he not retaliate? There are a lot of ifs and buts, and I personally believe scumbags like Gabe deserve to rot in hell and he probably deserved it. However, seeing something like this in a middle-grade books is not something I am entirely okay with.

Overall, it is an enjoyable read and I look forward to continuing the series, eventually ending it all with [b:The Tower of Nero|48717744|The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo, #5)|Rick Riordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581726516l/48717744._SY75_.jpg|48012708].

a_chickletz's review against another edition

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3.0

I can't put my finger on why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I should. I think I have an issue with the author's writing style. His writing is not very fluid and it left me having to re-read passages over to understand what went on.

I liked the story, though. Unfortunately I don't know if I'll continue on the series, so I'll just mark this one as a 'maybe' for the future of continuation.