Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - The Lightning Thief

Why in the gods' name did it take so long for me to start the Percy Jackson series? I want to hate y'all for gatekeeping it, but honestly, I only have myself to blame. I try to live without regret, but I truly regret not reading this as my 12-year-old self.

I've often heard people compare this to the Harry Potter series, and I can kinda see it: young boy realises he's a magical being, is swept off to a camp/school for magical beings, and ends up being involved in an event that involves the whole magical world. But you know what, Percy Jackson is a much better person than Harry Potter ever was, and I actually enjoyed this a lot more than the first HP book.

That being said, I don't just want to compare this to another, similar series. Overall, it's very well written, has great representation, and has relatable characters – yes, even to a 26-year-old adult. It's a great introduction into Greek mythology, and had I read this as a kid, I totally would've been one of those Greek mythology nerds. Hence, I will be diving into The Iliad and The Odyssey early 2024.

Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes.

Moreover, Annabeth and Grover are literally the BEST side characters you can wish for in a novel. They portray my favourite kind of duo as the insanely smart girl and the much needed comic relief. Grover reminds me so much of Styles I might have to rewatch Teen Wolf... again.

Finally, I would like to close with my absolute favourite quote from The Lightning Thief:

I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my oen mortality, laughed in the fave of death, et cetera.
The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!

Didn't I tell you Percy is super relatable? DIDN'T I???

Now please go enjoy this book before the long-awaited TV series airs.

If you have come this far, I am very much looking for more book friends! You can find me on:
IG: kimschouwenaar
TT: _kimschouwenaar
Goodreads: Kim Schouwenaar

I am also in the midst of creating an IG account specifically for my reading, writing and art journey, which you will be able to find under the username @shelvesofsanity! And I'm obviously on here, so feel free to send me a friend request! (:

- kim <3

Content Warnings

refrejarator's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm so glad I went back to read this. As an AuDHD adult, this is exactly the kind of story I wish I had access to as a kid. A super fun read and action packed, and also gave me the representation I always wanted!

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madisonbell_'s review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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lacrimaeignis's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny inspiring lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If you want a quick read that is fun and mythological inspired then please pick up this series if you haven't yet!!! It's got action and adventure and sass and healthy friendships and makes some very good points about real world issues. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys mythology or wants to start learning about Greek mythology regardless of age. Yes, it is a middle grade read but adults can enjoy this series just as well as kids.

Percy Jackson has always been a much beloved series for me. I first read the books when I was about 16 years old. I remember being absolutely obsessed from the beginning and read the first 3 books in two days on a two week camping trip and then reread the first book on the way home because I could not find the 4th book in stores on our trip.

Now at 29, I decided to do a reread and I still absolutely loved it! This time, I decided to annotate the book and boy was that fun. I was very nervous to do a reread because I studied Classics in college and being a huge mythology nerd I was afraid I would end up hating the book. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Yes, certain things about myths mentioned had to be changed to fit the narrative or be edited to be age appropriate but overall the myths are still quite accurate. There were also so many moments I had to keep reminding myself of Percy's age in the novel. Also, as an adult, I found myself relating way more to the Chthonic gods mentioned over any other character. I'm very excited to continue my re-read and I can't wait to delve into Percy's latest adventure later this year!

Content Warnings

redphonebooth3's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I read this series years and years ago in Dutch, but I finally got myself the English versions last year and I was just in the mood to reread them. Plus the series is coming out next year, so I thought I would already start preparing. So, that's on my reading agenda for July.
Need I really give a review though? It's Percy Jackson, it's great, it's amazing, it's engaging and funny and fast paced without feeling rushed and all the characters are well done.
I'm remembering all of the feelings I had from when I first read these. Especially the way I secretly hoped I was a demigod too (as I'm sure we all did when reading the PJ series, don't lie).
But it's also fun discovering all the new things I'm noticing, like the fact that Percy has MAJOR bi vibes. His crush on Luke is almost as big as Annabeth's.
This is such a nostalgia trip for me and a nice break from the dense nonfiction book I'm also reading at the moment.

If you haven't read the Percy Jackson series, my dude, get on this RIGHT NOW.

Content Warnings

brittanylee0302's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is the first time I'm reading this series.
That being said, I thought this book was really good but the first 50% was super slow for me. I think part of that is I saw the movie & the first half is pretty similar to the movie so I'm blaming that for it. The second half of this book was so good. It was funny, it was well written & I absolutely loved the characters (Grover is my fave I won't even lie). I look forward to reading the second book!

Content Warnings

eyescanbecruel's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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becca_w_'s review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

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