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Book Reviews
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| ISBN: 0786838655
Written: Monday June 8, 2009 - 6:08 PM
Author: Rick Riordan
Category: Young Adult
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The Lightning Thief | By: M. T. Dremer
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| For anyone who has read even a fraction of the reviews I’ve written, they will notice that I mention Harry Potter a lot. It’s no secret that it’s my favorite book and most, if not all, other children’s books will be compared to it whether they want to be or not. However, I suspect that I’m not the only person who does this. It is no surprise that a great deal of fantasy movies coming out are based on children’s books (due to the success of Harry Potter) and a great deal of new children’s books are marketed with similarly illustrated covers and jacket descriptions. While some might make the argument that these are just knock offs that aren’t as good as the original, I would argue that the success of these other books is due in large part to a void left behind when the Harry Potter series ended. We were conditioned to wait for the next great Harry Potter book, but now that they stopped coming, we have to pick up something else. This, in my opinion, has led to the overwhelming success of books like Twilight, The Imaginarium Geographica and Eragon, even though all three series aren’t even close to the quality level of Harry Potter. People just want something and unfortunately, no series has stepped up to the plate to challenge Harry Potter on the same level of quality. That is, of course, until now.
The Lightning Thief is a throwback to a different kind of magic. Not the one that rides dragons or dances with elves, but one that has a council of gods that frequently break their own rules and send helpless mortals on quests of impossible feats. In the beginning, Percy Jackson is nothing more than a dyslexic schoolboy who is trying to hold down a single school without stressing his mother. He struggles with ADHD and does his best to avoid the trouble that seems to inevitably find him. It isn’t until an attack by a strange winged creature that he begins to wonder if there is something more out there.
Not too far into the book we learn that something more is out there, something very old, very powerful, and very Greek. Pulling upon Greek Myth, Rick Riordan weaves a tale of the old and the new that is difficult to put down. The writing style is smooth and seamless, like the Harry Potter series, and the knowledge of Greek Myth never feels forced or irrelevant. There are some references to Mythological characters that I didn’t personally know, but I didn’t feel like it was necessary to have background knowledge to enjoy it. However if you are a fan of the Greek Myths, you’ll love this book even more.
I find it a shame that this book isn’t as widespread as it should be. I didn’t personally find out about it until I was searching through a bookstore for a gift to my nephew. The woman on duty recommended the book, but before that I had never even heard of it. In my opinion, this is the book that should be experiencing the popularity that other young adult series, that don’t deserve their success, are having right now. If you’re looking for a book that lives up to Harry Potter’s legacy, rather than just fills a void, then you owe it to yourself to pick up this book.
Recommended to every children’s literature fan who is looking for a new series to enjoy.
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