Monday, February 15, 2010

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan


Release Date: Available Now from Hyperion

Source: Personal Collection

Synopsis:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.


Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.


I'm one of those people, you know the type. I have to read the book before I see the movie. The books are always better; I know this. So, if I'm really looking forward to a movie, I first have to seek out the book. I didn't have to look too far for this one. It's been on my shelf for awhile. In fact, I have the whole series. It's just one of those things that has sat on my shelf, daring me to read it for years.

Finally, with the movie fast-approaching, I grabbed it and decided to give it a try. Fabulous!! Why didn't I read it sooner? This is a great story and an amazing start to a series. I think I was worried it would somehow be just another Harry Potter ripoff, but it was anything but. Riordan has created a world that is totally his own. A world where Greek gods exist and rule over our everyday world.

Percy is a fantastic character. I love my characters flawed and Percy has a lot working against him, but of course, he overcomes it all with the help of some truly awesome friends and a few hidden powers thrown in for good measure. One thing I really loved about the book was the whole road trip element. I love that Percy's journey took him all over the states, and that these hidden worlds exist right under our noses. I can't wait to read the rest of this series, but I have a stack of books to get through first.

I did see the movie this weekend with my sister, my cousin, and my cousin's son. We all really liked it and I was the only one who has read it so far. It was pretty different from the book, but still had a lot of the charm and adventure that I would've been disappointed not to see on the big screen. I'm hoping that they plan to make the rest of the books into movies. There was a huge crowd at our show, so I know there's interest out there in the franchise.

Now I'm looking forward to Riordan's new series even more than ever.

10 comments:

  1. This one is one my reading pile this week and I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for the great review!!

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  2. I just read this and loved it! I'm the same as you, my husband wants to see the movie so I had to read the book first. Great review.

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  3. I haven't read this yet, but I did see the film at weekend. I really liked it!

    I think my mum is buying me the book boxset for my birthday, so I'll be able to read them in a couple of months. They sound great, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it!

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  4. I just read this and I loved it! Great book.

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  5. I saw the film last weekend. Its very entertaining. From the visual effects to the funny moments of Percy and his protector.

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  6. I also finally got around to reading this series and I can't believe I stayed away from it for so long. It may be awhile before I see the movie though because we've got snow here and I'm not going out in it unless I have too.

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  7. Awww, so glad you enjoyed the book! Also, don't you just hate it when you pick up a book which has been on your shelf forever, and it turns out to be a great book, so you kick yourself over not reading it sooner! That happens to me all the time :-(

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  8. I have to read books before I watch the movie too. :P

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  9. Read it - loved it. Went to the movie today and really enjoyed it. They changed a lot, but I went into it expecting they would so I wasn't disappointed. In the end I thought it was a fun movie.

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  10. I'm definitely one of those people who has to read the book before I see the movie too. lol. I wasn't interested in reading the book when it came out, but once I saw the movie trailer, I had to check out the book. I'm a little over halfway done with it right now, and I'm definitely more impressed than I thought I'd be. Generally I don't like books with main characters who are that young [I think he's 12. ] but the characters are pretty mature for how young they are, and the plot definitely keeps me interested. I'm looking forward to finishing it soon so I can see the movie. =D

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