Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is an exciting and riveting novel where Percy Jackson realizes that there are two worlds: monster and human. He must navigate and return Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt and meet and defeat a host of monsters on the way.
Riordan’s quick and snappy young teen humor brings the book to life, and Percy is a likeable and funny teen narrator who is easily relatable. All the fantasy elements are introduced very well so that anyone no matter their mythology knowledge can enjoy the book. Several exciting and interesting combat scenes are described well, although in an age-appropriate way. The character building is slightly worse than the rest of the books but creates likeable and memorable characters that remain in the series for a while. There is a sense of being the first book in the series that strengthens the book as a stand-alone book, but also makes it feel like a more condensed story.