Sunday, December 25, 2011

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (books 1-5) by Rick Riordan

I borrowed these books from my husband's younger brother. I saw the movie of the first book awhile ago when it came out and I thought it was decent. My brother-in-law, however, HATED it. Now, after reading the books, I completely understand why he hated it. I hate it now too. These books are a whole lot of fun. I think they are comparable to Harry Potter or Fablehaven. Fun fantasy books that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. I read the 5-book series in 2 weeks (not reading on weekends) and was thoroughly engaged the whole time.

So for anyone who doesn't know anything about these stories, the premise is a boy named Percy, who is a demigod (half human, half god). Percy's father is Poseidon, god of the sea. The first story starts off with someone stealing Zeus's lightning bolt and framing Percy. Percy then must recover the bolt and figure out the true thief. He gets help from other demigod friends at Camp Half-Blood, a training camp for demigods. The next stories involve more complex dilemmas and you get to know kids of other gods and their cool powers.

The thing I loved most about these stories was learning about Greek mythology through a fun and memorable story. Now I could tell you all the major gods and what they are gods of, along with many minor gods and demons. I've always been fascinated with mythology so I found Percy Jackson to be particularly enjoyable. Definitely would recommend to everyone!

4.5 out of 5 stars