Reading Percy Jackson for the first time

 

And guess who loved book 1 (as in gave it 5 stars) and will continue reading the series?!

Funny story: my first exposure to Percy Jackson was actually the 2010 film based off of this first book that I watched back in middle school. Since I didn't read the books back then, I thought the movie was okay, but my friends who have read the books all said the movie was a terrible adaptation of the first book. Now that I finally read the original Lightning Thief, I 100% agree with my friends and all longtime Percy Jackson fans. (I haven't watched the more recent Disney+ series because I don't have a subscription, so I can't make comparisons to the show, either.)

I don't think I need to explain the plot because I think most of us know what the story is already about. What stood out to me was how surprisingly dark the story can get at times while still being family-friendly (think Avatar the Last Airbender). But I think those are the best kinds of kids' books. I like how the Greek myths were interwoven within the world of the story to fit modern day America (well, modern at the time it was written, which was 2005). I even learned about some myths I never even heard of, and some mythological figures that they don't teach you in school. I also think the characters were a lot more likable and interesting compared to their movie counterparts. 

So yeah, I am glad to have finally joined the Percy Jackson fandom!