SPOILERS AHEAD!**
I’m just going to say it: I was a Harry Potter kid growing up. I did not even consider reading Rick Riordan’s mythological masterpiece. I did watch the movies as a kid, and I was disappointed there were only two. After reading the books, I totally get why; they are some of the worst book-to-movie adaptations for any series I have ever seen.
In light of Disney making a show adaptation, (season two, please come faster, I’m on my hands and knees here), I decided to finally give it a shot. Here are my thoughts after reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians for the first time.
“The Lightning Thief”
First of all, fire name. I do not know why eight-year-old me did not rip this book off the shelves. I bought the entire series in January of 2024 and started reading it as soon as it came in the mail. However, being a busy college student, I did not end up finishing The Lightning Thief until the end of February.
Rick knew what he was doing with that opening line, “Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.” The whole first page sucks you in and makes you feel a part of the world. Rick also does a great job with world-building. One of the things that stood out to me was that it did feel like I was reading it from a child’s perspective. The dynamic of the trio was so good. I wish they put the poodle scene in the show, but I digress.
Reading this book was a bit different for me compared to the rest of the series because I had seen the movie and the first season of the show, which follows the plot of the first book. So, when I got to the end of the book, I already knew Luke was the actual lightning thief.
Overall, a great start to the series.
“Sea of monsters”
This was a rough one. The book was not bad at all, but it took me four months to read. I started it in February right after I finished the first book, read a chapter here and there, and then just stopped reading. In May I went to Greece and was like, “OMG, let me bring Sea of Monsters for the flight.” I slept the entire time and barely read it. I did not finish it until the last week of May.
That being said, the addition of Tyson is everything. He did annoy me at first if I am being totally honest, but after a couple of chapters, he grew on me. He is the sweetest. Like the first book, I had seen the movie so I very loosely knew the plot
It felt weird without Grover at first, but we got a lot of Percabeth so I can’t really complain. The Circe and Siren chapters are the stand-out ones for me in this book. We also got more Clarisse and, of course, the return of Thalia. These are all positives for me. But, compared to the others in the series, this is the most forgettable one.
“The titan’s curse”
After I forced myself to finish The Sea of Monsters, I dove into The Titan’s Curse, and I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting. This was the first book I knew nothing about, so I had no idea what to expect, but it delivered.
I loved learning more about Thalia and meeting new characters. I did miss Tyson and, of course, felt the loss of Annabeth (kind of, Percy literally mentions her in like almost every chapter, I swear). Pre-trauma Nico is so adorable. When I read that Bianca died, I googled if she actually stayed dead because I couldn’t believe it. I heard so many people talk about how much they love her and I’m like but she’s only in it for like half a book.
Again, Percabeth in this book. Ugh, they are flawless to me.
Percy and Thalia’s fight made me laugh, and I finally got to the dam jokes. That was the other thing I knew about the series, and I was so confused at first. This is my second favorite book in the series.
“The Battle of the Labyrinth”
Basic, I know, but this is my favorite book. As soon as I put down The Titan’s Curse, I picked up The Battle of the Labyrinth. I read both books in the same day. I spent hours reading, but I couldn’t stop. This book made me want to pull my hair out because, like, what do you mean ‘Annabeth kissed me, but she doesn’t like me like that’? I was actually screaming at the book! Goes to Ogygia for two weeks and then goes and brings Rachel into the Labyrinth… (Guys, I did not like her until Heroes of Olympus, sorry). Annabeth, I feel you, girl.
Anyways, Tyson is back (yay!!) I missed him. We got Grover’s story pretty much wrapped up too. For me, this book was a good balance of action, story progression, and relationship-building between all the characters. And we got the battle at Camp Half-Blood at the end, which I was not expecting. In Harry Potter, there were no big battles until The Deathly Hallows, so that is what I was waiting for. But, I was pleasantly surprised.
“the last olympian”
The day after I finished The Battle of the Labyrinth, I read The Last Olympian in one sitting AGAIN. I just needed to finish it. This book had me throwing it at the ground. From Silena, Clarisse, and Beckondorf to Percy, Rachel, and Annabeth, I didn’t know what to do. Literally had to put it down for a second after the ‘Clarisse’s eyes weren’t blue’ part. Nico and Sally absolutely slayed in this book. Icons forever.
I was so shocked when Luke was the hero in the prophecy, and then I was shocked again when Rachel became the Oracle. It was a jaw-dropping book, let me tell you; my mouth was barely closed.
When Percy turned down being a god for Annabeth, like, oh my gods. They are perfect. I have literally never been this invested in a fictional couple before. None of the pairings in Harry Potter did it for me the way Percy and Annabeth do.
After finishing the series, I hopped on Amazon and ordered the Heroes of Olympus right away. I needed more. I still have to finish The Blood of Olympus, but we are getting there (Frank Zhang is my fave). In conclusion, even as an adult, the Percy Jackson books are entertaining and a great read. I recommend everyone read them at least once in their life.