Books Jack Reads

12 year-old Percy Jackson thinks he's just an ordinary kid. That is until he vaporises his maths teacher with a sword during a school trip and discovers that his friend Grover is half-goat. From then on, his whole life changes. Percy soon finds out that he is the son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea.

 

After he gets sent away to Camp Half-Blood, a special training camp for other children of the gods, Percy, along with Grover and Annabeth (daughter of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom) are soon sent on a dangerous quest to the Underworld. The master lightning bolt of Zeus, Greek god of the sky, has been stolen, and if Percy doesn't find the bolt soon, it may trigger a war between the gods that could end the world.

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If you're into fantasy novels like Harry Potter, you'll enjoy this story. Rick Riordan's written a whole series of books about Percy and his mythological adventures, but this one is the first. Even if you don't know much about Greek gods or myths beforehand, you will after reading this.

 

All the gods have been modernised (Poseidon for example, is dressed like someone out on the beach, with shorts and a shirt with parrots and coconuts on it), as well as heaps of Greek monsters that Percy has to battle in his quest, like the Minotaur (who is half man, half bull), and Medusa (who has snakes for hair and can turn anyone who looks at her to stone).

 

There are also plenty of funny moments packed into the story as well, like when Percy uses his water-controlling powers to blast water out of all the camp toilets.

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Overall, this is an exciting adventure story, perfect for fans of Harry Potter and a great introduction to the world of Greek myths.