Book 1 of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians Series
Percy Jackson is your average 12 year old with ADHD and dyslexia. His best friend is a boy called Grover who has mobility issues. When they’re on a school excursion to a museum, one of their teachers turns into a monster that tries to kill Percy.
After this, Percy’s life changes: he learns he’s not just an average kid, he is in fact a demi-god, a half-blood and his life is going to be filled with monsters. Grover is a satyr (a mythological creature that is half-man and half-goat) and he’s not just Percy’s best friend, he’s also his protector. To keep Percy safe, they go to Half-Blood Camp where other demi-gods spend their summer (and some like Annabeth, daughter of Athena, live there year round). On the way to camp, Percy’s mum Sally is killed by the minotaur.
Percy learns that his father is Poseidon, the god of the sea, and one of the big three. The big three had a pact since WW2 not to have any affairs with mortal women and to have offspring by them. Thus far, only Zeus broke that pact when he fathered Thalia. Thalia died on the way to camp and was transformed into the tree that shields the camp from the outside world.
When Zeus accuses Percy of stealing his lightning bolt and gives his until the summer solstice to return it, Annabeth, Grover and Percy go on a quest to find the lightning bolt. Annabeth and Percy think that Hades, the god of the underworld, may be involved in the theft, so they travel to the underworld where they learn that Hades is not behind it, and that someone has stolen Hades’ helmet. Again, Percy is accused of stealing something he didn’t take.
Can the three friends find Zeus’ lightning bolt and Hades’ helmet, and save Percy’s mother Sally’s life?
I think these books are fabulous! Percy is a likeable character and I love Greek mythology so this mash up of the current day timeline with the ancient Greek monsters and gods. Excellent!
Read for the ShelfReflection Reading Challenge 2026
Prompt 24: A book with a storm
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
