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{{Short description|2005 novel by Rick Riordan}}
{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox Book | <!-- See ] or ] -->
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
| name = The Lightning Thief
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
| image = ]
{{Infobox book
| author = ]
| name = The Lightning Thief
| illustrator = John Rocco
| country = United States | image = The Lightning Thief cover.jpg
| image_alt =
| language = English
| caption = First edition cover
| series = '']''
| genre = ] | author = ]
| cover_artist = Peter Bollinger <br/>] (later edition matching the sequels)
| publisher = ]
| pub_date = June 28, 2005 | country = ]
| series = '']'' (book 1)
| english_pub_date =
| genre =
| media_type = Print (], ]), audiobook CD
], ], ] ]
| pages = 375
| publisher = ]<ref name="Kidsreads Review"/><br />], ]
| isbn = 0786856297
| pub_date = July 1, 2005 (hardcover) <br/> April 1, 2006 (paperback)<ref name="Lightning Thief">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/lightningthiefpe00rick_0 | title=The Lightning Thief | publisher=] | author=Riordan, Rick | year=2006 | location=New York, NY | isbn=0-7868-3865-5 | url-access=registration }}</ref>
| oclc = 60786141
| media_type = Print (]), audiobook CD
| followed_by = ]
| pages = 377<ref name=LCC>{{cite book|url=http://lccn.loc.gov/2005299400|title=The lightning thief|date=June 14, 2005 |format=first edition|publisher=LC Online Catalog. Library of Congress (lccn.loc.gov)|isbn=9780786856299 |oclc=60786141 |accessdate=November 5, 2015}}</ref>
| congress = PZ7.R4829 Li 2005<ref name=LCC/>
| isbn = 0-7868-5629-7 <!-- <ref name=LCC/> -->
| oclc = 60786141
| followed_by = ]<ref name="Series Awards"/>
}} }}
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'''''The Lightning Thief''''' is a 2005 ]/] based around ] and is the first children's book written by ]. It is the first book in the '']'' series, and chronicles the adventures of the ] ], who is the son of a mortal woman and the Greek god Poseidon. Percy and his friends go on a quest to stop an ] war between the Greek gods ], ] and ]. The story contains a multitude of encounters with characters from Greek mythology still alive in modern times.


'''''The Lightning Thief''''' is a 2005 American ]-] based on ], the first children's novel by ]. The opening installment in the series '']'', the book was recognized among the year's best for children. Riordan followed the novel with various books and spin-off series, spawning the '']'' media franchise.
The book is commonly classified as ], written in a playful style while also trying to be faithful to the original myths.


A ] was theatrically released in the United States on February 12, 2010. The ] series '']'' adapted ''The Lightning Thief'' in its first season, which ran from December 19, 2023 to January 30, 2024.
Riordan finished writing his manuscript in 1994. ''The Lightning Thief'' was initially accepted by ] in 1997 and later sold in an auction to ] in 2004. The book received critical acclaim winning multiple awards. Since its release on July 28, 2005, the book has sold over 1.2 million copies. It was listed as one of the ]'s Best Book for Young Adults in 2006. On April 8, 2007, ''The Lightning Thief'' was ranked 9th on the ] for children's books.


==Plot== ==Plot==
<!-- Please do not add needless trivia or intricate detail in the plot summary. Try and keep the synopsis under 700 words. -->
===Plot summary===
Percy Jackson is a twelve year old boy, diagnosed with ] and ]. Because of this and other strange things he doesn't know the truth about, he has been kicked out of every school he has attended and tends to get in trouble with the law frequently. While on a trip to a local beach cabin with his mother, his friend Grover is revealed to be a ] and urgently tells Percy's mother that he must go to camp. As they are driving, their car is struck by lightning, and they are attacked by a ]. The minotaur grabs Percy's mother, who dissolves into a gold shower of light, and then comes for Grover and Percy, who narrowly escape. Percy wakes up later in a cabin while being fed ], the food of the gods, by a demigod named Annabeth Chase. He later finds out that he has arrived in Camp Half Blood, a secretive training ground and year-round camp for "half bloods" (demigods, children of unions between mortals and the ]). Half bloods seem to have ADHD because they have inborn battle reflexes, and dyslexia because their brains are ]d to read in ].


] is a twelve-year-old boy with ] and ] living in ]. While on a school trip to the ], one of the chaperones, Mrs. Dodds, turns into a ] and attacks him. Percy's favorite teacher, Mr. Brunner, later revealed as ], lends Percy a magical sword-pen to defeat her. After the school year ends, Percy's mother, Sally, takes him to ]. Percy's friend from school, ], reveals himself as a ] and warns of danger. At a ], Sally is attacked by the ] and disappears in a flash of light. Percy kills the beast with one of its own horns. He learns that the camp is called ] and that he is a ]: the son of a human and a ]. He settles into camp life and meets several other demigods, including ] and ]. After a ] attacks him during a game of Capture the Flag, he is saved by Chiron and then claimed by his father, the god ]. Chiron explains to Percy how the three eldest male gods—Poseidon, ], and ]—swore an oath not to have children; Percy's birth was a violation of the oath. He is the second violation of the oath, as the first was ].
After he is introduced to the camp, Percy is moved into the cabin of ] (which takes all newcomers until their Olympians parent claims them) under the care of Luke, the cabin's counselor and a son of Hermes. During a ] game, Percy is attacked by the children of Ares for making a fool of Clarisse. He heals when he steps into a river behind him, and is revealed as the son of ] when Poseidon's trident appears above his head. Poseidon had broken an oath taken with ] and ] after ] that they would not have any more demigod children because they had the potential become too powerful. Percy then is granted a quest, to find Zeus' master bolt. Although Chiron believes that the thief is Hades, Zeus who has found out that Poseidon has broken his oath, believes Poseidon had Percy steal his master bolt. Percy has ten days to find it before the summer solstice, accompanied by two friends, Annabeth and Grover. Luke gives him winged shoes for the trip, but Percy lets Grover wear them instead.


Percy is sent on a quest to locate Zeus's lightning bolt. Annabeth and Grover accompany him to the realm of Hades, who is believed to be the most likely culprit. Percy brings Chiron's magic sword, Anaklusmos, and Luke's flying sneakers. The trio travels to ] to visit Hades. Along the way, they are attacked by the Furies, ], ], and the ]. They perform a favor for the god ], who gives them a backpack full of supplies and safe transportation to ], where they are stalled by the ]. Percy learns more about his companions, his powers, and the world of the Greek gods. In Hades's realm, Grover is nearly dragged into ] by Luke's flying shoes. The battered group finally meets Hades, who reveals that his ] has also been mysteriously stolen and accuses Percy of stealing it. Hades threatens to kill Percy's mother, Sally, and unleash a ] unless his helm is returned. When Percy finds the missing master bolt inside Ares's backpack, the group realizes they've all been manipulated by Ares. After they narrowly escape the ], Percy meets Ares again on the beach and challenges him to a duel. After a long and tough fight, Percy wins, and he gives the Helm of Darkness to the Furies. Hades realizes that Percy is not the thief of the helm nor the master bolt and returns Sally home.
They decide to reach the entrance to the ], now in Los Angeles. As they travel west, they encounter ] on the New Jersey interstate, the ] in the ], a hotel in Las Vegas that slows down time, and other monsters, as well as the god of war, ], who tells him that his mother isn't dead. As they approach the pit of ], the winged shoes try to pull Grover into it, but he manages to slip his hooves free. Percy then confronts Hades. Hades also believes Percy stole the Master Bolt as well as his ], and Percy discovers that the master bolt is indeed in his backpack. He finds out that Ares had tricked him and Percy gets out of the Underworld, being forced to leave his mother. On the shore he fights Ares and wins by hurting the god's heel. Ares gives Percy the Helm of Darkness which he gives back to Hades.


Percy takes the master bolt back to Zeus on ] and also meets his father, Poseidon, there. Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood as a hero and enjoys the rest of his summer. On the last day of camp, however, he goes into the woods with Luke, who reveals himself as the real thief of Hades's Helm and Zeus's bolt, following ] orders. Kronos had manipulated the power-hungry Ares into taking part in the scheme. Luke explains his beliefs that the gods are too irresponsible and are poor leaders who need to be overthrown. He offers Percy the chance to join him, and when Percy refuses, Luke tries to kill him with a ]. Percy is stung and faints. When he wakes up, he is given the choice of staying in camp or going home for the school year. He decides to spend the school year with his mother. Grover and Annabeth also leave the camp.<ref name="Kidsreads Review">{{cite web | url=http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/0786838655.asp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904172750/http://www.kidsreads.com:80/reviews/0786838655.asp | archive-date=2009-09-04 | url-status=dead | title=The Lightning Thief Review | publisher=Kidsreads | date=May 21, 2006 | access-date=September 1, 2009 | author=Oksner, Robert}}</ref><ref name="Reviews List">{{cite web | url=http://www.rickriordan.com/Lightning_Thief_Reviews.htm | title=Reviews for The Lightning Thief | publisher=Hyperion-Books, Rick Riordan | access-date=May 21, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420182407/http://www.rickriordan.com/Lightning_Thief_Reviews.htm | archive-date=April 20, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Thunder Child Review">{{cite web | url=http://thethunderchild.com/Reviews/Books/Childrens/Thomason/June/LightningThief.html | title=The Lightning Thief Review | publisher=Thunder Child | access-date=September 1, 2009 | author=Thomason, Kathy}}</ref>
In spite of being a son of Poseidon and having angered Zeus, Percy takes a flight to reach New York City to give the master bolt to Zeus at the ] atop which Olympus is now located. Zeus accepts the master bolt, but not before warning Percy he may never enter the sky again. When Percy returns to camp he meets with Luke, who suddenly attacks. Luke reveals that he stole the master bolt for ]. Luke then calls out a poisonous scorpion and leaves, meanwhile Percy is stung and nearly dies. However, Chiron saves him and at the end of summer, Percy decides to attend another school found by his mother, although he's sure he'll be kicked out.

===Major Characters===
* ''']'''&nbsp;– The protagonist; a twelve year old boy who has ADHD and is dyslexic. Percy soon discovers that he is the son of Greek god Poseidon and discovers that his disabilities are natural for demigods. Soon he is forced on an adventure to find Zeus's master bolt to prevent a disastrous war among the gods.
* ''']'''&nbsp;– A twelve year old daughter of the god ]. Annabeth was brought to Camp-Half-Blood by ] and ]. She helps nurse Percy after he is attacked by a Minotaur. She also accompanies Percy on his quest for Zeus's master bolt.
* ''']'''&nbsp;– A ] initially under-cover as a disabled boy and Percy's best friend. He ends up being a recruiter for Camp Half-Blood. He leads Percy to the Camp after his mother is killed and accompanies him on his journey to find Zeus's master bolt.
* ''']'''&nbsp;– The leader of the Hermes cabin at Camp Half-Blood. He is responsible for Annabeth arriving at Camp-Half-Blood and helps to train Percy in the art of battle. However, at the end of the book, he betrays Percy and leaves him half dead; revealing that he works for the Titan Kronos.


==Development and publication== ==Development and publication==
Development for ''The Lightning Thief'' began when author Rick Riordan made up stories for his son Haley, who had been diagnosed with ] and ]. His son had been studying ] in ] and asked that his father come up with ] based on Greek myths.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2009-04-22 |title=Talking with Rick Riordan |url=https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/resources/riordan |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=About ALA |language=en}}</ref> Riordan had been a Greek mythology teacher in middle school for many years and was able to remember enough stories to please his son. Soon Riordan ran out of myths and his son requested that Riordan make new ones using the characters from Greek myths with a new twist. Riordan created the fictional character Percy Jackson and his travels across the United States to recover Zeus' lightning bolt. In his new story, Riordan made ADHD and dyslexia part of a demigod's powers—respectively, heightened battle reflexes and a brain wired to read ] rather than English. After Riordan finished telling the story his son asked that his dad write a book based on Percy's adventures, and he did.
]'s Bob Minzesheimer.<ref name="USA Interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-01-18-bchat-riordan_x.htm|title='Lightning' strikes with young readers|last=Minzesheimer|first=Bob|date=January 18, 2006|publisher=USA Today|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref>]]
Development for both ''The Lightning Thief'' and the Percy Jackson series as a whole when Riordan first began making stories for his son Haley who had just recently been diagnosed with ] and ]. His son had been studying ] in ] and requested that his father come up with bedtimes stories based on Greek myths. Riordan had been a Greek mythology teacher in middle school for many years and was able to remember up with enough stories to please his son. Soon Riordan ran out of myths and his son then requested that he make new ones using the same characters from Greek myths and add new ones. Thus, Riordan created the fictional character ] and made the story of how he would travel across The United States to recover Zeus's lightning bolt. After he finished telling the story to his son, he then requested that his dad write a book based on Percy's adventures.<ref name="Percy Jackson idea">{{cite web|url=http://www.rickriordan.com/index.php/about-the-author/an-interview-with-rick-riordan/where-did-you-get-the-idea-for-percy-jackson/|title=Where did you get the idea for Percy Jackson?|last=Riordan|first=Rick|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-17}}</ref>


In June, 1994, Riordan had completed his manuscript and began looking for agents. During that time, he visited multiple local colleges looking for good editors until he eventually found an agent.<ref name="Getting Published">{{cite web|url=http://www.rickriordan.com/index.php/about-the-author/an-interview-with-rick-riordan/what-was-your-experience-getting-published/|title=What was your experience getting published?|last=Riordan|first=Rick|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-17}}</ref> While he left his manuscript to his agent and editor to review, Riordan took his book to a selected group of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to read and give their critique. Ultimately he gained their approval, and with their help came up with the name of the book and created the way Percy's sword worked.<ref name="Children Before Review">{{cite web|url=http://www.rickriordan.com/index.php/about-the-author/an-interview-with-rick-riordan/did-you-share-the-percy-jackson-novel-with-any-of-your-students/|title=Did you share the Percy Jackson novel with any of your students before it was published?|last=Riordan|first=Rick|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-17}}</ref> In June 1997, Riordan signed with ] to prepare the book for publishing.<ref name="Getting Published" /> In 2004, the book was sold to ] for enough money for Riordan to quit his job to focus on writing.<ref name="Riordan Auction">{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/books/02rior.html?scp=7&sq=The%20Lightning%20Thief&st=cse|title=Author of Book Series Sends Kids on a Web Treasure Hunt|last=Rich|first=Motho|date=September 1, 2008|publisher=]|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-17}}</ref> Eventually, the book was released July 28, 2005 and sold over 1.2 million copies overtime. The book was released in multiple versions including hardcover, soft-cover and audio additions. Over time, the book has been translated into over 34 languages and released all over the world.<ref name="Published Information">{{cite web|url=http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/features/arts/offthepage/blog/2009/05/rick_riordan_percy_jackson_vs_1.html|title=Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson vs. Harry Potter|last=Mabe|first=Chauncey|date=May 14, 2009|publisher=]|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-18}}</ref> While he gave his manuscript to his agent and editor to review, Riordan took his book to a group of middle schoolers to critique. With their help, he came up with the name of the book and invented Percy's magic sword.<ref name="Riordan Interview">{{cite web | url=http://www.rickriordan.com/about/an-interview-with-rick | title=An Interview with Rick | publisher=Disney-Hyperion | work=rickriordan.com | access-date=July 25, 2015 | author=Riordan, Rick}}</ref> Riordan first sent out the manuscript for ''The Lightning Thief'' under a pseudonym, as he did not want to rely on anyone in the publishing industry, who would have known him through his ].<ref name="Riordan Blog">{{cite web | url=http://rickriordan.com/2013/12/if-only-i-had-connections/ | title=If Only I Had Connections . . . | publisher=Disney-Hyperion | work=rickriordan.com | access-date=November 12, 2016 | author=Riordan, Rick | date=December 8, 2013 | archive-date=June 11, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611020300/http://rickriordan.com/2013/12/if-only-i-had-connections/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> After many rejections, an agent picked up the manuscript as she liked its premise. In 2004 the book was sold to ] for enough money that Riordan could quit his job to focus on writing.<ref name="Web Treaure Hunt">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/books/02rior.html?_r=0 | title=Author of Book Series Sends Kids on a Web Treasure Hunt | work=The New York Times | date=September 1, 2008 | access-date=July 25, 2015 | author=Rich, Motoko | location=New York, NY}}</ref> The book has since been released in multiple versions (including hardcover, paperback, and audio editions)<ref name="J. Bernstein">{{cite web | url=http://www.jessebernstein.tv/ | title=Jesse Bernstein's Work | access-date=July 25, 2015 | archive-date=March 9, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309030059/http://www.jessebernstein.tv/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> and has been translated and published all over the world.<ref name="Sun Sentinel Interview">{{cite news | url=http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/features/arts/offthepage/blog/2009/05/rick_riordan_percy_jackson_vs_1.html | title=Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson vs. Harry Potter | work=The Sun Sentinel | date=May 14, 2009 | access-date=July 25, 2015 | author=Mabe, Chauncey}}</ref> A deluxe version with illustration was released on January 30, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Connell |first=Samantha |date=2024-02-01 |title=This Deluxe Collector's Edition of 'The Lightning Thief' Will Cure Your Post-Disney+ Series Blues |url=https://thepopinsider.com/percy-jackson-the-lightning-thief-deluxe-collectors-edition-launch/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=The Pop Insider}}</ref>


==Style and Genre== ==Critical reception==
''The Lightning Thief'' received mostly positive reviews. The book has a rating of 4.25 out of 5 on Goodreads with over 1,900,000 reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28187.The_Lightning_Thief|title=The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)|website=Goodreads|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref> ] said, "There are two levels of fun in ''The Lightning Thief''. One is the fast-paced quest of a young hero and his friends to save the world..." and added, "Another level of fun here&nbsp;– laughing at the wicked ways the author has updated the gods and monsters for the 21st century".<ref name="Common Sense Review" /> However, it did criticize some aspects of the book, describing the prose as "choppy and attitude-filled" and complaining that "he characters aren't emotionally involving". Its overall rating was 4&nbsp;stars out of 5.<ref name="Common Sense Review">{{cite web | url=http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson.html | title=Review of The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book | publisher=Common Sense Media | access-date=July 25, 2015 | author=Berman, Matt| date=May 21, 2007 }}</ref> Numerous other reviews were more positive. ''The New York Times'' praised ''The Lightning Thief'' as "perfectly paced, with electrifying moments chasing each other like heartbeats".<ref name="New York Times Review">{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/books/review/13shulman.html | title=Harry Who? | publisher=The New York Times | work=Sunday Book Review | date=November 13, 2005 | access-date=July 25, 2015 | author=Shulman, Polly}}</ref> '']'' said in its starred review that the book was "n adventure-quest with a hip edge" and that "eaders will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move".<ref name="Reviews List"/> '']'' reviews said, "The sardonic tone of the narrator's voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty."<ref name=kirkus>{{cite web | url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rick-riordan/lightning-thief/ | title=Kirkus Reviews | publisher=Kirkus | date=July 15, 2005 | access-date=July 25, 2015}}</ref> ], author of ] called it "A fantastic blend of myth and modern".<ref>Bennett, Steve. "Monster Mania". ''San Antonio Express News'', February 12, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.</ref> Finally, '']'' also praised the book, regarding it as "swift and humorous" and added that the book would "leave many readers eager for the next installment."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-134460030/lightning-thief-brief-article.html|title=The Lightning Thief (Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)|website=Publishers Weekly|year=2005|accessdate=July 28, 2010}}</ref>
Reviewers have generally regarded ''The Lightning Thief'' as an adventure novel which revolves around the fictional topic of Greek gods in modern times.<ref name="Reviews List" /> Authors like ] as well as several other ] have called it a combination of ], ] and ].<ref name="Reviews List" /><ref name="Mrs. V">{{cite web|url=http://fc.ash.nl/~mvelthuizen/FOV2-0001C171/?Plugin=Blog&Documents=21-40&OpenArticleURL=S006EEE7C-006EF2AF|title=What's Mrs. V reading?|last=Velthizen|first=Michele|pages=1|language=English|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref> ] has called it ] in their review at ], a publication by Publishers Weekly.<ref name="Reviews List" />


On April 8, 2007, ''The Lightning Thief'' was ranked ninth on '']'' for children's books.<ref name="Apr '07 NYT Bestsellers List">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/books/bestseller/0408bestchildren.html | title=Children's Bestseller's List | work=The New York Times | date=April 8, 2007 | access-date=July 25, 2015 | location=New York, NY}}</ref> ''The Lightning Thief'' was the winner of the '']'' Best Book of 2005<ref name="School Library Journal">{{cite web | url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6286432.html?industryid=47054&q=Best+Books+of+2005 | title=Best Books 2005 | publisher=School Library Journal | date=January 12, 2005 | access-date=May 4, 2009 |author1=Trevelyn Jones |author2=Luann Toth |author3=Marlene Charnizon |author4=Daryl Grabarek |author5=Joy Fleishhacker |name-list-style=amp }}</ref> as well as one of the books in the '']'' Best of the Best Books List, 2005.<ref name="Series Awards">{{cite web | url=http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm | title=Series Awards | publisher=Rick Riordan | access-date=June 1, 2009 | author=Riordan, Rick | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508070628/http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm | archive-date=May 8, 2008}}</ref> It was also in the ] Top Shelf Fiction List<ref name="Series Awards" /> and was the winner of the Red House Children's Book Award Winner (UK), 2006;<ref name="Series Awards" /> Askews Torchlight Award (UK), 2006;<ref name="Series Awards" /> and the ] (Missouri Association of School Librarians), 2008.<ref name="Series Awards" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maslonline.org/awards/books/MarkTwain/CurWin.php |title=Mark Twain Award 2005-06 Winners |publisher=Missouri Association of School Librarians |date=April 23, 2006 |access-date=July 25, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921201915/http://www.maslonline.org/awards/books/MarkTwain/CurWin.php |archive-date=September 21, 2008 }}</ref> It was an '']'' Notable Book, 2006<ref name="YALSA">{{cite web |url= http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/annotations/06bbya.cfm |title=2006 Best Books for Young Adults with annotations |publisher=] |access-date=May 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402072100/http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/annotations/06bbya.cfm <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=April 2, 2009}}</ref> and a '']'' Notable Book (2005).<ref name="New York Times Notable Books">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/books/review/04notable-childrenbooks.html | title=Notable Books of 2005 | work=The New York Times | date=December 4, 2005 | access-date=May 19, 2009 | location=New York, NY}}</ref> It received the ] in 2008<ref>{{cite web|title=YRCA Past Winners|url=http://www.pnla.org/yrca/pastwinners.htm|publisher=Pacific Northwest Library Association|access-date=February 3, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029043911/http://www.pnla.org/yrca/pastwinners.htm|archive-date=October 29, 2012}}</ref> and the ] in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcyrba.org/previouswinners.htm|title=Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award winners|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727202955/http://www.rcyrba.org/previouswinners.htm|archivedate=July 27, 2011|accessdate=February 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Riordan|first=Rick|title=2009 Rebecca Caudill Award – Acceptance Letter from Rick Riordan|url=http://www.rcyrba.org/pdf/RickRiordan.pdf|publisher=Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award|access-date=January 21, 2012|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213755/http://www.rcyrba.org/pdf/RickRiordan.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Scholastic Parent & Child'' magazine also included the novel within its 100 "Greatest Books for Kids."<ref name="USA Today Greatest Kids' Books">{{cite web | url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/story/2012-02-14/100-greatest-books-for-kids/53095042/1 | title=The 100 'Greatest Books for Kids' | publisher=USA Today | date=February 15, 2012 | access-date=April 13, 2012}}</ref> When asked about the various awards, Rick Riordan said: "The ultimate compliment for a children's writer is when the kids like it."<ref name="USA Interview">{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-01-18-bchat-riordan_x.htm | title='Lightning' strikes with young readers | work=USA Today Books | date=January 18, 2006 | access-date=May 26, 2009 | author=Minzesheimer, Bob | publisher=USA Today}}</ref>
==Reception==
===Reviews===
''The Lightning Thief'' received mostly positive reviews. ''Common Sense Media'' said "...there are two levels of fun in ''The Lightning Thief''. One is the fast-paced quest of a young hero and his friends to save the world" and added "another level of fun here&nbsp;– laughing at the wicked ways the author has updated the gods and monsters for the 21st century".<ref name="commonsense" /> It also regarded the prose as "choppy, attitude-filled".<ref name="commonsense" /> However, it was slightly critical of the book and said that "The characters aren't emotionally involving", and gave it an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5.<ref name="commonsense">{{cite web|url=http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson.html|title=The Lightning Thief - Book Review|work=Matt Berman|publisher=]|pages=1|language=English|accessdate=2009-05-20}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' praised ''The Lightning Thief'' as "perfectly paced, with electrifying moments chasing each other like heartbeats".<ref name="NYT Review">{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/books/review/13shulman.html|title=Harry Who?|last=Shullman|first=Polly|date=November 13, 2005|publisher=] |work=The New York Times|pages=2|accessdate=2009-05-04}}</ref> ] said in its starred review that the book was "An adventure-quest with a hip edge." and that "Readers will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move".<ref name="Reviews List" /> ] praised the book and said, "Packed with humorous allusions to Greek mythology and clever updates of the old stories, along with rip-snorting action sequences, the book really shines in the depiction of Percy&nbsp;– wry, impatient, academically hopeless, with a cut-to-the-chase bluntness one would wish for in a hero of old."<ref name="Reviews List" /> Eoin Colfer, author of ] called it "A fantastic blend of myth and modern".<ref name="Reviews List" /> Publishers Weekly also praised the book, regarding it as "swift and humorous"<ref name="Reviews List" /> and added that the book would "leave many readers eager for the next installment"<ref name="Reviews List" /> On April 8, 2007, ''The Lightning Thief'' was ranked 9th on the ] for children's books.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/books/bestseller/0408bestchildren.html?scp=8&sq=The%20Lightning%20thief&st=cse|title=Children’s Books |date=April 8, 2007|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2009-05-19}}</ref>

===Honors===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Honor !! Year
|-
|'']'' Best Book
|2005<ref name="Best Books 2005 SLJ">{{cite web|url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6286432.html?industryid=47054&q=Best+Books+of+2005|title=Best Books 2005|coauthors=Trevelyn Jones, Luann Toth, Marlene Charnizon, Daryl Grabarek, and Joy Fleishhacker|date=12/1/2005|publisher='']''|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-04}}</ref>
|-
|'']'' Notable Book
|2005<ref name="NYT Notable">{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/books/review/04notable-childrenbooks.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=The%20Lightning%20Thief%20notable%20book&st=cse|title=Notable Books of 2005|date=December 4, 2005|publisher=The New York Times|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-19}}</ref>
|-
|'']'' Best of the Best Book List
|2005<ref name="Series Awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm|title=Percy Jackson and the Olympians|last=Riordan|first=Rick|publisher=Rick Riordan|pages=1|accessdate=2009-06-01}}</ref>
|-
|VOYA Top Shelf Fiction List
|2005<ref name="Series Awards" />
|-
|'']'' Notable Book
|2006<ref name="ALA Honor">{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2006/februray/alsc06notablebooks.cfm|title=2006 Notable Children's Books announced|date=February 6, 2006|publisher=]|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-19}}</ref>
|-
|] Best Book for Young Adults
|2006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/annotations/06bbya.cfm|title=2006 Best Books for Young Adults with annotations|publisher=]|accessdate=2009-05-19}}</ref>
|-
|Red House Children's Book Award Winner (UK)
|2006<ref name="Series Awards" />
|-
|Notable Children's Book, National Council for Teachers of English
|2006<ref name="Series Awards" />
|-
|Askews Torchlight Award (UK)
|2006<ref name="Series Awards" />
|-
|Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice Award
|2006<ref name="Series Awards" />
|-
|] (Missouri Association of School Librarians)
|2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maslonline.org/awards/books/MarkTwain/CurWin.php |title=Mark Twain Award 2007-08 Winners|publisher=Missouri Association of School Librarians|accessdate=2009-05-27}}</ref>
|}


==Adaptations== ==Adaptations==

]
===Film adaptation=== ===Film adaptation===
{{main|Percy Jackson (film)}} {{Main|Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief}}

In June 2004, ] acquired feature film rights to the book.<ref>{{cite news|author=Claude Brodesser| url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117906944.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1|title='Lightning Thief' strikes Maverick| work=]|date=2004-06-23|accessdate=2007-04-18}}</ref> In April 2007, director ] was hired to helm the project. It is also confirmed that ] has been cast as Percy Jackson and ] as Grover Underwood, the satyr. ] will be playing Annabeth while ] has been cast as Luke Castellan. ] will be playing Chiron.<ref name="The Lightning Thief Cast">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814255/|title=Percy Jackson (2010)|publisher=]|accessdate=2009-05-08}}</ref> The film is scheduled for release in the United States on February 12, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rickriordan.com/index.php/contact/|title=Contact Information|author=Rick Riordan|accessdate=2009-02-06}}</ref>
In June 2004, ] acquired the feature film rights to the book.<ref name="Lightning Thief strikes Maverick">{{cite news |author=Brodesser, Claude |first=Linka |date=June 23, 2004 |title='Lightning Thief' strikes Maverick ok |url=https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/lightning-thief-strikes-maverick-1117906944/ |access-date=April 18, 2007 |work=Variety.com}}</ref> In April 2007, director ] was hired to helm the project. The film, titled ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'', was released in the United States on February 12, 2010, and stars ] as Percy Jackson, ] as Annabeth Chase, ] as Grover, and ] as Chiron. The film received mixed reviews from critics upon release and grossed $226 million at the worldwide box office.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.rickriordan.com/index.php/contact/ |title=Contact Information |author=Rick Riordan |access-date=February 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124130133/http://www.rickriordan.com/index.php/contact/ <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> Riordan criticized the movie for significantly altering the book's story, attempting to appeal to an older audience at the expense of the book's younger target demographic, making changes that would create problems for possible sequel films, and generally being poorly written.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/percy-jackson-author-rick-riordin-emails-trashing-film-script-1202022110/ |title='Percy Jackson' Author Warned Producers About Terrible Script in Scathing Emails |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=November 19, 2018 |website=IndieWire |access-date=May 14, 2020}}</ref> A sequel, '']'', was released in 2013.


===Audiobook=== ===Audiobook===
On June 28, 2005, a 10-hour and 25 minute audio book version, read by actor Jesse Bernstein, was published worldwide by ].<ref name="J. Bernstein"/><ref name="AudioFile review" />
On ], ], a 10 hour 25 minute audio book version of ''The Lightning Thief'' was published worldwide by ] and read by ].<ref name="AudioFile review" /> The audio book itself was praised as well as Bernstein's take on the characters voice's were praised in multiple reviews. ] in a starred review said "The narrator’s voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty".<ref name="Reviews List">{{cite web|url=http://www.rickriordan.com/Lightning_Thief_Reviews.htm|title=Reviews for The Lightning Thief|publisher=RickRiodran.com|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-21}}</ref> '']'' praised the audio book raving "Adults and children alike will be spellbound as they listen to this deeply imaginative tale unfold."<ref name="AudioFile review">{{cite web|url=http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/dbsearch/showreview.cfm?Num=23361|title=The Lightning Thief|last=Bernstien|first=Jesse|date=2005|work=]|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-04}}</ref> ''School Library Journal'' both praised and criticized the audio book saying "Although some of Jesse Bernstein's accents fail (the monster from Georgia, for instance, has no Southern trace in her voice), he does a fine job of keeping the main character's tones and accents distinguishable".<ref name="SLJ Audio">{{cite web|url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA446421.html?q=The+Lightning+Thief+Audio+Book|title=Audio Reviews: October, 2005|date=October 1, 2005|publisher=School Library Journal|pages=1|accessdate=2009-05-25}}</ref>


'']'' magazine said, "the narrator's voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty".<ref name="Reviews List" /> '']'' praised the audiobook, "adults and children alike will be spellbound as they listen to this deeply imaginative tale unfold."<ref name="AudioFile review">{{cite web | url=http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/dbsearch/showreview.cfm?Num=23361 | title=The Lightning Thief (audiobook) | publisher=AufioFile Magazine | access-date=May 4, 2009 | author=Bernstien, Jesse | year=2005 | page=1}}</ref> ''School Library Journal'' both praised and criticized the audio book saying "Although some of Jesse Bernstein's accents fail (the monster from Georgia, for instance, has no Southern trace in her voice), he does a fine job of keeping the main character's tones and accents distinguishable".<ref name="School Library Journal Review(2)">{{cite web | url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA446421.html?q=The+Lightning+Thief+Audio+Book | title=Audio Reviews: October, 2005 | publisher=School Library Journal | work=School Library Journal Audio Reviews | date=October 1, 2005 | access-date=May 25, 2009}}</ref>
==References==

{{Reflist}}
===Graphic novel===
''The Lightning Thief'' was published as a graphic novel on October 12, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 18, 2016|title=The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel {{!}} Rick Riordan|url=https://rickriordan.com/book/the-lightning-thief-the-graphic-novel/|access-date=November 4, 2021|language=en-US}}</ref> It consists of 128 pages with cover art by Attila Futaki and Jose Villarrubia.

===Musical===
{{main|The Lightning Thief (musical)}}

A one-hour musical aimed at young audiences was planned to hit the road on a nationwide tour in September 2014 following a stint in New York City in 2014.<ref name="Stage Musical">{{cite web | url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/07/15/how-rick-riordans-percy-jackson-books-became-a-stage-musical | title=How Rick Riordan's 'The Lightning Thief' became a stage musical | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | work=PopWatch | date=July 15, 2014 | access-date=July 15, 2014 | archive-date=October 22, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022100336/http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/07/15/how-rick-riordans-percy-jackson-books-became-a-stage-musical/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> A two-hour version of the musical previewed ] on March 23, 2017, at the ]. It officially opened on April 4, 2017, and ran until May 6 of the same year.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Vine|first1=Hannah|title=First Look at ''The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical''|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/first-look-at-the-lightning-thief-the-percy-jackson-musical|website=Playbill|access-date=April 1, 2018}}</ref> On June 20, a cast recording was released on the Broadway Records label.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.broadway.com/buzz/188351/chris-mccarrell-cast-of-the-lightning-thief-musical-to-rock-out-on-cast-album/ |title=Chris McCarrell & Cast of the ''Lightning Thief'' Musical to Rock Out on Cast Album |date=April 21, 2017 |website=Broadway.com |access-date=April 21, 2017 }}</ref> In August 2017, it was announced that the two-hour long production would be going on a national tour beginning in the fall of 2018.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Clement|first1=Olivia|title=''The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical'' Is Heading on Tour|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/the-lightning-thief-the-percy-jackson-musical-is-heading-on-tour|website=Playbill|access-date=April 1, 2018}}</ref> In 2019 it was announced that the production would make its Broadway debut at the ], running from September 2019 until January 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Van Syckle |first1=Katie |title='The Lightning Thief' to Open on Broadway in September |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/theater/the-lightning-thief-broadway.html?te=1&nl=theater-update&emc=edit_cu_20190814?campaign_id=28&instance_id=11636&segment_id=16149&user_id=0f9851c16397be2ca7c2dc06e366b383&regi_id=63305803 |access-date=August 19, 2019 |agency=The New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=August 12, 2019}}</ref>

===Television adaptation===
{{main|Percy Jackson and the Olympians (TV series)}}

On May 14, 2020, Riordan announced that there would be a live-action ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series made for ]. Unlike the earlier film adaptation, the series would follow the storyline of the books, and Riordan and his wife Becky would be involved in "every aspect of the show". The first season of the show would adapt the story of ''The Lightning Thief''.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=rickriordan |number=1261010163068272640 |date=May 14, 2020 |title=Hey Percy Jackson fans }}</ref> On July 13, 2021, Riordan announced ] and Dan Shotz as the show's showrunners,<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 13, 2021|title=Vroom, Vroom in the Writers' Room {{!}} Rick Riordan|url=https://rickriordan.com/2021/07/vroom-vroom-in-the-writers-room/|access-date=January 24, 2022|language=en-US|archive-date=July 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715012956/https://rickriordan.com/2021/07/vroom-vroom-in-the-writers-room/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and on January 25, 2022, the show was officially green-lit by Disney+.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Otterson|first1=Joe|date=January 25, 2022|title='Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Series Gets Greenlight at Disney Plus|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-series-disney-plus-1235162882/|access-date=January 26, 2022|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> On April 11, 2022, ] was announced to be playing Percy Jackson.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=April 11, 2022 |title='Percy Jackson' Disney Plus Series Casts 'Adam Project' Star Walker Scobell in Lead Role (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/percy-jackson-disney-plus-series-cast-walker-scobell-1235228353/ |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> In May 2022, ] and ] joined the cast, respectively playing Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood.<ref name="JeffriesSimhadri">{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=May 5, 2022 |title='Percy Jackson' Disney+ Series Casts 2 Key Roles |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/disney-plus-percy-jackson-series-casts-annabeth-grover-roles-1235141310/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505174104/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/disney-plus-percy-jackson-series-casts-annabeth-grover-roles-1235141310/ |archive-date=May 5, 2022 |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=]}}</ref> ] began on June 2, 2022, and concluded on February 2, 2023.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=June 2, 2022 |title='Percy Jackson' Disney+ Series Adds Five to Cast, Including Megan Mullally and Jason Mantzoukas (Exclusive) |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/percy-jackson-disney-plus-series-cast-megan-mullally-jason-mantzoukas-1235283550/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220603045432/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/percy-jackson-disney-plus-series-cast-megan-mullally-jason-mantzoukas-1235283550/ |archive-date=June 3, 2022 |access-date=June 2, 2022 |magazine=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Humphrey |first=Julia |date=February 2, 2023 |title='Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Wraps Filming |url=https://collider.com/percy-jackson-series-filming-wrap/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203032021/https://collider.com/percy-jackson-series-filming-wrap/ |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |access-date=February 3, 2023 |website=]}}</ref> ''Percy Jackson and the Olympians'' premiered on December 19, 2023, on Disney+, with the first season consisting of eight episodes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-premiere-early-1235846480/ |title='Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Hits Disney+ and Hulu One Day Early |last=Hailu|first=Selome|date= December 19, 2023 |website=] |access-date=December 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ridgely |first=Charlie |date=April 4, 2022 |title=Percy Jackson Creator Reveals Episode Count for New TV Series |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/percy-jackson-tv-series-season-1-episodes-disney-plus-rick-riordan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404061508/https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/percy-jackson-tv-series-season-1-episodes-disney-plus-rick-riordan/ |archive-date=April 4, 2022 |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=]}}</ref> The series received positive reviews from critics, who largely praised its faithfulness to the source material.<ref>{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|id=percy_jackson_and_the_olympians|title=Percy Jackson and the Olympians|type=tv|season=1|access-date=December 27, 2023|publisher_hide=y}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Sequels==
{{main|Percy Jackson & the Olympians#Books}}
''The Lightning Thief'' is followed by '']'', in which Percy and Annabeth rescue Grover, who has been taken by ] the ], and recover the ] to save the camp. They are accompanied in this mission by Percy's Cyclops half brother, ], and by Clarisse La Rue.

Like ''The Lightning Thief'', it won several prizes and received generally positive reviews as well.<ref name="Series Awards"/><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.maslonline.org/awards/books/MarkTwain/PrevWin.php |title=Mark Twain Award Previous Winners |publisher=Missouri Association of School Librarians |access-date=May 27, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080516032644/http://www.maslonline.org/awards/books/MarkTwain/PrevWin.php |archive-date = May 16, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Wands and Worlds">{{cite web | url=http://www.wandsandworlds.com/blog1/2006/10/book-review-sea-of-monsters.html | title=The Sea of Monsters Review | publisher=Wands and Worlds | access-date=September 1, 2009 | author=Ruth, Sheila | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029154919/http://www.wandsandworlds.com/blog1/2006/10/book-review-sea-of-monsters.html | archive-date=October 29, 2009 }}</ref> It sold over 100,000&nbsp;copies in paperback.<ref name="pb2">{{cite web |url= http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20070423/4057-son-of-poseidon-gaining-strength-.html |title=Son of Poseidon Gaining Strength |last=Nawotka|first=Edward |work=] |date=April 23, 2007 |access-date=September 1, 2009}}</ref> It was followed by ''], ],'' '']'' and ] as well as the series, ], '']'', and later, '']''.

== References ==
{{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{portal |Children's literature |Mythology |Speculative fiction}}
*
* at publisher Penguin Books (UK)
*
* at publisher Disney-Hyperion Books (US)
*
* {{isfdb name|32921|Rick Riordan}}


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Latest revision as of 01:50, 19 January 2025

2005 novel by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief
First edition cover
AuthorRick Riordan
Cover artistPeter Bollinger
John Rocco (later edition matching the sequels)
SeriesPercy Jackson & the Olympians (book 1)
GenreFantasy, Young adult, Greek mythology adventure
PublisherMiramax Books
Puffin Books, Disney-Hyperion
Publication dateJuly 1, 2005 (hardcover)
April 1, 2006 (paperback)
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover), audiobook CD
Pages377
ISBN0-7868-5629-7
OCLC60786141
LC ClassPZ7.R4829 Li 2005
Followed byThe Sea of Monsters 

The Lightning Thief is a 2005 American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first children's novel by Rick Riordan. The opening installment in the series Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the book was recognized among the year's best for children. Riordan followed the novel with various books and spin-off series, spawning the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles media franchise.

A film adaptation of the book was theatrically released in the United States on February 12, 2010. The Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians adapted The Lightning Thief in its first season, which ran from December 19, 2023 to January 30, 2024.

Plot

Percy Jackson is a twelve-year-old boy with dyslexia and ADHD living in New York City. While on a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the chaperones, Mrs. Dodds, turns into a Fury and attacks him. Percy's favorite teacher, Mr. Brunner, later revealed as Chiron, lends Percy a magical sword-pen to defeat her. After the school year ends, Percy's mother, Sally, takes him to Long Island. Percy's friend from school, Grover, reveals himself as a satyr and warns of danger. At a summer camp, Sally is attacked by the Minotaur and disappears in a flash of light. Percy kills the beast with one of its own horns. He learns that the camp is called Camp Half-Blood and that he is a demigod: the son of a human and a Greek god. He settles into camp life and meets several other demigods, including Luke and Annabeth. After a hellhound attacks him during a game of Capture the Flag, he is saved by Chiron and then claimed by his father, the god Poseidon. Chiron explains to Percy how the three eldest male gods—Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades—swore an oath not to have children; Percy's birth was a violation of the oath. He is the second violation of the oath, as the first was Thalia Grace.

Percy is sent on a quest to locate Zeus's lightning bolt. Annabeth and Grover accompany him to the realm of Hades, who is believed to be the most likely culprit. Percy brings Chiron's magic sword, Anaklusmos, and Luke's flying sneakers. The trio travels to Los Angeles to visit Hades. Along the way, they are attacked by the Furies, Medusa, Echidna, and the Chimera. They perform a favor for the god Ares, who gives them a backpack full of supplies and safe transportation to Nevada, where they are stalled by the Lotus-eaters. Percy learns more about his companions, his powers, and the world of the Greek gods. In Hades's realm, Grover is nearly dragged into Tartarus by Luke's flying shoes. The battered group finally meets Hades, who reveals that his Helm of Darkness has also been mysteriously stolen and accuses Percy of stealing it. Hades threatens to kill Percy's mother, Sally, and unleash a zombie apocalypse unless his helm is returned. When Percy finds the missing master bolt inside Ares's backpack, the group realizes they've all been manipulated by Ares. After they narrowly escape the Underworld, Percy meets Ares again on the beach and challenges him to a duel. After a long and tough fight, Percy wins, and he gives the Helm of Darkness to the Furies. Hades realizes that Percy is not the thief of the helm nor the master bolt and returns Sally home.

Percy takes the master bolt back to Zeus on Mount Olympus and also meets his father, Poseidon, there. Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood as a hero and enjoys the rest of his summer. On the last day of camp, however, he goes into the woods with Luke, who reveals himself as the real thief of Hades's Helm and Zeus's bolt, following Kronos's orders. Kronos had manipulated the power-hungry Ares into taking part in the scheme. Luke explains his beliefs that the gods are too irresponsible and are poor leaders who need to be overthrown. He offers Percy the chance to join him, and when Percy refuses, Luke tries to kill him with a scorpion. Percy is stung and faints. When he wakes up, he is given the choice of staying in camp or going home for the school year. He decides to spend the school year with his mother. Grover and Annabeth also leave the camp.

Development and publication

Development for The Lightning Thief began when author Rick Riordan made up stories for his son Haley, who had been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. His son had been studying Greek mythology in second grade and asked that his father come up with bedtime stories based on Greek myths. Riordan had been a Greek mythology teacher in middle school for many years and was able to remember enough stories to please his son. Soon Riordan ran out of myths and his son requested that Riordan make new ones using the characters from Greek myths with a new twist. Riordan created the fictional character Percy Jackson and his travels across the United States to recover Zeus' lightning bolt. In his new story, Riordan made ADHD and dyslexia part of a demigod's powers—respectively, heightened battle reflexes and a brain wired to read ancient Greek rather than English. After Riordan finished telling the story his son asked that his dad write a book based on Percy's adventures, and he did.

While he gave his manuscript to his agent and editor to review, Riordan took his book to a group of middle schoolers to critique. With their help, he came up with the name of the book and invented Percy's magic sword. Riordan first sent out the manuscript for The Lightning Thief under a pseudonym, as he did not want to rely on anyone in the publishing industry, who would have known him through his previous work. After many rejections, an agent picked up the manuscript as she liked its premise. In 2004 the book was sold to Miramax Books for enough money that Riordan could quit his job to focus on writing. The book has since been released in multiple versions (including hardcover, paperback, and audio editions) and has been translated and published all over the world. A deluxe version with illustration was released on January 30, 2024.

Critical reception

The Lightning Thief received mostly positive reviews. The book has a rating of 4.25 out of 5 on Goodreads with over 1,900,000 reviews. Common Sense Media said, "There are two levels of fun in The Lightning Thief. One is the fast-paced quest of a young hero and his friends to save the world..." and added, "Another level of fun here – laughing at the wicked ways the author has updated the gods and monsters for the 21st century". However, it did criticize some aspects of the book, describing the prose as "choppy and attitude-filled" and complaining that "he characters aren't emotionally involving". Its overall rating was 4 stars out of 5. Numerous other reviews were more positive. The New York Times praised The Lightning Thief as "perfectly paced, with electrifying moments chasing each other like heartbeats". School Library Journal said in its starred review that the book was "n adventure-quest with a hip edge" and that "eaders will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move". Kirkus Reviews reviews said, "The sardonic tone of the narrator's voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty." Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl called it "A fantastic blend of myth and modern". Finally, Publishers Weekly also praised the book, regarding it as "swift and humorous" and added that the book would "leave many readers eager for the next installment."

On April 8, 2007, The Lightning Thief was ranked ninth on The New York Times Best Seller list for children's books. The Lightning Thief was the winner of the School Library Journal Best Book of 2005 as well as one of the books in the Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books List, 2005. It was also in the VOYA Top Shelf Fiction List and was the winner of the Red House Children's Book Award Winner (UK), 2006; Askews Torchlight Award (UK), 2006; and the Mark Twain Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians), 2008. It was an American Library Association Notable Book, 2006 and a New York Times Notable Book (2005). It received the Young Reader's Choice Award in 2008 and the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award in 2009. Scholastic Parent & Child magazine also included the novel within its 100 "Greatest Books for Kids." When asked about the various awards, Rick Riordan said: "The ultimate compliment for a children's writer is when the kids like it."

Adaptations

Film adaptation

Main article: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

In June 2004, 20th Century Fox acquired the feature film rights to the book. In April 2007, director Chris Columbus was hired to helm the project. The film, titled Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, was released in the United States on February 12, 2010, and stars Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson, Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth Chase, Brandon T. Jackson as Grover, and Pierce Brosnan as Chiron. The film received mixed reviews from critics upon release and grossed $226 million at the worldwide box office. Riordan criticized the movie for significantly altering the book's story, attempting to appeal to an older audience at the expense of the book's younger target demographic, making changes that would create problems for possible sequel films, and generally being poorly written. A sequel, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, was released in 2013.

Audiobook

On June 28, 2005, a 10-hour and 25 minute audio book version, read by actor Jesse Bernstein, was published worldwide by Listening Library.

Kirkus Reviews magazine said, "the narrator's voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty". AudioFile Magazine praised the audiobook, "adults and children alike will be spellbound as they listen to this deeply imaginative tale unfold." School Library Journal both praised and criticized the audio book saying "Although some of Jesse Bernstein's accents fail (the monster from Georgia, for instance, has no Southern trace in her voice), he does a fine job of keeping the main character's tones and accents distinguishable".

Graphic novel

The Lightning Thief was published as a graphic novel on October 12, 2010. It consists of 128 pages with cover art by Attila Futaki and Jose Villarrubia.

Musical

Main article: The Lightning Thief (musical)

A one-hour musical aimed at young audiences was planned to hit the road on a nationwide tour in September 2014 following a stint in New York City in 2014. A two-hour version of the musical previewed Off-Broadway on March 23, 2017, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. It officially opened on April 4, 2017, and ran until May 6 of the same year. On June 20, a cast recording was released on the Broadway Records label. In August 2017, it was announced that the two-hour long production would be going on a national tour beginning in the fall of 2018. In 2019 it was announced that the production would make its Broadway debut at the Longacre Theatre, running from September 2019 until January 2020.

Television adaptation

Main article: Percy Jackson and the Olympians (TV series)

On May 14, 2020, Riordan announced that there would be a live-action Percy Jackson & the Olympians series made for Disney+. Unlike the earlier film adaptation, the series would follow the storyline of the books, and Riordan and his wife Becky would be involved in "every aspect of the show". The first season of the show would adapt the story of The Lightning Thief. On July 13, 2021, Riordan announced Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz as the show's showrunners, and on January 25, 2022, the show was officially green-lit by Disney+. On April 11, 2022, Walker Scobell was announced to be playing Percy Jackson. In May 2022, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri joined the cast, respectively playing Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood. Principal photography began on June 2, 2022, and concluded on February 2, 2023. Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered on December 19, 2023, on Disney+, with the first season consisting of eight episodes. The series received positive reviews from critics, who largely praised its faithfulness to the source material.

Sequels

Main article: Percy Jackson & the Olympians § Books

The Lightning Thief is followed by The Sea of Monsters, in which Percy and Annabeth rescue Grover, who has been taken by Polyphemus the Cyclops, and recover the Golden Fleece to save the camp. They are accompanied in this mission by Percy's Cyclops half brother, Tyson, and by Clarisse La Rue.

Like The Lightning Thief, it won several prizes and received generally positive reviews as well. It sold over 100,000 copies in paperback. It was followed by The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian and The Chalice of the Gods as well as the series, The Kane Chronicles, The Heroes of Olympus, and later, The Trials of Apollo.

References

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External links

Works by Rick Riordan
Camp Half-Blood
Chronicles
Percy Jackson &
the Olympians
Original series
The Senior Year Adventures
The Heroes of Olympus
The Trials of Apollo
Standalone novels
Supplementary books
Adaptations
Percy Jackson film series
Others
The Kane Chronicles
Magnus Chase and
the Gods of Asgard
Main books
Supplementary books
Short stories
Other books
Characters
See also
Categories:
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