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Blurb: (From Book 1) Lately, mythological monsters and the Olympian gods seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy Jackson’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus.
Review: This series is the quintessential example of "young adult" literature, with it being read in many schools across the world. Naturally I read this for the first time in my mid 20s. It tells a coming of age story, has a great protagonist, introduces the wonderfully strange camp half-blood, mixes Greek mythology into story telling fantastically, and captures a proper sense of adventure through its quests. I truly enjoyed reading this series. I found the parallels to the older epics fun, the plot engaging, and the writing wrapped it all up into something addictive. I appreciated how the author mixed in bits of creativity into the older legends of the Gods and the many settings in which the series visits. The series manages to be both accessible and an absolute page turner without compromising on quality. It's acclaim is well deserved.
If you are familiar with this series because of the movie or TV show, and maybe have even seen at least one of them, then I'd still recommend giving this series a shot. The series manages to capture some of the magic of the world and story, but I personally find it extremely different in how I imagined the story and setting. That is to say, I don't believe knowing some core elements of the plot would detract enough enjoyment to merit passing on this series if you haven't yet read it. I wouldn't be surprised if at some later point I decide to read the series again simply because it made me happy when I read it. Percy is a relatable character, and other characters like Annabeth and Nico were great to read about. Big recommend for anyone looking for fantasy with a younger protagonist.