By Rick Riordan

Three-Word Summary: Myths come alive

Rating: 4/5

As a kid, I loved the stories in Greek Mythology.  These stories influence much of our modern  literature.

This is directly true of Rick Riordan‘s Percy Jackson and The Olympians book series for kids. In it, the Greek gods, goddesses and monsters mix with our own world.

The first book, The Lightning Thief, introduces the series’ main character: Percy Jackson, demi-god, son of Posiden. In the typical children’s literature fashion, Percy thinks he’s a normal 12-year-old, until he is attacked by mythological creatures.

The strength of the plot was how well Riordan blends the classic myths into modern day: Medusa owns a statue garden; the Land of the Lotus-eaters is a Las Vegas casino; Mount Olympus is at the top of the Empire State Building.

Another impressive twist was how the book sets up Hades as the cliched antagonist, only for the characters to realize that the Titan Cronus was behind the theft of Zeus’ lightning all along. This provides the book with a much darker and exciting narrative that avoids the pitfall of predictability.

Sure there were a few implausibilities scattered in the text, but this is to be expected in a young adult novel. Kids still have the magic gifts of suspension of disbelief and imagination. And as for books for kids, this ranks among one of the best in recent years.