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Availability:
In Stock.
Arrives
Nov 13 – Nov 14
At a glance
- Condition
- New
- Dimensions
- 5.8 x 1.28 x 8.55 in
- Weight
- 2.31 lb
- Publisher
- Miramax Books/ Hyperion
- Publication date
- June 28, 2005
- Language
- English
- Print length
- 384 pages
Description
The 1 New York Times Bestseller Percy Jackson and the Olympians series now streaming on Disney+! The hardcover edition of the first book in Rick Riordan’s thrilling middle grade series, filled with magic, Greek mythology, and plenty of monsters Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school . . . again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed in his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. With millions of copies and over 10 years spent on the New York Times bestseller list, Percy has also become a movie, a Broadway musical, and now a Disney+ series. He continues to find fans in classrooms and libraries across the world. Read more
Specs 10
| Publisher | Miramax Books/ Hyperion |
|---|---|
| Publication date | June 28, 2005 |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 384 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0786856297 |
| ISBN-13 | 99 |
| Item Weight | 2.31 pounds |
| Reading age | 9+ years, from customers |
| Dimensions | 5.8 x 1.28 x 8.55 inches |
| Book 1 of 8 | Percy Jackson and the Olympians |
No specs match.
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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Nov 13 – Nov 14
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Top Amazon Reviews
AWESOMENESS
Format: Kindle
This book was so quick , fast paced , amazing read great humor I love re ~ reading this book so much since I forgotten a lot of stuff . I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a light read , make yourself enjoy it and just have a good laugh all the way through .
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2026 by Hope Garcia
If You Like The Boy Who Lived, Percy Jackson End Up A New Best Friend
Format: Kindle
A very entertaining novel, "Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief" was a fun read that keeps the reader engaged. While Percy is a bit less polished in his manners, this Greco-American protagonist has a lot of similar endearments that his British Wizarding Older Cousin has. It's a coming of age story, in which our hero and his companions all share the difficulties of growing up, fitting in and feeling accepted and loved. Unlike Mrs. Rowling's world, whose rules and mythos is based on her creations, Riordan keeps the world of Percy Jackson anchored in the existing mythos Greek mythology. As a result, the clues that get sprinkled in along the way help the reader to unravel the mystery as it progresses. This was a lovely read (ever so much better than the film, which isn't to say that the film was terrible, but they could have benefit from following the novel, instead of the adaptation that we got) and I recommend it.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2026 by T. J Smith
Great start to a new Harry Potter-esque series
Format: Kindle
Goodreads Description- Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. I have to say that when I found out that I had to read this book for a book club I was a little apprehensive. I am not a fan of the fantasy trend in young adult literature and worried that this would end up like some of the other popular teen reads (which will remain unnamed) that it would be filled with star crossed teen love and angst along with the ever popular vampires, shapeshifters, and other popular paranormal creatures. I haven't seen the movie and only had the small book description to go on for the plot introduction. I knew it had rave reviews, but so do all of the other young adult fantasy series that are being published at an astonishing rate. However, despite my true lack of interest, I hesitantly started to read. And guess what...I was hooked! I loved the characters and how the author developed them for the reader by revealing their identities slowly. I really liked the idea of the Greek gods still ruling the earth and spawning children with mortals. It seemed to me like a unique storyline and NOT like the other recent teen novels. The book moves at a fast pace because the reading level is more for middle grade students rather than high schoolers but the story was still interesting enough to keep my adult attention. Percy's quest had just the right mix of action that was fully developed rather than just cut off to keep it short. This wasn't a novel that I would criticize and say that I wished it were longer. The author did an excellent job at writing a full novel filled with everything an adult wants in a book that is fit for a 12 year old to read. As a former teacher who knows something about children's literature, it is a wonderful talent if an author can keep the adult and children interested. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating was that it seemed to copy the Harry Potter series. The main character, Percy, was comparable to Harry and his two friends, Annabeth and Grover, doubled as Ron and Hermione. I wish he was able to develop the main characters into something more unique. I would definitely recommend this novel, especially to people like me who are leery of the whole fantasy genre. I am going to go ahead and get the next books in the series from the library to see what Percy and his friends are up to next. 4 stars.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2013 by Gina P
The Lightning Thief deserves its reputation as one of the best books for middle grades.
I resisted reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series when it first came out (2005) because I don’t like Greek mythology. And when the first movie came out (2010) I still resisted it, because of the mythology thing. I assumed it would be boring. I never opened The Lightning Thief until recently, when I decided to find out why this is a best seller among middle grades children’s books. If I had read the first three sentences years ago, I would have been hooked: “Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. “If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close the book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.” That might be the best opening in the history of literature. Percy Jackson is twelve years old. He’s been expelled from every boarding school he’s ever attended (roughly, every year), because strange things happen around him, things he always gets blamed for. At the end of sixth grade, his current school informs him that he’s not invited back for the next term. He has a tough time getting home, and when he does, his mother senses that he is in danger, and insists on taking him to a special summer camp for his own safety. Sorry if this sounds sketchy. I am skipping over a lot of details because I don’t want to spoil them for you. While at summer camp, he learns his true parentage, finds out he’s been falsely accused of a crime, and is sent on a quest to find Zeus’s missing master lightning bolt and return it to Mount Olympus. In ten days. Otherwise, war will break out among the gods. This book has it all. Weird encounters that don’t get explained until later. People who are not what they seem to be. Strange creatures. Mythological history. Danger and suspense. Friendships and betrayals. And through it all, humor. I can see most kids really enjoying The Lightning Thief. Reading it as an adult, I was on the edge of my seat. Rick Riordan keeps this novel moving along at a fast pace. His characters are multi-faceted and likeable (except for the villains, understandably), seemingly ordinary (or seemingly handicapped) kids who accomplish things that adults would find challenging and life-threatening. The Lightning Thief deserves its reputation as one of the best books for middle grades. That’s high praise from someone who does not like mythology.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2024 by ARHuelsenbeck
Great Book for Kids
Format: Paperback
My child really enjoyed this book. The story is exciting, easy to follow, and keeps young readers interested. Great quality and highly recommended.
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2026 by Aibek Ashirov
The best of the post-Rowling fantasy series.
"Harry Potter" and the success of the "Lord of the Rings" films touched off a massive revival of children's (and adult's) fantasy literature. "Lord of the Rings" is the inspiration for the high fantasy genre, while Rowling's writings have become the most famous example of urban/low fantasy (the interaction of magic with our world). "The Lightning Thief", the first of what would eventually be five books by author Rick Riordan, is perhaps the strongest of the post-Rowling books. Eschewing standard European wizarding tropes, Riordan bases his fantasy world on Greek mythology, one of the great treasure-troves of Western literature. Some spoilers follow. Our main character is Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old New Yorker who has been dogged throughout his young life by strange occurrences. He eventually finds out that he is a half-blood - a demigod child of one of the Olympian pantheon. Whisked from the pursuit of monsters to a special summer camp for children like himself (who are magnets for monster attacks), he gains the expected group of friends, mentors, and rivals (and a disinterested camp counsellor). But sinister forces are on the move, appearing in Percy's dreams, and, per the title, Zeus' master-bolt is missing, threatening to touch off a war between the Thunder God and his brother Poseidon. If many of these plot elements strike you as familiar, there are indeed a lot of parallels between this series and J. K. Rowling's template. The similarities between Hermione Granger and Riordan's Annabeth Chase, say, are inescapable. In a lot of ways, though, that's hardly a fair knock. The heroic trio was not Rowling's invention; you can observe a very similar grouping in, for example, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", which debuted at the same time as "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". Riordan is making use of various tried-and-true literary tropes. Of course, one doesn't doubt that Rowling's example is on the mind; how could it not be? The good news, regardless, is that Riordan takes these familiar elements and spins them in an entertaining way, one that also manages to seem fresh and surprising. For adults who are fans of Greek myth, there's quite a bit of fun to be had here. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" joins a corpus of literature that integrates the Olympians into the modern world, dealing with issues of how the changing times affects the former gods of the world (see also: the novel "Gods Behaving Badly", Marvel Comics' "Incredible Hercules", and Greg Rucka's run on "Wonder Woman"). Whereas Tolkien and Rowling's novels were marked by a distinct Britishness, Riordan's stories are quintessentially American. There's a great deal more irony and the like. This first book is at times a bit choppy, but it's very much worth reading. There's an undercurrent of mature subject-matter that is at times quite surprising (the resolution to Percy's problematic stepfather, for example). Overall, this is an excellent fantasy novel.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2009 by Sean Curley
Best purchase ever
Great story people in the story was good
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2026 by Constance Newton
Fantastic Thrill Ride
Format: Hardcover
I held off buying THE LIGHTNING THIEF for a couple years. The market seems glutted with YA fantasy at the moment, and I read quite a bit of it with my 9-year-old. We've discovered several good series, but THE LIGHTNING THIEF seemed too long to hold his attention when it first came out. This year we noticed it in the book fair at school, then saw that it was an Accelerated Reader book. So I picked it up and read a couple chapters to try it out. I was 50 pages into it when I realized I needed to be reading this to my son. I did read it to him. We FLEW through the book (375 pages!) in 6 days because he kept pestering me to read it to him. We finished it up in a 5-hour marathon yesterday, hanging onto every page as Percy and his friends tried to save the world and put things to rights in their own lives. THE LIGHTNING THIEF is a great book for adults and kids. I've already recommended it to a couple of adult friends who experienced the same kind of can't-put-it-down pull that I did. Percy Jackson, the hero of the book, comes across as every kid you'd ever meet or ever would. He's no brainiac (he has dyslexia and ADHD) but he has friends who are. But he is courageous and clever, stubborn and loyal. He is the best he can be, and he's getting even better. Riordan works in many of the Greek myths in the novel. There was a time when knowing Greek mythology was a pre-requisite for having a "classical" education. Many morals and philosophies are presented in the tales. From the very beginning of the novel, we find out Percy is different when he ends up fighting a harpy in the museum while on a school trip. He's been kicked out of 6 schools in 6 years, lives with his mom and step-dad, Smelly Gabe, an evil guy who deliberately makes Percy's life hard. Then, when he's on a well-deserved vacation with his mom, he finds out he's a Half-Blood, the son of one of the Greek gods. But his mom doesn't know who his dad was and that's just one of the mysteries Percy ends up solving. The cool part of the book is peeling away all the mysteries of Percy's life and who really took Zeus's magic thunderbolt. Along the way he gains powers that set my son's head to spinning with hope and delight. Percy's a superhero without the costume, and there are plenty of villains in his world. Riordan is a teacher who obviously loves kids as well as the subject matter. The Greek gods were a cantankerous lot, and Riordan delivers them well. Not only does he give his readers the stories, but he also brings the gods on stage and gives them personalities. The series is supposed to run for 5 books. I think it will go on longer. I hope so. I've already ordered books 2 and 3, and my son and I are looking forward to them. The books take a while to read outloud to younger readers, but the effort is well rewarded. The story is rich and deep, and will keep your child's attention. In addition, you'd be surprised how much you can talk about even when you're not reading. And your child may just want to wander around the internet learning more interesting facts about Greek mythology. THE LIGHTNING THIEF is well worth reading and is probably in most public and school libraries.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2007 by Mel Odom