Half-bloods

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

           I will be posting on Tuesday for a little while and after next weeks review I will be taking a break from blogging until SATs are over. Also, I decided to flip this weeks and next week’s books because I finished this one first. Is that cool? Okay, good.  Percy has just found out he is a demi-god. Half Greek god, half human. He accepts a quest: retrieve Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt in order to restore peace in Olympia. Along the way he comes across many monsters and gods who try to stop him from completing his quest.

“At its core it is a wild adventure story about friendship, courage, and rising above labels.”

Language:

              

  None

Alcohol/drugs:

             

        Percy’s step-father has poker parties where beer is abundant. Throughout the book Percy shows his disgust for him and his treatment of his mother. Basically, the guy is the typical "jerk" character that provides conflict for the main character.

Violence:

              

        As this is a fantasy novel battles and monsters being slayed are frequent throughout the book. It is mentioned that the stepfather has hit Percy’s mother. I would rate the violence a 4.5.

Sexual Content:

              

        The whole idea of demi-gods stems from the fact that gods came to earth and had affairs. It’s not explained upon or talked about in a sexual way but as a fact of their existence.

Spiritual Content:

             

         By now, you have definitely picked up on the fact that this book is about Greek gods. They are pictured as immortal beings who each have their own personalities and faults. They are not depicted as things to be worshiped and certainly not as a religion. To put it plainly, it’s more like they are just giant people with super powers who live up in the sky. It follows Greek mythology and all its stories as if they really happened (which includes the underworld).

            

         Percy inquires once as to whether or not there is an all-powerful God and it is quickly made clear that that is not something to be discussed at the moment. My impression of the exchange was that God existed but, his exact role in this fantasy world was not going to be explained.

Currently Reading: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

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