A review by katherine_kelley
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

adventurous lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

It was okay! Technically, I started reading this when I was like 6 or something. If I had read it then, it probably would have been my favorite book. Now, not so much. I read it on audio, so I don’t know if the copy I read is the same one if you bought the book in a store, but the book has a few problematic elements that make it feel dated at best. The worst was the portrayal of Medusa as a stereotypical “middle eastern woman” with the added grossness of the narrator putting on an offensive accent for her. There was also a fair amount of ableist language used. I say this mostly to warn anyone about these issues before they pick up the book, especially for children, who are easily convinced and vulnerable to this kind of thing. So far, I feel sort of detached from the characters, but I like the bones and the vibes of the story, which the main thing I look for in a story. I hope with the upcoming series, the audiobook is re-recorded because it was honestly pretty bad.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings