The Percy Jackson & the Olypians series, by Rick Rordan, made me laugh, cry, cheer, and gasp with every new page I turned! The story is told from the 1st person perspective of a 12 year old boy named Percy Jackson. His hardworking mother, horrible stepdad, and nack for getting kicked out of school (along with ADHD & dyslexia) makes his life pretty hard. Then one day, on a school field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his substitute teacher, Mrs. Dodds, turns into a demon and an infamous pen turns into a sword, changing his life forever.

Percy later is led to Camp Half-blood by his best friend, Grover, where all half-bloods (or demigods) go to train and have fun. The rest of the book, and the ones following, are filled with daring quests, surprising plot twists, and brave sacrifices.

Rick Rordan really has his own writing style, very comical and intriguing, which keeps readers interested and always ready to turn the next page. Percy Jackson has often been described as close to Harry Potter, both in the stories and the characters. And while they definitely have similar feels, Percy Jackson really is its own book. I think these similarities come from the intense battling and story arc, but you also have to remember that those similarities come from having really interesting stories that generate similar feelings to the reader.

 I’d suggest getting the first book to get a feel for the world of Percy Jackon, but even if the first book isn’t your favorite, try getting the others, you might get more interested further on in the series. Even though the plot does seem pretty predictable, there are still plenty of new characters and twists that do keep it interesting. The books are also short enough that they don’t take too much time, and the relatively fast pacing is good for an easy story. The main characters also begin to develop a cute family-like bond which can fill in some of the less intense spots of the books.

 I also think it’s worth mentioning the main character, Percy, because his personality just makes the books even better. Percy is a charming, sarcastic kid who’s impossible not to love, and has great character development from the first book to the last. 

There have been two movies (The Lightning Thief & The Sea of Monsters) created and are now released on Disney+. As well as a musical, and soon a television series will be released, starring Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover underwood. My advice would be to not bother seeing the movies. They aren’t true to the books. And even though they may have the same name, they feel like a different story. No insult to the actors, they played their parts very well, the way the movie was written is the problem.

Nonetheless, Percy Jackson is an exciting series that will keep you wanting more and more. Get ready to be blasted into a world of monsters, quests, powers, and more!