1st March 2013

The first book in the Percy Jackson series hast often been likened to Harry Potter, but although there are clear similarities (fantasy world, magic powers, summer camp/boarding school etc) I felt it was sufficiently different to stand on its own as a story and beginning of a series.

The story is told in the first-person, which allows the language to be modern, relaxed and appropriate and the reader to learn about the world with the characters. After Percy is attacked by his Maths teacher, he is sent away to a special summer camp, where he learns about his past and is sent on a quest. In style, it feels more like a cross between Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz and Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series.

I did feel that the chapters were quite short and felt rushed in places, and there wasn't as much focus on character as there could have been. I felt it lacked some realism in emotion and Percy in particular didn't react in a realistic manner in several situations. The many references to Ancient Greece were well written and showed a lot of research by the author, but sometimes did feel a bit like a lecture.

An enjoyable read, though probably not enough to convince me to keep reading the rest of the series.

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