Reading Update #13 – Percy Jackson and the Olympians

So I am very late to starting my Percy Jackson journey, but you know how the saying goes—better late than never, right?

I make no claims to being the most unique or original person. Like many people, I recently watched The Odyssey (in 4DX, might I add, and it was such a fun time), and afterward, I still had a craving for Greek mythology, which we know I’m no stranger to.

While Clytemnestra’s story is currently at the top of my list, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series has been something I’ve been wanting to read for a while, and I do love a good series.

So, I’ve officially read the first book, The Lightning Thief, and I really enjoyed it. A solid four-deer-star read for me.

It felt like such a classic 2000s story, especially with all the waterbed references. I don’t know about you, but I definitely thought I would own a bunch of waterbeds growing up.

There were also some genuinely funny moments that actually had me laughing out loud. I especially loved the humor between Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. There’s something about the way the characters interact that made the book feel really fun and easy to read.

I also really enjoyed the creativity behind the worldbuilding. I love the idea that the gods move around wherever the center of power in the world happens to be, and I especially loved seeing Greek mythology placed into modern-day America. Olympus being above the Empire State Building? Hades being in Los Angeles? I’m here for it.

And of course, I’m still learning about new myths and gods, which is one of my favorite parts of reading these books.

Actually, I had a pretty fun full-circle moment with Zephyr, the West Wind.

I had just been at Lincoln Center with my mom watching American Ballet Theatre perform a pas de deux called Zephyr. We both commented on how weightless and feather-like the dancers looked as they glided through the air. The program described the piece as being “inspired by the wind on a warm summer night,” so imagine my surprise when I came across Zephyr again while reading The Lightning Thief.

I love little coincidences like that. It made the reading experience feel even more connected to the things I’ve been doing outside of reading.

I’m now reading book two, The Sea of Monsters, and I’m enjoying it just as much as the first one. I’m about a third of the way through, and we just found out that the plot is going to have some similarities to Odysseus’s journey, which should be fun considering that The Odyssey is what finally pushed me to start this series.

I also recently learned that this is apparently a 20-book universe, which is… daunting.

I honestly don’t know if I’ll make it through all 20 books, but for now, I’m having a great time.

More than anything, I wish I had read this series as a kid. I think I would have absolutely loved it growing up. But even as an adult discovering Percy Jackson for the first time, I’m still having a lot of fun with it—and I’m excited to see where the rest of the series takes me.