The Lightning Thief
core novel 2005 The Riordanverse
Record
| First published | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.31 (3,561,607 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780786838653 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Percy Jackson is a twelve-year-old growing up in New York City with dyslexia and ADHD, struggling at schools and living with his mother and unpleasant stepfather when he is attacked by a monster disguised as a teacher on a school trip to a museum. Whisked away for his own safety, Percy discovers he is a demigod, the unacknowledged son of the sea god Poseidon, and that the Greek gods have persisted into the modern age. Brought to Camp Half-Blood, a haven for demigods like himself, Percy learns Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen and that he is the prime suspect simply because of his father's identity. To clear his name and avert a war among the gods, Percy sets out on a cross-country quest, with his friends, to recover the bolt before the deadline set by the gods runs out.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Riordanverse
- Series: Percy Jackson & the Olympians core; position 1 of 5 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Rick Riordan
Awards (verified)
- Red House Children's Book Award (Older Readers), 2006: won; UK children's-choice award.
- Mark Twain Award, 2008: won; Missouri Association of School Librarians reader award.
- Young Reader's Choice Award, 2008: won; Pacific Northwest Library Association reader award.
- Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, 2009: won; Illinois reader award.
Notes
- From the series record (Percy Jackson & the Olympians): The original quintet (2005-2009): Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, ages 12-16.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series Percy Jackson & the Olympians: position 1 of 5: next The Sea of Monsters (2006)
- Internal chronology, within The Riordanverse: position 1 of 25: next The Red Pyramid (2010)
Sources
- Rick Riordan's official site
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Half-Blood_Chronicles
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lightning_Thief
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