PERCY JACKSON SERIES BY RICK RIORDIAN

Mythology is a well known subject that fascinates most of us with its intricate stories. Rick Riordan has captured the theme of Greek mythology and added twists to it that are certain to both fascinate and keep the reader glued to the books. It is by far the best contemporary adaptation of Greek mythology I have read. The five book series is filled with excitement and outstanding plots which are hard to forget.
The story is of a 14-year-old-boy, Percy Jackson, who one day finds out that he is the son of Poseidon, which makes him a demigod. The story starts with Percy being chased by a Minotaur who wants him for lunch. He is saved by a Satyr called Grover who takes him to a summer camp called 'Camp Half-blood', a refuge for demigods. The story continues through the books with the main characters Percy, Grover and Annabeth (daughter of Athena). The main antagonist Luke (son of Hermes) is planning to revive the Titan Lord Kronos to destroy Olympus, and our heroes have to save the day.
It's easy read, as it is mostly intended for middle school children. It's written on the first person perspective. Rick does well portraying the scenes of war, fighting and all the little details of the story. There are twists and turns around every corner. Sometimes the story seems a little off balance from one book to the other, but it catches up as the reader moves on. The story goes through the books leaving mysteries and building up the excitement for the next book. The characters are all well balanced and unique. Each book introduces new characters and they are all interconnected. The books are filled with puns that will certainly make you laugh. The most hyped part about the books are the way Rick Riordan finely mixes the mythological stories with present-day ones without damaging the originality; like when Apollo, the sun-god, drives a red Ferrari instead of his Sun-Chariot or the time when Dionysus is too busy playing Pacman when Kronos is trying to destroy the world.
The Percy Jackson books are a good read for anyone regardless of his/her interest in mythology. The first two books have been turned into movies directed by Chris Columbus which did not do justice to the books. So if anyone has seen the movie, I'd suggest reading the books before judging the story. Without a doubt, it's one of those books you cannot put down.
The series is so popular that after it ended, Rick decided to write a new series called “Heroes Of Olympus” due to fan pressure. Three books from the series have already been published.

Amazon Rating: 4.85/5
No. of books: 5
*PJ and the Lightning Thief
*PJ and the Sea of Monsters
*PJ and the Titan's Curse
*PJ and the Battle of the Labyrinth
*PJ and the Last Olympian

Sowmen Das, 16, is a student of class 10 at Dhaka Residential Model College.