Percy Jackson and the Olympians

This post doesn’t contain any spoilers, no worries!

I know for a fact that everyone in the Y and Z generation heard about Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This is a significant success of Rick Riordan. It is obvious that the writer had put a lot of thought into mythology. He has tens of books about Greek, Egyptian, and even Romanized Greek mythology. However, the first and most successful of those was about Greek mythology, the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

The first of the books was published in 2005 and quickly grabbed the attention of, predominantly, the young generation. This popularity continued for years so the series managed to join the group of books that were adapted into movies. At this point, I also have to note that having 17 awards is exceptional for a book series.

Following these achievements, Rick has synthesized Greek and Roman mythology for another series. However, although they, as the sequel of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, was complex and interesting, they couldn’t manage to get ahead of the first series. So, what is exactly with it? What makes it so lovable and a spectacular fantastic fiction series for its fans? 

It all begins when a 12 years old new teenage boy couldn’t focus on his classes due to lack of attention and fails across lots of high schools. One day on a school trip to a mythology museum he feels strange and things get complicated with one of his school teachers turning into a monster and asking him ‘‘where the lightning is’’. Later, he finds out that his best friend is also a mythological creature and before he even grasps the meaning of all these, he finds himself at the Half-Blood Camp where half-human half god people stay.  Here, he learns some crucial facts about himself that make him realize that he can’t live a normal life anymore. 

The most important reason why the youth are interested in this series is that they can relate to Percy so easily.  One of the features of the books that pulls you in is Percy’s teenage problems along with his supernatural adventures. With every new book, he grows with you and faces similar challenges you have been through. For example, the reader witnesses his struggle about finding friends, proving himself, and/or his embarrassment when he first arrives at the camp. In addition to his godly traits, his clumsiness and ridiculous moments make him the perfect real-life teenager. 

Plus, I bet that every reader of the same age found herself/himself thinking ‘‘What if I’m also a child of a God?’’. I think all these sci-fi and fantastic books/movies create a desire to be special, more than a regular human being, in all of us. Though I believe the writer benefits significantly from this, he also specifically tries to give the message that this is not necessarily a good thing. 

From a non-Percy Jackson fan to you, I can say with full neutrality and without a doubt that with its unique adventures, wars, teenage problems, and a great amount of mythological knowledge, Percy Jackson and the Olympians seem to deserve the awards it collected.

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