Percy Jackson is a modern fantasy series about a 12‑year‑old boy who discovers he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon, and is drawn into the world of Greek gods and monsters. The books mix contemporary life with ancient mythology as Percy goes on quests to prevent wars among the gods and save both the mortal and divine worlds.
Core premise
Percy starts as a seemingly ordinary kid with ADHD and dyslexia who struggles in school and often feels out of place. He eventually learns that his difficulties come from being “hardwired” for Ancient Greek and for combat, because he is a half-blood child of a Greek god. Once this is revealed, he is taken to Camp Half-Blood, a secret training camp for demigod children to keep them safe and prepare them for heroic quests.
Main story elements
The central conflict in the first book, “The Lightning Thief,” involves Percy being accused of stealing Zeus’s powerful lightning bolt and traveling across the United States to find the real thief and stop a war among the Olympian gods. Across the series, Percy and his friends face monsters from Greek myths, uncover a larger threat from the ancient Titan Kronos, and repeatedly have to choose between personal safety and doing what is right. The tone is fast‑paced and humorous, but it also deals with themes of family, identity, loyalty, and finding one’s place in the world.
