The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, by Rick Riordan. It follows Percy Jackson as he discovers that he is only half human: his father was one of the Greek gods.

Teaser
"Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods."

--from Goodreads

Characters

 * Percy Jackson, a demigod
 * Annabeth Chase, a demigod
 * Grover Underwood, Percy's best friend
 * Luke Castellan, a demigod

Series and Sequels
The Lightning Thief is the first novel in a five-part series; it is followed immediately by The Sea of Monsters.

Adaptations
A film adaptation of The Lightning Thief was released in 2010, starring Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, and Brandon T. Jackson.

Also in 2010, a graphic novel version of The Lightning Thief was published.