"I'm telling you this to avoid any misunderstanding: I didn't want to be a demigod. If you're reading this book just because you think you might be one too, then here's my advice:
close the book immediately! Don't say I didn't warn you. My name is Percy Jackson..."

How would you feel if one day you discovered that the Olympian gods are still alive in the early 21st century? That they have moved from Greece to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building in New York? That you're actually not an ordinary kid but the son of an Olympian god and a mortal? This is exactly what Percy Jackson discovers, and in an instant, his life will change forever...

Percy is a twelve-year-old boy from New York, with dyslexia and ADHD - at least that's what the experts say. After being expelled from his school for the sixth time, he discovers one day the truth about all the strange things happening to him. In reality, he is a demigod, the son of a god and a mortal... But the worst part is that the gods are angry with him and have sent various monsters after him. Zeus's lightning bolt - the rod of lightning - has been stolen and Percy is considered the main suspect. This theft has sown discord among the gods and a Third World War seems more threatening than ever.

Percy is in deep trouble. He has only ten days to find the real thief and prevent a war that will destroy Western civilization. His mission is extremely difficult and the Oracle isn't much help with its prophecies. Will he manage to find
the lightning thief?