Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Chapter 9: I Am Offered a Quest
Written by Chris
Edited by Krystal

Now that Percy has been determined he’s been moved to the Poseidon cabin and he’s utterly miserable. Just as he was beginning to feel like he fit in, he was singled out and everyone was steering clear of him. After what he’d done to the Ares gang, his sword fighting lessons had become one-on-one with Luke, who pushed him even harder. Annabeth still taught him ancient Greek, but she seemed distracted and scowled at him daily; it was a nightmare. Not to mention that someone had resented him, having left a mortal newspaper about the car accident with his mother.

That night Percy had a dream about running along the beach in a storm, trying to stop two men in Greek tunics from fighting. They appeared to be fighting over something and Percy knew he had to stop them, somehow, but before he could an evil voice from under the earth called out to him. The ground spilt open and swallowed him up and as he fell he woke up in cabin three.

A knock on the door from Grover informed him that he was being summoned to the big house by Mr. D. Grover escorted Percy to the house, commenting on the weather, and hid back as Dionysus spoke to Percy. Dionysus informs that if he had his way he’d destroy Percy, but it’s against his mission to protect the children at Camp Half-Blood. So instead, he will be going to Olympus for a meeting and if Percy isn’t gone when he gets back he will be turned into a dolphin and sent back to Poseidon. And with that, Dionysus disappeared.

Read the rest of the summary HERE.

Memorable Quotes:

Grover: “He wants to kill…I mean, I’d better let him tell you.” (Page 131)

Mr. D: “Come closer,” Mr. D said. “And don’t expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father.” (Page 132)

Chiron: “Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D,” Chiron put in.
Mr. D: “Nonsense,” Dionysus said. “Boy wouldn’t feel a thing.” (Page 132)

Grover: “Er, Percy…?” Grover said. “We don’t use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky.” (Page 136)

Chiron: “Wouldn’t that put a twist in your toga?” (Page 137)

Chiron: “And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?”
Percy: “Bad?” I guessed.
Chiron: “Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight.”
Percy: “Bad,” I repeated.
Chiron: “And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus’s wrath.” (Page 138)

Grover: “Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?” he asked weakly. (Page 146)

Questions for discussion:

What do you think of Percy’s dream and how it foreshadowed the quest he was about to receive? What do you think was causing the dreams?

What do you think the Oracle’s prophecy meant? Who do you think will betray him and what will he lose in the end?

Is there anything else in this chapter that you’d like to discuss with the group?

Read and discuss more HERE.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Chapter 10: I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus
Written by Chris
Edited by Krystal

Percy, Annabeth and Grover are all packed and ready to go; Annabeth with her Yankees cap and Grover with a bag full of cans and his pipes. Percy and the others waved goodbye to the other campers and gathered on Half-Blood Hill, next to Thalia’s tree, where Chiron was waiting. After a quick introduction to Argus, the surfer Percy met during his unconsciousness and head of security, Luke comes running up to say goodbye. He wishes them good luck and offers Percy a gift, flying sneakers from his dad. As an annoyed Annabeth stomps away, Percy realizes he won’t be able to use the shoes and offers them to Grover instead.

As Percy thinks depressingly about how Poseidon didn’t give him any special gift for his journey, like Hermes shoes, or Athena’s invisibility cap, Chiron surprises him with a pen. It was the same pen that Chiron had given him to kill Mrs. Dodd’s, a pen that when uncapped, transforms into a celestial bronze sword known as Anaklusmos or Riptide. He explains that Riptide will kill any monsters out there, that it’s very deadly, but will not harm humans. And added benefit, especially to Percy, is that the pen can never be lost and will always reappear in Percy’s pocket.

Curious about the gods, Percy asks Chiron about their immortality and the time of the Titans. Chiron explains that this is the Fifth Age and that Kronos ruled as king of the Titans in the Fourth Age, known as the Golden Age. But Kronos was a brutal leader who cared nothing for humans and when Zeus took over they imprisoned the Titans for eternity. No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, but may the fates forbid the gods shall suffer the same fate as the Titans. All one can do is follow their destiny.

Read the rest of the summary HERE.

Memorable Quotes:

Percy: In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff’s “So Yesterday,” both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes. (Page 150)

Luke: Luke smiled. “Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don’t use them much these days…” His expression turned sad. (Page 151)

Percy: After Luke was gone, I told her, “You’re hyperventilating.”
Annabeth: “Am not.” (Page 151)

Grover: “Aaaaa!” Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van. (Page 152)

Chiron: “The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into,” Chiron told me. “Its name is Anaklusmos.”
Percy: “’Riptide’,” I translated, surprised the Ancient Greek came so easily. (Page 153)

Percy: “Our destiny…assuming we know what that is.”
Chiron: “Relax,” Chiron told me. “Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history.”
Percy: “Relax,” I said. “I’m very relaxed.” (Page 156)

Percy: “Remind me again – why do you hate me so much?” (Page 157)

Questions for discussion:

Why do you think Luke was willing to give up his magic shoes to Percy? What does it tell you about his relationship to his father, Hermes?

Now that we know why Sally Jackson married Gabe, what do you think about all the sacrifices she has made for him? What do you think Gabe is thinking now?

Is there anything in this chapter that you’d like to discuss with everyone else?

Read and discuss more HERE.