I can't say I loved this book. Riordan is a completely new author to me and while I did enjoy his weaving Greek Mythology into the story, I can't say the story grabbed you and really brought you in like many other young adult novels. 
 This book is very simplistic in the writing style which is good for younger children (maybe around Percy's age) and makes for an easy read. I do like how Riordan subtly reminds us of the different mythological stories and events as we go along so that you do understand everything that is happening to Percy and his friends. 
 I think part of my problem with the story was that I had trouble really connecting with the characters and I'm not sure if that is because I saw the movie beforehand or not. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover all seem like likable enough characters but in some ways I feel like they're a little one dimensional. 
 I do plan on reading the next book in hopes that my problems with this volume were just how different the movie was from it's source.