The Lightning Thief

While Percy’s mom drives, Grover explains he’s a satyr (half-man, half-goat) and that the Greek myths from Mr. Brunner’s class are real. Percy is being chased by “the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions” (46). Grover is tasked with protecting Percy and making sure he gets to Camp Half-Blood, where he’ll be safe.

Lightning strikes the car, making it swerve into a ditch. With their pursuers baring down on them, Percy and his mother help an injured Grover toward a giant tree and the camp property line. Percy recognizes the thing chasing them as the Minotaur from Mr. Brunner’s stories. Percy’s mom stops him from identifying the creature out loud, warning him “names have power” (51).

The Minotaur grabs Percy’s mother, and she dissolves into golden light before disappearing. With Percy not knowing what happened to her and fearing she’s dead, amazing strength overtakes him. He breaks off one of the Minotaur’s horns and stabs the creature. It disintegrates. Percy drags a half-conscious Grover across the camp property line and to a farmhouse. Percy collapses on the porch, where a familiar man and a blonde girl stare at him. The last thing Percy remembers before falling unconscious is the girl saying “he’s the one” (56).

Percy sleeps for two days. When he wakes, Grover takes him to meet Annabeth Chase (the blonde girl), Mr. D (Dionysus, god of wine and camp director), and Chiron (Mr. Brunner). Over a game of pinochle, Chiron explains that Percy is now at Camp Half-Blood, and that “Gods—the forces you call the Greek gods—are very much alive” (67). Their power base moves in accordance with where in the world people most believe in them. At the end of the game, Mr. D orders a fearful Grover to accompany him to review how well he did protecting Percy.

Percy asks why he’s at the camp. Chiron says Percy will get answers tomorrow and then climbs out of his wheelchair disguise, revealing himself to be a stallion “with the upper body of my Latin teacher” (75). Chiron is a centaur (half-horse, half-man).

Chiron gives Percy a tour of Camp Half-Blood. The other kids stare at Percy, making him uncomfortable. Percy gets a good look at the farmhouse, noticing it’s much bigger than he originally thought. He sees a curtain in an attic window move and asks Chiron about it; Chiron denies Percy saw anything. Percy asks if Grover will get in trouble with Mr. D. Chiron says it’s likely after Percy’s previous failure and the fate of Percy’s mother on this mission. Percy latches on to the word “fate,” daring to hope it means his mother isn’t dead.

Finally, Chiron shows Percy the cabins for campers. Each is modeled after one of the 12 Olympian gods, and a few are mysteriously empty. Percy peers inside cabin three, which smells of the ocean and seems to call him. Chiron pulls Percy along and hands him off to Annabeth, who brings Percy to cabin 11. Cabin 11 belongs to Hermes (god of messages and travelers) and is where camp newcomers stay. Percy asks how long he’ll be there, to which Luke Castellan (cabin leader) answers “until you're determined” (85). When Percy asks how long that will take, the other campers in the cabin laugh, and Annabeth drags Percy away.

Confused, Percy bombards Annabeth with questions. Annabeth tries to explain what the camp really is and why Percy is there, but before she can, Clarisse, one of the camp’s bullies and a daughter of Ares, corners them. She drags Percy off to the bathroom, intending to dunk his head in the toilet. Percy somehow causes the toilet water to attack Clarisse. He floods the bathroom, except for where he stands, the “only dry spot in the whole room” (91). Percy chases off Clarisse, and Annabeth announces she wants him on her team for Capture the Flag.