The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The excerpts follow the journey of teenager Percy Jackson, who discovers he is a demigod—a half-blood and the son of the sea god Poseidon. After a monster attack (led by a Fury disguised as his teacher) and the apparent loss of his mother, Percy is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he is given a crucial quest to find Zeus’s stolen master bolt to prevent an apocalyptic war among the Olympians. Joined by the satyr Grover and the determined daughter of Athena, Annabeth Chase, Percy journeys west, where they confront mythological beings like Medusa and the Chimera, enduring multiple setbacks and discovering his powers. They eventually confront Hades in the Underworld, realizing the true conflict was orchestrated by the manipulative god Ares, whom Percy defeats in a climactic duel on a beach. Although he returns the bolt to Mount Olympus and secures his mother’s freedom, Percy soon faces a final, personal betrayal by fellow camper Luke Castellan, who reveals he is working for the ancient Titan Lord Kronos.