"The Lightning Thief" received mostly positive reviews. Common Sense Media said "there are two levels of fun in "The Lightning Thief". One is the fast-paced quest of a young hero and his friends to save the world" and added "another level of fun here – laughing at the wicked ways the author has updated the gods and monsters for the 21st century". However, it criticized some parts of the book. They described the prose as "choppy and attitude-filled" and complained that "[t]he characters aren't emotionally involving". Its overall rating was 4 stars out of 5. "The New York Times" praised "The Lightning Thief" as "perfectly paced, with electrifying moments chasing each other like heartbeats". "School Library Journal" said in its starred review (which is given to outstanding books) that the book was "An adventure-quest with a hip edge" and that "Readers will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move". "Kirkus" praised the book and said, "Packed with humorous (funny) allusions to Greek mythology and clever updates of the old stories, along with rip-snorting <nowiki>[</nowiki>intense<nowiki>]</nowiki> action sequences, the book really shines in the depiction of Percy – wry, impatient, academically hopeless, with a cut-to-the-chase bluntness one would wish for in a hero of old." Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl, called it "A fantastic blend (mix) of mythology and modern". "Publishers Weekly" also praised the book, regarding it as "swift and humorous" and added that the book would "leave many readers eager for the next installment." On April 8, 2007, "The Lightning Thief" was ranked ninth on "The New York Times Best Seller list" for children's books. When speaking about the various awards, Rick Riordan said: