The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan reminds me of a previous book I just read, Mortal Coils.  This is one of the fastest books I have ever read and enjoyed it the whole way through.  The main character is Percy Jackson.  Growing up Percy has had a troubled childhood, not knowing who his father is and being kicked out of a different school each year.  Percy also sees weird stuff from time to time that he cannot quite explain.  The story really starts when Percy and his classmates go on a field trip to a museum that displays ancient Greek and Roman statues and armor.  While the other students are outside Percy is inside battling his math teacher who transforms into a fury, a type of demon from the underworld.  This starts Percy’s journey to find out his true origins and also explains why he hasn’t fit in that well with normal society.  Percy is accompanied by his best friend Grover who is not exactly what he appears to be.  I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read that deals with Greek gods and other creatures based in Greek mythology.