The Fire Thief by Terry Deary

From Goodreads: Now available in paperback, The Fire Thief hilariously reimagines the myth of Prometheus, the Greek demigod who stole fire from the gods and gave it to the human race. To escape the gods' revenge, Prometheus travels through time to Eden City in 1858. There, he befriends a young orphan, actor, and petty criminal named Jim. When Jim runs into trouble with the law, Prometheus is torn -- if he uses his powers to get his friend out of trouble, he will betray his hiding place to the gods. Terry Deary masterfully interweaves two plots, with action jumping at a whirlwind pace from Mount Olympus to the seedy taverns and elegant mansions of Victorian Eden City. Packed with puns, wisecracks, and sarcastic footnotes, The Fire Thief turns Greek mythology into a laughing matter.

From the back of the book:  In this hilarious, time-traveling tale, acclaimed author Terry Deary reinvents the Greek myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods.  On the run from Zeus's avenging eagle, Prometheus hides out in Victorian Eden City, where he befriends and orphan named Jim.  Packed with puns, wisecracking gods, and sarcastic footnotes The Fire Thief is a rollicking blend of action, anarchy, and narrative tradition.

From Heather:   I just finished The Fire Thief last night.  I started it weeks ago.  I don't know what has happened the last few weeks, but something about having my girls start school and piano lessons and young women activities and then working every day is going to drive me absolutely crazy!  =]  I've had zero time to read anything at all.  And I have missed it!

The Fire Thief is an interesting book.  Another reviewer compared it to the Percy Jackson series, and while it's true that The Fire Thief references Greek mythology, there is no comparison in the books.  While I liked The Fire Thief, it's unfair to compare it to the Percy Jackson books....The Percy Jackson ones are just too good!  =]

One thing in the book that was different was the footnotes.  They were generally humorous.  ("Leaving the reader in this state is called a "cliff-hanger".  At least that's what writers call it and I want to be a writer. Of course, I didn't leave us hanging over the edge of a cliff, but we may as well have been.  So go on, turn the page.  But please don't lick your finger before you do.  It is a bad habit, and it will ruin the book.  On the other hand, you may have just used your finger to pick your nose.  In that case, please DO lick your finger before you turn the page.")  I thought they were a little distracting, as I would have to stop the flow of the story to read the footnote.  But they were usually funny and had I been a 12 year old boy, they would have been hilarious!

I give The Fire Thief three and a half stars.  It's a good book, just not one of my favorites.