A narrator is the voice that tells a story. When you read a book or watch a movie, the narrator is whoever is explaining what happens, describing the scenes, and sometimes sharing what characters think or feel.

Sometimes the narrator is a character in the story itself. In The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson narrates his own adventures, telling you directly about his experiences at Camp Half-Blood. This is called a first-person narrator because Percy uses “I” and “me” to describe what happens to him. You only know what Percy knows, and you see everything through his eyes.

Other times, the narrator stands outside the story, like an invisible observer who can see everything and everyone. This narrator might describe what multiple characters are thinking or show you scenes happening in different places at the same time. Think of how nature documentaries have a narrator who explains what the animals are doing, even though that narrator isn't an animal.

The narrator shapes how you experience a story. A humorous narrator might make serious events feel lighter with jokes and funny observations. A mysterious narrator might leave out important details to keep you guessing. An unreliable narrator might even tell you things that aren't quite true, either because they're confused, lying, or mistaken.

In movies and shows, you might hear a narrator's voice explaining what's happening even though you never see that person on screen. Sometimes that voice belongs to a character remembering past events and telling you the story of how things turned out.