Monday, May 6, 2013

The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis

The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis
2013, HarperCollins
Series: Book 1 of Seven Wonders

Synopsis: One Boy

Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die.

One Mission

Jack needs to find seven magic loculi that, when combined, have the power to cure him.

One Problem

The loculi are the relics of a lost civilization and haven’t been seen in thousands of years.

Seven Wonders

Because they’re hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.


The Good: I had no idea what to expect when I opened The Colossus Rises. I was a happy to find a middle grade adventure story with supernatural elements. Or rather, mostly science fiction/superhero elements, rather than paranormal. Jack is a realistic protagonist, asking the important questions and not taking explanations at face value. The series seems poised to teach readers about the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, which I think is awesome as even I, an adult with all my schooling and extracurricular reading, know next to nothing about them.

The Bad: This series is destined to be compared to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series. I caught myself doing it multiple times while reading The Colossus Rises. There are just as many similar elements as there are themes unique to each series - but, Percy Jackson offers up quite a bit more that would be considered "educational."

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