Reviewed by Lilia

Jack McKinley is just an ordinary kid who has weird dreams about mythical beasts or exploding volcanoes – and he’s also dying.  After he collapses on the street he is whisked off to a strange hospital, where he discovers he’s supposedly part of an ancient civilization, and one of the few who could find seven magic objects. The magic objects need to be combined in order to cure him and his new friends from their deadly disease, and will give them superpowers in the bargain.

A secret society is trying to keep the kids “under treatment” in order to enable them to get to the magic objects and to those powers, but at what price? And what are their real intentions? Do they want to save the kids from certain death, or do they want to use the superkids to conquer the world?

Jack doesn’t know what to think and will try his best to get free, but can he do that? And what powers does he actually have? He’s just a normal kid, with no special talents like his new friends have. Or so he thinks…

The title, Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises, says it all. In this new series, of no less then seven books, Peter Lerangis tells a story of loneliness, new friendships and old loyalties, and how far someone will go to get power.

The Colossus Rises is a total roller-coaster from start to finish in the tradition of Percy Jackson. From the moment you read the first sentence you’re taken into heart-stopping sequence after heart-stopping sequence, all wrapped up in a very nice adventure. The beginning is not as gripping as the rest of the book, when the whole adventure unfolds, but if you hang in there for the first two chapters, your persistence will be rewarded. Jack lets you see how resourceful he can be and there’s more to 12 year-olds than you might think. And as the mystery unfolds, more questions than answers arise, keeping you enthralled with the series.

For kids aged 9 or older.

Lilia is ABC The Hague’s Children’s Book buyer.