Parents' Guide to

Seven Wonders Book 1: The Colossus Rises

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Super-teens clash with ancient history in OK series start.

Book Peter Lerangis Fantasy 2013
Seven Wonders Book 1: The Colossus Rises Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Mom98502
Mom98502 Adult
September 5, 2018
age 12+

Poor character development

I was looking for a series of audiobooks to follow the Harry Potter series, which is a high standard to meet. This was s total flop. The characters were completely undeveloped with little personality or emotional depth. Their decisions made no sense. It just wasn’t an enjoyable read. We quit 3/4 of the way through.
Rick H.
Rick H. Parent
October 4, 2016
age 8+

Best book my son has read

See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Thirteen-year-old Jack is headed to a math test when he blacks out in the school parking lot. Could it have anything to do with that upside-down \"V\" mysteriously appearing on the back of his head? The shady Professor Bhegdad is sure he possesses a rare genetic marker that sharpens his mind immensely ... right before it kills him. So sure that he secretly whisks Jack away to an isolated island to treat him and a few other \"V\"-clad survivors. Jack meets Cass, who's a walking GPS; pink-haired Aly, who can hack any database she sets her mind to; and Marco, who sports superhuman strength and battle smarts. Their backgrounds may be different, but they certainly agree on one thing: Professor Bhegdad isn't telling them all his reasons for bringing them there. And the ancient power hidden on that very island is just one of his many secrets.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (2):

Fans of Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles may ask themselves: The formula's the same (modern teens meet mythology and big adventures), so why aren't I absolutely loving this? The adventures are still big, with some scary creatures and clues to puzzle out. But the characters need some fleshing out -- some moments of reflection so we can know them well enough to get excited about traveling the world with them, finding cool ancient stuff for what's probably six more books.

Instead, the author piles on another mysterious angle to overcomplicate the plot or takes the teens back -- again -- to wondering why they're on the island and can they really trust the crazy professor? Who knows? But it's more important for readers to put their trust in the main characters first.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • What drew you to this series? The compelling cover? All the marketing to fans of Percy Jackson-style fantasies?

  • Do you look forward to reading Seven Wonders Book 2? Why or why not?

  • There's plenty to read about the Ancient Wonders of the World and why they were considered so special. Books like this one are fun to follow up with a bit of research.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate