Three Reasons to Love ‘The Colossus Rises’
My Version of a Blurb for The Colossus Rises
My name is Jack. Up until yesterday, you could add squat to my name and get a pretty good idea of my life.
Until a weird symbol appears on my head and nearly kills me. Suddenly, I'm in a top-secret facility with a crazy professor who tells me that the symbol means I'm special.
I'm descended from Atlantis.
So are my three new friends.
Mostly, the symbol means we're going to die unless we find the lost talismans of Atlantis, but we aren't the only ones after them. Everyone wants the talismans.
Maybe even the people we trust.
Introduction
There is something about the mythology of Atlantis that occupies its own space in the fantasy genre.
Atlantis has the excitement of a treasure hunt combined with the mysterious and awesome nature of the vast ocean.
That’s why when I was a kid, The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis was one of my favorite novels. It’s an instant classic for any kid who reads it.
Here’s why.
Protagonist
Jack is so lovable as a protagonist. He's the thirteen-year-old equivalent of a mad scientist with the sarcastic suspicion of someone who's engineered one too many April Fools' Day jokes.
His main flaw is that he's lonely. Lerangis articulates this weakness really well in the introduction, and it's a weakness that's always particularly suited to books with themes of teamwork.
Throughout the story, Jack learns to rely on the other gifted kids until they become a found family.
Jack has the ‘ungifted in a gifted world’ trope. It’s common in superhero-esque stories, where it seems like everyone except the protagonist is special.
The trope resolves when the protagonist realizes that they were special all along, just in a different way. It’s their gift that saves the day.
Example
In Encanto, Mirabel doesn't have a magical gift. Her secret gift is that she brings people together. That is how she saves the day.
In The Colossus Rises, Jack's real superpower is his ability to lead the other three. It neatly fulfills the purpose of this trope and provides a way to resolve Jack's loneliness.
Character Introduction
A great character introduction explores the protagonist's world before the character arc begins.
Who are they? How are they struggling? Where do they live? What is their goal?
Examples
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has Harry mistreated while tagging along on Dudley's birthday. He is alone, unloved, and powerless but headstrong despite it all.
In the Sherlock Holmes books, Sherlock has an amusing conversation with Dr. Watson. He details his personal flaws while conducting an experiment.
Jack's opening for The Colossus Rises paints a picture of his world as Jack makes a panicked dash to get to school on time.
His homemade alarm clock (made from a coffeepot and a plastic dinosaur) smacks him in the face.
Jack uses a hand mirror containing a treasured picture of his long-dead mother to check the back of his head and discovers a weird mark that appeared seemingly overnight.
The house is a pigsty thanks to his absent father and lackadaisical nanny.
The takeaway: Jack is alone and lonely. And to top it off, the catalyst comes right on the heels of Jack’s introduction in the form of a freak accident.
It’s an energetic opening that includes all the pertinent information we need to know, and it ends by passing the torch to an action beat that maintains the momentum.
Mysteries
Mysterious elements abound in The Colossus Rises.
It is not a mystery novel, but it abounds with questions: what are Professor Bhegad’s true intentions? Why is the island so strange? What are Jack’s so-called superpowers? Where are the Loculi hidden?
Lerangis keeps the audience engaged by using these elements of mystery.
Conclusion
If you love Percy Jackson, you'll probably love The Colossus Rises. Peter Lerangis created a great protagonist and sprinkled in mythology surrounding Atlantis to great effect.