What do you think?
Rate this book
Run Rabbit Run #1
COLOSSUS
Avery Rhodes descends upon Atlanta.
Heather Stokes just wants to graduate.
But when she and three classmates are kidnapped by a charismatic stranger, their bright futures are suddenly filled with mind games, torture, and exploitation.
And Avery Rhodes is losing control.
Now Heather just wants to get her friends out alive, even if it kills her.
Set in the suburbs of Atlanta and featuring a cast of multi-dimensional characters, COLOSSUS is full of horror and tension, and you can’t look away.
Read the serial killer thriller Drunk Monkeys says “breathes new life into a well-worn genre.”
Follow a resilient young woman and a mesmerizing antagonist in Run Rabbit Run, a twisted cat and mouse suspense series:
COLOSSUS, book 1
Two Guns, book 2
(books 1 & 2 can be read in any order)
RUIN, book 3
… and more to come!
“COLOSSUS… kicks some serious ass.” – Joe Lansdale
“Jette Harris firmly establishes her voice within this well-worn genre… [COLOSSUS] is a damn good debut from a new voice.” – Gabriel Ricard, Drunk Monkeys
"Not for the squeamish, but a morbidly thrilling read nonetheless; a horror story of the realistic, believable, 'that could really happen' kind." – KJ Chapman, Writerly Bookish Stuff
(RUN RABBIT RUN series formerly entitled MY NAME IS NOT HEATHER STOKES.)
Heather Stokes just wants to graduate.
But when she and three classmates are kidnapped by a charismatic stranger, their bright futures are suddenly filled with mind games, torture, and exploitation.
And Avery Rhodes is losing control.
Now Heather just wants to get her friends out alive, even if it kills her.
Set in the suburbs of Atlanta and featuring a cast of multi-dimensional characters, COLOSSUS is full of horror and tension, and you can’t look away.
Read the serial killer thriller Drunk Monkeys says “breathes new life into a well-worn genre.”
Follow a resilient young woman and a mesmerizing antagonist in Run Rabbit Run, a twisted cat and mouse suspense series:
COLOSSUS, book 1
Two Guns, book 2
(books 1 & 2 can be read in any order)
RUIN, book 3
… and more to come!
“COLOSSUS… kicks some serious ass.” – Joe Lansdale
“Jette Harris firmly establishes her voice within this well-worn genre… [COLOSSUS] is a damn good debut from a new voice.” – Gabriel Ricard, Drunk Monkeys
"Not for the squeamish, but a morbidly thrilling read nonetheless; a horror story of the realistic, believable, 'that could really happen' kind." – KJ Chapman, Writerly Bookish Stuff
(RUN RABBIT RUN series formerly entitled MY NAME IS NOT HEATHER STOKES.)
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2020
14 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Jette Harris
11 books23 followersI was born and raised in the greater metro-Atlanta area, where I live with my husband, dog, and cat.
I graduated from Mercer University in Macon, GA (class of 2008) with a dual BA in English and German, as well as a certificate in secondary English/Language Arts.
After teaching middle and high school for three years, I ran away screaming.
I now write character-driven, multi-genre novels (and work a dayjob). My specialty is thrillers, but I also write romance under the name Anna Lilian Wade.
My primary goal is to make your heart beat faster.
I graduated from Mercer University in Macon, GA (class of 2008) with a dual BA in English and German, as well as a certificate in secondary English/Language Arts.
After teaching middle and high school for three years, I ran away screaming.
I now write character-driven, multi-genre novels (and work a dayjob). My specialty is thrillers, but I also write romance under the name Anna Lilian Wade.
My primary goal is to make your heart beat faster.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 10, 2017
Not to sound sexist, but I was surprised that a woman wrote this book (it's a compliment, in case you are wondering.) She does not hold back, never pulls any punches and pushes the characters to their limits.
It was a dark read, but one I can recommend to those who have the stomach for it. It delves into issues which makes most people uncomfortable, but I think there is a solid story in there.
Please don't try to read this one if you are too sensitive, you will regret it.
Well done, Jette!
It was a dark read, but one I can recommend to those who have the stomach for it. It delves into issues which makes most people uncomfortable, but I think there is a solid story in there.
Please don't try to read this one if you are too sensitive, you will regret it.
Well done, Jette!
Want to read
April 1, 2020🎁 Books 1 & 2 in the Series are FREE on Amazon today (4/1/2020)! 🎁
Currently reading
December 13, 2018When the teacher who is supposed to protect its students, turns on them, what hope remains for Heather and her friends?
Colossus is not a book for the weak-hearted; it has a lot of gory scenes which is the stuff of one’s worst nightmares.
The starting of the book was a bit confusing and it took me a while to get in the rhythm of the book but when I got in sync with the story; I shuddered at the thought of what was coming to those kids.
Reading this book was like watching a car crash; I wanted to stop but my morbid curiosity got the better of me.
Though I wonder why did the author choose the title ‘Colossus’. It is supposedly the code word that the kids use for their tormentor but how and why do they decide on it is unclear and even then, they only use it a handful of times.
The terrifying details and some painfully obvious hints will ensure that the reader feels everything that its characters are going through and much more; It won’t be just Monica and Z who will be jumping every time a closet door opens.
Our author has to be made of some strong stuff to come up with such sadistic material and has a talent for describing it in a way that it makes one’s insides turn liquid.
Though I found the book a little light on the story and the start of the book was rather abrupt; why did Rhodes pick those kids? How bought him to Georgia? What kind of psychopath gets a sabbatical? What demons in his past turned him into this monster? I suppose that is why our author has given us a sequel and two prequels to figure out the damage and the source of damage of Colossus.
I didn’t expect such an end for all of Heather’s friends and I am still holding out for Monica. Guess I would have to read Two Guns to find out what became of her and that of Colossus.
Colossus is not a book for the weak-hearted; it has a lot of gory scenes which is the stuff of one’s worst nightmares.
The starting of the book was a bit confusing and it took me a while to get in the rhythm of the book but when I got in sync with the story; I shuddered at the thought of what was coming to those kids.
Reading this book was like watching a car crash; I wanted to stop but my morbid curiosity got the better of me.
Though I wonder why did the author choose the title ‘Colossus’. It is supposedly the code word that the kids use for their tormentor but how and why do they decide on it is unclear and even then, they only use it a handful of times.
The terrifying details and some painfully obvious hints will ensure that the reader feels everything that its characters are going through and much more; It won’t be just Monica and Z who will be jumping every time a closet door opens.
Our author has to be made of some strong stuff to come up with such sadistic material and has a talent for describing it in a way that it makes one’s insides turn liquid.
Though I found the book a little light on the story and the start of the book was rather abrupt; why did Rhodes pick those kids? How bought him to Georgia? What kind of psychopath gets a sabbatical? What demons in his past turned him into this monster? I suppose that is why our author has given us a sequel and two prequels to figure out the damage and the source of damage of Colossus.
I didn’t expect such an end for all of Heather’s friends and I am still holding out for Monica. Guess I would have to read Two Guns to find out what became of her and that of Colossus.
October 6, 2016
I decided to read this book based on the glowing reviews from other readers on Amazon. I’ve been a fan of thrillers and horror fiction for as long as I can remember, so I eagerly anticipated digging into COLOSSUS and finding a new, exciting story to digest.
I will begin with the good aspects of the book.
Harris is a skilled wordsmith. She is adept at using the English language to her advantage. She describes emotions, action, and many scenes with skillful aplomb. She opens the novel with a riveting prologue that is interesting, original, and makes a compelling case for believing the rest of the book to be a shotgun blast of dark thrills. For many unfortunate reasons, that promise is never fulfilled and that is where the praise for this novel ends.
The book is positioned as a suspense/horror thriller, but based on my interpretation of the content of COLOSSUS, that is incorrect. There were flashes of suspense, but never was it sustained. Most of those instances occurred within the first few chapters before the teenagers find themselves in Mr. Rhodes’ house of horrors. After that, the story is almost completely devoid of any level of tension. In my experience, the key to a compelling thriller is building tension and injecting unexpected events from time to time to keep the readers guessing. There is precious little of that here. Instead, COLOSSUS features a grueling, monotonous plot that suffers from pointless repetition and offers little in the way of reasons for the readers’ pulse to rise or even to continue reading.
The first few times Rhodes forces himself sexually on the teenagers is shocking (as any tale depicting rape should be). However, the author hamstrings the earth-shattering effects of such an event by boring the reader with blunt repetition. The author writes chapter after chapter of similar rape scenes until the reader becomes numb to the innate terribleness of the act. In doing so, the author also wastes precious pages which could have been used for character development, adding subplots, or building of suspense… on yet more rape scenes. As a result, the pacing is very slow and plodding because the story really doesn’t move until the final few chapters. There are, without exaggeration, dozens of scenes depicting rape or implying “off-screen” rape in the book. Occasionally the author throws in a flashback scene between rape sessions, but they are few and far between.
Once anything resembling a forward-moving story happens, it is very late in the game and in my opinion, too late to save the novel from itself. By the thirtieth rape scene I’d already had enough of the book and the “twist” (if it can be classified as such) is preposterous and a pill I just couldn’t swallow.
Police or FBI presence is non-existent despite this not being Rhodes’ first time torturing and raping kids for a month straight. With this being set in the very recent past (10-13 years), and technology being the state that it is in even in 2003, the idea that the authorities have no leads or clues with regards to the modus operandi of Avery Rhodes is implausible at best. Towards the end of the book, he even brags about them giving him a name (Phoenix) and having knowledge of his escapades. However, they only appear in the beginning of the book and the very end, and do nothing of consequence besides pester an old man. Does every suspense/horror novel have to have a law enforcement element? No. But such a subplot is more likely to build tension and be preferable to another rape scene.
On to the topic of the antagonist, Avery Rhodes (Colossus, Thatch, Phoenix… I might be missing one.) He begins the story sufficiently sinister and menacing enough, but then devolves into a cartoon caricature of a bad guy. He keeps a hunting knife in a bedside table drawer, unlocked, when he goes to rape a victim in the very same room. For some reason he takes his victims from their holding areas into another room to assault them, then returns them to their rooms, despite that creating a huge weak point in his plan. The kids are unrestrained before, during, and after with no handcuffs, no leather restraints, not even plastic zip ties. During the prologue, Rhodes finds a filthy and dilapidated house and secures it for himself. Only to apparently have the time and funds to renovate it, restore it, fill the kitchen with modern appliances, have the electricity restored (despite not being the actual owner of the house), and reinforce or replace all of the doors. He also chooses to make his torture and rape room stark white. Calls it The White Room. Now, I’ve never been a serial killer nor rapist, but if I were to establish a room where I was going to beat, torture, and sexually violate people for a month, the absolute last color I’d want the walls, bedding, and carpeting is white.
As for the ending: despite the seemingly endless scenes of rape and abuse, the ending was much too terse and unsatisfyingly anti-climactic. There is no redemption nor cathartic revenge, no twists in the plot, no big reveals, no final fight. It just ends. Speaking of which, those looking for a reason or meaning behind the series title: My Name Is Not Heather Stokes will not find any resolution to that question by the end of this book. The protagonist is called Heather Stokes at the beginning of the book, is called that throughout the book, and is called Heather Stokes until the very last line. Maybe in the next book?
Lastly, I would like to address the editing. COLOSSUS is rough: Liberal use of parentheses in passages where they are not normally used. (Also occasionally italicized.) Questionable use of semi-colons and other punctuation. Even a section that dips into regional dialect and becomes nigh unreadable when a trifecta of intentionally misspelled words conspires with hundreds of apostrophes during a five-page stretch of italics.
All of those things being said, I write this review not to dissuade the author from writing more, quite the opposite. It is clear Harris knows how to write, and has the key building blocks at her disposal to make a phenomenal story or series. However, this is not that story. I encourage the author to: Please, write more! But I also urge her to hone her craft, refine her skills, and prove that she’s better than this work. I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars with the second star being given solely for the potential of the writer only hinted at in the pages of COLOSSUS.
Thank you Douglas for your Review.
I will begin with the good aspects of the book.
Harris is a skilled wordsmith. She is adept at using the English language to her advantage. She describes emotions, action, and many scenes with skillful aplomb. She opens the novel with a riveting prologue that is interesting, original, and makes a compelling case for believing the rest of the book to be a shotgun blast of dark thrills. For many unfortunate reasons, that promise is never fulfilled and that is where the praise for this novel ends.
The book is positioned as a suspense/horror thriller, but based on my interpretation of the content of COLOSSUS, that is incorrect. There were flashes of suspense, but never was it sustained. Most of those instances occurred within the first few chapters before the teenagers find themselves in Mr. Rhodes’ house of horrors. After that, the story is almost completely devoid of any level of tension. In my experience, the key to a compelling thriller is building tension and injecting unexpected events from time to time to keep the readers guessing. There is precious little of that here. Instead, COLOSSUS features a grueling, monotonous plot that suffers from pointless repetition and offers little in the way of reasons for the readers’ pulse to rise or even to continue reading.
The first few times Rhodes forces himself sexually on the teenagers is shocking (as any tale depicting rape should be). However, the author hamstrings the earth-shattering effects of such an event by boring the reader with blunt repetition. The author writes chapter after chapter of similar rape scenes until the reader becomes numb to the innate terribleness of the act. In doing so, the author also wastes precious pages which could have been used for character development, adding subplots, or building of suspense… on yet more rape scenes. As a result, the pacing is very slow and plodding because the story really doesn’t move until the final few chapters. There are, without exaggeration, dozens of scenes depicting rape or implying “off-screen” rape in the book. Occasionally the author throws in a flashback scene between rape sessions, but they are few and far between.
Once anything resembling a forward-moving story happens, it is very late in the game and in my opinion, too late to save the novel from itself. By the thirtieth rape scene I’d already had enough of the book and the “twist” (if it can be classified as such) is preposterous and a pill I just couldn’t swallow.
Police or FBI presence is non-existent despite this not being Rhodes’ first time torturing and raping kids for a month straight. With this being set in the very recent past (10-13 years), and technology being the state that it is in even in 2003, the idea that the authorities have no leads or clues with regards to the modus operandi of Avery Rhodes is implausible at best. Towards the end of the book, he even brags about them giving him a name (Phoenix) and having knowledge of his escapades. However, they only appear in the beginning of the book and the very end, and do nothing of consequence besides pester an old man. Does every suspense/horror novel have to have a law enforcement element? No. But such a subplot is more likely to build tension and be preferable to another rape scene.
On to the topic of the antagonist, Avery Rhodes (Colossus, Thatch, Phoenix… I might be missing one.) He begins the story sufficiently sinister and menacing enough, but then devolves into a cartoon caricature of a bad guy. He keeps a hunting knife in a bedside table drawer, unlocked, when he goes to rape a victim in the very same room. For some reason he takes his victims from their holding areas into another room to assault them, then returns them to their rooms, despite that creating a huge weak point in his plan. The kids are unrestrained before, during, and after with no handcuffs, no leather restraints, not even plastic zip ties. During the prologue, Rhodes finds a filthy and dilapidated house and secures it for himself. Only to apparently have the time and funds to renovate it, restore it, fill the kitchen with modern appliances, have the electricity restored (despite not being the actual owner of the house), and reinforce or replace all of the doors. He also chooses to make his torture and rape room stark white. Calls it The White Room. Now, I’ve never been a serial killer nor rapist, but if I were to establish a room where I was going to beat, torture, and sexually violate people for a month, the absolute last color I’d want the walls, bedding, and carpeting is white.
As for the ending: despite the seemingly endless scenes of rape and abuse, the ending was much too terse and unsatisfyingly anti-climactic. There is no redemption nor cathartic revenge, no twists in the plot, no big reveals, no final fight. It just ends. Speaking of which, those looking for a reason or meaning behind the series title: My Name Is Not Heather Stokes will not find any resolution to that question by the end of this book. The protagonist is called Heather Stokes at the beginning of the book, is called that throughout the book, and is called Heather Stokes until the very last line. Maybe in the next book?
Lastly, I would like to address the editing. COLOSSUS is rough: Liberal use of parentheses in passages where they are not normally used. (Also occasionally italicized.) Questionable use of semi-colons and other punctuation. Even a section that dips into regional dialect and becomes nigh unreadable when a trifecta of intentionally misspelled words conspires with hundreds of apostrophes during a five-page stretch of italics.
All of those things being said, I write this review not to dissuade the author from writing more, quite the opposite. It is clear Harris knows how to write, and has the key building blocks at her disposal to make a phenomenal story or series. However, this is not that story. I encourage the author to: Please, write more! But I also urge her to hone her craft, refine her skills, and prove that she’s better than this work. I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars with the second star being given solely for the potential of the writer only hinted at in the pages of COLOSSUS.
Thank you Douglas for your Review.
September 30, 2016
I picked up this book because of the 5-star reviews and the comparison to Gillian Flynn. After a stellar prologue, it went downhill in structure, plausibility, lack of suspense, confusion, and doesn’t appear to be written or edited in accordance with any known style.
For a book to be compared to Ms. Flynn, I expect a slow unraveling of the tale, not knowing everything up front, and taking twists and turns all the way to the end. There was none of that. Everything was up front and in the open. I didn’t get a slow burn, desiring to turn page after page. I often had to stop and reread large sections of chapters because I thought I was missing something, but it was that characters, ideas, or situations were introduced poorly in the scene - Sterling wasn’t introduced well nor was the reason why cops were questioning Heather’s grandfather, and showing Witt as a bully to the others in the beginning when he’s described as such later. I was frustrated with numerous implausible actions, ideas, set-ups, etc. (a teacher hanging out on the field instead of being in class, 2nd year French students not knowing how to conjugate verbs, coffee drinkers putting lemon & honey in their coffee, keeping victims in closets near enough that they could talk with doors that were easily busted open, not restraining the teens when Rhodes has them out of their closet). I got lost in head hopping within a scene when it’s clearly identified who’s POV the scene is supposed to be in. I also got lost in the poorly laid out timeline in which the author jumps back in time (not a flashback), inserting a scene that should’ve been introduced earlier.
This book has an editor listed and it’s a bit disconcerting that the style is not consistent with any used by writers. Semi-colons are used with the following word capitalized. There are asides in parentheses while someone is talking instead of showing that the speaker changed his attention to someone else in the room. There are odd word choices like “closet-sized room” when “closet” would suffice and be more efficient. One of the characters tells a story and it’s all in italics making it look like it should be a flashback. These are just a few examples of the style that is off-putting for someone who is a voracious reader.
It’s disappointing to discover that such a highly rated book does not deliver on its promise or live up to the reviews already shared.
For a book to be compared to Ms. Flynn, I expect a slow unraveling of the tale, not knowing everything up front, and taking twists and turns all the way to the end. There was none of that. Everything was up front and in the open. I didn’t get a slow burn, desiring to turn page after page. I often had to stop and reread large sections of chapters because I thought I was missing something, but it was that characters, ideas, or situations were introduced poorly in the scene - Sterling wasn’t introduced well nor was the reason why cops were questioning Heather’s grandfather, and showing Witt as a bully to the others in the beginning when he’s described as such later. I was frustrated with numerous implausible actions, ideas, set-ups, etc. (a teacher hanging out on the field instead of being in class, 2nd year French students not knowing how to conjugate verbs, coffee drinkers putting lemon & honey in their coffee, keeping victims in closets near enough that they could talk with doors that were easily busted open, not restraining the teens when Rhodes has them out of their closet). I got lost in head hopping within a scene when it’s clearly identified who’s POV the scene is supposed to be in. I also got lost in the poorly laid out timeline in which the author jumps back in time (not a flashback), inserting a scene that should’ve been introduced earlier.
This book has an editor listed and it’s a bit disconcerting that the style is not consistent with any used by writers. Semi-colons are used with the following word capitalized. There are asides in parentheses while someone is talking instead of showing that the speaker changed his attention to someone else in the room. There are odd word choices like “closet-sized room” when “closet” would suffice and be more efficient. One of the characters tells a story and it’s all in italics making it look like it should be a flashback. These are just a few examples of the style that is off-putting for someone who is a voracious reader.
It’s disappointing to discover that such a highly rated book does not deliver on its promise or live up to the reviews already shared.
November 19, 2025
SHE'S RELENTLESS!
Allow me to start off by saying that this is my new favorite book. I laughed, I cried (actually, bawled), and my heart raced while flipping through each thrilling page. I couldn't put this book down. Literally! People wondered where I was because I stayed all day, locked in my room, reading this book.
Avery Rhodes is a terrifying, horrible, but yet also a likable antagonist. I couldn't help but feel for him knowing his background.
Heather is a brave young woman wise beyond her years who has been through a lot in her young life. The characters all seem very real, with positive traits as well as negative traits, just like any human being.
The story is realistic which makes it even more terrifying. The book has humorous moments that had me laughing quite a bit, despite it being a horror/triller. There were also many times I felt my heart pounding as I read as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen next. I couldn't put the book down!
Jette Harris completely blew my mind with this book and the best part: This was only part one. Her writing is phenomenal and how she so intricately describes the characters and their situations makes you feel as if you're there (even though The White Room is one of the least places I'd want to be!) The story was unpredictable and had many twists and turns. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not bothered by graphic violence or sexual themes. Be warned: She's relentless. Characters, bunny rabbits, and not even guitars are safe in this debut novel! It's not a light read, but it's a good one. If you're a fan of the thriller/horror genres, please, give this a read! I cannot wait for more.
Allow me to start off by saying that this is my new favorite book. I laughed, I cried (actually, bawled), and my heart raced while flipping through each thrilling page. I couldn't put this book down. Literally! People wondered where I was because I stayed all day, locked in my room, reading this book.
Avery Rhodes is a terrifying, horrible, but yet also a likable antagonist. I couldn't help but feel for him knowing his background.
Heather is a brave young woman wise beyond her years who has been through a lot in her young life. The characters all seem very real, with positive traits as well as negative traits, just like any human being.
The story is realistic which makes it even more terrifying. The book has humorous moments that had me laughing quite a bit, despite it being a horror/triller. There were also many times I felt my heart pounding as I read as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen next. I couldn't put the book down!
Jette Harris completely blew my mind with this book and the best part: This was only part one. Her writing is phenomenal and how she so intricately describes the characters and their situations makes you feel as if you're there (even though The White Room is one of the least places I'd want to be!) The story was unpredictable and had many twists and turns. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not bothered by graphic violence or sexual themes. Be warned: She's relentless. Characters, bunny rabbits, and not even guitars are safe in this debut novel! It's not a light read, but it's a good one. If you're a fan of the thriller/horror genres, please, give this a read! I cannot wait for more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2018
I haven’t had a book that has affected me the way that Colossus affected me in a long while. I wanted to put the book down and stop reading it but at the same time, I had to finish reading the chapter. I needed to find out what happened to Heather and her friends. I wanted to know the mystery behind Rhodes. I do not like it when books end with no resolution to the storylines. But in this book, it fit. It also left the book wide open for book 2.
This book is brutal. Not going to lie and tell you all that this book has a couple of scenes that will make you wince. It doesn’t have a couple. The whole book from the time Heather is kidnapped to the end is scene after scene of brutality. I like to think that I have a pretty thick skin when it comes to books with graphic violence. But I reached my limit with Colossus. I praise the author for that. I was kept breathless from chapter to chapter. Rhodes was such a wild card that I couldn’t predict what he was going to do next.
What was interesting to me was how the author was able to make all 4 kids have different reactions to their situation. Witt thought that if he could get on Rhodes good side, and stay there than he wouldn’t be tortured. He was also very submissive. Monica, while submissive, became withdrawn and quiet. She would curl up into a ball to make herself smaller. Like she wanted to disappear. Z did try to fight Rhodes but he was always overpowered. He learned to do what Rhodes wanted without making a sound. Heather fought Rhodes tooth and nail. She got the worse of the beatings. But there was something about her that Rhodes liked and that was the only reason she was alive.
There were times in the book where I wanted to tell Heather to stop fighting Rhodes and do what he wanted. Especially when he told her that they all had a time limit hanging over their heads. If anything, that made her fight harder.
What also got under my skin was the rape scenes. They were pretty graphic. What affected me was that it wasn’t just the girls getting raped. The boys did too. Then Rhodes videod them raping each other. It did get pretty intense during that part of the book.
Rhodes was a complete mystery. There was more to him than being a psychopathic serial killer. There were hints about someone who he had in his life that wasn’t there. Hints about his childhood and the abuse he endured. Hints about Spain and a job that waited for him there. Just the barest of facts and I wanted more. So I was a little disappointed when the book ended and there was no mention of it. I am hoping that book 2 gets more into his background.
The end of Colossus was a not what I thought it was going to be. It played with my mind. I stayed up after I was done with the book and thought about the ending. It affected me that bad. Let’s say that what I thought was going to happen didn’t happen. There was a twist that made me go “W.T.H.“.
What I liked about Colossus:
A) Kept me on the edge of my seat
B) Fleshed out characters
C) Excellent storyline
What I disliked about Colossus:
A) The violence
B) The rape scenes
C) Rhodes being a complete mystery. Drove me nuts.
I would give Colossus an Adult rating. I would not let anyone under the age of 21 read this book. There is explicit violence. There are explicit rape scenes. There is explicit language.
This book definitely has trigger warnings. They would be: rape, kidnapping, and assault. If you are triggered by any of these, I would suggest that you not read the book.
I would recommend this book to family and friends. But I would make sure that they knew how intense and graphic the book can get. I would also let them know about the triggers. This is a book that I could see myself rereading.
I would like to thank Jette Harris for allowing me to read and review Colossus.
All opinions stated in this review of Colossus are mine.
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
This book is brutal. Not going to lie and tell you all that this book has a couple of scenes that will make you wince. It doesn’t have a couple. The whole book from the time Heather is kidnapped to the end is scene after scene of brutality. I like to think that I have a pretty thick skin when it comes to books with graphic violence. But I reached my limit with Colossus. I praise the author for that. I was kept breathless from chapter to chapter. Rhodes was such a wild card that I couldn’t predict what he was going to do next.
What was interesting to me was how the author was able to make all 4 kids have different reactions to their situation. Witt thought that if he could get on Rhodes good side, and stay there than he wouldn’t be tortured. He was also very submissive. Monica, while submissive, became withdrawn and quiet. She would curl up into a ball to make herself smaller. Like she wanted to disappear. Z did try to fight Rhodes but he was always overpowered. He learned to do what Rhodes wanted without making a sound. Heather fought Rhodes tooth and nail. She got the worse of the beatings. But there was something about her that Rhodes liked and that was the only reason she was alive.
There were times in the book where I wanted to tell Heather to stop fighting Rhodes and do what he wanted. Especially when he told her that they all had a time limit hanging over their heads. If anything, that made her fight harder.
What also got under my skin was the rape scenes. They were pretty graphic. What affected me was that it wasn’t just the girls getting raped. The boys did too. Then Rhodes videod them raping each other. It did get pretty intense during that part of the book.
Rhodes was a complete mystery. There was more to him than being a psychopathic serial killer. There were hints about someone who he had in his life that wasn’t there. Hints about his childhood and the abuse he endured. Hints about Spain and a job that waited for him there. Just the barest of facts and I wanted more. So I was a little disappointed when the book ended and there was no mention of it. I am hoping that book 2 gets more into his background.
The end of Colossus was a not what I thought it was going to be. It played with my mind. I stayed up after I was done with the book and thought about the ending. It affected me that bad. Let’s say that what I thought was going to happen didn’t happen. There was a twist that made me go “W.T.H.“.
What I liked about Colossus:
A) Kept me on the edge of my seat
B) Fleshed out characters
C) Excellent storyline
What I disliked about Colossus:
A) The violence
B) The rape scenes
C) Rhodes being a complete mystery. Drove me nuts.
I would give Colossus an Adult rating. I would not let anyone under the age of 21 read this book. There is explicit violence. There are explicit rape scenes. There is explicit language.
This book definitely has trigger warnings. They would be: rape, kidnapping, and assault. If you are triggered by any of these, I would suggest that you not read the book.
I would recommend this book to family and friends. But I would make sure that they knew how intense and graphic the book can get. I would also let them know about the triggers. This is a book that I could see myself rereading.
I would like to thank Jette Harris for allowing me to read and review Colossus.
All opinions stated in this review of Colossus are mine.
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
August 3, 2018
Read this book a while ago, but since I just finished the second in the series, I figured I'd post one for this book too.
This book is dark. Let's get that out of the way first, though most readers would be able to get that much from the genre and synopsis.
The book details a serial killer's experience with his latest victims: 4 high school kids. It is gory, sexually violent, and brutal and has much in the way of menace and a foreboding serial killer character that has some intriguing quirks, though I'm not sure I buy them all as being plausible. They give the reader some meat to chew on at least.
I didn't have any real huge problems with the ideas presented in the book, but some of the scenes do take some suspension of disbelief to accept. Serial killer books are a favorite of mine, and while this did have it's moments, it didn't quite live up to what I have come to expect from the genre.
This book is dark. Let's get that out of the way first, though most readers would be able to get that much from the genre and synopsis.
The book details a serial killer's experience with his latest victims: 4 high school kids. It is gory, sexually violent, and brutal and has much in the way of menace and a foreboding serial killer character that has some intriguing quirks, though I'm not sure I buy them all as being plausible. They give the reader some meat to chew on at least.
I didn't have any real huge problems with the ideas presented in the book, but some of the scenes do take some suspension of disbelief to accept. Serial killer books are a favorite of mine, and while this did have it's moments, it didn't quite live up to what I have come to expect from the genre.
March 6, 2018
“Did you know that I was going to be your catastrophe?”
Wow! This book was a major adrenaline rush. I had to stop and feed my kids, do adult things, all the while I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters.
This third person POV story works great. Four friends plus the bad guy and you get a glimpse into all of their heads this way.
Rightfully so, Heather was my favorite. She was a take no crap prisoner- literally- a prisoner! I felt sorry for all of them, locked up for so long, forced to do such heinous acts against their will. I don’t cringe very often but I did here. Well done, Harris!
If you’re looking for something different, dark, disturbing, fingernail biting- here you go in all it’s deranged glory!
Wow! This book was a major adrenaline rush. I had to stop and feed my kids, do adult things, all the while I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters.
This third person POV story works great. Four friends plus the bad guy and you get a glimpse into all of their heads this way.
Rightfully so, Heather was my favorite. She was a take no crap prisoner- literally- a prisoner! I felt sorry for all of them, locked up for so long, forced to do such heinous acts against their will. I don’t cringe very often but I did here. Well done, Harris!
If you’re looking for something different, dark, disturbing, fingernail biting- here you go in all it’s deranged glory!
December 1, 2017
It's all rape. I thought it would move on, but
I thought it would be one important scene and that's all, but it just went on and on describing a guy raping 2 guys and 2 girls. Horrible sucking book. I can't read anymore. Don't read this.
I thought it would be one important scene and that's all, but it just went on and on describing a guy raping 2 guys and 2 girls. Horrible sucking book. I can't read anymore. Don't read this.
December 4, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, but I would like to start off with a warning. This is not a book to be picked up lightly. It’s describes scenes of kidnap, rape, and torture. If you find that overly disturbing, you should pick a different book.
Before I found Colossus, I felt like I was having a hard time finding something to read that grabbed me, and held me tight. I was picking random things to read, and just setting them back down. This book got its hooks into me from the beginning, and didn’t let go until I had finished it the next day.
The writing is intense, like Stephen King at his best. Almost from the beginning, you are on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going on, and what’s going to happen next. Harris does a great job ratcheting up the suspense, and sustaining it. The result was a book I found difficult to set aside.
This book is about four high school seniors who are kidnapped by Avery Rhodes, a man teetering on the edge of insanity, and locked into a house. They are kept separate from each other, forced to entertain Rhodes every whim and sexual appetite for one month. Rhodes is such a looming figure, they nickname him Colossus. The main character, Heather Stokes, who you learn is no stranger to tragedy, does everything she can to protect her classmates. As the time draws to an end, Heather and Rhodes, realize they are in over their heads, and no one may be getting out alive.
Harris’s descriptions of characters and scenes are great. The people and events feel real. You know the strengths and flaws of each character, making the situation more believable. I didn’t expect to feel anything but horror and anger at Avery Rhodes, but there are parts of the story where bits of his past are allowed to seep in, and you start to feel a weird kind pity for him. You start wanting to know more about him, his motivations, and what he does when he’s not on “sabbatical”.
The protagonist, Heather Stokes, is better than the classic heroine. She’s not waiting for anyone to rescue her or her friends, and she’s not going to give in and do whatever Rhodes wants. Heather continually sacrifices herself again and again, constantly fighting, using anything she can, no matter the cost to herself, to keep her friends as safe as she can. One part I particularly like was how Br’er Rabbit was incorporated into the book as a way for the characters to escape, mentally, from their captor, and perhaps as a way for them to figure out their physical escape as well.
So, if you’re looking for a psychological thriller, full of suspense, with great writing and characters, I recommend this book. I’ll definitely be reading more works by Jette Harris.
If you’re interested in learning about Jette Harris, she can be found on Twitter at @JettimusMaximus, and check out her blog jetterfly.wordpress.com. Enquiries about the author can also be made through Moran Press.
Before I found Colossus, I felt like I was having a hard time finding something to read that grabbed me, and held me tight. I was picking random things to read, and just setting them back down. This book got its hooks into me from the beginning, and didn’t let go until I had finished it the next day.
The writing is intense, like Stephen King at his best. Almost from the beginning, you are on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going on, and what’s going to happen next. Harris does a great job ratcheting up the suspense, and sustaining it. The result was a book I found difficult to set aside.
This book is about four high school seniors who are kidnapped by Avery Rhodes, a man teetering on the edge of insanity, and locked into a house. They are kept separate from each other, forced to entertain Rhodes every whim and sexual appetite for one month. Rhodes is such a looming figure, they nickname him Colossus. The main character, Heather Stokes, who you learn is no stranger to tragedy, does everything she can to protect her classmates. As the time draws to an end, Heather and Rhodes, realize they are in over their heads, and no one may be getting out alive.
Harris’s descriptions of characters and scenes are great. The people and events feel real. You know the strengths and flaws of each character, making the situation more believable. I didn’t expect to feel anything but horror and anger at Avery Rhodes, but there are parts of the story where bits of his past are allowed to seep in, and you start to feel a weird kind pity for him. You start wanting to know more about him, his motivations, and what he does when he’s not on “sabbatical”.
The protagonist, Heather Stokes, is better than the classic heroine. She’s not waiting for anyone to rescue her or her friends, and she’s not going to give in and do whatever Rhodes wants. Heather continually sacrifices herself again and again, constantly fighting, using anything she can, no matter the cost to herself, to keep her friends as safe as she can. One part I particularly like was how Br’er Rabbit was incorporated into the book as a way for the characters to escape, mentally, from their captor, and perhaps as a way for them to figure out their physical escape as well.
So, if you’re looking for a psychological thriller, full of suspense, with great writing and characters, I recommend this book. I’ll definitely be reading more works by Jette Harris.
If you’re interested in learning about Jette Harris, she can be found on Twitter at @JettimusMaximus, and check out her blog jetterfly.wordpress.com. Enquiries about the author can also be made through Moran Press.
March 8, 2016
This book contains graphic content of extreme sexual and physical abuse, torture, death, and suicide. Not for the squeamish, but a morbidly thrilling read none the less; a horror story of the realistic, believable, 'that could really happen' kind. It's contemporary, breathing new life into the genre.
The content of this book was eye opening, disturbing, horrific, and challenging, but handled masterfully by Harris. Four teenagers are abducted and held at the mercy of a sadistic rapist/ killer, and made to satisfy his every desire. I was on pins and needles for the entire read, and even recoiled from the brutality on occasion, but I just had to know the outcome. It's a book that you love to hate. You don't want to turn the pages due to the savagery bestowed upon the characters, but morbid curiosity keeps you going.
The characters were distinctive, true to self, and each offered something to the narrative. Harris captured the differences in their approach to dealing with the horrific situation they were faced with, at the same time tackling the dynamics in their own relationships as friends, and not just as captures to a perverse torturer. We even get a peek into the antagonist's back story. This only makes him more believable, and in regards to his perversions and mental health, understandable.
I'm looking forward to book two in the series.
The content of this book was eye opening, disturbing, horrific, and challenging, but handled masterfully by Harris. Four teenagers are abducted and held at the mercy of a sadistic rapist/ killer, and made to satisfy his every desire. I was on pins and needles for the entire read, and even recoiled from the brutality on occasion, but I just had to know the outcome. It's a book that you love to hate. You don't want to turn the pages due to the savagery bestowed upon the characters, but morbid curiosity keeps you going.
The characters were distinctive, true to self, and each offered something to the narrative. Harris captured the differences in their approach to dealing with the horrific situation they were faced with, at the same time tackling the dynamics in their own relationships as friends, and not just as captures to a perverse torturer. We even get a peek into the antagonist's back story. This only makes him more believable, and in regards to his perversions and mental health, understandable.
I'm looking forward to book two in the series.
July 31, 2016
I knew what I was in for with the synopsis but it still shocked me - in the best way. Extremely well-written, my skin crawled. I'll definitely read more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews