The last thing in the world Thom Creed wants is to add to his dad, Hal's, pain, so he keeps secrets. Like that he has special powers. And that he's been asked to join the League--the very organization of superheroes that spurned his father. The most painful secret of all is one Thom can barely face himself: he's gay.
But becoming a member of the League opens up a new world for Thom. There, he connects with a misfit group of aspiring heroes, including Scarlett, who can control fire but not her anger; Typhoid Larry, who can make anyone sick with his touch; and Ruth, a wise old broad who can see the future. Like Thom, these heroes have things to hide, but they will have to learn to trust one another when they uncover a deadly conspiracy within the League.
To survive, Thom will face challenges he never imagine. To find happiness, he'll have to come to terms with his father's past and discover the kind of her he really wants to be.
Hero is a coming-of-age novel about a boy named Thom who is hiding two dark secrets from his father: 1) he has superpowers, and 2) he's gay. Now, I've never read a novel with a premise quite like this one, so to me, this was an extremely unique read. Thom goes through all your regular teenage issues: parental problems, falling in love, sports drama, after-school jobs, and trying to 'find himself' and do what's right. The big difference is, the world he lives in is full of superheroes.
One famous group of heroes is called the League, which I compare to DC's Justice League. I find it hilarious, as there are heroes in the book that can easily compare to those from the Justice League: Justice = Superman, Warrior Woman = Wonder Woman, King of the Sea = Aquaman, etc. Thom gets a chance to "audition" for the League, but he has to do so without his father's knowledge. You see, his father used to be a superhero, but there was a terrible incident years back which resulted in the death of thousands, and Thom's father, who went by the name Major Might, was blamed. Now he works in a factory and keeps to himself. Thom keeps his powers a secret from his father because he knows of his father's dislike for anything superhero related, though that's nothing compared to how he would feel if he found out his son were gay.
The biggest reason I loved this book was because of Thom. He was just so darned lovable! He was a good kid, and just wanted to use his powers to help others, while at the same time he hoped to find someone who would love him for who he was. Isn't that what we all want? I really enjoyed reading about his growth as a person, and the author's writing was so spectacular that everything was explained clearly. Even when the story kept jumping to flashbacks, it wasn't bothersome, as the transitions were woven perfectly.
I found myself cheering Thom on, and hoping that he would be able to talk to his father about his feelings. I was also rooting for him to finally get together with a certain hunky basketball player....my goodness, the romance in this book! I love it! I also loved Ruth, the snarky old psychic on his superhero team. I don't want to spoil anything, but I do have to let you know that the action scenes in this novel are so much fun to read! There's a great plot-line here that's just perfect for a superhero story - it was like reading an actual comic book!
I'm just so saddened to have discovered that the author of this amazing novel, Perry Moore, has passed away. I had been hoping to find out if he had written anymore superhero novels, but alas, that is not the case. I will forever be grateful that he shared this story, and it is now one of my all-time favorites. Rest in peace.
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