Hero

By: Perry Moore

Narrated by: Michael Urie

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

In the story comic book legend Stan Lee calls "spellbinding" and "totally original," Thom Creed has secrets. For one, like his father, he has super powers. Also, he's been asked to join the League—the very organization of superheroes that spurned his dad. Then there s the secret Thom can barely face himself: he's gay.

But becoming a member of the League opens up a new world to 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 imagined. To find happiness, he'll have to come to terms with his father's past, and discover the kind of hero he really wants to be.

Timely and inspiring, Hero tackles love, friendship, and the struggle to come to terms with who we really are in a sincere and suspenseful way.

This audiobook includes an exclusive introduction written and read by Stan Lee himself.

©2007 Perry Moore (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Moore's casting of a gay teen hero in a high-concept fantasy marks an significant expansion of GLBTQ literature into genres that reflect teens' diverse reading interests; given the mainstream popularity of comics-inspired tales, the average, ordinary, gay teen superhero who comes out and saves the world will raise cheers from within the GLBTQ community and beyond." (Booklist)

Don't Miss This One!

I don't know how I missed this novel! It's been out for years to great acclaim, and for good reason. The question now is why it hasn't been made into a movie or TV show. I looked for a follow up novel only to learn that the author died of a drug overdose! Heartbreaking! I sincerely hope his estate will allow someone else to continue this story in a novel series...! I highly recommend this one!

Fun Book

Glad I didn't listen to the haters. This is a really fun, well-written comic story. It basically takes us through a young man learning powers. The fantasy super-hero world does a nice job of mirroring his own experiences as a gay young man. There is really nothing objectionable subject-wise. Some reviews had me worried that it would be too raunchy. There is nothing raunchy about it. It seems very honest and is true to what a young teen would be feeling about love regardless of whether he or she is gay or not. It's about finding one's place in this world and giving what was given to you by your family to make yourself great.

All Young Gay Male Teens...Please Read This Book

A great book. I wish all young gay male teens to read this. We all need someone to look up to. Well written and very humorous. Michael Urie did an amazing job reading. Very enjoyable.

Not just for kids! Well written and interesting.

Any additional comments?

I was expecting a fast paced adventure story with touches of the TV show Heros. I got that plus a great deal more. I am an adult and found this as engaging as if it had not been YA fiction. Don???t let the YA put you off. The hero grew up and did it very well. HIs parents were human and his world was difficult. It was actually inspiring. The main character was an admirable young man. I really liked this book. It had twists and was well plotted. Well written. I hope there are more and if so, I will most definitely buy the next in the series.

Is This Really What Everyone is Raving About?

Talk about a disappointing read. Look, I know that this book is a big deal in the LGBT community, and I understand why. How often in YA fiction is the protagonist gay and also a superhero? Not often, that's for sure. Actually, this is probably the first time.

I tried to cheer Hero on right from the beginning, to be excited about it. I tried to get into it, truly I did. But honestly? It was just so poorly written that I had a difficult time focusing on the content, the point to the story.

Everything is just a little too melodramatic, too cliche, it's all just too much-much. And the the pacing is off, it's confusing--I was never too sure about the timeline in this book. Also, most, if not all, of the characters were wooden and predictable.

The thing that bothered me the most is that the gay-bashing was overboard considering the MC kept his sexuality on the down-low for the majority of this novel. Somehow everyone seemed to know he was gay right away--EVERYONE. Thom never does anything out in public that is overtly "gay", he's actually quite good at covering up his sexuality.

And just about everyone, even an alien creature, seems grossed out by the fact that he's gay--like I said, it's all a little too much-much considering this book, though it takes place in a universe where superheroes are real, takes place in modern times. I guess I'm shocked that not many characters living in this fictional modern world were open-minded.

Anyway, overall Hero is good, considering the fact that it deals with issues that YA fiction seems to shy away from, but not so good that I am able to jump on the band-wagon.

Everyone should read this book at least once!

What did you love best about Hero?

Tom was so human and so sweet that you absolutely could not help but love him. The fact that Moore gave him flaws that so many of us have to work through made Tom even more lovable.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Tom found out what his father was going through at the factory and what he had done to the owner of the company. I don???t want to give anything away so I will just say that it was yet another moment in this incredible book that illustrated that you can???t judge a person by what you think you know about them. Assumptions and misconceived ideas are the fuel for the flame of the fear closed minded people clock themselves in while claiming to be righteous.

Any additional comments?

I have two kids, a boy and a girl, that are too young to read a book like this yet but I can guarantee that when they are old enough I will make sure that they experience this brilliant piece of literature. And if I had my way I would make it required reading in English classrooms across the U.S. Not only every Young Adult but every person should experience the emotions and strength that this book creates through the voice of one teenage boy. Plus it was just a great book in general.

Very Enjoyable.

Well worth the listen. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and story. Performance was great, enjoyed his portrayal of each character.

Smart and involving take on secret identities

For a lot of guys growing up, it’s hard to miss how much the comic book superhero secret identity thing overlaps with the double lives young gay people find themselves trapped in, as they weigh the risks of coming out against the heartache of keeping secrets. Hero is a pitch-perfect narrative of teen basketball star Thom Creed, who has to deal with hiding both his powers and his attraction to other guys.

Perry Moore deftly keeps the story away from being “about” these tropes, keeping the focus on Thom and what happens to him as the world forces his hand and he figures out where he belongs in it. Michael Urie does a great job rendering a broad array of characters, and the audiobook also boasts a sweet preface by Stan Lee himself.

A Must Read For Comic Book Lover

What did you love best about Hero?

This book is a must read for comic book fans. It has action, humor, and a coming of age story. A lot is made of the main character being gay, but it reads as a young man becoming a hero and just happens to be gay.

What did you like best about this story?

The rest of Thom's team of heroes. Ruth was my favorite and the comic relief of the story.

Which character – as performed by Michael Urie – was your favorite?

Michael did a good job with all the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book had me wanting a sequel. I was saddened to learn that Perry Moore, the books author, had died of an overdose.

Really great book

Any additional comments?

All in all a 4.5 star book. Funny, well written, realistic characters, only a few loose ends. Worth a read.