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)

Good as any superhero story I've ever experienced

Superhero origin stories are a dime a dozen but this one has a subtle significant difference. Like others, it's 1 part superhero story and 1 part teen coming of age story. However instead of being about a superhero who happens to be a teen, it's really about a teen who happens to have powers. For instance, it's not adorably clumsy Spiderman slinging webs to get from his job to his next obligation in the hilarious nick of time. It's a realistically lower middle class kid who's health problems have rendered him a suspended license and he has to rush through his minimum wage obligations in order to hopefully catch the next mass transit ride on schedule. Or when there's a conflict with his father, it's a central part of the story, not just something to add a little non-super conflict on the path to the next superhero milestone.

One theme I found particularly endearing was the tendency of this teen to get caught up in his own spiraling pessimistic scenario fears and watch his conclusions, like many of ours at such times, be plain wrong.

one of my favorites.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved this book. It is an incredible story of courage, family bonds, self confidence, tolerance, and oh yeah, SUPER POWERS. It appeals to everything my inner nerd LOVES. Michael Urie is perfection, and special nerd BONUS for Stan Lee intro. By far, my favorite audiobook yet. I will listen again and again.

Worth a Listen

It was a good book that kept my interest. It didn't leave a burning need to know in me while reading, but was still enjoyable. The characters were very well thought out, and the narrator was decent.

Must read for superhero fans.

Read it previously and also enjoyed the audio book version. As a superhero fan I think the universe and Tom are great examples of the genre.

enjoyable to listen even in the awkward areas.

This is a good find fun to listen to and a good platform for understanding. I was a little reluctant to get this book but if you keep an out mind it not so bad. True it was awkward in the male on male romantic areas but after a while your wishing you could slap the kid behind the head and tell him to

Love a good story? This is a great one.

This is a fabulous read. A story about a teenager dealing with a lot of typical teenage issues, plus the not so minor issue of his burgeoning super powers. He fights with his dad, he gets teased by his peers, he has a crush on a famous person, he is struggling with his emotions and he feels like he will never fit in anywhere. These feelings are magnified because he is gay and he is sure his dad will never be able to accept it or the fact that he is super powered.

While this book is written for teens, adults will enjoy it too. This is a fast paced read with many twists and surprises. The book is full of super powered beings with a variety of abilities. Plus, it's a great story. Once I started listening, I didn't want to stop until the book was over. I REALLY hope Perry Moore writes a sequel. And Micheal Urie is a fantastic narrator. He captures the voice of the teenage protagonist perfectly.

FYI- This is not a story to sit and listen to with your 10 yr old. Just because it is about superheroes, doesn't make it appropriate for everyone. There is violence, loss and some age appropriate sexual overtones, IF you are the target audience,

Great listen

Love this story main character is a little hard to visualize as a real person but the story and struggles are well written

Good hero story

if you need a gay super hero trying to figure things out and coming to terms with his sexuality this is for you. try to look past the hero's modeled on other famous hero's and focus on Tom.

Refreshing and Fun

I chose this book just because it sounded different. It was a great listen. His hero is so honest human and broken. His struggles are the same as anyone his age , he, just, has the added extra of superpowers.

Fun and Different

Would you try another book from Perry Moore and/or Michael Urie?

Yes, absolutely. It is sometimes hard to find something new and different and this book definitely is both.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked the main character. Despite not being gay, or a boy, or a superhero, I still found this character very relate-able.

What does Michael Urie bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Not sure. I enjoy "reading", but sometimes lack the time to sit down and read, so I do listens on the go. There are very few I would look back on and think... "oh geez, I really should have just 'read' the book."

Could you see Hero being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Absolutely. I am horrible about naming stars and don't usually put famous faces to the characters I read in books.

Any additional comments?

If you like superheros and underdogs (and are not scared off by a gay character), you will really enjoy this book.