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)

Perry and Mike thank you, Thom ... way to go buddy

Stan Lee says it in his prologue ... a good story manages to speak to us the reader or listener on some recognizable and shared level.

Between Mr. Moore's writing and Mr. Urie's myriad of voices I was walking along with Thom and simultaneously remembering my own world with B-52 bombers flying low altitude-below-radar exercises against a backdrop of lava rock out-cropping sporadically dotting an in-land seas of wheat fields and where county-wide rivalries in basketball are tradition.

I found myself remembering wind-sprints, running the lines, climbing the peg board, posting up and playing one on one when our zone wasn't good enough; learning that I liked being on a team and hoped to god that I didn't come off as being queer or gay....

On the flip side to that...

Our town, with its sole single caution light was a singular testament to the size of the town and just how far into rural wheat and ranching country one could get....

That rugged and rural space is what houses the memories of riding hell bent for leather on our bikes to get to the tracks as a freight rolled through, and when we got older daring each other to sit under the bridge support beams when a freight came through...

Thanks Perry
Thanks Mike
and to Thom, way to go buddy...

pj

Heroic Little Book

Out of the 60+ audiobooks in my library, this one was truly a treat. Michael Urie should narrate WAY more often. His delivery is incredibly fun and moving and sweet. I loved everything about this book. It's incredibly empathetic and moving, but is also knowingly silly and fun. This book had all the great elements of a guilty-pleasure action hero movie with the emotional spirit of a great graphic novel. I recommend this audiobook to super hero-fanboys and average readers alike.

"I can heal things. Sometimes.”

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, which I purchased on a whim. Moore's characters are strong and the plot is clever and witty and kept me engaged the whole time, even if it was a teeny bit predictable. I really enjoyed Thom as a superhero, and can't help but hope this wasn't the end of his story.

Honest and Intriguing

I first read this story in a Queer Literature class in college and, while I don't struggle with the same things Thom does in the book, I did understand his struggle for self-acceptance as I think all children go through this, so I connected with it. I have the print copy, and I just had to have a copy for audio because most of the books I read now are audio.
I have always loved super heroes and have read dozens of comic books and seen all of the movies. The story is amazing and I love it. Thom's narration is so honest and realistic. He's such a snarky and lovable character and I'm very sad that Perry Moore is unable to share more of Thom's adventures and life with us.
I think that this book needs to be in everyone's library, whether it's audible (which is wonderful) or print.

Hero

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's a wonderful take on super heroes & also a great coming of age/coming out story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked all the characters, but Ruth was the best!

What aspect of Michael Urie’s performance would you have changed?

On the whole I liked his performance. However in several instances Thom seemed to be channeling Bette Davis.

Great story and likable characters.

This audiobook is written very well and has interesting characters. Overall the situations that happen to the main character are believable and interesting. The audiobook can be funny at times and sad at times. The narrator is excellent and has a believable tone with the many different characters he narrates. Overall if you like superheroes and want to try something new give this a try.

Amazing

If a Stan Lee forward doesn't sell you, I don't know what else you need. This book perfectly weaves a coming-of-age gay guy with a world where superheros and supervillains are part of society. Highly recommend and will be listening again soon!

great all around

i first read this in high school and enjoyed it very much. the audiobook does it justice

I've gone back through the years and it holds up

Absolutely loved the story. Perry does a fantastic job of making characters relatable and helping some grow past their obvious flaws. I highly recommend this to friends, especially those in the LGBT communities who are often lacking the representation or are relegated to stereotypes. Hero helps show what makes a true hero.

Wow!!

If you want an amazing novelization of what absolutely should be a comic book you’ve come to the right place. Action packed, mesmerizing, and very well written. You can vividly imagine every kick and punch Perry Moore writes. And Michael Urie’s reading is nothing short of amazing, the way he brings every character to life with his incredible performance will keep you in his grasp. I loved Tom! He was funny, endearing, and grew so much by the end of the novel. And of course Ruth, who doesn’t love a sassy lady!! If you want to pick just one book for your Pride Month TBR choice Hero!! I promise you won’t be disappointed.