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Hero
432 pages
A heartfelt, action-packed spin on classic superhero tropes that champions the radical power of being exactly who you are.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into the vibrant, high-stakes panels of a classic comic book, but with a deeply beating, vulnerable heart at its center. The narrative moves at a brisk, energetic clip, balancing the thrilling, world-saving action of superhero training with the quiet, agonizing tension of teenage secrets. It is a story steeped in an earnest, hopeful tone, where the angst of hiding one's true self from a demanding parent slowly gives way to the warm, triumphant glow of self-acceptance. The prose is conversational and accessible, inviting the reader into a world that is both larger-than-life and intimately relatable. It will thoroughly delight anyone who loves the trope of a misfit found family and believes that the greatest superpower of all is the courage to live authentically.
- Mood
- comic-book-bright
- triumphant
- warm
- angsty
- Tone
- earnest
- humorous
- hopeful
- empathetic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- coming out and self-acceptance · found family · father-son dynamics · burden of secrets · redefining heroism
- The writing
- The prose is accessible, conversational, and energetic, blending classic comic-book flair with a relatable, modern teenage voice.
- The arc
- The protagonist journeys from a place of isolated secrecy and fear of rejection to a triumphant embrace of his true identity and his chosen family.
- Who it's for
- Perfect for readers who crave the action of superhero stories but want them centered on queer joy, emotional vulnerability, and the power of found family.
Content notes
- homophobia
- parental estrangement
- superhero violence
- grief
About the book
Funny, exciting novel about a teenage boy growing up with two secrets: one, that he has superpowers - two, that he's gay. And he gets to save the world... Even though Thom Creed's a basketball star, his high school classmates keep their distance. They've picked up on something different about Thom. Plus, his father, Hal Creed, was one of the greatest and most beloved superheroes of his time until a catastrophic event left him disfigured and an outcast.
The last thing in the world Thom wants is to add to his father's pain, so he keeps secrets. Like that he has special powers. And he's been asked to join the League -- the very organization of superheroes that disowned Hal. But joining the League opens up a new world to Thom. There, he connects with a misfit group of aspiring heroes, and together these unlikely heroes become friends and begin to uncover a plot to kill the superheroes. This groundbreaking and widely acclaimed novel tells an unforgettable story about love, loss, and redemption.
Description from Open Library.
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