If you loved
Books like Hero
A heartfelt, action-packed spin on classic superhero tropes that champions the radical power of being exactly who you are. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Hero.
- comic-book-bright
- triumphant
- warm
- angsty
- 01
The art of starving
Sam J. Miller
A visceral, surreal exploration of trauma and control where a bullied teen's destructive hunger blurs the line between delusion and supernatural power.
- 02
More happy than not
Adam Silvera
A heartbreaking, speculative exploration of whether erasing our deepest pains is worth losing the truth of who we are.
- 03
Dream Boy
Jim Grimsley · 1995
A devastating and tender Southern Gothic exploration of first love blooming in the shadow of unspeakable trauma.
- 04
The Vast Fields of Ordinary
Nick Burd · 2009
A sun-drenched, bittersweet exploration of the messy, heartbreaking summer between high school and whatever comes next.
- 05
At the Edge of the Universe
Shaun David Hutchinson
A surreal, heart-wrenching exploration of grief and first love, set against the backdrop of a slowly vanishing universe.
- 06
Geography Club
Brent Hartinger · 2003
A funny, heartfelt exploration of the secret lives of queer teenagers navigating the treacherous social terrain of high school.
- 07
The gravity of us
Phil Stamper
A swoony, high-stakes queer romance about finding your anchor when the whole world is watching.
- 08
Rainbow boys
Alex Sanchez
A candid, big-hearted exploration of the terrifying and exhilarating threshold between hiding who you are and stepping into the light.
- 09
Openly straight
Bill Konigsberg
A funny, heartfelt exploration of what happens when the desire to shed labels accidentally means shedding your true self.
- 10
Boy Meets Boy
David Levithan · 2006
A joyful, utopian queer rom-com that feels like a warm hug and a confetti cannon going off at the same time.
- 11
The inexplicable logic of my life
Benjamin Alire Saenz
A tender, tear-soaked exploration of the fierce, unconditional love that binds families together through life's most painful transitions.
- 12
Not Your Sidekick
C. B. Lee
A playful, swoony superhero romp where teenage rebellion and secret crushes collide with supervillain plots.
