Full of superheroes, teen awkwardity, and journeys of self-discovery, Perry Moore’s Hero is a story of an uncertain boy’s path towards self-acceptance and is a well-rounded source of entertainment.
Teenage protagonist Thom struggles navigating through life at home with his stoic, distant father and at school, as the son of disgraced superhero. Between his seizures and his sexuality, Thom is slowly losing grips on himself and on happiness; add in a superhero-murderer to the list of Thom’s problems and that’s only the beginning. So, armed only with the power to heal Thom decides to take a chance and secretly attend the tryouts to join The League (of Superheroes).
Although Moore has only written this one book, his knack for storytelling and interweaving both fictional scenarios and struggles characteristic of real life has been greatly shown and awarded. Hero is an extraordinary novel that is both fun to read and humorous, but also tackles those hard-to-discuss topics like family, society, and sexuality.