Hero by Perry Moore

Thom has powers he can't always control. When he's asked to join the League - an organisation of superheroes - he has to keep it from his father, who was spurned by them in the past...but that's not the only secret he's been keeping. Thom's gay and having a hard time facing it.

Joining forces with some unconventional superheroes, he will have to learn how to trust in others and face his fears. Most importantly, he'll need to learn what it means to be a true hero.

I finished this book in three days. No joke, I got it out of the library on Monday when I went to return 'Before I Fall' and saw it on the gay YA lit shelf. I think I'd been looking up gay lit way back when and had read up on this and I recognized the cover, even when I was just nonchalantly staring down from the escalator. The cover is quite striking.

This book was a very enjoyable read. The characters were interesting and the premise was a new look on the perceived world of heroes and villains.

I really liked the main character, Thom Creed (sometimes main characters fall flat and I struggle through the book because of them) and found him very human and sympathetic. He was easy to relate to, even with his superpowers. I was always interested to see what he would do next. His narrative voice was easy to read and had me drawn in from the start.

I was always eager to pick up this book. Nothing was painstakingly obvious or uninteresting. The chapters usually ended on mini-cliffhangers which I'm beginning to see is the perfect way to keep a reader gliding through a book with interest and without the tendency to put it down after every segment.

I wasn't choked up through the novel but it definitely has some very emotional points. It's also quite humorous. I like it when a book can balance between the comical and the serious, where the reader feel comfortable but intrigued and involved. It really heightens the journey.

'Hero' by Perry Moore is full of action and there are moments when the book describes moments from the past but I never felt completely lost as to what was happening. I found myself immersed in the world of this novel and enjoyed discovering things about the characters.

I'd definitely recommend this novel to people interested in a good spin on the superhero world and an interesting insight into a boy who is trying to find out who he is, where he stands with the world, his friends and father and becoming a hero.

In accordance with the FTC, Quill Café would like to disclose that the reviewer borrowed this book from the library. The opinions expressed are hers alone and no monetary compensation was offered to her by the author or publisher. Cover art is copyright of Hyperion Books and is used solely as an aide to the review.