Are superheroes your thing? They used to be almost exclusively contained to the realms of comics and cartoons. Now, superheroes are featured regularly in both hit TV shows and blockbuster movies. However, there is one media that is still relatively superhero-free: the novel. There are a few, sure, but they are few and far between. Hero is one of these magical unicorn books featuring superheroes - oh, and the main character is gay, too.
As a librarian, I understand the critical role that "problem novels" play, but as a reader I'm pretty tired of them. This book is a refreshing change. Thomas Creed is a high school basketball star experiencing the awakening of his sexuality, which he struggles with as an athlete and as the son of a super hero. His father's fall from grace due to a tragic failure and his mother's subsequent abandonment were rough on Thomas, and the mystery of what happened in the past plagues him. He finds himself in drawn into the world of heroes when his own superpowers begin to manifest - just as famous superheroes begin showing up dead all over town. While the novel does address Thomas' sexuality throughout, the main plot driving the story is the mystery of the dead superheroes and Thom's awakening as a superhero.
Hero was written by the late Perry Moore, an openly gay producer and director. Hero was his first and only finished novel. The book has been criticized for choppy writing and thin characterization, but I have to say that I didn't really notice these issues at all when I read it. It's a fast, fun, pulpy read that will satisfy teens and adults alike.
Hero won the Lambda Literary Award in the Children's/Young Adult Fiction category in 2008.
Other YA titles featuring gay male teens:
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Totally Joe by James Howe
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
The God Box by Alex Sanchez
Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright
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