Book: Hero Worship
Author: Christopher E. Long
Pages: 240
Age Range: 12 and up
Marvin is something of a classic superhero - he has super-strength and speed, but only after he drinks in fear from someone nearby. He's quite powerful, and wishes that he could be part of The Core, a group of famous superheroes who aid law enforcement. But because his power was branded "dirty" after a required government blood test, it's illegal for Marvin to use his superpowers. He's relegated to earning a meager living as a dishwasher. He lives with two other teens who are also dirty: Yvonne, who can induce mindless bliss in anyone she touches; and Kent, who can change his appearance by molding his shape (and can turn into a puddle, basically). After Marvin saves a family, a member of The Core seeks him out, and offers him a chance to become part of their group. And Marvin learns that things are not always as they seem.
I think that this premise, and the various superpowers held by the different characters, will appeal to young readers. I found it interesting, but I would have liked to see a bit more background/context. How did these superpowers develop? How long has the world been divided into "clean", dirty", and "normies", and people with no powers?
I did like Marvin as a character. He's driven by personal demons, and tries hard to do the right thing. He matures quite a bit over the course of the book (though not much calendar time passes). I found him a bit naive, especially early in the book, but this does nothing to diminish his appeal.
Hero Worship has a reasonable balance of introspection and action. Here's some introspection:
"On the way to the convenience store, I think about last night and how Eliza just acted. Perhaps that is what's required of members of The Core -- just act, don't think. I recognize that I overanalyze everything. I spend so much time thinking about how I should act, I don't do anything." (Chapter Eighteen)
And here's some action:
"In a blur, I speed toward the hoodlum. I reach out and grab hold of Jackson, pulling him out of the hood-rat's grasp. Clutching the boy to my chest, I run him to safety behind the SUV. The ringleader hasn't even had time to process that he no longer has a grip on the young boy as I connect my clenched fist to the side of his head."(Chapter Three)
There's one coincidence in Hero Worship that I found overdone (an unnecessary scene in which Marvin reads a seemingly random books, the knowledge from which turns out to be helpful later). But I thought that the superhero bits were well-done. Kent is particularly interesting as a case study. And the larger societal aspects (discrimination against the "dirties", the collapse of the factory districts, the rise of a shadow economy) lend a bit of heft to what is otherwise a quick, light read.
Much of Hero Worship would actually be fine for readers younger than 12, but there are some references to sex (a character who uses her sex appeal as a weapon), as well as drinking and drug use (not by the protagonists, but it's there). It's like a complex comic book come to life, though Long leaves the reader to imagine his or her own pictures). I think it would be a good fit for reluctant teen readers, especially boys, and anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to be a superhero.
Publisher: Flux (@FluxBooks)
Publication Date: January 8, 2014
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher. Quotes should be checked against the final book.
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© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.
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