(My) Hero
I just read Hero by Perry Moore.
How strongly can I recommend this book? If I could buy copies and hand them out on streetcorners I would! Not only because it is just an awesome read, but because it is so tragic that its author died so young and because it is the story of a gay superhero who doesn't seem to serve the sole purpose of dying a gruesome death thereby cautioning children never to be gay.
Understand: by awesome read, I mean truly. It's got an ecclectic mix of fascinating characters, an intriguing premise, an action-packed plot, humor, angst, romance, basketball, aliens ;P
There needs to be a fandom. There needs to be a film.
For those of you who've read it and want more, there is one fic I've found so far, and it's very good:
Courage is Nine-Tenths Context.
And while we're on the topic of good reads, here are two more YA novels I enjoyed this week:
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
I love the voice. It screams snarky/sweet teenaged boy at me. I love Anderson's protagonist, Tyler, his friend Yoda, and his relationship with his little sister Hannah. The story is angsty but with a satisfying end and a fair deal of humor throughout.
Homo, fuge = man, fly (away)
The imagery in this scene = amazing.
I stood up. I stuck the gun deeper in my mouth, pointed up at the target. My hands shook, teeth chattering on the frozen barrel.
Homo, fuge.
I opened my eyes to watch it reach out for me. I wanted to see Death up close and personal. I wanted to shake His hand.
Homo, fuge.
I could see my legs from the knees up, my sweatshirt, my neck, chin, hand wrapped around the grip of the Beretta, but that was it. Dad had positioned the mirror on the wall for his height. I was too tall.
To watch myself die, I'd have to hunch over a little.
I was bigger than my father.
Counterfeit Son by Elaine Marie Alphin
I feel like YA novels pull less punches these days, but without being flashy about it. I certainly can't remember reading stories as grittily realistic and starkly frightening as this when I was a "young adult". In any case, this is fascinating and harrowing but in more of a catharctic way than a grisly one.
When his father is shot down by police, the son of a serial killer poses as "Neil" - one of the victims his father abducted years before. Taken in by Neil's family, the boy succeeds in hiding from the law but cannot manage to hide from himself.
How strongly can I recommend this book? If I could buy copies and hand them out on streetcorners I would! Not only because it is just an awesome read, but because it is so tragic that its author died so young and because it is the story of a gay superhero who doesn't seem to serve the sole purpose of dying a gruesome death thereby cautioning children never to be gay.
Understand: by awesome read, I mean truly. It's got an ecclectic mix of fascinating characters, an intriguing premise, an action-packed plot, humor, angst, romance, basketball, aliens ;P
There needs to be a fandom. There needs to be a film.
For those of you who've read it and want more, there is one fic I've found so far, and it's very good:
Courage is Nine-Tenths Context.
And while we're on the topic of good reads, here are two more YA novels I enjoyed this week:
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
I love the voice. It screams snarky/sweet teenaged boy at me. I love Anderson's protagonist, Tyler, his friend Yoda, and his relationship with his little sister Hannah. The story is angsty but with a satisfying end and a fair deal of humor throughout.
Homo, fuge = man, fly (away)
The imagery in this scene = amazing.
I stood up. I stuck the gun deeper in my mouth, pointed up at the target. My hands shook, teeth chattering on the frozen barrel.
Homo, fuge.
I opened my eyes to watch it reach out for me. I wanted to see Death up close and personal. I wanted to shake His hand.
Homo, fuge.
I could see my legs from the knees up, my sweatshirt, my neck, chin, hand wrapped around the grip of the Beretta, but that was it. Dad had positioned the mirror on the wall for his height. I was too tall.
To watch myself die, I'd have to hunch over a little.
I was bigger than my father.
Counterfeit Son by Elaine Marie Alphin
I feel like YA novels pull less punches these days, but without being flashy about it. I certainly can't remember reading stories as grittily realistic and starkly frightening as this when I was a "young adult". In any case, this is fascinating and harrowing but in more of a catharctic way than a grisly one.
When his father is shot down by police, the son of a serial killer poses as "Neil" - one of the victims his father abducted years before. Taken in by Neil's family, the boy succeeds in hiding from the law but cannot manage to hide from himself.