Thursday, December 9, 2010

Book Review: Hero by Mike Lupica


I won this ARC on Michelle Hodkin's blog. I had every intention of reviewing it before its November 2 release date. Obviously that didn't happen - sorry! Better late than never, right? And now when you feel like you just gotta have this book, you won't even have to wait to get it. :)

Summary:

When Billy Harriman's dad dies in a plane accident, Billy finds himself developing new powers -superhuman powers - he cannot explain. A family friend and a mysterious stranger both try to guide Billy, and he doesn't know who to trust. With the help of his best friend, Kate, Billy sets out to solve the mystery of his father's death and discover the source of his strange new powers.

Why I liked it:

The first thing I liked about this book is that its main character is a fourteen-year-old boy. I read to my children (ages 14, 13, and 10) before they go to bed most nights, and this was one book we could all agree on (a difficult feat, I assure you). That's also the reason my review is so late, but that's another story.

Maybe I've just read too much YA, but I found the innocence in this book refreshing. Billy and Kate are likable characters I enjoyed spending time with. The action kept moving and suspense grew throughout the book. A big surprise at the end added to the fun. Overall, it was an enjoyable read that kept my kids begging for "one more chapter."

Have you read any good books lately?

30 comments:

Vicki Rocho said...

When my mom used to read to me, I wouldn't ask for another chapter, I'd watch to see where she stashed the book and I'd sneak off to get it so I could read more!

Theresa Milstein said...

I'm going to look for this one. My son met Mike Lupica last year, but sports books aren't his thing. I'm glad we have an alternative.

I just read two of the Gregor the Overlander books, which were great. I'm about the read the third one.

Old Kitty said...

Oh it sounds wonderful!!!!! And I love that your kids approve too - so it's definitely a must read! Thank you!!

Being new to this ARC business, I thought I'd volunteer to do some!! It's only now that I'm getting the hang of putting up a review preferably before or on the release date!! LOL!!! Oh dear!!

Take care
x

Brian's Home Blog said...

That sounds good, after all, everyone needs a hero!!!

Joanne said...

Your reading time with your children will definitely foster a love of the written word that they'll have all their lives. They'll take great comfort in books!

Anonymous said...

The stories I read to my kids involve horses like the Saddleback Club. They're a bit younger. Good to find a book with innocence in a world of books where children are so often victims of terrible crimes.

Kelly Polark said...

I bet my kids would like this as well. Cool cover!

MTeacress said...

I love reading aloud to my kids. I hope they let me do it even when they're 30. Thanks for the suggestion. I've added it to my goodreads. :)

Bossy Betty said...

His books are so great for kids! My non-reader even read one!

Les Edgerton said...

Great post, Susan. I'm going to order his book for my grandson immediately. I've read Lupika's sports books and enjoyed them and didn't know he wrote YAs. Good to know.

And, reading to your kids is key to helping them become readers. Here's something I did with my son Mike when he was six. I gave him a list of 500 books I considered good literature--most of them weren't for kids but for adults--and told him I'd pay him $5.00 for a 1-page book report he did on each one. I also told him that he had to read them in the original--not any of those insipid dumbed-down versions ostensibly for younger readers. (Which I didn't have to do--he read one of those when he was 7 and said it was the worst thing he'd ever read.). We never paid him an allowance as he regularly read 2-4 books a week. After a few years, he wouldn't ask for the fee, but just read. By the time he got to high school, he'd read all of the Russians, all of the French, and was tackling the South Americans like Marquez. When he took his SATs he scored a perfect score on the verbals. And, he continues to read 2-4 books a week on an average. And, he's not just a bookworm. He was a varsity baseball player on two state championship teams, won another state championship with his select travel team (and was runner-up in the nationals, (was recruited by dozens of colleges) has a million girlfriends, was editor of his h.s. newspaper, and makes fantastic films. And, he's read everything! Our family for the past 25 years goes to a bookstore every Saturday and we all buy at least two books each. (You'll see us on the "Hoarders" show one of these days with the books piled everywhere...) A few friends have done the same with their kids and they all have a profound love of reading.

Talli Roland said...

This sounds like an interesting read!

Hm, lately. I can't think of anything amazing, although I've been reading a lot lately!

Susan R. Mills said...

I must get this for my boys. Looks like the perfect read for them.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I totally want this book!! Great review. :-)

Golden Eagle said...

I enjoyed reading other books by Mike Lupica--he's a good writer! Thanks for the review of Hero--I'm interested!

Shelley Sly said...

Ooh, this sounds like something I would really like! Thanks for the review!

Myrna Foster said...

Thanks for the review. I thought this one looked interesting, but I haven't picked it up yet.

Jai Joshi said...

How nice that you mentioned the innocence. I've been feeling uneasy recently about all the raunchiness going on in YA. There's plenty of time in life to go through all that but I think kids should hang onto their innocence about the world for as long as they can.

Jai

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

It sounds like something I would love, Susan! Thanks for the review...

Robyn Campbell said...

I gotta have this book. *adds to list*

It sounds wonderful, Susan. Fantastic review, btw. You go girl. :)

Creepy Query Girl said...

Sounds really cute! Thanks for the review!

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

This sounds great! I love books that I can read with my kids and enjoy at the same time. A Single Shard was that way for me, and my daughter and I just finished Pigs Might Fly by Dick King-Smith, which was also a book we both loved.

Amy

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I think that's what I like about many of the Tween books -- they are more about adventure and they often leave out the angst. Like you said, there is a nice innocence about them.

Jennifer Shirk said...

That's good to know. It's hard to find good books with teenage boys as the protangonist.
I really liked Maybe This Time by Jenny Crusie. She's usually hit or miss with me, but this book was really good.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the perfect read for my nephew! To engage a teenage boy in readig is a hard feat! Thanks for the review!

Julie Musil said...

Finding a book you can all agree upon is a huge accomplishment! I haven't heard of this book yet, but it sounds like a great read.

Right now I'm reading "Losing Faith," by Denise Jaden. It's great!

TerryLynnJohnson said...

sounds great! I also enjoy reading books with innocence. It's so nice to hear you read to your kids! I started that tradition with my step kids, and now my 16 year old reads a book a week.

Anonymous said...

I'm in the middle of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe. Read it 25 years ago and enjoying it very much the second time around.

Lydia Kang said...

Great review! I hadn't heard of this one and it sounds like so much fun. I'll bet you had a great time reading it together.
:)

Stina said...

I know what you mean about getting your kids to agree on the same book. I only read to my 6 yo. My husband reads to our 8 yo.

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss susan! cool review. i think i could like this book cause i like mystery solving stuff and special powers. yikes! my wanna read list is a zillion miles long.
...hugs from lenny