Saturday, August 9, 2014

Timmy's Review of Hero by Perry Moore



A note to readers before I start my review: Bear with me, there is an important reason for this. Though you may not know this, all the links and images in my reviews for the authors or books are found by me. Cody is a busy man and I appreciate the time he takes to post my reviews. I try to help make it easier any way I can and by me finding all the links and blurbs, it makes it easier and quicker for Cody to post them for me. In doing the search on Perry Moore, I learned some interesting and sad facts about him. I understand it’s my job to review the book and not the author. However, there are some things I would like to discuss before getting to the book. 

In my search I learned that Perry Moore died in February 2011 at the age of 39. I won’t go into the reasons he died or any of the legal stuff, but I wanted to take time to say how very sad this information was to me. I didn’t know him, and before reading his book I didn’t know of him, but this doesn’t negate the sadness that filled me upon learning of his death. As a gay teen, I don’t know very many gay icons. I’m sure there are plenty out there, but I don’t know of many. Perry Moore was a successful gay man who accomplished a lot for the LGBT community. One of the best things he did, in my opinion, was to write Hero. Most people who know me, know that my favorite books are books that give kids hope. Hope in any form is a great thing for a kid to have. Gay, Straight, Bi, or any other letter in the alphabet, we all need hope. Without it, there is nothing to look forward to. There is nothing to keep us going when times get hard. Perry Moore did that with his book, and thanks to his life partner, Hunter Hill, he continues to give hope even in his afterlife. Hunter Hill, together with the Hetrick-Martin Institute, started a Perry Moore Hero Fund. The fund is used to help LGBT youth reach their goals by way of scholarships for college. I added a link below that will explain how to enter for a chance to receive a scholarship and how to donate to the fund. Though I know this won’t reach them, I would like to thank both Hunter Hill and Hetrick-Martin Institute for the gift they are giving kids in the LGBT community. 

Now for my review of Hero by Perry Moore.

As I stated above. this book was a story of hope. A gay superhero? That is awesome! This book wasn’t for just gay kids though, it wasn’t only m/m. This book is a book about a boy finding his way in a life he didn’t understand. It is a YA book that happened to have a gay main character. This book is for every kid. Every kid who deals with bullying, or feels they aren’t good enough—that the “power” they have is inferior to everyone else’s. It’s also about learning that you are good enough. Thom Creed learned from those around him, and grew into a great superhero. 

Perry Moore had a lot of life lessons in this book. Through Thom, he taught us to look deeper before you judge a person by their appearance or attitude. He taught us that not everyone needs a superpower to be a superhero, and he taught us that with teamwork and taking help from others, even the smallest of us can succeed. We all have the power to be superheroes if we simply try to help those who need it. And most of all, Perry’s book gives hope. Your future is what you make of it, you choose to learn from the mistakes others make, or you dwell on the bad and go nowhere in life. Thom and his group of misfit heroes save the world and lives of millions because they chose not to give up when life got hard. They chose to take a stand and risk their own lives to help others. THAT is what made them heroes. 

The only thing that I didn’t like about this book is my Fave Superhero turned out to be bad, but that sure made the ending interesting. 

I would recommend this book to every person I meet, Gay, Straight, Bi, Lesbian, Trans, Brown, White, Orange, Green, Boy or Girl. Every person should read this book at least once. I have a very small list of five marble books because those are saved for books like this. Books that give us hope for our future.~Timmy


Hero by Perry More
Available in Print, eBook, and Audiobook
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion - no purchasing link found

About Hero

The last thing in the world Thom Creed wants is to add to his father's pain, so he keeps secrets. Like that he has special powers. And that he's been asked to join the League - the very organization of superheroes that spurned his dad. But the most painful secret of all is one Thom can barely face himself: he's gay.

But becoming a member of the League opens up a new world to Thom. There, he connects with a misfit group of aspiring heroes, including Scarlett, who can control fire but not her anger; Typhoid Larry, who can make anyone sick with his touch; and Ruth, a wise old broad who can see the future. Like Thom, these heroes have things to hide; but they will have to learn to trust one another when they uncover a deadly conspiracy within the League.

To survive, Thom will face challenges he never imagined. To find happiness, he'll have to come to terms with his father's past and discover the kind of hero he really wants to be.

Find Perry More on Goodreads and on Wikipedia and on Facebook


Perry Moore Hero Fund
The notable author and producer Perry Moore dedicated his life to spreading a message of tolerance and empowerment for all. Perry firmly believed in the power of the written word and it’s ability to change the world.

In honor of Perry’s legacy, his lifelong partner, Hunter Hill, launched the Perry Moore Hero Fund in partnership with the Hetrick-Martin Institute in 2011. Hunter Hill is the Executive Director of Paper Magazine and Papermag.com. In line with Perry’s fundamental belief that there lies a Hero in all of us, the Perry Moore Hero Fund will award college scholarships annually to courageous young people who have overcome extreme obstacles and set a shining example of strength in the face of adversity.

Moore’s ground-breaking novel, Hero, reveals the story of the first gay teenage superhero, Thom Creed. A perpetual champion of the underdog, Perry wrote Heroto support LGBT teens and to combat the negative imagery regarding gay characters in the mainstream comic industry. 

Hero won the prestigious Lambda Literary Award in 2008 and defined Moore as an idyllic figure for many LGBT teens. Perry received thousands of emails from LGBT teens struggling to find their place within their communities. It was an honor for Perry to personally respond to each message. 

As a child, the fantasy kingdom of The Chronicles of Narnia (classical children’s literature by C.S. Lewis) deeply fascinated Perry. Moore’s interest in Narnia ultimately culminated in his role as an Executive Producer for Walden Media’s popular film adaptation of the series. 

The Perry Moore Hero Fund is an artistic scholarship that celebrates literature’s ability to inspire and have a positive impact in the lives of young people. By publishing the winning stories on an official platform via the Perry Moore Hero Fund website, the content will have an immediate, powerful and global voice.


Donations to the Perry Moore Hero Fund will provide scholarships to aspiring writers to support their artistic development and expression. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

The Perry Moore Hero Fund is housed at the Hetrick-Martin Institute and all donations on behalf of The Perry Moore Hero Fund will be deposited in a restricted account for scholarships only. If you have any questions regarding the Perry Moore Hero Fund please contact Chandler Bazemore, Assistant Director of Development, Individual Giving at cbazemore@hmi.org or 212-674-2600 ext 257. 

Checks should be made out to the Hetrick-Martin Institute with the Perry Moore Hero Fund in the memo. Checks can be mailed to:

The Hetrick-Martin Institute
c/o Perry Moore Hero Fund
2 Astor Place
New York, NY 10003

To learn more about the Hetrick-Martin Institute click here.

Hetrick-Martin Institute on Facebook and on Twitter

24 comments:

  1. WOW Timmy. I saw the blurb for this one and thought it might be interesting, your review sealed the deal for me. I especially like books that just happen to have a gay lead.

    I had to google Perry Moore, so sad and his parents urgh despicable

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    1. It's a great book Deeze! Jules sent it to me, and once I started reading it I couldn't stop! I have never read a book or comic about Superheros before. It was awesome!
      <3 Timmy

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  2. Timmy, what a fantastic review!! I'll be adding this to my TBR and my 10 yr old daughter's. Also, thank you for adding a link to donate. <3

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    1. That's awesome Lili! I will tell you the is to boys kissing in the story. It's not a hot and heavy make-out session or anything, but I thought I would warn you. I hope you both love the book!
      <3 Timmy

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    2. No biggie on the kiss but thank you for looking out :) Bought and downloaded. My daughter's up first. ❤

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  3. Wonderful review and a story about Perry Moore. I remember reading about his tragic death. I think it's important for ever child to have a hero that they identify with and I was glad to see that this book is available in our library. Thanks Timmy for the link to donate to the scholarship fund. I will read this and my kids too! ❤️❤️❤️

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    1. That's really great that it is in the library. It's a great book, and I'm working to get a few other great books in the library too.
      <3 Timmy

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  4. It sounds like this book is one of those very rare gems that are truly life-changing. That, once read, the book fundamentally changes the perceptions of the reader by how it has touched their heart and open their eyes to a new way of seeing things.

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    1. That was exactly how it was for me Aniko. I have never read comics or superhero books before, and Hero was the best book I could have started with.
      <3 Timmy

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  5. I read this book a long time ago because I love "hero" stories and found it inspiring. I also felt sad when I learned of the author's passing. I looked him up to see if he'd written other books. I'm sure Mr. Moore would be gratified to know his work continues to inspire teens like Timmy. Good review.

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    1. Thanks Michael! It's awesome to see you here! Thanks for reading the review and leaving a comment.
      <3 Timmy

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  6. I loved this book as well. Its the 'one' that started everything for me.

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    1. It was truly an awesome book. I really liked that thou Perry was writing it because he wanted a gay (good) superhero, he also made this book open to all people. It was not a love story really, it was a story of self worth and finding your way in a life that is hard to understand. Thanks so much for stopping by!
      <3 Timmy

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  7. A very touching review, Timmy. The book sounds amazing and I will definitely read it. Sadly the author died much too young. He had so much more to offer the world, but I'm sure his influence will be felt for years to come. It's recognition by young readers like you that will keep his spirit alive. Thank you for recommending this. Mel

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    1. (((Mel))) Love you! I hope this review gets this book out there a little for other people to read. It is truly and inspiring book!

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  8. Great review Timmy. And thank you for the story of Perry Moore. I will definitely put it on my to read pile.

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    1. I hope you love the book as much as I did, Denise!
      <3 Timmy

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  9. Yup, putting this one on my reading list as well, now! You really make books come alive.

    And Timmy, I find that the author is just as important as the book itself. I can't separate the two in my head, not even when I am reviewing. So a valid point in favor of ANY book, in my opinion, is if the author is/were a great human being. (Just as I refuse to buy books written by outspoken homophobes or misogynistic morons, even if the books they write are very good—I cannot separate the two).

    What a great review, Timmy! Chock-full of information, research, and of your, personal enthusiasm! You made me feel the book while reading your review.

    Well done! Adding it to my Goodreads pile!

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  10. Thanks my Anna! I'm so glad you are gonna read this too! I think you'll love it.
    <3 Timmy

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    1. locked and loaded on my iPad now! :-)
      night night

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  11. FANTASTIC write-up and review, Timmy!!! Really wonderful insights, and infornation. So good. <3 <3 <3

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    1. Thanks Jules! And thank for getting me this wonderful and inspiring book.
      <3

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  12. Wow! You did a great job with the review, Timmy! I keep adding books to my TBR list because of you! haha. I am very thankful for that.

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    1. It's great to be able to share all these wonderful books with my friends! I would love to hear your thoughts on them after you have read them.
      <3 Timmy

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