Ever since becoming an IWP—Individual with Powers—Marvin Maywood has dreamed of joining the Core, a group of gifted heroes who save lives and stop crimes. But because he's a homeless teenager who is forbidden to use his amazing powers, wanting and achieving that dream are two very separate things.
But when Marvin saves a family from dangerous hoodlums with his incredible strength and speed, his chance to try out for the Core comes at last. The opportunity seems like a dream come true—until he realizes that the idyllic hero life he imagined is just a mask for the corrupt reality. And when a beloved hero is murdered, Marvin is suspected of being the villain behind the crime.
This book was insanely well done. I really found it to be refreshing and different. You would think, based on the title, that the book would be all about how awesome heroes are. It is not. It is a realistic look at what heroes would be like in the real world. The book's version of the Justice League was interesting. Everyone trusted and believed in this group of heroes but there were all kinds of politics and general human issues behind the scenes. Marvin has to come to learn that it isn't all what it seems. It also brought home what I know to be truth in our world- there is a very fine line between a hero and a villain. Look at the world we live in today, even the world I lived in as a child in the 80's: police officers with 30+ years of service end up in jail because they make child pornography in their spare time or they end up on TV for shooting a child or kicking a homeless woman. There are so many times that those who are supposed to be heroes are really just villains in disguise. Marvin finds this to be true too. I will let you know that there is a scene where Marvin is sexually assaulted but it stops before it becomes a rape scene. I felt that this scene was brave and important because it shows a male being assaulted by a female character and does not perpetuate rape myths. I found Marvin and his friends to be the REAL heroes of this story. The ending was fulfilling and hopeful. I really loved this book and bought my own copy to share with family and friends.
You can click here to add Hero Worship to your Goodreads. Author Christopher Long can be found on his website, Facebook and Twitter. I give this wonderful book 4 Fairies for an amazingly realistic look at the world of superheroes.
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