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Heroes' Day
In the late twenty-first century, war has become unfashionable. In its the Global Ranking System, a means by which the world’s Patriot nations can compete for resources via academic, artistic, athletic, and scientific contest.
Monica Sardinia is a junior national gymnast whose superior technical ability has earned her elite citizenship, credits for her hometown, and a chance to compete as a Patriot athlete on Heroes’ Day. However, when her parents can no longer afford to keep her training at her local club, she’s forced to go “common,” relinquishing her elite status and watching from the sidelines as her training partners move on to bigger and better things without her.
Struggling to adjust to her new life as an average, ordinary teenager growing up in an ailing Wisconsin suburb, Monica’s future looks bleak—that is, until she’s unexpectedly drafted as team captain of America’s precocious new national squad. It’s the chance of a lifetime, and she takes it, heading to the Olympus Space Station to train under none other than legend (and former Hero), Darren Hades. But no opportunity comes without a price, and Monica soon finds that in order to compete internationally she’ll have to do more than just master her skills, for in the world of the Patriot elite scores are the lifeblood of the economy, and the slightest misstep can send ripples across the globe.
Monica Sardinia is a junior national gymnast whose superior technical ability has earned her elite citizenship, credits for her hometown, and a chance to compete as a Patriot athlete on Heroes’ Day. However, when her parents can no longer afford to keep her training at her local club, she’s forced to go “common,” relinquishing her elite status and watching from the sidelines as her training partners move on to bigger and better things without her.
Struggling to adjust to her new life as an average, ordinary teenager growing up in an ailing Wisconsin suburb, Monica’s future looks bleak—that is, until she’s unexpectedly drafted as team captain of America’s precocious new national squad. It’s the chance of a lifetime, and she takes it, heading to the Olympus Space Station to train under none other than legend (and former Hero), Darren Hades. But no opportunity comes without a price, and Monica soon finds that in order to compete internationally she’ll have to do more than just master her skills, for in the world of the Patriot elite scores are the lifeblood of the economy, and the slightest misstep can send ripples across the globe.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
17 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Gordon
35 books1 followerJesse Gordon currently resides in southern California, though he has lived in places all over the United States, and has collected more than his fair share of stories over the years. As an author, his career began in the fourth grade (read: a binder full of Star Trek vignettes). Since then he has written over 40 short stories, novelettes, and novellas. His novels include Time Chaser, The Knack, Stories from the Steel Garden, and Heroes' Day. He has also compiled a pair of anthologies: The Midnight Recollections and The Reformed Citizen. More recently, he has turned to screenwriting. Two of his scripts are being produced by Pulsar Pictures: Node, and The Oatmeal Man. In addition to his short fiction, novel, and screenplay work, Jesse also runs an absurdist humor webserial called SuperMegaNet, the first two volumes of which are now in print.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
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August 24, 2012Up until about... 95% this book was a 5 star one for me. The author obviously has some storytelling skills.
Monica was an awesome, kickass character. I enjoyed every bit of her story. The world was interesting amazing and somehow so timely, even though it was written 4 years ago.
Then the ending came and it felt like such a copout. Seriously, Gordon, take this book off the market and finish that ending. You built and built until the climax point and then just BAILED??? WTH?!
I'm still going to give this book 4 stars because I loved it so much until that point, but that ending, and the disturbing "afterword" section about demons and "rape" was disturbing enough (along with the mention of a dream sequence in the book -thankfully only a sentence long) that I can't give this book 5 stars, even though I desperately want to.
If the author ever finishes that ending, this book would be sooooo fantastic! Seriously, so freaking great! Probably one of the best indie books I've ever read, in fact. Until about 95% this book was going to my indie pick of the year. So sad. Really sad about that right now.
Monica was an awesome, kickass character. I enjoyed every bit of her story. The world was interesting amazing and somehow so timely, even though it was written 4 years ago.
Then the ending came and it felt like such a copout. Seriously, Gordon, take this book off the market and finish that ending. You built and built until the climax point and then just BAILED??? WTH?!
I'm still going to give this book 4 stars because I loved it so much until that point, but that ending, and the disturbing "afterword" section about demons and "rape" was disturbing enough (along with the mention of a dream sequence in the book -thankfully only a sentence long) that I can't give this book 5 stars, even though I desperately want to.
If the author ever finishes that ending, this book would be sooooo fantastic! Seriously, so freaking great! Probably one of the best indie books I've ever read, in fact. Until about 95% this book was going to my indie pick of the year. So sad. Really sad about that right now.
July 31, 2012
I really liked this book right up to the end. Sadly, I felt the ending was too abrupt. I wish that there had been about one more chapter to really finish up the conflict between the character's moral values and her society's need.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews