Hero

by S.L. Rottman

15-year-old Sean's got no one to look up to, and nothing left to lose-until he's arrested. The only way for Sean to pay his dues is to perform community service on Mr. Hassler's farm. He can do just what he has to, or he can confront the mess his life has become. It's his choice?

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, School, Abuse, Modern

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in school but it was so good not like a boring school book type it was ACTUALLY good and it taught be to not judge people because you never know what’s going on and people can change people. Almost cried at school reading this but didn’t but really good. Recommend!

[Kensington Chenoweth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero was a heartbreaking and well-developed book. The author, S.L. Rottman, portrayed the characters in a way that could make one either love or despise them. It's about a 15 year old delinquent, Sean, that attends an under-age drinking party one too many times. Because he already has a criminal record, Sean is given community service. Sean's father is not in the picture anymore and his mother, a drug and alcohol addict, abusive toward him. To top it off, she steals any money he makes to pay for more alcohol. Luckily, a kind, elderly man (Mr. Dave Hassler) offers to take Sean in and have him work on his ranch for community service. During his first week at the ranch, Sean and Mr. Hassler come across some strange situations. To find out what happens at the ranch or with Sean's mother read the book!

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves realistic fiction and emotional books. This book does have some language in it and is a bit graphic in certain parts. I wouldn't recommend preteens or younger to read Hero because of the language. Once one gets past all the language and violence, it is truly an inspiring and touching story.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

kinda cheesey but still good.

[DK · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is your perception of a hero? In this book, it provokes what the true meaning of a hero is. The main character Sean is a troubled teen and has never been able to trust anyone. When he goes to a ranch, that all changes. He learns to care and in this story, he actually becomes the true hero. I won't provide any spoilers but I must say, this book had me from the first page. I actually thought it might be a little boring and it might be stereotyped but I have to say that this author went all out and you could feel the character's emotions. The character's really got inside of your head. When I read it late at night, I could barely go to sleep with the thought of wanting to see what else happened. Even when I finished reading I still wanted to read more. It really made me ask questions and was one of the best books I have ever read. I would definitely recommend it but I must warn you, there are pages that can get tense and a little violent.

[Y. Liu · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is such a horrible book with a horrible ending. I struggled to read the book without falling asleep.

It feels like the author just fell asleep writing the book halfway through, accidentally sent the proof to the publisher, and the publisher still published it.

[Paige Kinnaird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read. Look forward to sharing with students next semester.

[Max Velazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this book is really cool,especially how Sean doesn't believe in heroes because anybody could be a hero but not everyone is a good hero

[Brody Schoelier · Rating 1 out of 5]

alright

[Skye B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that I read was Hero, by S.L. Rottman. The book is about a fifteen-year-old named Sean. He hates the world, therefore he doesn’t care about anyone or anything and he gets in a lot of trouble. He struggles at the start of school and gets sent to do community service. He eventually grows up and gets all his work done.
I really liked this book. I liked it because I can somewhat relate. I used to struggle in school a lot and do a lot of bad things. I’ve also had to do community service. I still am struggling in school, but not as bad. The theme is to not let what other people think of you let you down. Sean shows this by changing how he views life, and how he comes from everyone thinking poorly of him to being a great kid. When he first gets to the ranch, he hates the place and refuses to do his work. Each day he’s there, he improves his work and starts to do it without questioning. He ends up with a great relationship with Mr. Hassler (The Ranch Owner) in the end.
I recommend this book to anyone. I think it shows a lot about the realities of life, and shows that life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. One thing I disliked about the book is the lack of info on Sean’s mom. His mom plays a big role on how Sean acts and how he thinks, and I feel like there should be more info on his mom. Something from the book that I like is how much conflict there is between Sean and everyone around him, it makes you want to keep reading. This book was very entertaining and you won’t get bored of it because of how much conflict there is. Everyone should read this book, it shows the daily struggles that some people go through. It makes you appreciate everyone and everything a little more. It was an amazing book and I enjoyed it very much.

[Griffin E]

The book I'm reading is called Hero by S.L. Rottman. The Lexie level for Hero is 720. The book is about a fifteen year old boy named Sean that hates the world. After all he has two deadbeat parents, no one to look up to and nothing left to lose, so why not trash everything? Then he gets caught. Suspended from school and with a mounting police record, the only way for Sean to pay his dues is to do community service on Mr. Hassler’s farm. He can do just what he has to, or he can confront the mess his life has become.
The main idea of the book is that there is a kid that isn’t listening to anyone. Over the book he learns that if he doesn't get his act together he could get in big trouble and can’t get out of it. “Is coming from a mare in the form of a foal that’s nearly two weeks premature.” Mr Hassler went into action right away but Sean was confused and wasn’t paying attention.
I recommend this book if you like people turning their lives around for the better. I liked the book because it had him turn his life around. It wasn’t that confusing and wasn’t too hard or easy to read. There were points in the book that I could predict were going to happen. The book was kinda like Speak with the parents but otherwise it was different. That's my opinion of the book.

By Griffin Evans

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read like an after school special. Sean is a kid from a rough background without anyone around to give him an actual chance in life. His dad appears uninterested. His mom is abusive. So, he makes rotten choices and eventually gets in trouble. Enough trouble to warrant some community service time. He is assigned to work on a ranch and there he learns to take care of the animals, work hard, and he even helps deliver a colt whom he bonds with and names Knicker. The story is predictable. The ending is sad, which is unfortunate, but I also could have done with some more to this story. It felt a bit unfinished and kind of surface level. I read it quickly, and it is an easy read with teen boys as a target audience.

[Kiara Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't love the ending of this book, but the rest of the plot was great! I guess I just didn't really understand Sean's essay to the fullest extent and I feel like the ending was rushed. In my opinion, this kind of story should have a solid ending and not one that leaves you wondering.

As for the rest of the book, this is a great read for anyone who felt unloved in their home in any capacity as a child. Sean's story is a reminder that there is a home for everyone and you just have to trudge through the terrible days to get to it.

Strength is found in love. This book proves that. Everyone deserves a Mr. Hassler, and everyone should read this book.

[Cindi Leiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a true page turner. The writer created situations that allowed you to laugh and cry! I finished this book in one day and that is not something I normally do! I couldn't put it down because the author was able to create characters that I bought into right away! It was truly a wonderful experience. The author causes you to think, to consider another side that you may not have considered before. It was truly a wonderful book.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An 8th grade boy recommended this book to me. I am so glad he did. Sean's life is difficult to say the least, with an abusive mother and an absent father. When he goes to far, he is sentenced to community service at a farm. I think I liked it because it shows people can start making the right choices if they are given the respect and support that's been missing from their lives. Realistic fiction readers will devour this.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book! I read it for my English class, usually I do not like to read, but the book has a great plot and the author S.L. Rottman is very good with words to develop the story. The main character Sean and Mr. Hassler’s relationship throughout the book really shows how much a person needs a role model in their life, Mr. H helps Sean a lot to develop into a better person. I really enjoyed this book and would read more by this author.

[mollyreads222 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the worst books I've ever read. The characters were weak and one-dimensional, and Sean's arc throughout the story was almost nonexistent. The last chapter was anticlimactic, and a weak attempt at a thought-provoking, open-to-interpretation end to a story. It was mildly entertaining, at best.

[Grayson Earwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this book for a school assignment, I’m not usually a big reader but the way the characters are portrayed with growth throughout the book had very good depth and complexity but still understandable.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This boom has complex, dynamic characters. The main character learns lots of lessons that can be beneficial for younger readers. The plot moves fast and keeps the readers attention, overall I would recommend this book to all students.

[Matthew Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for my English class, and it was great! The characters are well written and were introduced to the reader very well. I loved the plot of the book, as it always kept me hooked and made me want to keep reading.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! I listened to the audio of the whole book and it was very fun to listen to. The story line is very well thought out and the ending is awesome. I would definitely read this book again and recommend it to others!

[Jeff Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect YA novel for middle school language arts classes. Sean’s life was tragic and unfortunately the world some kids live in. The final letter was sad and not what I anticipated, which makes the ending even more poignant and open for class discussion.

[Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a good page-turner, I enjoyed it

[Leslie Pasaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know when my class read this book but oh well. To be honest, it was great and it was funny. lol. 🤣

[Rachel Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

8th grade lit circle book. Not too subtle—will be interesting to see what the kids think. But I did want to find out how it ended!

[Mikaylah Aumiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the fouls name,and the book in general. My teacher showed me this book,and I can’t be happier.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disappointed in the ending

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wesley's class read this for school. His teacher didn't like the ending, but I thought it had a great ending

[makayla ames · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it just felt a little childish at times.

[Leslie DeLain]

It is a bit dated, but still a terrific story. The final essay in the Epilogue is integral and amazing to the overall message.

[Trinity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book but it just seemed like he was in love with the horse a little too much???