Book Review: Class Heroes: A Class Apart By Stephen Henning

When author and fan of the site Stephen Henning asked me to review his novel Class Heroes: A Class Apart, I was admittedly leery. A young adult novel about teenage kids with special abilities that takes place in the UK sounded a little off the mark for this 20-something American.

I am glad I didn't decline.

Being someone who falls out of the target demographic I felt deeply engaged in the story. My cynicism and disbelief quickly faded as I found myself engrossed in the lives of protagonists and siblings James and Samantha Blake. As I read I was felt the wave of nostalgia washing over me recalling my own experiences from those difficult years.

All the typical drama, bullying, and emotion that comes along with being a teen is well represented, as well as a homage to the current generation and our obsession with smart phones.

Granted, I wasn't in a bus accident and then sent to a hospital when I discovered I had strange and mystical powers (no spoiler there, that's at the beginning), but you get the picture.

With lots of imagery and vivid descriptions, Class Heroes paints a very dark picture in your mind turning a seemingly normal setting into a disturbingly frightening haunt. As I read some scenes in particular, I found myself more disturbed than I would come to expect from this kind of genre (in a good way of course).

Class Heroes was a good read hands down, and in an industry where good science fiction for a young-adult to adult audience is hard to find it's certainly worth the cost for your e-reading device.

My suggestion? Suspend your disbelief that you're above it and give it a $2.99 try. You won't regret it.

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