THE HERO

by Patricia Windsor ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1988

A teen-ager with precognitive abilities finds himself caught up in nefarious goings on in this suspenseful page-turner. Warned by intensely disturbing visions, Dale is able to rescue several accident victims. Unwilling to be a sensational superhero, he keeps his anonymity and tries to ignore his power; but after a friend is injured when Dale could have prevented it, he confesses to his father and learns that paranormal abilities are not new to his family. Put under one Dr. Airman's sinister, government-supported tutelage with a group of similarly gifted young people, Dale begins to believe that he's not just predicting accidents--he's causing them. Unlike the sensitives in Hoobler's Dr. Chill's Project or Sturgeon's classic More Than Human, the young people here never learn to cooperate with each other; they do come across as better-adjusted than the adults--especially the amoral Airman and Dale's vicious, unstable father. A climactic vision shocks Dale out of his drug-and-hypnosis-induced complacency, and he escapes before Airman can implement his Machiavellian schemes. Windsor leaves some loose ends: Airman is assassinated but Dale's father just drops out; Dale himself is left brooding over a lonely future with his visions. Meanwhile, readers won't find him very attractive; they may also wonder why, with his ability so well-documented, the government leaves him alone. But, despite the murky conclusion, Windsor views this well-explored territory with a fresh eye and builds the tension expertly.

Pub Date: May 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 192

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S