Published: May 27th 2013 by Createspace
Number of Pages: 302 pages (Paperback)
Series: HERO, #1
Sixteen year old Reno has belonged to the government since she was born. She’s been raised in secret for one purpose: to complete a mission assigned to her by Homeland Emergency Response Operations. But when her mission goes horribly wrong and her partner is killed, Reno’s faith in HERO is shaken.
When Reno discovers that her best friend Jesse is facing certain death in his upcoming mission, she defies HERO authority and demands that she and Jesse be set free. HERO begins to take drastic measures to silence her, and Reno is faced with an impossible choice. If she surrenders, her battle to save Jesse’s life will be in vain. If she continues to fight, HERO will destroy her.
Either way, someone must pay the price. (goodreads)
This book only exists in english which is why the following review is in english.
I received a copy of Our Last Hero from the author only a few days ago and read it quite quickly. When I first read the synopsis, I got really excited to read it as I thought that it might really be an interesting book, the topic seemed to be quite interesting.
Unfortunately, after reading Our Last Hero I don't feel like I can get myself to giving it more than 3 out of 5 stars, even though I would really like to give it 5 stars as I really know how hard it is to write a book as I'm trying to do so myself.
But why do I only give it 3 stars?
Well, let’s start by saying that the book was quite simple, in a way. What I mean by that is that the story was a simple read, it didn't have a complicated storyline nor very complex characters that would require a longer explanation or anything.
My problem was just that I somehow didn't feel it. Reno’s (the protagonist) feelings didn't quite reach me and I somehow felt as if her sudden change of mind was not quite reasonable, but maybe that’s just me, maybe I simply didn't get something, I don't know.
Another problem I had was that the whole story, as I said before, seemed too easy/simple. Everything happened in a very smooth way, there were no moments in which I thought "damn, how is she going to manage that?" or anything like that. Somehow everything fell too easily into her path.
What I am trying to say is that the book lacks the required tension, which it tries to build in some moments, but it not quite managed, in a way, that I felt it or it seemed realistic. In most moments it just seemed very artificial and exaggerated.
But then again I don't want to only criticize this book. The basic idea of this girl that was raised in this HERO organization is really good, I liked it, and the whole way in which HERO is working seemed, in a way, quite likely to really happen/exist in our world. And I also really liked the intro. I liked the characters, even though I thought that they are maybe simply too flat, they lacked a kind of complexity that each person's personality has.
I also find the cover art very interesting, the concept of this girl, which face we don't see as she is just this black shape, and the bright surroundings that wait at the end of this pipe, or whatever it is that she is sitting in, seems very interesting. As if it was trying to symbolize her way from the darkness the she lived in during her time in HERO and the outside world that is bright and 'free' which is just waiting for her to discover it. I might be leaning far out of the window with that interpretation but that was simply what came to my mind when I looked at it after reading the book.
To conclude, I really liked the basic idea of Our Last Hero and the characters but I simply felt like the story lacked a kind of complexity in terms of the storyline and the characters. Still it was a very pleasant quick/fast read. And the cover art is a definite eye catcher.
My rating: 3/5 stars
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