Hero

September 1, 1997
Rottman makes a promising debut with this YA novel about an abused teenager who gradually comes to trust another human being. Sean has been let down by people his whole life, especially by his abusive alcoholic mother and his evasive father. So when he has to write an essay about a "hero" for a school assignment, the 15-year-old comes up blank. Then, when a fight lands him a sentence of community service on Mr. Hassler's ranch, he comes to know heroism firsthand. Sean is a likable loner--tough as nails--with a survivor's sense of humor ("Today, rumor had it that Rick would be kicking my butt. It's always fun to find out a thing like that from other people"). He meets his match in stalwart Mr. Hassler, a WWII veteran who won't put up with Sean's smart mouth (he even washes it out with soap). In their relationship lies the strength of the novel (other characters, such as Sean's mother, father, and archrival Rick come off as stereotypes). Mr. Hassler gains his trust by fostering Sean's self-confidence (e.g., he teaches Sean to cook and makes Sean assist him in the delivery of a premature colt). Two scenes edge toward melodrama: Mr. Hassler's fist fight with Sean's father, and Rick holding Sean at gunpoint in the denouement. However, the book concludes credibly--there are no easy answers. Sean has discovered the heroism in everyday acts of courage--and his message is a powerful one for adolescents. Ages 12-16.

December 1, 1997
Gr 7 Up-This earnest first novel tackles a topical subject-the emotional effects of child abuse and abandonment-and gives readers both a realistic picture of the damage done and reason to hope. Hot-headed, confused, and fiercely defensive, 15-year-old Sean is easily drawn into fights at school and then tangles with the law. What he is not telling anyone is that his alcoholic mother has been taking out her frustrations on him, physically as well as emotionally. Sean is sentenced to community service at a horse farm. Under Mr. Hassler's steady hand, the boy experiences, and sometimes resists, the structure and guidance for which he has hungered. When he assists at the birth of a foal that bonds with him, Sean discovers the rewards of attachment and trust, as well as the responsibility of caring for a young creature. However, patterns of distrust, violence, and isolation cannot be overcome in one week of community service. Sean is tested, fails, and emerges to try again, all the while gaining a sense of personal responsibility for his future. In places the plot is contrived; the foal is rejected by its mother, providing an oh-so-obvious substitute on which Sean vents his rage. Also, a concerned teacher keeps showing up at all the right moments to cheer the young man on. Nonetheless, Rottman avoids the expected ending. Through Sean, she gives readers a convincing and difficult protagonist and a fresh perspective on what it means to be a hero.-Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA

December 1, 1997
Gr. 5^-7. With a father he hasn't seen in years, an alcoholic mother who slaps him around, and Rick, a former friend turned pusher, constantly on his case, ninth grade isn't shaping up any better for Sean than the past school year. A tough, new disciplinary procedure gets him a week's suspension for fighting and also brings out the home situation he has worked so hard to conceal. Then his fourth curfew violation sends him to nearby Carbondale Ranch, where the work, the responsibility for a newborn foal, and the high expectations of crusty old rancher Dave Hassler slowly rekindle Sean's sense of self-worth. The story begins with a class discussion of and ends with a term paper on what makes a hero; in between are Dave's war stories, adult characters forming good and bad examples, and repeated threatening encounters with Rick, all of which help readers pick up Rottman's main theme. By the end, Sean and his father are working toward an uneasy reconciliation, but Sean's mother remains a shadowy villain who disappears into a hospital when her kidneys fail. This disparate treatment leaves some rough edges in what is otherwise a strong debut, with clearly laid-out issues and conflicts. ((Reviewed December 1, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)