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Summer Challenge Book Lists: Anti Heroes

June 20, 2015

The Summer Challenge theme this year is "Every Hero Has a Story." Check out these books with antiheroes - characters who lack conventional superhero characteristics, such as courage, idealism, and morality. You may just find your next favorite read!

Judith cannot speak and has subsequently been brutally rejected within her isolated community. But she sees what others miss. Thus, it is up to Judith to save her village when attackers come from across the sea.
After a hedonistic playboy is betrayed by his long-time assistant and left for dead, he remakes himself in the image of Robin Hood, complete with longbow and thirst for justice.
Nathan's mother was a beloved white witch, or so legend goes. His father is the most vile and evil of witches, responsible for the death of Nathan's mother. Nathan, then, has a mixture of powers and impulses, some good and some deemed bad. He tries to do right despite the war that rages within him and around him.
Seraphina is a socially awkward but gifted musician. She is certainly the last person to find in the middle of a murder investigation. But in order to protect her deepest secret, Seraphina is forced to track a killer.
Thom Creed's father is a disgraced ex-superhero, and Thom himself possesses some healing powers. But after a chance comment referring to Thom's sexuality leads to Thom running away from home, he encounters real villains and gets the chance to become a real hero.
After Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, she decides to use the time remaining to even the score with those who have caused her grief in the past. Despite the subjectivity inherent in this plan, Alice is ruthless in her revenge schemes. She engages nice guy Harvey, who loves her, to help her inflict damage. Then Alice goes into remission. Can she undo the damage she's done?
Finn is the model for a character in his father's sci-fi novel, bringing him unwanted attention. After rescuing a boy, his dog, and his grandfather, Finn is thrust even further into the "hero" mode. His task: Locate the real Finn, before he gets buried under too many labels.