In small-town Maine, standing out in a crowd can be dangerous. Alec hasn’t had an easy life. After his father died, his mother married Don to help make ends meet. What she didn’t know, her second husband would turn into an alcoholic leech. Worst yet, his drunken rages are directed at Alec, the son he never wanted.
To make matters worse, Alec has a secret even he doesn’t understand.
Then there’s Roxanne, a friendship that fell apart as Alec struggled to cope with the death of his father. Despite the walls he’s erected, to shield himself from the outside world, Roxanne is determined to be more than a sidekick in his life. So when the comic book aficionado discovers her friend has gifts beyond the average lanky-teenage boy, she is determined to teach him what it means to be a hero.
Having superpowers doesn’t change the fact Alec feels powerless. Between the bullying from his step-father at home, and the ridiculing at school, he struggles to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Even Roxanne’s attempts to rekindle their friendship leaves him suspicious and angry.
He’ll never be like the heroes in her comic books.
When a logging truck puts Roxanne’s life is in jeopardy, Alec outs himself to his former friend. Relentless, she forces Alec to confront his worst enemy: himself.