Memoirs of an Antihero

by Drew Blank, Tammy Kennedy (Editor), Anders Backlund (Illustrator)

Memoirs of an Antihero tells the violent, emotional & darkly comedic tale of a single father fighting to keep his daughter alive at any cost.

When Drew Blank learns his daughter, Moxie, may be dying from a terminal illness, he is overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation and the hospital bills to follow. Living in the forgotten city of Cross, Drew's desperation drives him to get the money from the only people in town that have it: the criminals.

He is initially introduced to the field of entrepreneurial vigilantism by sheer luck, being in the right place at the right time. After hospitalizing his targets and making off with a few thousand dollars, Drew realizes if he wants to continue to redistribute Cross' wealth from the drug dealers' pockets into his own, he will need a plan.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Superheroes, Action, Urban Fantasy

398 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I am an author. I don't read nearly as much as other authors seem to think I should. The problem is, when I have free time I write. My editor refers to me as an idiot savant... heavy on the idiot. Anything a conventional author would advice an aspiring writer to do I seem to be completely incapable and/or unwilling to do.

However, I still manage to write and people still seem to enjoy my work. So I am beginning to think other authors don't really exist. That would be the most logical explanation, otherwise I would read more.

So yeah, I guess what I am trying to say is I am not much of a reader. I guess I should be ashamed of myself, but then I consider the many other things I have done in life that I should truly be ashamed of and not being an avid reader seems pretty minor by comparison.

Maybe someday the secret to writing will be revealed and the world will discover that a steady diet of geek-centric entertainment websites and angry nerd blogging is all a writer truly needs to be successful and then I will be recognized as a visionary. I will be asked by young authors "What does it take to be successful?" and I can answer, without any hesitation "For goodness sake, whatever you do... DO NOT READ! Now go blog about your dismay regarding the casting of the next Hollywood comic book movie for all the world (or all 172 of your Facebook friends) to see."

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I'm going to admit that I got addicted to the book. I enjoyed:

* the world of Drew, the protagonist, sketched out for the reader
* the banter between Drew and his friends
* Drew comes off as a likable person
* lots of ass-kicking

Would like to have seen:

* less banter in some cases; it seemed some of the dialogue served no purpose except to be funny or cutesy
* the beginning of the novel may have a little too much back story; could have been interspersed throughout the chapters instead being and info dump
* Drew may be too likable; cries too much in my opinion; would like to have seen more of his dark side on a psychological level to match the deeds he did
* Not sure if the question of whether or not Drew's actions are justified was answered

Hope I don't sound too harsh, because I ended up liking the story. Twisty, Drew's coworker, served as a great scene stealer. Looking forward to seeing the further adventures of the characters introduced in MOAA--I'd like to see where the author takes the storyline and people he created.

[L.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Daddy, am I going to die." These are words that can either make a man or destroy him. Finding out that his daughter has Leukemia is one of the worst things that he can imagine a parent going through. As usual Drew draws on his humor to try and make light of a very terrible subject. Not knowing how to deal with this himself he tries to lighten it up for his young daughter Moxie. He never planned on being a dad but when one of the groupies that he hooked up with after his band played one evening called him to let him know she was pregnant and that the baby was his, there was no looking back for him. He was not even sure of his paternity but it made no difference. He was absolutely, irrevocably in love with his daughter. And while he did not care for her mother for various reasons, he spent every moment of his spare time with Moxie.

Drew himself grew up an orphan only leaving the orphanage when Mema, one of the teachers that volunteered, saw something in him. He loved her cooking classes and applied himself at every turn. One evening after one of her classes he stays to talk to her but sees several of the other kids hanging out, some self described toughs. Knowing he will not get a chance to speak to Mema but being uncomfortable with the uncharacteristic behaviour of the boys staying behind, Drew leaves but goes no further than just down the hall to the restroom. Shortly after, he sees Mema leave the school room heading for the ladies room. Sure enough the young toughs trail after and follow her into the ladies room. Mema is the first person that has really treated Drew well, and he is concerned for her. Knowing he would not have time to get help he looks around for something to protect them both with.The only thing handy is a fire extinguisher. As he enters the restroom, he sees Mema on the floor with blood on her face. He loses it and uses the extinguisher like a club, thereby saving Mema's life. After being saved by Drew, Mema knows that this is not the place for either of them. He is allowed to move on and live at Mema's.

As Drew gets older he works at a restaurant and barely makes ends meet. His mode of transportation is a bicycle. He does not know how he will be able to afford treatment for Moxie. Without this care she will die and that is not acceptable. Cleaning up and getting ready to leave for the evening that night he hears the bartender making a drug deal over the phone. It sounds like some money may exchange hands and Drew is getting desperate. He is pretty sure that if he disguises himself and takes them by surprise during their drop that he may very well end up with the money. It is worth a shot, this might be a way out of his dilemma, these are bad guys and he is more in need of the money and it is for a great cause. Donning some larger rubber boots to cover his work shoes, a old zippered hoodie, and a pair of Jackie O shades he feels like no one will be able to recognize him. As he moves in for the attack he finds he is correct in that there is not much fight. He takes down the bartender first, who falls on a broken bottle smashing up his face. When Mouse the drug mule steps out of the car he goes after him. Drew is not expecting much of a fight but does not realize that Mouse will have a gun and will have so much bravado. Drew is forced to deal with him brutally, finally slamming the door on his legs crushing them. He quickly takes the money from him, and as he turns to leave he is met with the broken end of a beer bottle in his chest tearing him open. He again shoves Randy to the ground. With both men out of contention Drew knows he needs to get help, he is bleeding profusely. Getting on his bike and peddling away is a difficult task and by the time Drew makes it to his friend Tatoo Tom he is in a bad way. Drew shares his story with Tom whom he has known for a long time and who is also very familiar with Moxie's predicament. Once Drew is finished and stitched up by Tom ,who has had some experience, he decides to go to his friends house as he has been receiving numerous calls from them. He met Jim and Phil after moving in with Mema and thought they were the coolest guys he ever met. It was not till later that he realized that they were nerds. They too are drawn into his story and when they find that his take is $7462 they are on board and signing him up to move on to even bigger and better things. With the right money they can make him unbeatable and almost a Superhero.

As the story continues to unfold Drew becomes known as the Freak, wanted by both law enforcement but even more so by the criminals. What he does not realize is that everything he holds dear can be gone in the blink of an eye. And as he tries to put together the funds for Moxie's treatment, she and Mema will become pawns in the game of war. Will he be able to put to rights the terrible and horrific crimes that he has spawned in time to save his family? How will it all end?

This is a dark comedy and tragedy, alternating between humor and intrigue. If you love heroes from comic books and like dark comedy as well as a compelling read this is the book for you. How do you not love a guy who will do anything for his daughter. I have to admit that is intrigues me that the hero is Drew Blank and the Author is Drew Blank. One has to know there is a story there.

This book was received free from Library Thing Early Reviewers Group. This opinion is my own based of my reading and understanding of the material.

[Christina (Ensconced in Lit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on librarything in exchange for an honest review.

There are a lot of really great things about this book, and overall, I enjoyed reading it. Drew Blank is obviously a talented writer. I loved the portrayal of himself, but I enjoyed mostly his portrayal of Twisty, who obviously is an important person in his life and I completely felt like she was a living, breathing person and someone I'd like to meet! I thought everything about his past, and his present with his daughter, his struggles with her mother, his undefined relationship with Twisty, his history with Mema (his foster mother) and Mr. Chin, and so many other details were spot on.

Very mild spoilers ahead.

I think I am in the minority here, but I think that actual "superhero" portion of the book was more distracting to me. This is just a personal preference, but I felt like the emotional level and depth of the rest of the book was very poignant and then it's juxtaposed on this "unrealistic" hero portion of the book. I realize this is supposed to read like an action graphic novel, but to me, I felt like this book could be a lot more. I really liked the protagonist until I realized he felt no guilt from killing people and was only doing this for money. And the fact that he didn't realize that his identity would be discovered and that his daughter would be in a lot more danger if he were revealed. I also thought it was unrealistic that so many people in Drew's life would be SO okay with him killing and beating up people, even if they were criminals. I mean, he is a criminal too!

I was also distracted by the fact that Drew A. Blank is the author, and that I got an email from the real life Twisty! I kept wondering what was real and what was not, and I really wanted to know what was real. I think I would have been as engaged or even more engaged if this really were a pure memoir.

That said, it was an enjoyable, engaging read and well worth the ride!

[Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a captivating read. The guy really loves his kid to risk what he does for her.

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the title...and that is pretty much as far as it goes.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say the book didn't warn me. This is definitely an anti-hero. The story kept my interest, and it moved along at a reasonable pace. Just don't expect to particularly like anybody.

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of superhero comics, and I think that when they're handled well (see Wearing the Cape or Soon I Will Be Invincible: A Novel) they translate very effectively into prose. That's how I ended up checking out and buying Memoirs of an Antihero, by "Drew Blank." It's an origin story told from the point of view of the main character, who is named Drew Blank oddly enough. Blank is a working stiff with a daughter recently diagnosed with cancer. Desperate for cash, he robs a drug dealer, which soon spirals into a full-on vigilante career that puts him in the sights of the city's most notorious drug dealer.

Like I said, when handled well this kind of story can really work. Unfortunately this isn't one of those times. It starts off solidly enough, introducing the main character and his friends and family, but shortly after Blank's initial vigilante episode, the whole thing becomes an avalanche of implausible situations, unbelievable dialogue and completely telegraphed "surprise" twists. Even the most eager superhero fan is going to find this story tough to swallow. From the speed at which he acquires his suit and gadgets to the ready-made support team that doesn't think twice about becoming accessories to multiple homicide to the flamboyant arch enemy, it's just too hard to suspend disbelief. Time after time I thought "people do not act/talk like this...ever." I made it to the end, but it was a challenge.

There are actually a couple of interesting characters here, and it did get off to a good start. I should also mention that for a self-published book this is remarkably free of typos and grammatical errors, which was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately the whole thing was just too unbelievable and dependent on comic book clichés to win me over.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads Description - Memoirs of an Antihero tells the violent, emotional & darkly comedic tale of a single father fighting to keep his daughter alive at any cost.

When Drew Blank learns his daughter, Moxie, may be dying from a terminal illness, he is overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation and the hospital bills to follow. Living in the forgotten city of Cross, Drew's desperation drives him to get the money from the only people in town that have it: the criminals.

He is initially introduced to the field of entrepreneurial vigilantism by sheer luck, being in the right place at the right time. After hospitalizing his targets and making off with a few thousand dollars, Drew realizes if he wants to continue to redistribute Cross' wealth from the drug dealers' pockets into his own, he will need a plan.

This book just wasn't my cup of tea. I thought the characters were underdeveloped and there was a lot of uninteresting and unnecessary dialogue that I just couldn't keep track. You might like it if you are into graphic novels because that's what this seemed like but without the pictures. 1 star for me...sorry!

[Kitty Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

DREW BLANK'S "MEMOIRS OF AN ANTIHERO" (A REVIEW)

I never expected to find a parallel to my own life in this story, it was actually refreshing. Drew A. Blank is a father that cares so much for his 6 year old daughter he'll do anything to try and save her life. It's a story about love, compassion, and risking it all to save the one thing that means the entire world to you. When Michaela, aka Moxie is diagnosed with Lukemia, her father Drew has to figure out a way to raise the money for her necessary treatments. What could be better than becoming a crime fighting antihero?

With the help of some very colorful friends Drew takes on the world of the drug lord's intent on getting the money necessary to possibly save his daughter's life while ridding the world of some of the worst batch of drug dealers around.

With excellent detail and perfect dictation, Drew Blank has written a wonderful memoir. It's a definite recommended read!

-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club

[Gudrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading the book sunday afternoon over brunch. I have to say i was immediately pulled into the story. Cancer I can relate. Doing anything necessary for the person you love - i can relate. Having an eff you attitude-- better still. Drew is an awesome "anti"hero. The characters are likable and the authors language is easy to follow. The development is swift and has a natural progression.You get a complete background on the main character without feeling exasperated with the length. Blank writes like you've always known Drew,Moxie,Tom and the rest. Cross seems like a town your familiar with even if you dont live there. A mere 48hrs later and im in search of a followup. Stumbling across this booth and this book was most fortunate. I look forward to the followup. The ending was evil evil evil. But thats what sequels are made of.

[Kris]

I did not even get to the vigilante stuff because I hate the writing.

Exhibit A: "This killer prodigy was so hypnotized by what he was about to do he wasn't even fazed that a figure was rising to its feet behind him. Cupping this frightened old woman's chin in his hand he teased her throat with the rough but sharp edge of his blade."

Exhibit B (one sentence later): "Immediately losing balance and dropping to his knees, eighteen inch knife still in hand, I am sure he felt nothing as I grabbed him by his filthy black hair and pushed him down onto the blade he had been so eager to use to take my mentor's life."

[Wendy-Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memoirs of an Antihero by Drew Blank was a comic graphic novel without the comics. Does that make sense? Drew Blank would do anything for his daughter Moxie who has leukemia. The opening line "Daddy am I going to die?" pulls you in right away. Drew, however, is not your typical superhero. He is downright dirty and will stop at nothing to help pay for Moxie's treatment. Since this was supposed to read like a comic strip, there was way too many descriptives which were drawn out at times. Other than that, I thought it was a good story.

[J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crossing the line between good and evil becomes just another night’s work for the antihero.

***
Dad just wants his daughter to beat cancer and get well. To do so, he is willing to kill scumbags for money, in order to pay for her treatment. Follow shallow character as author Blank weaves his way through this unorthodox twist on a vigilante tale. The author’s enthusiasm for advancing the plot is overshadowed by underdeveloped characters that do not remain true to themselves or their place in the plot.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I like my superheroes to be able to fly or be stronger than a locomotive or at least faster than a speeding bullet, but I can make an exception here as it is a 'good superhero story', kinda like reading a graphic novel. A little too much of the Spiderman type banter, confusing ending I don't really get the shooting of Carver/Blueboy at the end and really not enough character development (although as y'all know I am an advocate of story over character every time) keep from getting that final star. Sequel would be nice (like Charles Bronson - Death Wish 2)

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for a review. I liked the book. it was well written. Flowed right along. the characters where all fleshed out and worked together to make drew costume and weapons so he could continue to rob drug dealers so he would be able to pay his daughter medical bills. I would read a sequal to this book if there comes one. a lot of murders in it even though drew does not carry a gun. lot of people getting hurt in the book would not recommend for kids.

[Jolie Bonnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fairly enjoyable with a nice balance of action and humor. The only reason it didn't get 4 stars was that I would have liked a smoother/better ending. It was kind of abrupt and left a lot of things unnecessarily dangling. Even if it's the author's intention to have a series, there was no need to leave some much messy unresolved stuff there. It could have been done a bit more cleanly so that, should there never be a series, the story at least had a nice resolution.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, powerful, grotesque, comical, and, over-all, phenomenal. Drew Blank, isn't a hero because he doesn't want to be. He's not a hero because he fights bad guys. Drew is a hero because he would and does anything for his daughter. With explosively comic and dedicated friends, he goes where no man in Cross has before. So well written, I am anxious for the sequel that has to be written!

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

I like how the book was written, which is like a comic book. I got this free from member giveaways on librarything. This book is filled with action, and a wonderful story. I must warn you there is lots of violence and language. But in all its a great fun,action book about a now so normal superhero.

[Krizia Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good action book. It was exciting and intriguing. I liked the father and daughter dynamics in the book. However, Drew, the protagonist, is just too damn perfect. He's good looking, can win a fight even if he's outnumbered, a good friend, a good father, etc.
Maybe except for having murdered 6 people, he's perfect, unreal. At least, not a lot of romance was involved, that's a plus.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a highly entertaining read. I liked the storyline and the pacing. I never had a moment where I felt as if he should just move on. The characters and their dialogue were great. A lot of the banter between the friends was hysterical. I've already suggested to some friends to read it!

[Bart Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most readable stories I have stumbled upon in a long time. The author writes people wonderfully. This book is very much in the vein of 'Kickass', the movie about the boy who wanted to be a superhero. There are no real powers, other than bravery, friendship and the human mind.

[Carmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It didn't take long for me to get sucked in and I read the whole thing in two days and then was sad it didn't go on longer. Drew's world is really interesting and I wish I could see more of it.

[Jose Velasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads a bit like the movie Kick Ass. The character Drew A Blank is crude and really likeable. The story really draws you in with vivid action scenes and finger biting twists. It's a bit predictable, but you will enjoy the ride.

[Vikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny and awesome. You get on the characters side right away and want to watch him succeed. It is fantastic.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say this book didn't really appeal to me. I guess I just like my costumed superheroes to have super powers to go with their weird costumes....

[Christopher Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the concept, and the story really picked up as it moved along. Set up well for continuation, which I would be interested in checking out.

[Nikki Dehaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A damn good father daughter story.

[John Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. Once I was about fifty pages in I was hooked. The wonderfully flawed chapters are believable in every detail.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh.

[Lucy DeSimone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by someone I knew as a child. It is really good and if you read it and enjoy it, you should also check out his artwork at www.herosquares.com.