Heroes - Saving Charlie, the Untold Story of Hiro and Charlie

Heroes

by Aury Wallington

Copyright 2008 NBC Universal Inc. Based on the series Heroes created by Tim Krieg.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Superheroes, Media Tie In, Time Travel

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first season of Heroes is one of my favorite seasons of tv, so I was looking forward to this novel when I stumbled across it several months ago. Turned out it was no where near as good as the Charlie and Hiro storyline in the tv series. Actually, the handful of good parts in this were tie-in book were copied directly from the show. Yes, it's a tie-in novel but I was expecting much more than what I ended up getting out of it.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am sure that I have read this book before and yet as I read it there were so many things that I didnt remember.

So this is an unseen story from the Heroes TV series - basically a back story that gives events in the TV series more depth and colour and I have say that for me it did.

Now I will admit I am not sure of the reasoning for this one book (I suspect that the series creators were expecting a greater longevity that it actually had and more books were planned) either way for me it certainly had the feel of the TV series and the fact that the heroes of the titular are all coming to terms with their various situations and for some conditions.

So yes if you know the TV show you already know the outcome of this story - however this is very much a case of enjoying the journey rather then anticipation of the destination.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to debate whether to give this book a two or a three. As you can see, I settled on the two. I believe the only thing that made me lean towards the three was the connection to Heroes, as it focuses on two of my favourite characters from the show: Charlie and Hiro.

The book is pretty below-par, for the most part. There are a few good moments (some of which are lifted wholesale from the TV programme) and a handful of nice bits, but on the whole, this is bog standard chick-lit. Which is odd, considering 99% of the readers will have surely only read it because of Heroes, which is all about superheroes and kinda, well, stereotypically "boy". I know it's about the six months Hiro and Charlie spent together, but did it have to be so... girly?

It's hackneyed, full of your dime-a-dozen cliches (see what I did there?) I think literally every page has some terrible, awful, abysmal italics (I did it again!), and, whilst this thoroughly annoyed me at first, my eyes and brain learned to completely ignore the fact that one in every ten words was a bit slanty. It truly is an abominable use of italics though, no author should ever think it's acceptable to use it so often and so needlessly.

Obviously, I knew what to expect at both the beginning and the end of the book. Little in the middle surprised me either, however, and this is somewhat disappointing. The writer had a love story involving a girl who can remember everything and a guy who can stop time, teleport, and travel through time, yet the middle - the bit that should be the most interesting! - is nothing more than tepid.

I did feel attached to both protagonists, but I believe this is more to do with their on-screen counterparts than the characters in the book. Aury Wallington seems to try and make the loveable pair wholly unappealing at times: "Oh look, Hiro is comparing her to a comic book character again"; "Charlie has flipped out for absolutely no reason... odd"; "[insert nerdy reference/scenario involving major inexperience with females here] ad nauseum. It's tragic, because a couple of the moments in Hiro's past are quite touching. Almost.

I could go on about this for far longer, sadly, but I shall leave it here. I shall merely complain about one last thing: the ending. I knew what was going to happen, but it was far too abrupt; the last few chapters seemed very rushed, shoehorned into a (short) page count. It didn't seem to ring true for either character: Charlie goes - so suddenly that I had to re-read the section twice more to make sure I wasn't missing anything - and Hiro just sits there and lets her? Bollocks to ye!

In short: too girly, too hackneyed, too obvious. Fairly poor all round, and has saddened me somewhat. Not in the way it intended. I knew as soon as I saw the inside of the slip ("Writer of Sex and the City") that maybe this wasn't going to be what I thought it was. I want my Hiro and Charlie back.

[MissM · Rating 2 out of 5]

A case of trying to hard coupled with mediocre writing, this book really didn't do it for me. The author even somehow managed to turn the single most lovable character in Heroes into an annoying, emotional, even whiny unlikable loser. I get that Hiro isn't perfect and that he's kinda been a disappointment to his father and all, but jeez...how many times did they have to get into his utter lack of ever even managing to kiss a girl? Or, the need to bash us over the head with his extremely exaggerated emotional swings? (Since when is Hiro manic?)

I just didn't enjoy it. I don't generally read books based on existing properties, but I thought it'd be a light, fun read. I mean, how could it go wrong? Hiro is just so gosh darn likable on the show. But this book didn't read like him at all. Clearly, the author didn't understand the character and that came through as you felt, reading the book, you didn't either.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

Set during the episode where Hiro goes back in time to save Charlie. This novel follows the back story that the episode didn't show. Unfortunately, it's a generally pretty tedious attempt to cash-in on the 'success' of the Heroes franchise. If only the series had been cancelled before this book got the green-light...

[J K · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book seriously offended me.
Probably the worst book I've read. I'm sorry. It's just really bad. And a bit weird.
I knew I didn't like it after the first page but powered through regardless. I feel awful giving such a bad review, but I believe it's necessary due to my love for the character.

I was so excited by the cover and then the characters! Hiro and Charlie! As I expect many who've picked up this book in the same way I did, fans of the TV show and the character portrayed by Masi Oka. The loveable cute and whimsical Hiro Nakamura... Nope, don't expect that.

The author could not be further away from capturing the essence of the Hiro from the TV series, whilst Charlie is just a completely one-dimensional character. I feel the only similarity is that she has red hair.

As many of the other reviews have pointed out, in this book, Hiro is painted as a bit of a pervy and embarrassing desperate weirdo. In the show, he's more of an androgynous character, we understand he doesn't have much experience with romance, but he's at least got decorum, pride, and a gracefulness about him.

I knew this book was awful on page 1 -
"Hiro peacocked in front of the mirror - bringing sexy back"
Straight away describing something Hiro would never do and in an unfamiliar way.

There were also just a lot of strange sexual references that the book didn't need...

- Looking down his career guidance counsellors top to see her red lacy bra 'damn'
- Touching his calculus tutors breast with the 'yawn and stretch method' and then receiving a fat lip
- Charlie smiled at him and 'raised more than just his spirits'
- Covered his erection with a pillow and then couldn't walk because of his erection
- Him and another character Lloyd staring at Charlie and them silently acknowledging 'I know right, she's so freaking hot'
- A book his father gives him about sex and the female body, leading hiro to think about how he can now 'pleasure them in ways they never dreamed possible'
- Looking at a picture of her and 'feeling like a pervert' and then moments later saying 'can we go back to the picture in the bikini?'
- Charlie getting mad and Hiro thinking she's acting like it's 'that time of the month'
- When he makes out with Charlie he signals a 'rock and roll sign' to a nearby guy and them carries on kissing her
- Charlie dances on a bar and 'dropped it like it's hot'
- The term 'ho-taming gangsta' is used somewhere
- Hiros landlord says 'Have you porked your little girlfriend yet?' then gives him some viagra
- Shortly after this someone else says 'She gave me the best hummer I've ever gotten!'
- Hiro jokes about wanting to watch a dirty pay per view movie
- Whilst eating Japanese food Charlie says 'well it's not the worst thing I've ever put in my mouth'

This book just really missed the mark. I didn't get it at all. It is a terrible portrayal of characters that are so loved by many.
My advice would be to not read this book, especially if you're a fan of Heroes.

[Todd R · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who re-watches Heroes every few years and also reads the comic book tie-ins along the way, I'd meant to read this for years.
Glad I read it just for the sake of being a completionist, but there is nothing in this novel that a fan of Heroes needs to know. Nothing happens.

[Hoku Ho · Rating 2 out of 5]

The reason I gave this book such a low rating is because the scope of it's audience is really, in my opinion, limited to fans of the TV show, "Heroes". The other reason I rated it so low is because the writing is very, for lack of a better word, young. It reminded me of those books you read as a teenager...fun and fluffy writing that moves along and entertains, but can pretty much be taken at face value. Not that there's anything wrong with that...if you are looking for a light read and love "Heroes" this is a really great book...more of a four-star book (only four because it starts some story lines that don't really ever get resolved). It is sweet, suspenseful, fun, fast-paced, and heartbreaking in a bittersweet way. It adds alot of depth to the character of "Hiro" from the TV show, and it also reveals a little extra tidbit or two about the world of "Heroes", helping answer some questions about the concept of time-travel as it relates to the mythology of the show.
My only criticism (besides a few dangling story lines) is that it puts Hiro in a few sexual situations that will make you look differently at the character on the TV show...it's just a little weird. Nothing too graphic, but there is alot of reference to it. Just a little warning for those who feel that learning Hiro's sexual history might ruin their perception of him on the show. Consider yourself warned.
On the whole, if you are pining for more "Heroes" now that our season was cut short (thank you, writers strike) than I would recommend this book. Why not? it's a fast read and it's a fun addition to the mythology of the show. If you don't like or know about "Heroes", or if you are looking for a serious read, look elsewhere.

[Jon Arnold · Rating 2 out of 5]

At least this as an interesting approach to a TV tie-in novel; instead of more exciting adventures with the characters from the series it’s a character piece based on it, a romance with superpowers. That choice is the best thing about the book though. What this story could have been is a tragic, doomed romance which, knowing the ending, breaks your heart. What it ends up being is a quick shallow sprint through what should have been a tender relationship. Hiro’s reduced from the lovable onscreen geek to a sketch of a geek, a pop culture obsessed virgin who can’t talk to a girl. And Charlie is a caricature of a smalltown girl. There’s no depth or impact to the tragedies of her life, they’re just things that have happened to her, from the death of her parents to her own death. The moments that should have sung, moments like Hiro using his powers for romantic purposes and a late reciprocation by her just occur with no visible impact. There’s no attempt to play up the culture clash between Texas and Tokyo never a moment where you can marvel at how strange it really is. And this is all wrapped in perfunctory prose which often seems to struggling to his a page count. Perhaps if this had been an episode the actors could have lifted it – the material’s certainly there for them to play the audience’s heartstrings like a violin – but what’s here feels better material for the screen than the page.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of the series, I literally bought the book the instant I saw it.

I actually hoped it would go on beyond the series' canonical story about Charlie and Hiro, but it just encompassed the six months in which they gotten to know each other.
Luckily, it is the fix for my shipping, junkie, fanboyish heart. It is a clear, good written story. However, it focuses heavily on their romance. Being as such, it could be compared to a fantastic plotted work of fanfiction.

In essence being just that, I have no issue with it. Nonetheless, this may be discouraging for people who would not like this.

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I watched "Heroes" and Hiro was one of my favorite characters (possibly bested only by Sylar), but this book was a disappointment. It felt like a betrayal of Hiro's character--so sweet in the show--to read the dirty, lustful thoughts this author wrote into his narration. Hiro as played by Masi Oka wasn't like that, and it really irked me to see him portrayed that way.

[Jay Rain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating - 4.8

In one sense, the most simple read as it is fifty pages of recanting the show followed by two hundred pages of little substance; The references are very pop-juvenile & the characterization is lacking

The past-Hiro/butterfly effect does use some brain matter & more challenging is how the two Hiro's converge as no clear answer is provided; Pure franchise exploitation & will avoid going forward

[Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute story, but really a little less interesting than I expected given the great writing on the tv show. Then again, this wasn't written by a tv show writer because of the strike (that I fully support). They had me thinking it was going to end in a completely different way although I did enjoy the message about destiny.

[Kes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was dopey! You would have to really like the series and totally like Hiro to even think it ok. I thought it was kinda sweet though in a romancey-pants kind of way, but I can be a douche bag.

[Trevor Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars only if you really like the little story of Hiro and Charlie from the show.
Otherwise 3

[Melika Jeddi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's more like a 2.5, and initially I was going to round up to 3 stars, but the more of the review that I wrote, the more that I realised rounding down was going to be more accurate.

Remember in the show how Hiro is a massive pervert and comes across as a total incel? Yeah, me neither, but apparently that's the vibe that the author wanted to go with for the book. Pretty much his every inner thought was objectifying the women around him, whether he was into them or not. Working alongside a larger lady? Better have internal dialogue about how her breasts are like shelves. Flashing back to a career meeting at high school? Better stare down the lady's top. Charlie touched Hiro's arm? Well that certainly warrants a two page vivid description of him getting a boner. I wish I was joking.

Also, as a hardcore fan of the show, I was frustrated by the fact that this book made so many mistakes not just in terms of how Hiro's power works, but even in things to do with specific events along the timeline. It was as though the author hadn't watched the show, and had only watched the relevant episodes with Hiro and Charlie, and read a quick summary of the rest. I'm really picky over consistency, and so it was frustrating when events happened in the book that had already been shown in the show, and the book had them play out differently.

I also found that the writing style was somewhat sloppy. The author chose some really bizarre tangents to go off on, and the bits where they were recapping show moments were written so boringly that I nearly DNF'd after the first 2 chapters, and the only reason I kept going was because I'm a huge fan of the show and wanted to know more about Hiro's story. However, it did get a bit better as the book progressed, and wasn't unbearably poorly written, just not to my personal preference. I think one of my main gripes was really with the bad logic in a few places. The author wanted things to happen, and so they wrote them without giving thought to whether it was possible or not. For example, at one point Hiro and Charlie play chess, and the author describes some of the moves. That'd be great, except it's clear that the author doesn't really understand how chess works, because they described a win that would literally be impossible as the pieces wouldn't be in the position described in the win given the other moves that had been described.

I just feel that a book written about an established character with superpowers should pay better attention to how those powers have been described in the show. Clear limits are established, and yet in one scene we have Hiro pouring coffee whilst time is stopped (his power freezes liquid, so the coffee should not have moved), and we also have him driving a car whilst time is stopped, which again wouldn't work as we know that the engine is also frozen.

However, there were a few interesting moments, and it was nice to see the relationship between Charlie and Hiro develop, even if some of Hiro's inner thoughts were a bit creepy. Like, at first I was like 'Charlie deserves better', but then she did a few questionable things and you're like 'eh, I guess they deserve each other'. One of the things I quite liked, that wasn't mentioned at all in the show, was that there was a sub plot of Hiro randomly teleporting away to different events in the past, and at one point we see him meet Molly's dad, which was pretty cool as obviously we only see the aftermath of Sylar in the show, and so it was a surprise to see her dad mentioned.

The ending was pretty emotional, as Charlie makes a big decision and allows herself to get killed because she knows it's necessary so that Hiro can go and save the world. It's an incredible moment of bravery, and it's also a moment that haunts Hiro because he loves her, and he's forced to let her go so he can be a hero, it's very poignant because in many ways it mirrors his favourite story from when he was a kid, of Takezo Kensei and the Dragon.

However, the biggest twist of the book was when I got to the very last page and realised that the author was a woman! The writing was so stereotypically male in the way it objectified women and described them by their breasts, and I just couldn't believe that the book had been written by a woman.

But yeah, overall I wouldn't really recommend this, but if you're a huge fan of the show and you desperately want to know more lore in regards to Hiro's journey, then I guess you could slog through this and it wouldn't quite be THE most painful read ever. But please don't delude yourself into thinking this is a good book, because it really isn't.

[Nikki Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this book gets a lot of flak—especially from fans of the show—but I came to this book with no expectations and no prior knowledge of Heroes. I found it in a bookstore one day, picked it up on a whim, and honestly, I’m so glad I did.

While others might see this book as a cash grab tied to the series' popularity, I experienced something completely different. For me, Saving Charlie was about more than just time travel or superpowers—it was about the emotional weight of wanting to save someone you love and being completely powerless to change the inevitable. That theme hit incredibly close to home.

The story made me feel. I wanted to throw the book every time Hiro accidentally used his powers at the wrong moment or when things slipped just out of reach. The raw frustration, the heartbreak, the desire to hold on to fleeting moments of happiness—all of it felt deeply personal. As someone who’s experienced trauma and grief, this story reminded me that sometimes the ending isn’t the point. Sometimes it’s the joy, love, and connection we find in the in-between that gives our lives meaning.

I’m sure the original intent behind this novel was more commercial than literary, but that doesn’t mean it lacks emotional resonance. If you’ve ever wished you could freeze time, undo tragedy, or just hold on to one more moment with someone you’ve lost, this book might surprise you. It certainly surprised me. This book would be five stars if the writing had been more developed.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saving Charlie was difficult to rate. In the end, I've settled on three stars, simply because I'm a Heroes fan; otherwise, it would have gotten two. The premise was good: what happens between Hiro and Charlie during their six months together. However, the writing was rather juvenile, as was the characterisation, which made Hiro a whiny, love-struck teenager. The author certainly didn't make enough out of the superpowers side of things, sticking with sickly romance. The scenes that popped were the ones lifted directly from the show; the stuff in between was far less engaging. I'm glad I read it, as part of my Heroes collection, but sadly, like many TV/Film-tie-ins, this book suffers from average writing that, at times, alters the characters so much they are barely recognisable. If you are a huge fan of the series, you'll get something out of it, but it probably won't mean enough to make sense to those who haven't watch the show.

[Be · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very sweet story that gives all the details about what happened while hiro was with charlie

[Remy Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the old school books that was collecting dust in my library. After rereading it, I fell in love once more with Hiro and Charlie. It's a good read for any fan of the tv series.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book enough to Heroes fans.

[Ryan Manganiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a huge fan of the Heroes show and universe like I am, this is a must read book for you!

[Sedna Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a diet sweet romance that added to the enjoyment of the show that even though not all of it was seen in the show would have made for as good contribution to it.

[Nicholas Cavalier · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read many TV & Film tie in books from several genres and I must say this is one of the most poorly written ones that I've read.

[Violet Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not stop sobbing because I knew what was gonna happen cause the show. This book hurts so bad, it's amazing.

[Finja]

dnf

[Luru · Rating 2 out of 5]

Around 2½ stars, maybe... nothing to get excited about.

I'll start by saying that I'm an avid fan of "Heroes" (the tv show this book is based on, in case it escaped anyone's notice). That said, reading this book was a must although it took me long enough to get down to it.

Hiro has never been one of my favorite characters, although he brought a lot of interesting elements to the show, being the driving force behind many of the people who later stepped up their game considerably.

It's been a while since I've seen season 1 (where most of this book takes place), which may have actually been a good thing, too, since it felt like this book offered very little to the actual storyline seen on screen, perhaps fleshing out a little where they had to cut to other characters' stories..

The writing wasn't bad, but not good either - yet the thing that annoyed me most was that Hiro didn't sound like himself at all, for whatever reason. It might have to do with my own head!canon, getting in the way of things, but overall the whiny!Hiro got a bit tiresome after a couple pages.

Sweet as this book was in Hiro's attempts to win the heart of the woman he fell in love with soon as he met her - and the determination to save her life, too - it just didn't win me over, much as I tried. In the end it sounded more like mediocre fanfiction, only I paid money to read this.

[Faith Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter gave me this as a gift because we've been watching Heroes together. It's a good example of its type - novelizations of TV shows, movies, etc. I've read novelizations in several lines (Star Trek, Star Wars, Spiderman, etc.) and know they can run the gamut from insipid to inspiring. This one is closer to the latter. If you have good writers, they can take mass media characters and give them a depth beyond the flat 2-D of visual media and breadth beyond the ability of a 60 - 120 minutes of story telling. A bad writer (and I've read a bunch!) think the title will draw the readers and they don't have to put any creativity into the character development or plot. Bad editors will accept this dreck and thus give novelizations a bad name.

Wallington does a good job of fleshing out the story of one of Heroes' most endearing characters (Hiro) and one of it's most poignant story lines. Can Hiro save the life of a pretty West Texas waitress with the power to remember anything that's happened to her or she's read or saw? Will the evil Sylar succeed in murdering her and stealing her power? Wallington crafts a tender love story in the shadow of this possible horrible fate. It's not Shakespeare, but it's fun.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't even bother finishing it. At first I felt since I'd gotten halfway through it I had committed myself to it, but I changed my mind. It is 258 pages of crap. Aury Wallington's writing is so beyond mediocre it isn't even suitable for a Hallmark card. He could have done so much more with the story, especially in such a colorful world portrayed in the show. Now, I LOVE Heroes as a show, but this book was like reading a bad fan fic. I felt like I was reading something one of my nerdy friends would have written when I was 14, except they were better writers. The language used was a terrible attempt at being hip, the story was trite and uninteresting, and the book itself was incredibly immature. He made Hiro's character BEYOND pathetic. On the show Hiro is a nerd, yes, and at times he is socially retarded and incredibly awkward, but never pathetic. The only reason I gave it one star is because this site doesn't allow you to give a book half a star. I want $24 and 10 hours of my life back.

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aury Wallington couldn't write with the emotive cinematic intensity and drama of a black and white disney film. Anyone who enjoys the crescendos and excitement of the Heroes television show had better keep searching because this book is luke warm. Anyone who loves Hiro's character and wondered what happened with Charlie will not be rewarded because of the shallow plot. Anyone could write better.
What's worse is the fact that it leaves so much more to be desired. Of all the places Charlie and Hiro wanted to visit, don't you think they should have had a few adventures in those places and times? Don't you think that they could have done so much more? This book is horrible.
Last but not least is the way in the Heroes show that Hiro, as immature, adorable and naive as he is, is still thrown into dangerous adult situations. The show doesn't dumb itself down for Hiro. Here this book, this plot; the author's childish expressions are dumbed down. This book is for preteens.