Hercules: the Diary of a (Sort of) Hero: a hilarious, highly illustrated story full of mythical magic and real-world mayhem

by Tom Vaughan

If Hercules Braver is going to survive his new secondary school, he has to live up to his name, fast. He needs to become strong and tanned and popular, like a Greek hero. Not weak and pale and unpopular, like a Greek yoghurt. But his bid for popularity ends up saddling him with a set of impossible tasks... like cleaning out the monster-riddled school pond, facing up to the school bully and finding the headmaster's cat. Then Herc's charming, impressive birth dad turns up after years living in Greece, and Hercules thinks his problems are solved. With God-like strength and awe-inspiring powers, could his dad even be ... the real Zeus?! And will Hercules learn what it truly means to be a hero?

Genres: Childrens, Mythology, Middle Grade

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 29, 2024

Reviews

[Tom Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Gates meets Loki. Very funny at times, and with a great (utterly, hilariously deluded) narrator.

[Rhea Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be well out of the targeted age range but I loved this book, a great use of greek mythology (and a more accurate portrayal than Disney’s Hecules) and very funny, with a lovely message about being yourself and appreciating the people around you.

If you’ve got kids who like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates, Loki etc. then this is a perfect book.

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than i thought it would be

[Mahtab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is by my 9 year old son, Ahnaf Siddhartha:


The book written by Tom Vaughan was GREAT!! 👍👍👍
I LOVED it.

Good parts: Like nearly every part was good!

Bad parts: The whole “Lead arrow” thing that takes away Cupid’s love effect and them calling Cupid “Eros”.

All together this book gets a solid 8/10


Happy Reading!

-- Ahnaf Siddhartha
27 August 2025

[Siobhan Mackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

May the line ‘he has none of my natural cools’ live forever in my brain.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun book about a boy who finds out that his actual dad is Zeus + there is also a ton of chaos happening before that!


Meet Hercules! Yes, that is his name. Additionally his last name is Braver. You can imagine that with such a name comes a lot of attitude, haha. But then again, I didn’t mind it that much well for most of the book. I could definitely understand where he came from with this. He just wants to have great time at school and not feel like a loser for once. And yes, at times he does get a bit too much, like when he forgets about his friends, goes way too much with his birth dad and listens too much to him, ignores the dad that was there since he was a little kid. But despite the attitude that goes bigger with each bit that Zeus did, I could also see him try to figure things out. Was all this power and popularity really worth it? Does he really want all this or would he rather have some great friends who care about him the way he is? It was a really fun read, but again, yes, I wanted to shake Hercules a few times in the story. Haha. I am happy that eventually he found his strengths and knew what direction to go.

Zooey/Zeus? Well, he had some good moments, but at times he just pissed me off. Then again, it is Zeus. Come on. Everyone who has read mythology and such knows how Zeus is. What Zeus wants he will get and if that takes some manipulating and other BS then so be it. I did like that, despite his ulterior motives, he visited Hercules and did some fun things with him. I had a laugh though at how in the beginning he kept things semi-vague though we, the reader, could easily see who Zooey really was. I mean, the guy just has a magical compartment in his car. Not to mention can summon thunder/lightning, hello, big flags there.

I loved all the chaos that took place in the book. Not just the whole Zeus/Gods business, but also losing a cat and trying to find her back, cleaning up a monster-riddled pond (but is there really a monster?), Hercules seeing things that come on his path as sort of missions that the Real Hercules did.

I loved the various side characters. Mom (who was sweet) and dad (Ken was such a nice guy and I loved how he was always there for Hercules). The friends. Natthew, um sorry, Matthew.

And I was especially happy with the ending to the book. It was just perfection!

The illustrations were also a lot of fun, as expected from David O’Connell!

All in all, I cannot wait to read more about Hercules, I am sure there are many more adventures for him in store. I would recommend this book to all looking for a fun/funny book about gods, a boy who needs to figure out if fame/popularity is all there is, friendship, and more!


Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Tracy Lander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Kiran at Scholastic for this early copy. Hercules Braver is about to start High School with his friends Hatty and Pav, but they were the uncool kids at Primary so how can they make friends at High School and be the cool kids. For Hercules this is going to be hard, his step dad is Ken Braver - a Physics teacher at his new high school, and he is definitely not cool! Worse still he calls Hercules, Herky-Werky! Their plan to be cool goes wrong from day one - especially as Hercules is wearing a beanie hat that looks like a poo! And he gets them all detention - to clean out the school pond for causing a scene by karate chopping the school bully! Hercules wants to catch the pond monster but when he borrows the crate of the Headmaster's indoor cat - leaving her loose in the office.....with the window open, things get even worse. The school bully then has it in for him. When Hercules' mum says that his birth dad gave him his name, and she says he's a rock star. He writes to the Dad he has never seen, Mum says he probably won't write back - but he does more, he appears on their doorstep to meet Hercules. But just who is Zooey? He looks amazing, he drives a flash car and can give Hercules the things he wants. Hercules finds out Zooey is a bit different and he has to keep it a secret. Is it a good idea to want something so badly you forget who your real friends and family are? This book is super funny, written in the diary style that many children love to read. You might even find out about some Ancient Greek myths. Suited to the Tom Gates, Wimpy Kid and Loki readers. But I think I'd prefer to the first two of these, can't wait to take to school. Tom Vaughan and David O'Connell have made a fabulous job of this book.

[Rachel Bagshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of fun, an interesting way to introduce younger readers to the Labours of Hercules via the best friend who is obsessed with Greek Mythology. I think we can all relate at some point in our lives the desire to remodel ourselves in a new situation though I hope I never went to the levels Hercules went to.
I especially enjoyed the representation of Zeus in a modern world as an aging superstar who is only interested in himself with all the flashy car, clothes, hairstyle & even the super white teeth you can hear the cartoon ping noise when he flashes them.
Not my favourite reimagining of mythological characters into school settings, The Loki series by Louie Stowell holds that spot, but a fun read all the same.

ARC kindly supplied for Waterstones Children’s BOTM for bookseller reviews

[Maggie Timlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silly, funny with a great heart

Hercules is happy with his life but maybe he doesn’t realise it. He is going to secondary school with his two best friends and he is obsessed with becoming a cool kid. He tries his hardest but he keeps falling foul of the year ten bully, the head master and the head masters cat. Will his biological dad, who is so much cooler than his teacher step dad, help him? Or will Zooey just be annoying?
I must admit I was not expecting this to be as funny as it was. It was a really good story with a lot of laughs and a really good heart. Great Illustrations as well. I will certainly be watching out for more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher for a readers copy of this book.

[Rob Crypt · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really fun book touching on themes of self-discovery, family and navigating new experiences (namely: starting at secondary school). it's in the 9-12 years region and fits perfectly, akin to diary of a wimpy kid with a very pleasingly nuanced introduction to greek mythology (it's not all great stuff, and it mentions the darker side of greek mythology but in a way that's very safe for younger readers). i gave this one a go for work and enjoyed it way more than i expected.

[Manic Booksy Dreamgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun read. Enjoyable adventure about family and finding yourself. The protagonist is named after the famous Hercules and the whole book is jam packed with mythological fun.

It's full of fantastic illustrations and written in a diary style so it's perfect for fans of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' and Louie Stowell's 'Loki' series.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greek Gods, friends, a missing cat and a whole host of wishes! Hercules Braver is moving to high school and he JUST wants to be popular… but when Zeus comes onto the scene, things get messy… and dirty! This made me chuckle loads. Can’t wait to share with my class!

[Ruth Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a teacher in year 6 so I read this with my class in mind. I really enjoyed it - very entertaining, easy to read and there was a good message too. I’ll definitely be recommending it to my pupils.

[Sam Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a style somewhere in between Jeff Kinney and Pamela Butchart and one which has, deep down, a good story linking to the old saying, ‘be careful what you wish for!’ A really fun book touching on themes of self-discovery and family. A good book for year 4/5.

[Isobel Macleod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite funny and a good overall message.

[Kelly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elliot loved this.

[Matilde Ferreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my 7yo and we really had so much fun.

[Claire Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my 9 year old and we both loved it - there were some very funny parts and its an enjoyable read with drawings on most pages too . Going to check out his other books now.

[Owenharpley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good, however, i felt like Hercules himslef was like greg heffley from the diary of a wimpy kid books, like he was the most important kid in the world, but still pretty good

[LudmilaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. A sweet story about friendship, family and being yourself. Better than expected!

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The name Hercules may sound familiar. If you are a fan of the ancient Greek myths, you might know that he was one of their heroes, the storytellers loved to tell stories of how he was the son of Zeus (the king of the gods) and of the twelve tasks he had to complete – all of which would have been impossible for a normal human. In his diary-format story Tom Vaughan shares with us his very own Hercules, who may be a sort-of hero. Illustrated throughout with doodles and sketches by David O’Connell this is a book with a wide-ranging appeal, a laugh-out-loud story with blended families, alternative father figures and a school/home setting. It will not only make you laugh though This book has the power to fill you with courage, to make you into a hero, it will warm your heart and give you strength just as it does Hercules.

Hercules Braver is going to survive secondary school. He is going to live up to his name and he is going to do it fast. He needs to become tanned, strong, and popular, just like the Greek hero who is his namesake. He does not need to be pale, weak, and unpopular, just like Greek yoghurt. The problem? In his bid for popularity Hercules Braver finds himself saddled with a set of tasks that appear to be impossible but if he is to fix his reputation, he is going to have to complete them. The appeal of cleaning out the monster-filled school pond may be nil, along with facing up to the school bully and finding the headmaster’s missing cat but then… Then his charming and impressive birth dad turns up. Just like that. After years of having lived in Greece. Could this mean that all of Hercules’ problems have been solved? His dad seems to have God-like strength and some awe-inspiring powers. He could even be the real Zeus…couldn’t he? But as Hercules begins to tackle and battle the new and old trials, he encounters he begins to see that the support he truly needs is actually in a far less likely and far more unexpected place. His uncool stepdad… Being a hero is looking a little different than he first thought…

[Isla Hawkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a really really good book. If you like Greek myths then I think you will really like this book.

Kind regards
Isla Hawkes

[Isobel Spooner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This actually made me a bit emotional because of when his mum left sometimes I really hate Zeus for being boastful and stuff.But it is nice to know you have a god dad.