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Halfway Heroes Trilogy #1
Halfway Heroes
Lydia and Mark are left with incredible new physical abilities after an accident with experimental chemicals during a high school field trip to a pharmaceutical company. With the limitations of these abilities, they discover that they’re not beyond human reach, but their lives are changed—perhaps forever.
The two become separated; Lydia is whisked away by a government official, while Mark is offered a job with the wealthy owner of the pharmaceutical company. The two men thrust the pair into a world they never knew existed, full of gifted people with powers like their own. The opposing ideals of the two sides drive Lydia and Mark into a swirling confrontation with one other and with their respective groups, one that will force the two to question the consequences, motivations, and nature of their actions and abilities.
The two become separated; Lydia is whisked away by a government official, while Mark is offered a job with the wealthy owner of the pharmaceutical company. The two men thrust the pair into a world they never knew existed, full of gifted people with powers like their own. The opposing ideals of the two sides drive Lydia and Mark into a swirling confrontation with one other and with their respective groups, one that will force the two to question the consequences, motivations, and nature of their actions and abilities.
672 pages, ebook
First published January 5, 2014
14 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Dustin Martin
12 books11 followersDustin Martin is a lover of science fiction and fantasy, as his writing usually reflects, and loves all kinds of plots, from grand adventures to character-driven stories. He draws much inspiration from authors in these same fields and his Christian faith.
Dustin is currently putting himself through school as an English major. When he isn't writing or studying, Dustin is often listening to music or enjoying a book.
Dustin is currently putting himself through school as an English major. When he isn't writing or studying, Dustin is often listening to music or enjoying a book.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 8, 2014
High school student Lydia acquires superhuman abilities when she and fellow classmate, Mark, are involved in an accident on a school excursion to a chemical plant. While Lydia is conscripted to the side of good, Mark is whisked off by the not-so-good side, where the two are inevitably involved in a thrilling confrontation.
Martin has a fluid, highly polished style that is very easy to read. His characters are well-crafted and appealing. He gets into the head of his main teenage character, Lydia, and keeps us engaged in her confusions and triumphs. It is a highly accomplished novel.
My one small criticism, though, is that I felt the book could have either skipped or fast-tracked certain sections to keep the pace going. We stick with Lydia as she goes on the school excursion, then stay with her the whole time in hospital, then the long flight on the plane, her exhaustive guided tour around the 'cave', and so on. Each section is done very well (nigh-impossible to fault in themselves), but I just would have preferred to skip or at least race through those bits dealing with familiar superhero tropes (i.e., discovering one's special ability, learning to control it etc) so that we got to the later, fresher aspects of the story more quickly.
That said, this may say more about my personal tastes than the quality of the book, for as I stated it is fluidly told and well-constructed. My hunch, though, is that when Martin leaves readers to fill in the gaps a bit more, he will really come into his own as a writer, strengthening already formidable qualities in his work.
4 out of 5 stars.
Martin has a fluid, highly polished style that is very easy to read. His characters are well-crafted and appealing. He gets into the head of his main teenage character, Lydia, and keeps us engaged in her confusions and triumphs. It is a highly accomplished novel.
My one small criticism, though, is that I felt the book could have either skipped or fast-tracked certain sections to keep the pace going. We stick with Lydia as she goes on the school excursion, then stay with her the whole time in hospital, then the long flight on the plane, her exhaustive guided tour around the 'cave', and so on. Each section is done very well (nigh-impossible to fault in themselves), but I just would have preferred to skip or at least race through those bits dealing with familiar superhero tropes (i.e., discovering one's special ability, learning to control it etc) so that we got to the later, fresher aspects of the story more quickly.
That said, this may say more about my personal tastes than the quality of the book, for as I stated it is fluidly told and well-constructed. My hunch, though, is that when Martin leaves readers to fill in the gaps a bit more, he will really come into his own as a writer, strengthening already formidable qualities in his work.
4 out of 5 stars.
January 3, 2017
I’m not much for YA, but I LOVE me some superheroism more than any other type of story. That said I’m not the kind of reader that can overlook simple mistakes and two dimensional characters simply because someone throws a power ring or some kryptonite my way. Fortunately I didn’t have to in Halfway Heroes where we’re treated to a comic book-like story in novel form. While taking a tour of the Rooke chemical facility, classmates Lydia and Mark are doused with a slurry of chemicals which awakens special powers, and sets of a series of events that will change their lives forever in very different ways.
I have to say that Mr. Martin does an excellent job bringing the heroes to life which makes, in my opinion, the characters the strongest part of the story. Each of the two divergent heroes has their own personality as well as motivations, and the way they behave is consistent to who they are and what they want to accomplish. Seeing how they deal with the obstacles that arise (from parental issues to the nefarious Rooke) is what creates tension and drives the plot forward.
Also, on a deeper level, I think the work captures the changes we all go through at the teenage years subtly. It deals with the time in a young person's life when they begin to make the change from a potential adult into an actual one. It reminded me a lot of classic Spiderman, where the character seems like they were discovering their powers, but what they were really discovering themselves. Overall it’s a story with guts, and heart appropriate for young readers as well as old.
I have to say that Mr. Martin does an excellent job bringing the heroes to life which makes, in my opinion, the characters the strongest part of the story. Each of the two divergent heroes has their own personality as well as motivations, and the way they behave is consistent to who they are and what they want to accomplish. Seeing how they deal with the obstacles that arise (from parental issues to the nefarious Rooke) is what creates tension and drives the plot forward.
Also, on a deeper level, I think the work captures the changes we all go through at the teenage years subtly. It deals with the time in a young person's life when they begin to make the change from a potential adult into an actual one. It reminded me a lot of classic Spiderman, where the character seems like they were discovering their powers, but what they were really discovering themselves. Overall it’s a story with guts, and heart appropriate for young readers as well as old.
April 24, 2014
Halfway Heroes is a must read for fantasy lovers of all ages! The adventure starts with Lydia and her classmates being invited to Rooke Pharmaceuticals. When Lydia ignores signs in a restricted area, she and her friend Mark get a little bit more than they bargained for...
Martin does a fabulous job of creating likable characters so you want to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. And when everything is said and done, Lydia learns a valuable lesson.
This book was an absolute joy to read. I loved it and I'm hoping Martin has more up his sleeve.
Connie Lafortune Author of Because of You
Martin does a fabulous job of creating likable characters so you want to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. And when everything is said and done, Lydia learns a valuable lesson.
This book was an absolute joy to read. I loved it and I'm hoping Martin has more up his sleeve.
Connie Lafortune Author of Because of You
August 2, 2014
Let me start off by saying that this is not a preferred genre of mine, so I haven't read many books like this. But I have seen several superhero movies, mainly because my husband loves them. I've enjoyed many, but some are too unrealistic and too action packed for me. I still love the Spiderman movies though - they're my favorite, which is why I think I really did enjoy this book. The characters were portrayed in a rather realistic way, and they gain their superhuman powers through an accident that happens while on a school trip, which is also reminiscent of what happens in Spiderman. The characters are regular high school kids, who are changed because of experimental chemicals in a pharmaceutical company. They're not from another planet in another galaxy, and even though they gain powers, they are still flawed.
While discovering their new abilities, the government and the pharmaceutical company become very interested in them. While Lydia unhappily goes with a government official to receive proper training for her ability, Mark starts to work for the pharmaceutical company. They meet other BEPs (Biologically Enhanced Person) who each have different special powers. Each one has a drawback to their ability and often requires accommodations so that they can use it in a safer, more effective manner.
As Lydia tries to find a way to escape her new situation, Mark begins to see how nefarious the people he is working for are. I found the themes in this book to be quite terrifying, particularly manufactured diseases being used as biological weapons. Fortunately, Lydia is able to use her power for good, even though she often defies what she is supposed to be doing. Whereas, Mark finds himself caught up in a dark world.
This book is extremely well-written, and the character development is excellent. I really cared for the characters and felt that I got to know many of them aside from just Lydia and Mark. Although Mark did some inexcusable things, it was hard not to feel a little bit of empathy for him, especially when you see how terribly his father treats him.
There is also a hint of a possible romance that will hopefully develop as the series continues (not between Lydia and Mark), so I'd be happy about that. My only complaint would be that the fight scenes went on a bit too long for my tastes. Overall, I found this story to be an engaging and enjoyable read.
I look forward to the next book in the series!
While discovering their new abilities, the government and the pharmaceutical company become very interested in them. While Lydia unhappily goes with a government official to receive proper training for her ability, Mark starts to work for the pharmaceutical company. They meet other BEPs (Biologically Enhanced Person) who each have different special powers. Each one has a drawback to their ability and often requires accommodations so that they can use it in a safer, more effective manner.
As Lydia tries to find a way to escape her new situation, Mark begins to see how nefarious the people he is working for are. I found the themes in this book to be quite terrifying, particularly manufactured diseases being used as biological weapons. Fortunately, Lydia is able to use her power for good, even though she often defies what she is supposed to be doing. Whereas, Mark finds himself caught up in a dark world.
This book is extremely well-written, and the character development is excellent. I really cared for the characters and felt that I got to know many of them aside from just Lydia and Mark. Although Mark did some inexcusable things, it was hard not to feel a little bit of empathy for him, especially when you see how terribly his father treats him.
There is also a hint of a possible romance that will hopefully develop as the series continues (not between Lydia and Mark), so I'd be happy about that. My only complaint would be that the fight scenes went on a bit too long for my tastes. Overall, I found this story to be an engaging and enjoyable read.
I look forward to the next book in the series!
March 18, 2014
Halfway Heroes by Dustin Martin is an interesting book. It is almost like a comic book but not in that form. It is definitely different from most of what I read; but I rather liked it once I got into it.
Lydia loves to daydream that she has supernatural powers and is able to fly and help people. This tends to land her in trouble in school. She and her classmates go on a tour of the Rooke Pharmaceutical Company one day. Lydia and her best friend leave the others to try to find a storage room to explore, somewhere they aren’t supposed to go. They are followed by Mark, the class bully. They find their way into the storage room and in a pushing match with Mark, Lydia is doused with a mixture of chemicals from one of the storage boxes. Mark also gets some on him. The next thing she remembers is being in the hospital with something strange going on- she is stronger and her arms and legs have grown with that strength. Things just keep happening when she gets home. She is nearly hit by a car, which she bends and then she is hit by a bus. The next thing she knows, she is whisked away from yet another hospital visit for a broken arm to the Cave where she is to learn to deal with her new state. Lydia, ever the rebel, doesn’t like this one bit. Mark, who has discovered his own new power, is taken under the control of Mr. Rooke, head of the pharmaceutical company. He is being used to try to replicate the chemicals that hit him and made him invincible. Which side is the good side and which is the bad side? Is this all a dream or is it really happening to Lydia?
Dustin Martin tells a great tale in this book. I really liked it and science fiction is not usually a favored genre of mine. This would be good in graphic novel form too.
Lydia loves to daydream that she has supernatural powers and is able to fly and help people. This tends to land her in trouble in school. She and her classmates go on a tour of the Rooke Pharmaceutical Company one day. Lydia and her best friend leave the others to try to find a storage room to explore, somewhere they aren’t supposed to go. They are followed by Mark, the class bully. They find their way into the storage room and in a pushing match with Mark, Lydia is doused with a mixture of chemicals from one of the storage boxes. Mark also gets some on him. The next thing she remembers is being in the hospital with something strange going on- she is stronger and her arms and legs have grown with that strength. Things just keep happening when she gets home. She is nearly hit by a car, which she bends and then she is hit by a bus. The next thing she knows, she is whisked away from yet another hospital visit for a broken arm to the Cave where she is to learn to deal with her new state. Lydia, ever the rebel, doesn’t like this one bit. Mark, who has discovered his own new power, is taken under the control of Mr. Rooke, head of the pharmaceutical company. He is being used to try to replicate the chemicals that hit him and made him invincible. Which side is the good side and which is the bad side? Is this all a dream or is it really happening to Lydia?
Dustin Martin tells a great tale in this book. I really liked it and science fiction is not usually a favored genre of mine. This would be good in graphic novel form too.
March 28, 2014
LOVED the book! I was extremely sad when it ended cause i was wanting more.
Its an action packed adventure which deals with the lives of Lydia and Mark and the 'accident' which alters their world. They are hurtled into a scenario filled with people having extraordinary abilities, some using it for good and some for bad. While Lydia joins a government team, where she finds friends and guides who help her develop and control her strength, Mark is employed by Rooke, who is bent on spreading a disease which he only has the cure to.
Dustin , the author, is very talented in the way he has described each character- their emotions, actions and the environment around them. You really get attached to them. (I got depressed when Kirk died, even though I'd barely read a few lines about him!)
Its an exciting read, a well crafted story with a fast paced theme which will keep you turning pages. You will definitely end up losing yourself in the world of the BEPs a.k.a Halfway Heroes.
A MUST READ! Looking forward to the next one!
Its an action packed adventure which deals with the lives of Lydia and Mark and the 'accident' which alters their world. They are hurtled into a scenario filled with people having extraordinary abilities, some using it for good and some for bad. While Lydia joins a government team, where she finds friends and guides who help her develop and control her strength, Mark is employed by Rooke, who is bent on spreading a disease which he only has the cure to.
Dustin , the author, is very talented in the way he has described each character- their emotions, actions and the environment around them. You really get attached to them. (I got depressed when Kirk died, even though I'd barely read a few lines about him!)
Its an exciting read, a well crafted story with a fast paced theme which will keep you turning pages. You will definitely end up losing yourself in the world of the BEPs a.k.a Halfway Heroes.
A MUST READ! Looking forward to the next one!
May 9, 2017
Halfway Heroes scores with a very likeable main character, named Lydia, who gains superpowers after exposure to an accident in a warehouse (admittedly of her own mistake). I always liked her, especially at the end when she debates the morality of taking revenge that is, in many ways, entirely justifiable after what happens to her. I enjoyed reading those philosophical debates raging within her mind, as well as through discussions with her guides, who have seen it all and experienced it all.
Since there is so much good and so much distressing about the book, let me draw up a list of “positives” versus “drawbacks”.
Positives:
As mentioned, the main character is quite likeable, and I enjoyed some of the idle, spirited banter between her and her loved ones, at a normal school at the beginning, and later at the superhero training camp.
The motive of finding a cure for humanity while at the same time secretly profiting from its dark motives was an interesting plot choice.
I did like the way the book doesn’t make superpowers absolute or so stark that just having the superpower meant “game over” like one would imagine with Superman, but I have some caveats that I will mention below.
Drawbacks:
The main drawback for me, I felt, was the sheer volume and hypocrisy of so many motives throughout the story. One key element of unbelievability for me was the character development of one character who develops superpowers, but slowly becomes one of the evil ones. Many times, he is offered a chance at redemption, but spurns it at every time (although he does go through the required crisis of conscience self-torture at each turn). I truly could not understand his motives. Just because in high school one is a friendly jokester and sort of bully to a certain group, doesn’t mean you make those choices when you’re thrown into upsetting situations that go far beyond high school. I would probably have preferred to have this character written out completely.
Another dud for me was the very limited applicability of several of the superpowers. Some of the halfway heroes at the camp had such meagre or silly superpowers that I didn’t know why an entire camp was devoted to their training or why the government authorities felt that they were so valuable and represented a huge tactical advantage in military and intelligence gathering operations. Even the superpowers of the main villains didn’t seem to be of much added benefit to their skill in fighting or their weapons. Even including the main halfway heroes that routinely go on missions in this book, I would have preferred highly trained tactical agents, rather than these untested halfway heroes (even though they’re trained in the camp… there’s a huge difference in seasoned operatives and throwing in teenagers with some special tricks and then training them for a few years).
Another fog over this story is despite the fact this is written with Young Adult as the audience, the consequences of this book go far beyond Young Adult in terms of betrayal, violence (true, it may feel like cartoon violence, but the outcomes are devastating with hundreds of innocent victims dying), and as mentioned, the juvenile motives being taken seriously by adults in position of authority. Especially weak were the parents of some of the main characters who have active roles in this story (the parents themselves, I mean), as I don’t believe for a bit that parents in real life would behave that way.
The cover did not seem to be done professionally.
Having a long book is not a flaw unto itself, but it was hard to me to keep reading when I did not believe the story could happen, even in a fictional setting. Some scenes of bonding or reflection (and even some fighting scenes) were not necessary and I know it’s hard for the author (I had the same problem too) to separate out which makes the story stick and which are just filler by an author eager to make sure all bases are covered. The impulse by a new author (like myself) to tell everything in a story from beginning to finish is very strong and is hard to resist.
The accident at the beginning that triggers the superpowers didn’t feel believable. I didn’t think characters could be splashed in that way. When I kick over stuff in a kitchen, it may splash at my feet or whatever… and if I were not in a kitchen but in a warehouse full of boxes, it’s hard for to me imagine such an accident happening.
I didn’t really understand why the inventor kept wanting to make dangerous stuff that kills humanity wherever unleashed. I understand about making secret profits from threats to use it, for a villain-minded tycoon, but not the actual incidents where he actually deploys them and kills bystanders. It seemed a little excessive. He also seemed to have a very strange bond to his dying father, given that this old man was already at an advanced age. Maybe if this inventor was insane from the beginning I would buy it, but he didn’t seem to be.
All in all, and I know I keep coming back to this, but we need to adapt to the fictional setting… where superpowers are possible. Then we must flesh out the real motives of people in that story and how they would really act when thrown into the story. That was the key weakness of the book for me. It seemed like a fake story, with fake impulses and acts that would never happen in another universe. There are billions of stories that take place in fiction and the characters do things we never think we’d do… that’s why it’s called fiction and that’s why we savor it… but here it just wasn’t believable, sorry.
Since there is so much good and so much distressing about the book, let me draw up a list of “positives” versus “drawbacks”.
Positives:
As mentioned, the main character is quite likeable, and I enjoyed some of the idle, spirited banter between her and her loved ones, at a normal school at the beginning, and later at the superhero training camp.
The motive of finding a cure for humanity while at the same time secretly profiting from its dark motives was an interesting plot choice.
I did like the way the book doesn’t make superpowers absolute or so stark that just having the superpower meant “game over” like one would imagine with Superman, but I have some caveats that I will mention below.
Drawbacks:
The main drawback for me, I felt, was the sheer volume and hypocrisy of so many motives throughout the story. One key element of unbelievability for me was the character development of one character who develops superpowers, but slowly becomes one of the evil ones. Many times, he is offered a chance at redemption, but spurns it at every time (although he does go through the required crisis of conscience self-torture at each turn). I truly could not understand his motives. Just because in high school one is a friendly jokester and sort of bully to a certain group, doesn’t mean you make those choices when you’re thrown into upsetting situations that go far beyond high school. I would probably have preferred to have this character written out completely.
Another dud for me was the very limited applicability of several of the superpowers. Some of the halfway heroes at the camp had such meagre or silly superpowers that I didn’t know why an entire camp was devoted to their training or why the government authorities felt that they were so valuable and represented a huge tactical advantage in military and intelligence gathering operations. Even the superpowers of the main villains didn’t seem to be of much added benefit to their skill in fighting or their weapons. Even including the main halfway heroes that routinely go on missions in this book, I would have preferred highly trained tactical agents, rather than these untested halfway heroes (even though they’re trained in the camp… there’s a huge difference in seasoned operatives and throwing in teenagers with some special tricks and then training them for a few years).
Another fog over this story is despite the fact this is written with Young Adult as the audience, the consequences of this book go far beyond Young Adult in terms of betrayal, violence (true, it may feel like cartoon violence, but the outcomes are devastating with hundreds of innocent victims dying), and as mentioned, the juvenile motives being taken seriously by adults in position of authority. Especially weak were the parents of some of the main characters who have active roles in this story (the parents themselves, I mean), as I don’t believe for a bit that parents in real life would behave that way.
The cover did not seem to be done professionally.
Having a long book is not a flaw unto itself, but it was hard to me to keep reading when I did not believe the story could happen, even in a fictional setting. Some scenes of bonding or reflection (and even some fighting scenes) were not necessary and I know it’s hard for the author (I had the same problem too) to separate out which makes the story stick and which are just filler by an author eager to make sure all bases are covered. The impulse by a new author (like myself) to tell everything in a story from beginning to finish is very strong and is hard to resist.
The accident at the beginning that triggers the superpowers didn’t feel believable. I didn’t think characters could be splashed in that way. When I kick over stuff in a kitchen, it may splash at my feet or whatever… and if I were not in a kitchen but in a warehouse full of boxes, it’s hard for to me imagine such an accident happening.
I didn’t really understand why the inventor kept wanting to make dangerous stuff that kills humanity wherever unleashed. I understand about making secret profits from threats to use it, for a villain-minded tycoon, but not the actual incidents where he actually deploys them and kills bystanders. It seemed a little excessive. He also seemed to have a very strange bond to his dying father, given that this old man was already at an advanced age. Maybe if this inventor was insane from the beginning I would buy it, but he didn’t seem to be.
All in all, and I know I keep coming back to this, but we need to adapt to the fictional setting… where superpowers are possible. Then we must flesh out the real motives of people in that story and how they would really act when thrown into the story. That was the key weakness of the book for me. It seemed like a fake story, with fake impulses and acts that would never happen in another universe. There are billions of stories that take place in fiction and the characters do things we never think we’d do… that’s why it’s called fiction and that’s why we savor it… but here it just wasn’t believable, sorry.
August 9, 2016
Action packed and fast-paced
An effortless read. Imaginative, captivating and downright clever. Superior, too, to most other books of this superhero / paranormal / fantasy genre. More like watching a movie where the characters come alive and the action unfolds in front of your eyes...A credit to the writer and the writing.
Young adults will love this one. It’s action packed, fast-paced and surprisingly sophisticated.
A creditable 5-Star read!
An effortless read. Imaginative, captivating and downright clever. Superior, too, to most other books of this superhero / paranormal / fantasy genre. More like watching a movie where the characters come alive and the action unfolds in front of your eyes...A credit to the writer and the writing.
Young adults will love this one. It’s action packed, fast-paced and surprisingly sophisticated.
A creditable 5-Star read!
December 4, 2014
Halfway Heroes is an entertaining book. It's well written and can be casually read. The characters are diverse and dynamic. Definitely recommend.
May 3, 2017
The book was well written. I liked the attempt to create complex characters by showing their inner struggle at times. However, for me something was still lacking. Not once did I pick the book back up cause I wanted to know what happened next. I didn't always buy the motivations for some of the characters actions. Also, reading fighting scenes makes my eyes glaze over, although they probably belong here.
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