A Hero Dreams: A Coming of Age Psychological Thriller

by Mark Ristau

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award
- Popular Fiction (Winner of Silver)
National Indie Excellence Awards
- New Fiction (Winner) and Visionary Fiction (Finalist)
Next Generation Indie Book Awards
- First Novel (Finalist) and Inspirational Fiction (Finalist)
Best Book Awards
- Best New Fiction (Finalist) and Visionary Fiction (Finalist)

Devastated by his father’s sudden death, eight-year-old Ricky begins to see things—a ghostly silhouette in his bedroom window, a gruesome train accident involving four local teenagers, a terrorist attack that won’t occur for another twenty-five years. After a traumatic incident at a New England summer camp, the visions become more frequent, more vivid, and more disturbing. A mysterious voice assures him everything will be okay if he crosses the “threshold.” But just what is the threshold? And what lies beyond?

Beyond the Threshold (Hero's Path Book 2) will be released September 13, 2022.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 7, 2018

About the author

Mark Ristau’s life took a sharp turn when he was downsized from a corporate attorney job he'd held for nearly 15 years. Instead of sending out his resume, however, he decided it was time to pursue his dream. Selling his house and almost all his belongings, he packed the car and migrated to a town on Florida’s Gulf Coast, setting for the prologue to the first book in the Hero’s Path series, A Hero Dreams.

Six years later, A Hero Dreams was published. On September 13, 2022, Mark will continue his journey with the release of Beyond the Threshold, which follows his protagonist, Ricky Williamson, into adulthood and the days leading up to 9/11.

Mark is inspired by stories that fill hearts with hope and minds with dreams of possibility. He credits his daily yoga practice with keeping his head clear and his life in balance when writing. Born in Chicago, Mark currently lives in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

For more on Mark's journey, the Hero's Path series, and what's next, visit Mark Ristau.

Reviews

[Kevin Kuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Richard Atticus Williamson, but let’s call him Ricky, like his family does. The novel begins with Ricky nearly drowning at the age of four, leaving him with a fear of the water. The story moves quickly to losing his father at eight years old. This loss defines his childhood, leaving him with a gaping hole, but also responsibilities and realities that he is not yet ready for. These two events also leave Ricky with self-doubt and insecurity. In addition, Ricky has a younger bother that is both naturally optimistic and athletic. While sad, unlike Ricky, his brother can move on from his father’s death. The only other person that is affected as deeply by the loss of his father is his mother. She struggles to cope to turns to cigarettes and alcohol to cope. To give herself time to deal with her grief, Ricky’s mother decides to send both her boys off to a five-week summer camp. Much of the novel takes place at Camp Abenaki Valley.

In addition to Ricky’s challenges, and the well-told summer at camp, there is an overarching, almost supernatural storyline that adds to the intrigue of the book. Ricky has brief and mysterious encounters with voices that provide him with glimpses of the future.

Ristau’s writing is clean and well-crafted. He has wonderful little flourishes throughout the story that delighted me. Some examples:
- “Through seemly infinite layers of pale-blue water and a swirling multitude of bubbles, the distorted outline of a washed-out sun looked down at Ricky with a cool detachment.”
- “The water arched skyward in a colorless rainbow before surrendering to gravity and descending back into the Hudson.”
- “To the west, the tallest peak within view stood watch over the other peaks, commanding their respect and humble obedience.”

Ristau is at his best when describing the development of anxiety, apprehension, and peer pressure that everyone experiences in their childhood. Ricky desperately wants to fit in and find acceptance and friendship but runs into bullies and his own moments of weakness. Scattered throughout the storyline of childhood angst, are moments of youthful wonder and nostalgic joy that accompanies summer camp and nature. However, we, nor Ricky, never get to really savor these moments due to the tension of peer pressure and anguish that Ricky is experiencing.

The story crests with a truly horrific scene that is not for the faint of heart, and Ristau expertly manages the difficult reactions of a boy that must find a way to move on. From this numb recovery, we quickly move on to a final act of redemption and courage that ends the story. I would have like to have spent a little more time with Ricky at the end of the story to witness his growth and evolution after all he went though. However, the good news is that the story sets up nicely for a follow-up novel(s) that will continue to examine the characters and the overarching supernatural questions that this book established.

An intriguing debut novel that deftly describes childhood peer pressure and insecurity and sets up a broader series.

[Scarlett Readz and Runz....Through Novel Time & Distance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware of the following triggers: loss, bullying, abuse.

HEARTRENDING.

Beautifully written and heartrending from the beginning. Imagine your younger self discovering the world through innocence, love and carefree days. A beautiful childhood so far…. until you lose one parent. A loss that catapults you into grief, uncertainty, insecurity, doubt, numbness and the ultimate threshold that defies your own future or the end of it.

No matter how hard I try
No matter how many tears I cry
No matter how many years go by
I still can’t say goodbye
-Bob Blinn and Jim Moore
(A Hero Dreams, -Mark Ristau)

1974, Ricky is a sweet young boy of eight years old when he loses his dad from a sudden death due to an aortic aneurysm. As far as Ricky is concerned, his dad was the world to him. He is simply devastated. Now the oldest sibling, he becomes head of the household overnight….wether he feels qualified for it or not. He has to be strong.

Time passes by and from the outside it looks like the family is coping accordingly. But in truth it’s a struggle. Ricky wonders when it will get easier, his mother isn’t up to the task of coping and life is just tough. Ricky’s younger brother is doing a bit better, most likely due to the age difference. He is a natural in most things he does. He excels in sports and school and in general is a well-liked kid. Ricky wishes he wasn’t so burdened with grief and memories and could move on just like him.
In an attempt to offer her children some time get away and give herself some needed space, she sends the boys to summer camp in 1976. An unforgettable and adventurous summer ought to do them well.

Camp Abenaki Valley is a camp for boys, est. in 1947. It resembles one of Native Americans boasting totem poles of the natives from the Pacific Northwest although the camp is set in New England. The cabins are marked with colored doors and the community center resembles a longhouse. There is a lake on the property for recreation and a movie is shown once a week at the longhouse. A highlight for all the campers. Different programs and events are offered, such as archery, riflery, baseball, canoeing, sailing etc. The big highlight of the summer camp will be the Ultimate Race.

Going to camp seems like a prison sentence to Ricky. How is he going to survive this? He already has a hard time getting on with others. He wears his feelings on his sleeves and he knows it. The welcome by the camp administration is warm and friendly though. It eases some of the tension that Ricky feels.

The boys will be in separate cabins. Since they are checking in after half the summer, most of the other boys already know each other. Easily Ricky becomes the target of their taunts….things you do to new comers.
Kids can be so cruel. Ricky witnesses other boys getting teased and bullied. It wears on his sensitive tummy and he keeps telling himself to stay strong. But it does not take long till they find something to bully him about.
With every day that Ricky gets up, he tries to renew his hopes for a better day. When he is assigned to the swimming portion of the relay races of the Ultimate Race, he tries to tell a senior leader that he isn’t a good swimmer. Unfortunately with all the excitements for the games, his plea gets swept under the rug. Ricky has to face one of his biggest fears. He has to get into the lake and swim his portion of the relay.

When Ricky was just 4 years old, he nearly drowned in a pool. You can imagine his fear. With the added pressure of winning the race he ends up not doing well. He nearly drowns again.

Torn between the angel he envisions that gently wants to cradle him in her safety and the voice of his father to have faith, he keeps getting up. He keeps getting up over and over every day. He keeps up the hope and he wants to believe in the good.

Unfortunately, his situation at camp becomes worse. Without the measures as we have them in place today, Ricky is exposed to bullying and mistreatment of the worst kind. He is beaten up and raped by a group of the oldest boys in camp. His physical wounds and emotional trauma are too much to take. He decides to run away. A decision that brings him to a threshold like a fork in the road. Like a line he needs to cross. Like a dare of the unknown. What will Ricky do?

“Very soon you will find yourself at the end of a road,
only inches from a threshold…
a threshold into another world – a glorious world,
one of infinite possibility….”
– Mark Ristau

***

Ricky’s story is unfortunate. It is evil. It hurts. It is very sad. I know there are so many children that experience bullying every day and everywhere. I remember it myself.

Perhaps from the perspective of a person that has not experienced such a push, so much trauma and hurt, it seems like a strange thing to read Ricky’s thoughts throughout the novel. His thoughts, his fears, his hopes, the voices of the angel and that of his father. These transient voices that appear in this novel are really Ricky’s way of coping. It is his way of coping with the things he is exposed to. And this is truly how it is. I commend the author for such candid, truthful writing. It seems to go against the current. It isn’t an alternate reality that is describing Ricky's thoughts. Rather it is the very valid reality in this story of a young boy named Ricky.

I normally don’t read books with sensitive material like physical or mental abuse and I was not aware that this novel contained it before I began reading it. It hovers too close to my own experiences as a kid. However, many, many years down the road now, I completely understand all of Ricky’s feelings.
This novel was written with an open heart and intuitive of what it is like to be traumatized. My heart went out for Ricky right from the start. I just did not know what was to come. Ricky’s threshold at the end of the novel is one we all have to face every day or one day in the future. It is a staggering anxiety when you have been through anything resembling Ricky’s story.

The writing in this novel is beautiful. The author’s voice left me lost in childhood and present in summer camp. I wanted to read on and on. Times were different in the 70’s, and perhaps there was some nostalgia for me in that. If I would have had the time, I would have read this book in one sitting. I really, really enjoyed it.

A Hero Dreams is the first novel in the ‘Hero’s Path Series’ and I cannot wait to read how Ricky’s story continues. I am imagining he keeps on fighting against all odds and negativity. I hope he persists and gains unmeasurable strength. In reality he is already so strong and he does not know it yet. I am rooting for him. A very special boy in a very special novel.

I want to thank Mark Ristau for the signed copy of his book I received when I met him at the BookCon in NYC earlier this year. It was a pleasure to read it :)

[Pat Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly sad story

This story is shockingly sad. A small boy almost drowns, leaving him terrified of water, then he loses his father. He becomes deeply depressed. His mother is an alcoholic and uses alcohol to try to manage her widowhood. This boy notices his younger brother is not experiencing the same degree of trauma that he is. He is a golden child, an outstanding sportsman from a young age. He is carefree and uncomplicated.
Their mother sends them to Summer camp for five appalling weeks. Bullying is terrifying and unrelenting. It culminates in being sodomized viciously with a bottle then a very sadistic older boy. Internal injuries leave the child in agony but he has been threatened not only with his life if he talks, but his brother's too. He somehow knows the three perpetrators are going to try to kill him, so he makes his escape. In so doing he confronts his fear of swimming by saving the lives of a woman and her little girl after their car plunged into a river. And the story ends abruptly there, after his father seems to appear to encourage him not to lose faith. I am not sure I agree that the story is inspirational, but there is something very appealing about the poor lonely boy's sad existence that made me want to continue reading and buying the next book. Perhaps to be there for him when no-one else is?

[Heena Rathore Rathore-Pardeshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hero Dreams by Mark Ristau is an imaginative and unique supernatural book about a protagonist that will remain in your heart long after you've put the book down.

This book is really well-written and has a brilliant concept, for the book itself as well as the series - from what can be seen as the foundational layout of the plot. The characterisation is good and I was able to connect and relate to the protagonist, Ricky, who is an 8-year-old kid on a path to something he cannot comprehend entirely for the most part. This raises the stakes in the story to a point where the book becomes unputdownable.

The only thing I had a problem with is the sexual abuse that kind of felt forced in the way to only drive the plot forward and justify the visions the kid has. This could have been tackled in a better way in my opinion. Apart from this, the book is pretty good.

I liked this book and am looking forward to reading the next book in this series to know what happens next in Ricky's life. I'd definitely recommend it to readers of all genres as this book is a coming-of-age story that has a little something for every reader. Though if child sexual abuse is a trigger for you then you might want to reconsider.

You can read the original review on thereadingbud.com

[Caitlin Merritt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Mark Ristau for the free copy!

Ricky Williamson is a young nine year old boy grieving the death of his father. He once had a traumatic experience where he almost drowned. His mother sends him and his happier, more outgoing younger brother to summer camp where Ricky must face his fear of water and other demons, all while dealing with occasional "visions" of angels, his father and horrible trauma.

This book was decent for the first three quarters and I was enjoying it. It was tough for me to make friends when I was younger too, and I related to Ricky's struggle. I didn't know where the author was going with the "visions" but it was an enjoyable read.

And then Ricky is tricked by one of the older campers, part of a gang of bullies Ricky stood up to earlier on in the novel, and is viciously attacked by them, nearly drowned and then brutally raped with an empty beer bottle. This literally came out of nowhere. For the rest of the novel, Ricky's visions become more and more frequent and eventually he follows his dead father's instructions and steps over the "threshold" into the future.

I did not like this book. The rape scene was like a punch to the gut. There was probably no version of a novel where the nine year old protagonist is drowned within an inch of his life and then brutally and graphically raped with a blunt object while a crowd of bullies cheer that I was going to like or even not be horrified and disgusted by, but one that then uses that trauma to compel to have visions and travel to the future? He blames himself for this happening, tells no one and the vision of his dead father calls him brave? And then he crosses a threshold and time travels to the future? ARE YOU KIDDING.

I would not recommend this book to anyone. There is a way to handle sexual assault as a writer and this isn't it. There is a way to handle magical realism (if that's what the visions were...maybe they were schizophrenia?), but this isn't it. I won't be reading the sequels and I will be trying to forget I ever read this volume.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of a series of three I believe . It is the story of a boy growing up who must face his fear of swimming and water, but in the meantime other obstacles come into the picture as he is sent away to a summer camp. I truly enjoyed the characters in this story and could identify with the main character as I too, am not a swimmer. I recommend this book, its a pretty fast read and I want to read the sequels. I won this book from Goodreads in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Deborah Ruf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after I saw a post on Instagram from a book club whose members were hosting Mark and raving about his book. I wanted a good page-turner and took a chance. I knew nothing ahead of time. It is indeed a page-turner and it is filled with delightful real-to-life interactions and dialogue from activities and events that are common to many of us - family vacations, swimming pools, summer camp. I have three sons and two brothers and yet this was the closest I feel I ever got to what it's like to be a 10-year-old boy. The boys in my family were small and sensitive - like the hero of this book - and I know they experienced much that I never did. There were many not-so-delightful interactions and dialogues depicted in the book, too. I never once stumbled over the writing: it is clear, perfectly executed, and creates great imagery, memories, and an ability to "see" everything the main character, Ricky, is seeing, hearing and experiencing. My point is, this book will resonate with young and old, men and women, and I highly recommend it and can't wait to read the next one in the series.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to preface this review by saying that I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for writing a review of the book once finished.

I started this book with no expectations of it being good or bad. It was an easy read that honestly kept my attention more than I thought it would. Despite that, I felt like I didn’t know where the author was going at the end of the novel. The first 230 pages of the book were decent but after the somewhat graphic turn in the novel (I won’t spoil it), I couldn’t tell where the author was taking the main character. It became a strange and somewhat outlandish ending. It obviously is going to be followed by a sequel, so I am curious as to how the next book in this series will answer some of the many questions I have.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gut-wrenching book for me. Everything, from his near drowning at the beginning of the book to the loss of his father at the age of eight to the horrendous experiences at a summer camp, make my heart break for the young boy, Ricky. Along with this, there are the mysterious visions he has that beckon him to a journey into the future. This book raises a lot of questions about isolation, loss and traumatization and leaves much unanswered. I suspect the subsequent books in this series will provide more insight. My curiosity has certainly been piqued.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.

[Ellen Wisniewski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this was two stories: one, a solid coming-of-age story of a young boy struggling to figure out who he is, and what kind of man he wants to be; the other, a mystical story about a boy, who is destined for something larger than himself, who doesn’t quite understand what he’s supposed to do. Problem is that neither story is developed enough to have a coherent narrative or message. Also... so many loose ends...
And, the rape-as-bullying was too much for me. Perhaps historically accurate for mid-1970s, the constant razzing among boys with homosexual slurs... just hit me wrong, and kind of turned me off.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Kindle Goodreads Giveaway win, Thank you Mark Ristau and publisher. I thought this was a well written story. Told by a young boy who lost his father, the prose flowed beautifully. The chapters were very long, luckily there were breaks within the chapters.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I've known Mark since high school and was a thrilled when he started writing. He's got a very evocative way of storytelling that I knew would translate well, and it comes out here. I'm glad I read it and look forward to the next one!

[Susan Koll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book? I couldn't put it down.

[Kathy Schulstad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish - coming of age, whinny boy

[Jennifer Shoop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met author, Mark Ristau, at the Twin Cities Book Festival last summer and purchased his first two books. I was compelled by the description on the back cover and the book did not disappoint. I love his style of writing and the read was easy; kept me turning pages. The setting and storyline seemed so familiar and real. I experienced each character's emotions deep in my soul, especially the protagonist and other underdogs - the emotional range covers the spectrum and pushes & pulls you back and forth. Empathically, all the adolescent experiences, thoughts, wishes, wonderings, and yearnings stirred awake and at times disturbed me, twisted my guts, generated deep sorrow and helplessness, and then would burst into shards of freedom and hope - like a gasp for breath.

While I am not sure "psychological thriller" is the most accurate description, I am looking forward to continuing this journey forward in Ricky's world and how this might develop more. I have already started Book 2, and true to form, the pages continue to turn easily.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ricky almost drowned at age four, but a mysterious visitor saved him. Later, his father suddenly died, devastating eight-year-old Ricky, his younger brother Danny and their mom. Mom decided to send the boys to summer camp for five weeks where Ricky experiences unimaginable trauma. While his ghostly visitor encouraged him that all would be well, he doesn't quite understand.
I really liked the first half of this book. The writing is engaging, and I connected with Ricky who faces social and personal challenges. I also liked the themes of friendship and the challenges around what we do when faced with peer pressure.
But the graphic sexually violent scene toward the end of the book really turned me off to this series. I get that such violence does happen in our world, but I do not want to read a step-by-step description and will not be reading more books by this author.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hero Dreams is the story of a young boy who experiences loss at a young age. Not knowing how to deal with it and no support from his surviving mother, Ricky struggles to make friends and move on as he grows up. This is a very sad story and difficult to read as Ricky experiences bullying and unspeakable abuse while away at a summer camp. The ending is a cliff hanger as we learn that there is another book to follow.

The writing is good but I had difficulty reading the story, it is not my usual choice but the description sounded interesting. I will read the second in the series since I am left with unanswered questions form the first.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

[Megan V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a quick, easy, and entertaining read. I really enjoyed it for the most part. I actually bought this book from the author at a book fair, and he was intrigued at what caught my attention. I wasn't sure myself, because I was just looking at the cover of the book and thought I need to know more. And I honestly couldn't put it down.

What I don't love about the book is the chaos in the last chapter, it was hard to follow and I'm confused. I did also buy the second book at the book fair, which I'm fully prepared to start immediately, but I don't like feeling so lost and confused.

Also - spoiler alert - didn't love the child sexual assault - I think I can guess where this might lead, but that was a lot and really unexpected.

Anyway, I am excited to start the next one!

[Jim Kosmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Beyond the Threshold" reveals the extreme pain and daunting struggles many young people face daily as they battle the invisible pain of adversity. Author Mark Ristau masterfully exposes the trauma, gnawing pain and invisible damage so many people encounter. A true challenge in writing such a story is to make it palatable to the reader. Ristau succeeds beyond expectation by using his words to masterfully paint beautiful scenes and intriguing, believable characters. "Beyond the Threshold" exposes the challenge of invisible wounds for all to see."

JIM KOSMO, Author & Speaker

[Tom Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author presents us with a young boys apprehension about attending Summer camp. With his concerns about his mothers drinking and his fathers recent death, his anxiety is more complex than a normal kids fears. Then his experience goes horribly wrong and it is only his paranormal experiences that seem to lead to a way out. May just have to read the second book to see how things turn out.

[Jay Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Strange Story

Many actions of pain follow a pattern of problems as the boy is a camp for the end of summer. Much of the problems keeps him as he tries to find himself. The characters are somewhat evil, and he is not good himself. I did not the story and it’s end.

[Bruce Houck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great development of characters

[Mike Merriman · Rating 1 out of 5]

When is a book not a book? When it’s just a tease for the second part of the story. Not a sequel but actually finishing the plot. I want those hours back I wasted.

[Brenda L Loyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good reading. Interesting characters. Totally got how these things happen. Looking forward to the next one.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an arc. It is a mindful journey, one that makes you contemplate a ton of things! The author discusses hope, and faith, and takes you along for a curious story where anything could happen. Grab a suitcase!

[Meadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first part in Ricky's story. The reason I gave this book 3 stars is because the novel feels a bit disjointed and unfinished. I would've liked to see Ricky's relationship with Willy, Sam, his brother and Miles fleshed out more. Ricky starts to maybe become friends with Miles, but it doesn't happen. His brother also disappears after a bit when they reach the summer camp. I understand there are more important things going on, but in reality most people just don't forget about their siblings like that.

I was also a bit put off by the visions and how they interact with a certain event that happens near the end of the novel. There is a graphic sexual assault scene, which I had no clue about, and like I said it just wasn't handled well. I won't spoil it and the ending either, but just be aware of that before entering this book.

Overall, the concept is great. The writing is also good for the most part. Certain kinks just need to be worked out. I can't wait to see how the next books further Ricky's story.

[Rachel Shaw · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers:

I was bored until something somewhat heartwarming happened at 50% so I pushed through. Got bored again, then at 80% got shocked with the most horrifying rape scene of my life, It ends unsatisfactoraily by announcing it’s the first of a series.

[Francisco Paiva Junior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me prendeu no final

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.