What do you think?
Rate this book
Hero Up
This isn't an escape from reality. This is an escape to reality.
Danielle is one of the newest players inside the virtual reality game, Hero Up. Finally, she can explore the world her father helped create and can be who she dreams of being, but her insecurities follow her in no matter how much she imagines herself as a high-level hero.
Jordan, Dani’s brother, used to intern under their father at Hero Up’s headquarters, but after their father died at the HQ, Jordan became protective of his little sister. He fears Hero Up isn’t as safe as everyone thinks, but despite his protests, Dani joins the game.
Alex just wants to have fun and be himself. Inside Hero Up, he finally doesn’t have to worry about judgements. No one can tell he’s different, and wit and charm can go far. It’ll be a summer to remember.
Fae. Her name is known across the nation. The first girl to make it to level 60, not to mention her dramatic persona that drew the attention of everyone wanting to play Hero Up. Now she works under the creator, Link, doing his bidding inside the game. Sometimes she wants to do her own thing, but with him threatening to expose her secret past, she’s trapped to do his will.
Inside Hero Up, an unforeseen virus is unleashed, endangering every player—they are now trapped inside the game. Looking for a hidden exit built by their own father, Dani and Jordan join Alex and Fae in an unlikely team to save everyone. But navigating Hero Up proves to be difficult. Not only are the game’s beasts programmed to kill the heroes, but tensions are rising throughout the team, and it seems as if someone is trying to deter their quest…
Danielle is one of the newest players inside the virtual reality game, Hero Up. Finally, she can explore the world her father helped create and can be who she dreams of being, but her insecurities follow her in no matter how much she imagines herself as a high-level hero.
Jordan, Dani’s brother, used to intern under their father at Hero Up’s headquarters, but after their father died at the HQ, Jordan became protective of his little sister. He fears Hero Up isn’t as safe as everyone thinks, but despite his protests, Dani joins the game.
Alex just wants to have fun and be himself. Inside Hero Up, he finally doesn’t have to worry about judgements. No one can tell he’s different, and wit and charm can go far. It’ll be a summer to remember.
Fae. Her name is known across the nation. The first girl to make it to level 60, not to mention her dramatic persona that drew the attention of everyone wanting to play Hero Up. Now she works under the creator, Link, doing his bidding inside the game. Sometimes she wants to do her own thing, but with him threatening to expose her secret past, she’s trapped to do his will.
Inside Hero Up, an unforeseen virus is unleashed, endangering every player—they are now trapped inside the game. Looking for a hidden exit built by their own father, Dani and Jordan join Alex and Fae in an unlikely team to save everyone. But navigating Hero Up proves to be difficult. Not only are the game’s beasts programmed to kill the heroes, but tensions are rising throughout the team, and it seems as if someone is trying to deter their quest…
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2020
4 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Joy Chappell
2 books13 followersJoy Chappell has been writing ever since she could pen a sentence together. She has finished two YA novels and two children’s books over the last few years and has enjoyed every part of the process. When she has time, she loves playing videos games with her three brothers which has been a big inspiration for Hero Up. She is currently a college student in Virginia majoring in strategic communications with a minor in creative writing. Visit her on Instagram @ joyrchappell, Facebook @ joyrchappell, and on her website @ joychappell.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 4, 2021
3🌟
Hero Up is charming, has a great concept, and the story kept my attention throughout - most of the trials were good, just short. I would’ve liked to have seen more in-depth and less “easily” completed.
That being said, however, in my opinion, it felt like this novel was on the younger side of the YA catagory (which isn’t necessarily bad - I was just expecting more mid-range YA themes and problems). Also, the world-building, while there, was minimal, and I didn’t connect to any character outside of Fae - though I did understand Jordan and some of his motivations. But that’s just me personally.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Middle Grade books and comfy YA’s as this has that easy-reading, light factor I think most would enjoy.
Hero Up is charming, has a great concept, and the story kept my attention throughout - most of the trials were good, just short. I would’ve liked to have seen more in-depth and less “easily” completed.
That being said, however, in my opinion, it felt like this novel was on the younger side of the YA catagory (which isn’t necessarily bad - I was just expecting more mid-range YA themes and problems). Also, the world-building, while there, was minimal, and I didn’t connect to any character outside of Fae - though I did understand Jordan and some of his motivations. But that’s just me personally.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Middle Grade books and comfy YA’s as this has that easy-reading, light factor I think most would enjoy.
July 25, 2020
A thrilling and unique YA book!
I’ve been following Joy on Instagram for some time now, and when she announced she was releasing a YA book about video games, I flipped out! I am a gamer nerd all around, and this book certainly made me feel like I was transported to a virtual world. The plot was unexpected but brilliant, and the characters felt so real. I felt like I was a part of their group, following them along and tuning into their banter. This is a great book by a sweet author, and I recommend it to anyone who loves adventure, strong friendships, and video games!
I’ve been following Joy on Instagram for some time now, and when she announced she was releasing a YA book about video games, I flipped out! I am a gamer nerd all around, and this book certainly made me feel like I was transported to a virtual world. The plot was unexpected but brilliant, and the characters felt so real. I felt like I was a part of their group, following them along and tuning into their banter. This is a great book by a sweet author, and I recommend it to anyone who loves adventure, strong friendships, and video games!
July 27, 2021
Hero Up follows the adventures of four gamers: Dani, Jordan, Alex, and Fae as they battle their way through a futuristic VR game that's been hacked by a programmer bent on revenge. Together, they must learn to have a little faith . . . if they want to survive!
Overall, I found Hero Up to be a fun read! The plot was engaging (I finished it in a day) and even as a non-gamer, I never felt out of the loop. I would definitely recommend it to middle-grade and YA readers who are looking for a tale full of adventure in a fun new world.
The world-building could have been a little more descriptive. Some of it was vivid (like the playing cards growing on trees) but other scenes passed by in such a blur, I never really had a clear sense of the setting. Whenever obstacles occurred, the solutions tended to come a little too quickly/easily. More than once, a massive problem would be presented only for "Deus es Machina" to save the day in the next sentence. Additionally, it would have been nice to see a little bit more growth from the characters as individuals. I had a relatively clear idea of who they were, but only within the dynamic of their group. (That being said, Fae felt more real than the other three, and I loved her story arc!)
Ultimately, the only reason I gave Hero Up three stars instead of four was because of grammatical/syntactical errors and typos. The writing style vastly improved over the course of the novel, but toward the beginning there were some issues with comma usage in participle phrases, coordinating conjunctions, and appositives. (And as for typos, I know how impossibly difficult it can be to catch them all before releasing. Even blockbuster books have typos.)
But I'm 100% confident that as Joy Chappell continues to write, her books will only get better and better. She has a vivid imagination and a clear knack for engaging storytelling, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
Overall, I found Hero Up to be a fun read! The plot was engaging (I finished it in a day) and even as a non-gamer, I never felt out of the loop. I would definitely recommend it to middle-grade and YA readers who are looking for a tale full of adventure in a fun new world.
The world-building could have been a little more descriptive. Some of it was vivid (like the playing cards growing on trees) but other scenes passed by in such a blur, I never really had a clear sense of the setting. Whenever obstacles occurred, the solutions tended to come a little too quickly/easily. More than once, a massive problem would be presented only for "Deus es Machina" to save the day in the next sentence. Additionally, it would have been nice to see a little bit more growth from the characters as individuals. I had a relatively clear idea of who they were, but only within the dynamic of their group. (That being said, Fae felt more real than the other three, and I loved her story arc!)
Ultimately, the only reason I gave Hero Up three stars instead of four was because of grammatical/syntactical errors and typos. The writing style vastly improved over the course of the novel, but toward the beginning there were some issues with comma usage in participle phrases, coordinating conjunctions, and appositives. (And as for typos, I know how impossibly difficult it can be to catch them all before releasing. Even blockbuster books have typos.)
But I'm 100% confident that as Joy Chappell continues to write, her books will only get better and better. She has a vivid imagination and a clear knack for engaging storytelling, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
July 3, 2022
A fun LitRPG novel with nonstop action! Fae was my favorite character and she was by far the most interesting and compelling. However I would have liked more concrete world building and some more character backstory. I‘ve really only ever played the Fallout games and Skyrim, but it was super easy to fill in details from Skyrim especially which made it easier to fill in the worldbuilding gaps. Another great thing about this book was the dialogue! Both witty, fun, it also helped propel the plot in meaningful ways.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews