• Notable Children's Book - ALA, 2005
• Best Book for Young Adults - ALA, 2005
• Governor General's Literary Award finalist - Canada Council for the Arts, 2004
• Editor's Choice - Kirkus Reviews, 2004
• United Methodist Women's Reading Program 2008

"This splendid comedy-drama about a 13-year-old boy who finds himself on the streets when his incapable mother abandons reality, will appeal to both reluctant and serious readers. … Leavitt's superb writing displays her own soaring imagination, with original, apt, quirky metaphors that keep her narrative zooming along. The lightness of her language yet carries a moving story of a spunky kid who learns he has to live in the real world."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"In an excruciating balancing act, Leavitt looks deep inside the mind of a homeless boy determined to save his mother and himself through his good deeds, and she manages to get readers breathing again by making them laugh. Hauntingly original."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"Heck, desperate and homeless, emerges as a true hero, a complex boy armed with optimism, wit, heart, and commitment."
     —Horn Book

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"This splendid comedy-drama about a 13-year-old boy who finds himself on the streets when his incapable mother abandons reality, will appeal to both reluctant and serious readers. … Leavitt's superb writing displays her own soaring imagination, with original, apt, quirky metaphors that keep her narrative zooming along. The lightness of her language yet carries a moving story of a spunky kid who learns he has to live in the real world."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"In an excruciating balancing act, Leavitt looks deep inside the mind of a homeless boy determined to save his mother and himself through his good deeds, and she manages to get readers breathing again by making them laugh. Hauntingly original."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"Heck, desperate and homeless, emerges as a true hero, a complex boy armed with optimism, wit, heart, and commitment."
     —Horn Book

"Strong supporting characters … add depth to this engrossing, evocative novel that spans and intimately details Heck's struggle to survive on the streets in a world that isn't as clearly defined as that of his beloved superheroes. … Heck is a well-drawn, sympathetic protagonist who learns that compassion is a superpower, and that asking for help can be the most heroic act of all."
     —Booklist

"Credible characters are placed in recognizable situations to create a poignant, fast-paced, and believable look at homelessness, mental illness, and the way one boy copes with their impact."
     —School Library Journal

"This slim book is a fast read that will appeal to teens who enjoyed Terry Trueman's Inside Out and Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time. Heck's unique way of looking at the world, his obvious affection for his mother, and his innate goodness make him an appealing protagonist. Readers familiar with comic book clichés will find more meaning and humor in Heck's search, but non-comic fans also will enjoy Heck's adventure. A happy but realistic ending makes his story a nice contrast to many bleak teen novels."
     —Voice of Youth Advocate

"Leavitt paints with painful clarity the dilemma of a boy trying not to slide into oblivion while trying to do the best he can for the parent he adores. The narrative is quietly eloquent about the sudden evaporation of structure in Heck's life and his brave but doomed attempts to muster sufficient power to restore it. There's also richness in the cast of characters he caroms off of, ranging from concerned authorities to suspicious adults to kids even more troubled than he, as he wanders the streets in search of his mother; his own character is defined not only by his determination and creative fantasy but also the loyal affection he's earned from those who know him, such as his best friend, Spence, and his supportive art teacher. Imaginative yet sympathetic, this is a telling portrait of a kid whom readers will be glad to see find his way back into the mainstream."
     —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Leavitt has created a masterpiece of voice … This book has the power to change you!"
     —Michigan Reading Journal

"Heck Superhero is filled with imagination and will keep you in suspense.... You won't want to put this book down. "
     —Library Media Connection

"A brilliantly conceived, beautifully written novel that plunges readers into the depths of a deeply troubled world. Leavitt powerfully blends hyper-realism and fantasy in a seamless mix that makes this book a standout … a stunning achievement."
     —Quills & Quire

"I just finished Heck Superhero and think it's one of the best books I've read! With Heck, Leavitt created an unforgettable character! She not only kept me turning the pages, but I could picture everything so clearly … Leavitt handled a difficult topic exceptionally well."
     —ALAN Review

"[O]ffers taut, intelligent prose and the satisfaction of emotional depth .... [A] complex consideration of art, intellect and imagination ... [a] rewarding, witty story."
     —Toronto Star

"Leavitt manages to convey with sensitivity and literary grace her young protagonist's understanding of his mother's psychological frailty, his painful awareness that she could lose her sanity altogether … ...[S]uperb writing."
     —Books in Canada

"Martine Leavitt has created one heck of a superhero—and the best thing about him is he's a typical 13-year-old boy struggling with day-to-day life."
     —High River Times

"Heck Superhero may seem lost, but there's no city big enough to bamboozle a boy with this much heart. He's the kind of bright-sized kid who could get a one-way street to look longingly back over its shoulder. The kind of kid to breathe life back into a dead end or give a blind alley eyes."
     —Tim Wynne-Jones

"Meeting Heck is like getting a present. You'd have to be a turnip not to love him. Heck's story is funny and piercing; his voice shimmers. Martine Leavitt is a wonderful writer with a great big heart."
     —Carolyn Coman

"This is a superb book, a story about the dangers and the pleasures of the imagination in which the author's own enviable imagination and visionary humor is everywhere evident—most of all, in Leavitt's commitment to these creative and desperate characters, who fight eccentric battles that we all pray they will win."
     —M.T. Anderson

"Despite all of that boundless affection that I feel for really great new books, it is exceedingly rare for me to be wishing for another couple of hundred pages. This is one of those uncommon instances. Having charged at breakneck speed through the first half of this book's 144 pages, I was already mourning how little remained with a measure of despair comparable to that with which I greet the longest day of the year—knowing that it's all downhill from there. … But I can also understand Martine Leavitt's need to let go after these 144 power-packed pages. I can't remember a previous instance where I found myself musing about a young character's mind moving at a velocity reminiscent of Neil Cassidy's mouth.....As the cover illustration says, "KA-POW!" … Stop listening to what I'm saying, drop everything, and go read this book."
     —Richie Partington