Death of a Superhero

Inspired by real events, Death of a Superhero is a brilliantly original fusion of novel, comic book, and film script; a celebration of the transience of life and the eternal difficulty of love, and a hilarious riff on our 21st-century infatuation with movies and the superhero solution. Donald Delpe is a troubled teenager. Not only is he a "terrible teen" by default, as obsessed with sex, music, videogames, and drugs as the rest of his gang, but he is also suffering from a life-threatening form of leukemia, which makes him an even more difficult boy, both for his parents and his teachers. Escaping into his own comic-book realm of immortal superheroes, ruthless villains, and sex-crazed vamps, he repeatedly dashes his family's hopes by refusing to fight the battles facing him in the real world. As famous psychologist Dr. King is brought in to help, a glimmer of hope is rekindled. But will the doctor break the rules, betray the parents' trust, and risk everything to help Donald achieve his greatest wish? Or will Donald be the one to save the doctor? Shortlisted for the prestigious German Youth Book Award.