A Hero Awakens

Pillow-Man, Book 1

By: Blake Hoena, Nate Burns

Narrated by: Jared Ditman

Discover a new kind of superhero in Pillow-Man!

Secret identity: Sam DeVenoe, star shortstop for the Emerson Eagles. One night while Sam is biking home after a game, he has a mysterious encounter and is granted an unusual, slightly odd, maybe even a little bizarre “super” power. As Sam tries to discover the limits of his strange new ability, his best friend Gavin is determined to transform him into crimefighter. But donning a mask and patrolling the street on their bikes leads to unexpected trouble. A fire breaks and Sam’s superpower is put to the test when spots someone in danger.

A Hero Awakens is a superhero origin story with a unique take on what it means to be "super." Tag along with Pillow-Man on a quirky adventure about friendship, baseball, and the ups and downs being a hero.

©2024 Flat Sole Studio (P)2025 Flat Sole Studio

A Quick, Hilarious Listen

A Hero Awakens is is a hilarious superhero story by Nate Burns and Blake Hoena. It had me laughing out loud from start to finish.

The story follows Sam, an ordinary middle schooler, who is given a wish to chose a superpower. That wish doesn't go quite as planned, and the authors use this wacky premise to create all kinds of comical situations for Sam as he tries to keep his new power under wraps while dealing with the school bully, baseball practice, and middle school life.

Any kid who loves superheroes and goofiness will get a kick out of this book!

A Fun Superhero Story About Friendship

As a mother of two, I found "Pillow-Man" to be a delightful and engaging listen that I would happily recommend. The story strikes a nice balance between humor, with the main character Sam having a rather unusual superpower, and more serious themes like bullying, friendship, and self-discovery.

I appreciated how Sam grappled with whether to tell his best friend Maddy about his new powers, exploring the complexities of trust and secret-keeping that many tweens face. The dynamic between Sam and his enthusiastic sidekick Gavin provides some laughs while also touching on the importance of supportive friendships.

With its cliffhanger ending, "Pillow-Man" left me excited to see how Sam's story continues. This fun, imaginative novel is sure to appeal to superhero fans.

A Funny, Exciting, Superhero Story! Beautifully Energetic Narration.

A home-run mix of action, heart, and heroic imagination! Perfect for young listeners who love superheroes, sports, and quick-paced, fun stories.

A wonderful audiobook! The narration did wonders for bringing this story to life. Jared Ditman captured a wide range of character voices that I easily forgot it was all one person. The energetic reading really made it feel exciting. My one criticism…. there’s not more, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I loved the silly pillow powers, the mysterious setups, and the characters. From Sam, a stressed out baseball-loving kid, to his friend Gavin who’s deviously intelligent and obsessed with superheroes, Maddie, his baseball pal, and Brock, the snotty bully! It was a really fun listen and I couldn’t recommend it more.

A Short, Quirky Superhero Tale

This was a super-fun tale, and Jared Ditman, the narration put in a super-performance bringing the story of Sam, his friends, and his super-ish (and strange) new ability to life.

If you just want something short, without hours of commitment, I'd recommend A Hero Awakens. It'll should even provide a few laughs.

A quirky superhero tale

Entertaining from start to finish, thanks to the talent of the narrator Jared Ditman. He really brought this odd superhero story with an even odder superpower to life.