Heroes is a tale of bravery, revenge, murder, and love, for young adult readers. The story centers on Francis Cassavant, a World War II hero. Francis is horribly disfigured in the war by a grenade and returns home without most of his face. He wanders the streets of his hometown, unrecognizable, and ruminating over his planned revenge against Larry LaSalle. Francis and Larry were once friends and were both decorated for their service in the war. As a result of his injuries, Francis has a newfound feeling of fatalism and devises a plan to murder Larry for a crime he committed against Francis's high school sweetheart, Nicole.
