Theo is a novel about bravery, about heroism, and about survival. From the outset of the novel, Theo is plagued and obsessed by the concept of the hero and what it means to be one. He wants to find a definition for the hero so that he can apply it to himself. His dream is to become a hero like his older brother and the heroes of history and antiquity whose heroic deeds he acts out in the form of puppet theatre.

Theo is determined to become brave in his brother's eyes. The young boy keeps asking questions about heroism and wants to find out everything possible about this word and its connotations. When his brother is killed, he asks himself if this is what death means, if this is a herd's fate, if all heroes must die in order for them to be...