Saving Charlie

Saving Charlie

Saving Charlie is a book about the relationship between Hiro Nakamura and Charlie Andrews. It is written by Aury Wallington, with story by Jeph Loeb, based on the series Heroes created by Tim Kring. For a summary of the book, see here.

About

Published by Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, Saving Charlie tells the tale briefly seen in Six Months Ago about the characters Hiro Nakamura and Charlie Andrews, and how their relationship was created and evolved. It is 256 pages long, and was released on December 26, 2007, with a cover price of $23.95. The novel was written with the full cooperation and consultation of the show's creators.

Plot

After watching the gruesome murder of Charlie Andrews in the Burnt Toast Cafe, Hiro Nakamura tells his friend, Ando Masahashi, that he will travel back in time to the day before, and warn Charlie of the man who killed her. However, he accidentally time travels six months into the past to Charlie's birthday party. Hiro must now convince Charlie of his amazing ability, and alter history to prevent her death.

For a chapter-by-chapter summary of the book, see here.

Characters

Crossover Characters

The following characters are featured in Saving Charlie and elsewhere in the Heroes universe.

• Charlie Andrews has an enhanced memory and is a waitress at the Burnt Toast Diner. She plans to one day travel around the world.

• Lloyd Collins is a cop who regularly comes to the Burnt Toast Diner. He and Charlie have dated in the past and he shows feelings for her and bullies Hiro.

• Sheriff Davidson is a cop and friend of Lloyd's and comes to the diner often.

• Takezo Kensei is Hiro's hero from the seventeenth century warriors who follow the Bushido code.

• Lynette is the manager of the Burnt Toast Diner.

• Ando Masahashi is Hiro's best friend who works with him at Yamagato Industries.

• Isaac Mendez is the painter whom Hiro saw three inches of his head cut off in the future (like Charlie) by the Brain Man.

• Hiro Nakamura has the ability to stop time and travel through time and space. He has yet to gain control of the latter aspect of his ability. He gets sidetracked from his mission to save the world and goes back in time six months to save Charlie.

• Ishi Nakamura is Hiro's mom, who appears in flashbacks.

• Kaito Nakamura is Hiro's dad, the focus of many flashbacks. He and Hiro are very different and usually avoid each other, but Hiro finds they have more in common than he thinks.

• Kimiko Nakamura is Hiro's sister who also appears in flashbacks.

• Newsie asks Hiro for money for a 9th Wonders! comic book in an alternate future.

• Niki Sanders is the online stripper whom Ando pays to take off her clothes. He believes that they are in love.

• Sylar is a serial killer who takes people's abilities by telekinetically cutting their heads open. He is referred to throughout the novel as "Brain Man".

• James Walker is the person whose body Hiro saw after he teleported into L.A. Seeing James made Hiro realize what his destiny was all about and that he shouldn't get screwed up in a relationship.

• Molly Walker is one of the little girls who was making fun of Hiro at the zoo.

• Whitebeard is Kensei's rival and enemy.

Characters Exclusive to Saving Charlie

The following characters are featured exclusively in Saving Charlie.

• Miyoki Akayawa, a gymnast that Hiro once asked out.

• Reiko Asakawa, Hiro's guidance counselor in high school.

• Matsu Bekku, the captain of the Physics Olympics team at Hiro's high school.

• Bob, the cook at the Burnt Toast Diner.

• Calculus tutor, a woman on whom Hiro has a crush.

• Daniel, the former bus boy at the Burnt Toast Diner, replaced by Hiro.

• Debra, Charlie's best friend in high school.

• Dwayne, one of Lloyd's friends.

• Merle Eckles, a worker at the Burnt Toast Diner when it just opened, and the murderer of Barbie Travis.

• Aunt Erika, Charlie's aunt who took Charlie as her own child when Charlie's parents died.

• Herbie, a retired oilman who is a regular fixture at the Burnt Toast Diner.

• Hiro's grandmother, who spoils Hiro with gifts.

• Kozumi, a young man that Hiro felt his boyhood crush was in love with.

• Senor Manfredi, one of Kaito's friends who invited Hiro and Kaito to the Running of the Bulls.

• Tami Oyoki, Kimiko's best friend on whom Hiro had a crush until he found out she liked another guy.

• PJ, an employee at a comic book store at the mall.

• Robogirl, the superpowered robot from the manga Robogirl whom Hiro compares Charlie to a lot.

• Mr. Roiz, the landlord of Hiro's apartment in Texas.

• Mrs. Roiz, the landlady of Hiro's apartment in Texas.

• Yuki Shirakawa, Hiro's karate partner that he had liked.

• Barbie Travis, the girl who, right after the Burnt Toast Diner opened, was beheaded by Merle Eckels.

• Willie, one of Lloyd's friends.

Locations

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

• El Paso, TX
• Kyoto, Japan
• Las Cruces, NM
• Midland, TX
• Odessa, TX
• Tokyo, Japan

Places

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

• Burnt Toast Diner
• I-20 East from El Paso
• Midland Motor Lodge
• Music City Mall
• Hiro's high school
• Yamagato Industries

Differences from the Episodes

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Genesis

• When Hiro stops time on the Tokyo subway, the book says that he is watching a monitor with an advertisement for New York City, but the episode shows him gazing listlessly at nothing. (Chapter 3)
• When Hiro and Ando go into the karaoke bar, the book portrays that Charlie is singing, but the episode shows two guys singing (in English).

Homecoming

• When Hiro arrives at Charlie's birthday party, the book says that Lynette calls Charlie over to blow out the candles, but the episode depicts Sheriff Davidson beckoning her. (Chapter 6)

Six Months Ago

• When Hiro comes back to the diner for the last time, the book says that Ando is outside leaning on the window, but the episode shows Hiro coming in the diner and then Ando seeing him (Ando being inside the diner).

Once Upon a Time in Texas

• When Hiro and Charlie plan to go on her trip around the world, they say that they want to go to Otsu, Japan for the first stop, however in the book they all ready had gone there and started the trip.

Trivia

• At the 2007 San Diego International Comic-Con, representatives from Del Rey asked fans to help make 1,000 origami cranes at their booth by the end of the show. The goal was surpassed.
• This book has scenes from the Heroes episodes: Genesis, Don't Look Back, Better Halves, Seven Minutes to Midnight, Homecoming, and Six Months Ago.
• In Tabula Rasa, Hiro makes a note to "Save Charlie." This could be a reference to this book.
• Once Upon a Time in Texas revolves around Hiro and Charlie. There are several references to the book, including: when Hiro is talking about the "normal" story to Petey, he says "Life is not a fairy tale," referring to his father's plaque mentioned in the book; Hiro and Charlie plan to go to Otsu, Japan on their first trip around the world, like in the book.
• In chapter 9 of the book, there is a typo. It says "the glowing red numbers on the beside clock-radio". It should say "the glowing red numbers on the bedside clock-radio".

External Links

• Press release from NBC
• Order Saving Charlie on Amazon
• Saving Charlie page at NBC.com
• NBC chapter previews: 2 · 8 · 9 · 16