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Why Teach Valedictorian
Classroom & Library
Media & Press
Reviews & Praise
FAQ
Contact

"Original, exceptional, and a simply riveting read from start to finish..."

Midwest Book Review

Valedictorian: An Origin Story by Thomas Murlin, a YA novel for teens, educators, and classrooms.

THE FORMULA IS ALWAYS THE SAME . . .

Tragic Backstory
Accidental Power
Symbolic Costume
Moral Test
Transformation

. . . THE OUTCOME IS NOT.

High schooler Jack Shaw never asked for greatness.

He never asked for his uncle’s comic book collection.

He never asked for the stories—or their rules—to bleed into his life and test him in ways he never imagined.

No—he never asked for any of it.

But now—it’s asking everything of him.

HIGH CONCEPT PREMISE. LITERARY EXECUTION. CLASSROOM READY.

Part psychological mystery, part coming-of-age novel, Valedictorian: An Origin Story follows Jack Shaw, the seemingly perfect student with an extraordinary secret, as his carefully constructed world begins to unravel.

What begins as a superhero origin story becomes a journey through friendship, first love, family, grief, fractured memories, and the question at the heart of every origin story:

Who gets to decide who you become?

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY

"A Truly Shocking Ending." "Inventive origin story takes troubled teen on a wild ride.”

BookLife Review

Thomas Murlin, YA author of Valedictorian: An Origin Story, professional author portrait.

English Teacher. Writer. Filmmaker.

I’m a high school English teacher with 18 years of classroom experience, helping students discover the power of their own voices through literature and storytelling. I graduated from Syracuse University’s Film Program, where I developed my passion for narrative, character, and visual storytelling.

If teaching has taught me anything, it’s that students are often the most honest storytellers in the room. Valedictorian: An Origin Story was born from that belief.

I hope you enjoy it.

Valedictorian puts the human back in superhuman

Comic book collage featuring themes from Thomas Murlin’s YA novel Valedictorian: An Origin Story.

“Especially and unreservedly recommended…for middle school, high school, and community library YA Fiction collections for ages 14–18.”

Midwest Book Review

A Modern Companion to William Golding's Lord of the Flies

Valedictorian: An Origin Story intentionally engages with Golding's classic, exploring identity, fear, power, and the nature of good and evil—offering readers a fresh lens through which to examine a literary staple—while asking how our choices, rather than our circumstances, define who we become.

A modern companion to Lord of the Flies, Valedictorian: An Origin Story explores the same timeless questions.

“An extraordinarily entertaining read… with an identifiable resonance for adolescent readers.”

Midwest Book Review

Read it. Discuss it. Question it.

High school students reading Valedictorian: An Origin Story in the classroom.

Students in the Syracuse City School District's Building Men Program reading Valedictorian: An Origin Story.

Author Thomas Murlin discussing Valedictorian: An Origin Story, its themes and life lessons.

Engaging students through author visits focused on storytelling, resilience, and the real-life inspiration behind Valedictorian: An Origin Story.

In the News

Cazenovia English teacher publishes first novel, tops Amazon new release chart

READ THE ARTICLE

BOOK SIGNINGS

June 27, 2026, Ink & Paper Bookstore, Cazenovia, NY, 12–2 PM

July 11, 2026, By Kelly, Cazenovia, NY, 12-2 PM

August 4, 2026, Syracuse City School District's Building Men Program, 12-1 PM

August 29, 2026, Purpose Coffee, Cazenovia, NY, 10 AM-12 PM

September 26, 2026, Catherine Cummings Theatre, Cazenovia, NY, time TBA

News & Insights

VALEDICTORIAN: AN ORIGIN STORY MOVIE TRAILERS

BUILT ON HEROES PAST.

UNBOUND BY THEIR RULES.

BEFORE THE POWERS . . .

THERE'S THE STORY.

NOW IN PRODUCTION!

The story is about to come to life in a whole new way. The audiobook edition of Valedictorian: An Origin Story is officially in production. More details—including the narrator and release date—will be announced soon.

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Thomas Murlin | Author of Valedictorian