I can understand people not liking that Clark was reluctant, the issue I have is that I've seen people grossly exaggerate that part of his character when talking about the book's negatives painting him as a whiny teen who didn't care, which in my eyes doesn't ring true whatsoever as all I saw was a young man moving away from a huge part of his life trying to figure it his place in the world and make sense of everything and how to use his special gifts, not to mention trying to find a way to help support his mother after his father died.
Also he clearly cared especially in the aftermath when he was disgusted at the Tony Stark wannabe's lack of empathy for the lives lost or ruined during the invasion.
I don't want to come across as making a mean assumption but I feel anyone who over-exaggerated that part was because of how the character usually acts in the main canon and most mediums.