The Trouble with Heroes is a book that sticks with you. In it, Kate Messner deftly navigates topics ranging from loss, growing independence, friendship, PTSD, child and adult mental health, and the healing power of nature.

The book is written in multi-modal format, including verse, text messages, letters and photographs.

At the center of the story is Finn, a boy whose life went off course when his dad died. Now, Finn’s stuck living up to his father’s hero status and he’s failing miserably. Finn, has in many ways, given up. But people haven’t given up on him. As Finn hikes the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, he discovers how to become a hero in his own life.

Messner expertly realizes Finn’s character. She knows his flaws, his dreams and his heartaches. She knows him. And because of this, Finn feels profoundly real. He resonates. The way Messner approaches PTSD and its treatments shows a great deal of research and understanding. It’s accessible in a way that kids will get, and that’s important (I know this from personal experience).

The Trouble with Heroes is an excellent read that I can’t recommend enough.

✨Book Review✨
🏔️🐶The Trouble with Heroes 🐶🏔️

Synopsis:
One summer.
46 mountain peaks.
A second chance to make things right.

Finn was caught on camera vandalizing a cemetery, he's in big trouble for knocking down some dead old lady's headstone. Turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer: she'll drop all the charges if he agrees to climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer. And there's just one more thing--he has to bring along the dead woman's dog.

My thoughts:
💭 This is a story about hope after tragedy. It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming mixed with the healing powers of the outdoors. It is a powerful one for sure!
💭I loved the novel-in-verse general format with other forms sprinkled in throughout. (There were lots of different forms of poetry, text messages, letters, “Choose Your Own Disaster” segments, articles, and recipes. I especially enjoyed the cookie recipes! 🍪)
💭 I love how Finn was encouraged and supported throughout, but he was never given the option to use his grief as an excuse to give up.
💭 Most of the pictures weren’t included in this eARC, but they were not essential to understanding the story. I can’t wait to see the final version!!!
💭 I think this novel-in-verse might be in the running for a 2026 Newbery!

Teaching Ideas 💡
💡The Trouble with Heroes would be a good book to used to teach the different types of poetry and poetic devices (personification, metaphor, alliteration, etc.)
💡The Novel-in-Verse format is great for reluctant readers.
💡Great for a book club or literature circle! I am sure this book will prompt lots of great discussion!

⚠️Trigger Warnings: alcoholism, vandalism, grief, parental death, anxiety, 9/11, death

📢This one just released yesterday, April 29, 2025!

🥰Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books @bloomsburychildrens and @NetGalley for this gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There are books that make you sit quietly when you’re finished and think about what you just read…this is one of those books! I couldn’t write about it for several hours after I finished it because I was so emotional. I experienced so many emotions reading this book…it was humorous, heartbreaking, informative, and educational. This book is going to be checked out of my classroom all the time, as soon as I can buy it!!! My middle school students LOVE novels written in verse and this book is one of the BEST that I have read this year!!! It’s AMAZING!!! Finn is such a relatable character for so many of my students who have dealt with tragedy in their life. He’s my hero!!! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I will be talking about it for days and days to everyone I know!!! They will all be eager to read it!!!

It's almost full circle-- last year I was at a school librarians conference where Kate was the keynote lunchtime closing speaker and she shared versions of the cover asking us what we thought. Now, I'll be going to the same conference (Messner will not be in attendance) having stayed up past my bedtime to finish the advanced copy on its release date because... 100/10. I had been reading plenty of YA duds of late so this middle grade was a balm. As was the perseverance of Finn hiking the High Peaks in working through the pain of his dad's death, p0st-9/11, in the heart of the pandemic, and having made a bad decision that led to his "assignment" as reparations to hike, mostly with a dog named Seymour, and with an adult mentor.

I couldn't imagine this book not being verse. The imagery of the hikes. The deep emotional feelings from his father. The goofiness of the drooling dog and the combat he did writing poetry with his teacher. The inclusion of the cookies. The brilliance of the story, character, writing is the FULL PACKAGE.

This is memorable in many ways and I am purchasing one copy specifically for someone I know, not well, but who I know will love it. Isn't that what good books do?

Kate Messner does it again. The Trouble with Heroes is a touching novel in verse that takes its protagonist, Finn, and the reader, on a summer-long through wild landscapes and a lot of grief in a quest for forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance.

Messner tackles some tough topics - including 9/11 and Covid - and sprinkles in some epic views, cookie recipes, and news reports along the way.

The poetry assignment is something many kids and teachers will recognize, and the poetry itself is very well done. A good fit for classroom bookshelves.

Note: It took me a bit to really click with this book - but I eventually realized that was an issue with the ARC digital formatting and not the story itself. I'm looking forward to reading it again when it comes out.

In a fit of anger and grief Finn kicks a headstone in a cemetery. The first headstone he kicks is small and low, so nothing happens. Finn kicks a second headstone and does serious damage. As “reparations” he is asked to climb the 46 Adirondack High Peaks. In honor of the woman whose headstone he destroyed. He has the summer to complete all 46. And needs to take her dog with him. Can Finn summit 46 peaks? Can he move past his grief? Will his discover strength he didn’t know he had?

I love that this book is a novel in verse. And that the poems are actually Finn’s English assignment. Kate Messner brilliantly weaves together details about 9/11 and the Covid Pandemic in a way that will expose young readers to both of these pivotal events in recent history.

I also appreciate that this book is about a teenage boy grappling with grief, anger, and emptiness. I think it’s more important than ever for adolescent boys to know it’s okay for them to feel a wide range of emotions and that healing is possible.

Finally, I love how everything came together at the end of this book! I look forward to adding this book to my classroom library.

Finn has been struggling with the loss of his father, a man celebrated as a hero for saving a woman during the 9/11 attacks. But the weight of that heroism took a heavy toll on his father — and on Finn’s family. Now, when Finn is assigned to write a series of poems about heroes, he finds himself completely drained by grief, unable to complete the project and at risk of repeating seventh grade.

In a moment of frustration, sadness, and anger, Finn kicks over a headstone in a cemetery. The grave belongs to a former mountain climber, and instead of demanding money for the damage, her family offers a unique form of restitution: Finn must climb all 46 High Peaks in her honor — accompanied only by her loyal dog. Twelve weeks. Forty-six mountains. Complete the climbs, and the charges will be dropped. Finish his missing schoolwork too? No big deal...right?

Told through a powerful combination of Finn’s poems and text messages between him and his mom, Kate Messner masterfully takes readers on a journey that is both physical and emotional. As Finn scales the mountains, he also confronts the personal grief and guilt weighing him down. Readers will feel every step, every stumble, and every hard-won triumph right alongside him.

Struggling with anger and grief after the death of his firefighter father during the Covid19 pandemic, Finn finds himself having to make reparations from a series of poor choices in an unusual way. He’s tasked with hiking all 46 peaks of the Adirondacks over his summer vacation—and needs to complete a poetry writing project on the theme of heroes to make up for missed English classes. Accompanied by Seymour, a large slobbery dog, and a rotating group of experienced hikers, aka trail nannies, Finn sets out to conquer the peaks. As he hikes and writes about his experiences, Finn confronts his complicated feelings about losing his father while learning about himself and about being a hero.

Written primarily in verse, Finn’s internal journey to healing is perfectly integrated with the physical challenges he faces as he hikes, at first resentfully, then with purpose. His growth is beautifully documented as he embarks on his quest to become a 46er and unravels his complicated feelings about his father. Use of text messages, newspaper clippings, letters, photographs, and cookie recipes along with the narrative add additional depth and layers to the story. With Finn’s story, Kate Messner has crafted a gripping and moving tale that will speak to middle grade readers who are interested in adventure stories and those interested in stories that tug at the heartstrings.

A MG novel that focused on personal growth, healing and self-discovery.
⛰️
Finn hasn’t been doing well since his dad died two years ago. He feels like he can’t compete with his heroic memory and begins to head down a wrong path. Now he’s almost failing seventh grade and just vandalized a headstone, which belonged to legendary local mountain climber. His punishment is to climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks with the woman’s dog. For three months Finn competes the hikes with help from others and has time to think, mourn and grow.
🧗
This novel in verse includes mixed media such as photographs of @katemessner hiking the same 46 hikes as Finn, articles, as well as journal entries he must write for his teacher to help with his makeup assignments and cookie recipes. Fans of Just Keep Walking by Downing will connect with this title too. I see a 2026 Newbery in Messner’s future. This book releases 4/29!

CW: alcoholism, vandalism, grief, parental death, anxiety, 9/11, death

I wish I’d connected with this one and plan on doing a re-read when it’s released because it didn’t translate well via ARC ebook. I think this is one of those books that adults want kids to love, but doesn’t connect with our kid audience.

I’m so glad I bought The Trouble With Heroes for my library! Kate Messner has such a way of writing stories that really connect with readers. We’ve been talking about it during National Poetry Month and even watched her Zoom videos about writing, which made it even more special. Finn’s story is funny, emotional, and full of heart as he takes on the challenge of climbing 46 mountains with a dog in tow. I love how the story shows that healing isn’t easy, but it’s possible. I know my students are really going to connect with Finn’s journey.

This beautiful novel in verse is what every struggling kid needs.
A journey is undertaken (a bit unwillingly) but through struggle and reflection he learns that there is nothing that cannot be accomplished with grit and hard work. Even intangible things like getting over a loss or being angry at the world can be conquered the same way you do a mountain, one step at a time.
I smiled and teared up in turn while reading this novel and know that when it is read by that kid struggling with emotions that seem to big to carry they may find a path to acceptance.

Finn Connelly is going through some things. He gets caught on camera one day while kicking down a random grave stone. Instead of pressing charges, the family decides that Finn can pay the family back by honoring their mom, a legendary mountain climber, by climbing all 46 of the Adriondack High Peaks. Along the way, Finn learns more about his dad and his death, as well as himself and his grieving process.

Messner writes a moving and emotional novel in verse that ties together the tragedies of 9/11 and the COVID19 pandemic. So many emotions and humor tied in together for the perfect middle grade novel-in-verse.

There is so much I can say about this novel I don't know where to start. I loved how it was written in verse. It was a different perspective of September 11 from a child's point of view of PTSD of a parent as well as an alcoholic. What a brave journey Finn went on throughout the story. I loved all of the characters and how he developed relationships with each of them. Especially, Seymour the dog. His relationship with his mom changed a bit too throughout it and they both were able to heal and move on. I also loved the recipes in the story. I would love to know more about their store and see Finn grow up.

This captures the attitude of a teenage boy so perfectly. This feels like a solid Newberry Medal contender.
Finn is living in the shadow and memory of his ‘hero’ father. After making a poor choice that could have landed him in a juvenile detention center or paying a hefty fine his mom can’t pay, he’s forced to pay reparations by becoming a ‘46er. Finn must climb all 46 peaks of the Adirondacks over the summer. His struggles physically while hiking mirror his inner struggles. It’s all written beautifully as a middle grade novel in verse. Can’t wait to get this in the hands of my readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for the advance digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Author Kate Messner digs deep into heavy themes: death of a parent, substance abuse, conflicted feelings about the character’s relationship to his father, and the burden of being a hero and the aftermath that most people never see. This is all, well, a lot. However, the format of the book is a bit of a mash-up with photos, notes to teachers, poems for a make-up school assignment, letters, recipes, and basically a journal of Finn’s thoughts and hikes. There is plenty of white space on the page and the hikes clip by at a rapid pace so this somewhat balances out the heavy thematic material. Finn is an angry and unhappy person, and he doesn’t have a favorable opinion of himself.

Set in the mountains, the changes Finn undergo are gradual, but it is great to read a book where the healing process is facilitated by the great outdoors. As a society, we all probably need more of that. The author also deftly brings the narrative full circle with some connections that make sense and do not feel contrived. This novel would make for a great discussion or book club read. Readers will have plenty to think about and will probably be hungry for a cookie with an urge to hike a mountain by the time they are done.

My son liked that this book gave a portrayal of the journey in the Adirondack Mountains that Finn completed over the summer. He also liked that it gave a descriptive picture of the mountains to go along with each one as he climbed it. It was a novel in verse which gave breaks between different subjects so that you could stop and begin reading it again at almost any period of time.
Recommended to ages 12 and up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview this book.

It's the summer between 7th and 8th grade, and Finn is living in upstate New York with his mom and grandma after leaving New York City during the pandemic. He's grieving his father's unexpected death when he gets caught kicking over a headstone. Instead of paying for the headstone, the daughter of the deceased wants him to hike the 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks. She recruits hikers to accompany him on the hikes. He must also finish his poetry project on heroes for his English class. I loved the hiking and the overall story. The poetry wasn't as compelling and sometimes took away from the story, but it will make this book a natural choice for teachers.

I don't even know what to say about this book except WOW! I'm ALREADY recommending it to my students and it isn't even out yet (and I have several that want to be first on the list to read it.) Finn is such a lovable character, despite his struggles, his big feelings, his anger, his grief. He is sarcastic and funny, making what could be a very sad book so much more readable. Finn learns about himself, his dad, his mom, and others around him as he hikes each of the 46 Adirondack high peaks. He comes to enjoy the company of his "trail nannies" who hike with him along his climbs. I loved following Finn's journey - physical and emotional. This novel in verse (with interspersed "Choose Your Own Adventure" vignettes) is accessible, highly readable, and impossible to put down. I cannot wait to have it on my library shelves!

The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner is one of those “huggable” books that makes you want to squeeze it tight at the end. This was a special story that will stick with me long after I’ve turned the final page. The blend of poetry and letters conveys the power of words in all their forms. The hikes demonstrate the power of the outdoors and challenging yourself physically and what that can do for you mentally. I rarely reread a book, but this one screams for me to read it again when the final book releases, so that I can mark down quotes and passages that speak so truthfully with eloquence.

In the Trouble with Heroes Finn has a lot of anger in him from losing his Dad as well as from his Dad being too busy being a hero to others to be there for him. He kicks over a headstone in the local cemetery and is tasked with climbing the 49 Adriondack peaks with a smelly dog over the summer. Thanks to neglecting his schoolwork, he also has to complete a language arts assignment on heroes using poetry, which gives another layer and page titles like: Seven More Haiku for the Stupid Poetry Project.

This book was beautifully done and so full of emotion. Finn's father was a NYC firefighter during 9/11 and a EMT during Covid 19. He lived for his job and everyone thought of him as this amazing hero. The problem is that the hero that people see on the outside is not always the same person behind closed doors and when the person behind closed doors is hurting it begins to effect everything and everyone around them.

Finn is written so incredibly well. He has the pre-teen angst and anger and is not afraid to show it. He is forced to take Spencer, a slobbery, stinky, dog with him and is paired up with volunteer 'nannies' for his climbs so he isn't a 12-year-old out in the wild on his own. He gives them nicknames like the Cow Nanny, who talks his ear off and spews facts like there is no tomorrow. Nerd Nanny is a school councilor and ends up being a pretty cool guy. Coach is an older gentleman who doesn't say much, but knew his father before he was a big hero. All these people and all his hikes through nature help him come to terms with his life, his anger, and his future. It also helps fix the feelings he has about his Dad. Honestly, this book made me cry a few times and was just beautiful overall.