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.
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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.

Follow Finn on his journey to hike the Adirondack mountains. He just might find more than beautiful scenery as he grapples with his father's death and the concept of what it means to be a hero. The different poem forms kept me engaged and I can't wait to try out Finn's cookie recipes!

An Angry boy, a drooling dog and unexpected mentors. The Trouble with Heroes provides a journey up mountains literally and metaphorically, explores childhood grief and finding ones self in the face of a devastating loss. Finn's feelings are palpable and the progression of the character changes the tone of the book as you progress though his summer journey to make amends. With an unexpected connection to his family, The Trouble with Heroes provides insight into childhood grief and anger and how sometimes connecting with nature can help you see the bigger picture.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I'm not sure how Kate Messner managed to tie something different ideas into one amazing book all while making it a novel in verse. It was incredible. I loved this book and I know my students will fall in love with it too!

I received an ARC for this book through NetGalley and it did not disappoint. I loved the idea from the blurb!

Finn is a boy who struggles with grief and Kate did a lovely job of taking us on the hiking journey to healing. Finn reminds me of those kids who have a chip on their shoulder from life throwing them and their family a curveball. Being an Upstate New Yorker myself who frequently goes to the Adirondacks, this just hits closer to home for me. Even though I will never be a 46r - I loved reading references to trails and mountains I know.

Highly recommend for enjoyment and for classrooms. I think there is a lot of potential to use this in a poetry unit or exploring nature in story. I have already preordered my own copy for myself and my school library.

From a personal standpoint - this book would have helped me with my own grief of losing my dad which was around the same age as Finn.

I kept thinking this was by Gary D. Schmidt, and I mean that as the highest compliment possible. So, so well done. I usually don't like (or remember) novels in verse, but this one is so well-crafted that I didn't even notice it. What can't Kate Messner do? Heartbreaking, but ultimately reads like a big hug.

I liked this book but didn't love it. But, I'm also not the intended audience. Though I sympathized with everything main character went through, he was also a gigantic whiny, surly, snarky, pain in the behind.
I also wasn't a fan of the chosen narrative style.
Loved the messages in the book.
So....overall, I recognize I was not the target audience, and I do a book project at the end of the school year. I will add this to the list kids can choose from.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This story is incredible. A novel in verse, with a sprinkling of other forms of writing to enhance the brilliance of this piece. So so good.