I really enjoyed this as a family road trip story and how it worked in this universe. The characters felt like real people and I thought it worked as a story being told. Pablo Cartaya was able to weave a strong storyline and was invested in what was happening.

I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars for this book. After a slow start, I was caught up in the story of the road trip Gonzalo and his grandfather take. And of course, I loved a book tie-in, even if it's obviously an imitation of "Harry Potter". But I never really connected with the idea of the narrator who occasionally interrupted the story. I also felt that the theme of the book didn't need to be so explicitly and repeated emphasized. Middle grade readers deserve to be able to reach their own conclusions. Still, the book had me laughing along the way and in tears at the end - so I rounded up.

A fun and funny story that was also emotional and meaningful. The relationship between the main character and his grandfather is one that I think young readers will relate to. The inserted excerpts of the grandfather’s fantasy story add a fun, meaningful element.

A summer road trip story over the course of about two weeks with the forced proximity of a grandson with his reclusive but very famous writer grandfather as he publishes the last book in an epic series. Neither know each other very well so driving around in a very specific car hearing stories and seeing how each other acts with others and then how they ultimately come together is the middle grade magic of generational understanding (and throw in Gonzalo's mom Veronica who is her father's overbearing manager).

Sweetly focused on family and a little on writing and publishing and the hidden histories of people (especially in this case, Cuban history which is Cartaya's heritage).

Read: May 6th - May 8th
Format: E-Book
Rating: 4 stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I did not expect how much this book absorbed me. It has a lot of love for stories and what they can mean to people and the creators themselves, and then also extends that to a lot of love for creative projects in general. And then you had such an intricate tale of handling grief without it being telly or anything, and how your grief and art interact. All the while, you see a young boy bond with his grandfather as well as mending relationships between father and daughter, then mother and son.

It's just all sooo good and complex while also being very accessible for the audience it's aimed at.

There were some stylistic choices near the end that didn't hit me as hard as it was meant to, some too-convenient things, and I am admittedly a wee bit older than the target audience (more than double it 🤣), so it wasn't quite a 5-star for me, but it's definitely a book I highly recommend!

After the death of his father, Gonzalo is spending the summer with his grandfather, author of a best-selling and well-loved children’s book series that Gonzalo has never read, despite being named after its main character. The two have never been close, but Gonzalo grudgingly embarks on a cross-country journey with his grandfather in his vintage convertible as part of a promotional tour to mark the release of the final book in the series. As they make stops along the way, and he sees his grandfather interact with others who have played an important role in his life, artist Gonzalo begins to learn about his grandfather’s life, including his early life in Cuba and how that impacted the rest of his life and shaped the stories he wrote.

The road trip provides a unique framework for building their relationship and addressing the grief that Gonzalo and his grandfather are both grappling with in their own ways. As they travel, the stories within stories—those of his grandfather’s past and those from his grandfather’s books--uncover layers that inform Gonzalo about his grandfather and change their relationship. A powerful and moving exploration of family dynamics and of coming to terms with grief and loss.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Pablo Cartaya and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gonzalo has never considered himself a hero. He’ likes to be an observer, by taking pictures of landscapes and then drawing them. His mom then forces him to spend the summer with his estranged grandfather, Alberto, a famous author. Gonzalo didn’t expect to learn that heroes and monsters are not only the stuff of fantasy from his grandfather's stories on their journey. This is even though Gonzalo feels no connection to his grandfather and his stories.

Together, they embark on a cross-country road trip from Mendocino to Miami in his grandfather's 1968 Oldsmobile Convertible named Mathilde. Over the course of ten days on the highway, they will confront old stories to inspire new ones and learn what it truly means to show up for your family.

A heartwarming read on the importance of family and looking at the past and finding ways to deal and confront it.

What a great book. I love how Pablo Cartaya showed readers that the hero's journey can apply to everyday life, our own stories don't have to have some epic adventure to them. Gonzalo learns that he does do heroic things, even if there are no mythical creatures or actual bad guys in his life.

This is an excellent summer roadtrip book, as Gonzalo and his grandfather make their way from Northern California to Miami. Gonzalo's grandfather is a world famous fantasy writer (think Rick Riordan level) who is about to release the final book in his series. He is also extremely reclusive and Gonzalo has not spent much time with him. As they drive across the country together, we get stories within stories -- Abuelo's childhood as well as the books he has written. I particularly enjoyed the cameo appearances of other Cartaya characters along the way. This is a great testament to using art to process grief, and also the importance of talking about it. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

12-year-old Gonzalo Alberto Sanchez Garcia is an introverted, quiet painter. His reclusive, grumpy grandfather is a famous author. Hoping Gonzalo and Alberto can help each other out of their mood and shell, Gonzalo’s mother sends him to Mendocino, California. Starting the press tour for his final book in a series he has never read. Bribed by his mother, Gonzalo decides to read his grandfather’s books. As the duo go on interesting adventures across the country on a book tour, Gonzalo starts to understand his grandfather and family history. How will the cross-country book tour go? Will the two be able to bond over their mutual interests?

The plot is engaging, well written, and full of adventure. The characters are likable, authentic, and easy to relate to. The dynamics between the two characters draw the reader into the duo’s world. Fans of realistic fiction, intergenerational fiction, and adventure will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. 5 stars, Grades 3 to 7.

A Hero's Guide is an excellent examination of grief and a family navigating their relationship with each other through loss. Gonzalo is an interesting character, whose feelings are believable for his age and situation and whose way of dealing with them through art is different and fascinating. I enjoyed the contrast of his art form with his grandfather's fiction writing, alongside their parallel experiences. The only thing that bothered me about the narrative was the odd narrator inserts throughout. Even the main character seems annoyed by them, and I found them distracting and confusing. Otherwise, I enjoyed the novel very much.

Gonzalo Alberto Sánchez García is spending the summer after seventh grade with his hermit-like grandfather in Mendocino. After the death of his father in recent months, Gonzalo has begun channeling his grief into art that features monsters, and he has lost the spark he once had. Despite the fact that his grandfather does not enjoy being around people, he is the author of a famous children’s book series and is going on a promotional tour, and Gonzalo must begrudgingly accompany him. Along the way, Gonzalo and his grandfather bond in unexpected ways, and Gonzalo discovers that sometimes it takes bravery and strength to realize one is the hero of their own story.

This engaging middle grade novel is very meta in its design, referencing Gonzalo’s grandfather’s famous works while being presented in a similar fashion. Short chapters keep the story moving, and an omniscient narrator steps in periodically to share relevant details directly with the audience. Otherwise, the narrative is told primarily in the first person from Gonzalo’s perspective, giving readers a front row seat to Gonzalo’s thoughts and feelings. Text messages, articles, Spanish language, and other additions pepper the otherwise narrative text, and these features amplify the dynamic complexity of the storytelling. Though not always linear in its approach, this novel inspires curiosity in the reader as Gonzalo’s story unfolds. A unique and memorable story, this novel investigates grief and family relationships in a way that will resonate with a wide range of readers. This is a thoughtful and original addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

A Hero's guide to Summer Vacation is fantastic! I enjoyed every minute of reading this one because my son and his grandfather have such a beautiful connection. Cartaya weaves this family connection together so creatively. I truly enjoyed that Cartaya got the ages of the characters right as sometimes the actions and descriptions don't really match. Gonzalo acts like a true 7th grader about to begin 8th grade. I'll be recommending this one to my reader's!

Gonzalo is going on a book tour with his Grandfather who is the author of a best selling book series. Gonzalo is grieving the loss of his father.
His grandfather has never liked the fame, so he decides that he and Gonzalo are going to take a road trip across the country and make a few stops along the way.
Gonzalo gets a little jealous along the way as he sees his grandfather seems to care about other people than his own grandson. But he learns that these people have made a difference in his grandfather's past.
Gonzalo and his grandfather get closer on this road trip and he learns a lot about his grandfather's past and what inspired the books.
His mother joins them part way through the trip and it really helps bring them all together.

This is a really great middle grade read, about family, grief and figuring out how to move forward.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Such a great road trip story! Loved the character development of Alberto and the slow reveal of Gonzalo's family history.

I think I would have liked this one better if the summary had not been so misleading. The summary asserts the "Gonzalo didn’t expect to learn that heroes and monsters are not only the stuff of fantasy" and that he and his grandfather will "will slay demons, real and imagined," leading me to expect some level of fantasy in the plot. But there are no demons (slain or otherwise) and while monstrous things happened in Gonzalo's father's past, no monsters ever appeal (symbolic or real) in the text. The book is really about grief, loss, and trauma across multiple generations. It was fine but, as someone dealing with losing their own parent, I probably wouldn't have requested this book had the plot been accurately described (although certainly the depictions of grief are realistic and touching). Also, I found it mildly annoying that the question of why Gonzalo's mother named him after the lead character in her father's book was repeatedly asked, even to the point of a theme, and then never asked or acted on. Did a scene get cut or something?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had all these feels for Gonzalo Alberto García. A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation is an emotional rollercoaster. Well, more like a 10-day road trip with your estranged grandpa, who’s actually a famous author.
✨
Gonzalo is quiet, artistic, intelligent and just wants to feel seen. His grandpa Alberto, a quiet, grumpy and famous children’s author of a book series that is well-known everywhere (think HP or Percy J). Gonzalo’s summer is looking like he must accompany his grandpa on a book tour that neither wants to do. Gonzalo promised his mom that he would start and finish the book series in time for the latest book. While reading the series, Gonzalo learns how the main character’s life reflects his grandpa’s real life back in Cuba (60’s). As he reads, he understands how he is similar to him rather than opposite. And as they communicate on this trip, they begin to understand one another. They build a respectful and supportive relationship. Gonzalo was able to reach a soft spot in his grandfather, that his mother (Veronica) didn’t know existed. She also had a complicated relationship with her father ever since her mother passed.

While they all grieved in their own way.

Gonzalo expressed his feelings through creative art. Alberto expressed his feelings through his writing. Veronica, worked her way through grief.

Towards the end of the tour, they all learned that importance of life was showing up for each other. Especially, where it counts.

This book is special and meaningful. Great book for children and adults.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy.
TW: family loss, grief


Goodreads: Brenda (Jadore _2read)

Rising 8th grader Gonzalo finds himself on a cross-country road trip with his normally reclusive grandfather, the famous writer of a middle grade fantasy series. Traveling across the US in an unairconditioned car seems like torture to Gonzalo, who is grieving his dad's very recent death. However, as art and time begin to do their work, Gonzalo starts to better understand his grandfather and himself.

One of the really fun things about this book is how the external narrator explicitly tracks Fonzalo's road trip onto the archetypal hero's journey. That, and the various threads of the story (Gonzalo's POV, excerpts from his grandfather's novels, Abuelo's "in his own words" sections, and other interstitials) make this both a unique reading experience and one that can be mapped to read alikes. Some middle grade readers may need support to follow the shifting POVs - but I think this will be a great summer read for 5th and 6th graders in particular!

Read alikes:
Nic Stone's Clean Getaway (middle grade - grandparent road trip with historical context and a lot of reflection about identity)
Scott Westerfeld's Afterworlds (young adult - chapters alternate between the fictional fictional narrative and what is going on in the author's everyday life)
Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl and Carry On (young adult/new adult - Harry Potter parallels and the power of art to process grief)

The story is well written and interesting, but takes a long time to build up to the climax. The "narrator" character appears at random and interrupts the flow of the story. The content of the story is good; a teenage boy processes his grief after losing his father through art and bonding with his grandfather.

I recently read A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya with my sons, and it was an absolute hit in our house. The story follows Gonzalo, a quiet, artistic boy who feels more like an observer than a participant in his own life, and his estranged grandfather, Alberto, a famous but reclusive author. When the two are forced to go on a cross-country road trip together to promote Alberto’s final book, they embark on a journey that’s as much about mending their fractured relationship as it is about exploring the landscapes of America. My sons, aged 1 and 6, were completely drawn into the adventure, humor, and heart of the story. They both laughed at the banter between the two characters and were captivated by the road trip itself, especially the classic 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Convertible named Mathilde. The blend of fantasy and reality also fascinated them; they loved how the book wove elements of Alberto’s fictional world into their real-world adventures, making them think about the stories we tell and how they shape our lives. It even inspired them to create their own drawings and stories, just like Gonzalo does in the book.

What really stood out to me was how the book sparked conversations about family. My sons were moved by how Gonzalo and Alberto learned to understand and support each other, even when it was hard. It opened up a dialogue about our own family dynamics and the importance of showing up for one another. A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation is more than just a fun road trip story—it’s a heartfelt exploration of family, creativity, and self-discovery. My sons and I loved it, and it’s a book we’ll definitely revisit together. Highly recommend for families looking for a story that’s both entertaining and meaningful!