The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner

The Trouble with Heroes examines the fraught relationship between a young teen and his late, larger-than-life father.

The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner. Bloomsbury, 2025, 352 pages

Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

Kicking over gravestones is not something a 13-year-old boy would normally do, but Finn Connolly is under abnormal stress. It’s not easy being the son of a hero—an icon, even, since that picture of an ash-covered firefighter carrying a woman from the ruins of the World Trade Center. That was Dad, who never stopped running toward fires even after Finn was born. Once it was 9/11, now it’s the peak of the COVID pandemic, and Dad remains a heroic first responder, willing to save anybody except, it seemed, his own son. Now he’s dead. What killed him? Finn doesn’t exactly know, and is almost afraid to know, and the anger at his father’s death—and life—makes him want to kick something.

As it happens, the gravestone is that of Edna Thomas, a renowned climbing enthusiast and “mountain mother” to dozens who followed in her footsteps. Edna’s daughter has an idea for reparations: if Finn will summit all 46 peaks in the Adirondacks by Labor Day, she’ll drop any charges. He’ll need to do it with elderly mentors and her late mother’s dog. Three old codgers and a slobbery dog. Finn could kick over another headstone, but his widowed mother doesn’t have enough to pay for the damage he’s already caused. So, fine.

He’s also missed a lot of school and has some P.E. and Language Arts work to make up. The hiking will take care of the first, but his English teacher wants a poetry series, in a mix of forms, on the subject of “heroes.” That provides a pretext for the verse format of this novel, and it’s perfect for digging ever deeper into Finn’s complex feelings about his father. Unexpected connections will turn up, such as a mentor who knew his dad. Unexpected emotions will emerge, like a connection with the beauty of nature. And unexpected insights will follow:

Maybe being a hero/ isn’t about doing the right thing/ all the time—the brave thing—the running/ into buildings thing. Maybe it’s about choosing/ a path, even when there’s no good one./ Choosing anyway./ And sometimes choosing wrong./ And being brave enough to try again.

It’s sounds heavy, but Finn’s voice and humorous observances lighten the narrative. There are thrills and spills and a serious brush with danger, but it’s a journey worth making for a young man trying to sort out one of life’s most profound relationships, as well as what to hold on to and what to let go.

Bottom Line: A sensitive and beautifully-written story of change, loss, and growth,

Consideration:

A few misuses of God’s name.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Other books by Kate Messner include Chirp, All the Answers, Wake up Missing, and the Ranger in Time series.
• Review: Interested in hiking this summer? See Outdoor School: Hiking and Camping for tips and tricks.
• Reflections: Betsy has thoughts about Absent Fathers in Literature and Janie asks, Who’s Your Daddy?  

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