The Trouble With Heroes by Kate Messner

What worked:

The story is written in verse but the main character’s attitude makes the poetry more palatable for reluctant readers. Finn is an angry 7^th grader and he’s writing different types of poetry to avoid failing his language arts class. He refers to this assignment as his “Stupid Poetry Project”. His early poems are chalked full of sarcasm as he defiantly completes the assignment. He clearly communicates his low self-image and can’t see how anyone would want to be associated with a loser and screw-up. However, readers will notice a subtle change in his tone as he begins to scale different mountain peaks. He even lets the slobbery dog near him.

The novel is written in verse although there isn’t a set pattern. Readers will sometimes recognize haiku because Finn usually points out when he’s using it. He knows this type of poetry has to do with nature so he makes it work to fit the teacher’s assignment. He’s also supposed to use different kinds of figurative language so that will be highlighted too. Most of the narrative is free verse which allows Finn’s character freedom to share his thoughts and feelings. He doesn’t believe in heroes and can find fault with any hero society identifies. His father is considered a hero of 9/11 but Finn’s emotions about him are confused. The truth about his father slowly emerges and Finn tries to reconcile his feelings about his father’s life and death.

The author adds small details to enhance the description of Finn’s quest to scale 46 peaks in the Adirondack Mountains. His problems start when he kicks over the tombstone of Edna Grace Thomas, a legendary amateur climber. Many other climbers wrote to her about their experiences and she replied to every one of their letters. Finn and readers learn later that his father was one of those climbers. Finn’s early disdain for climbing comes through in his automated text reply every time his mom tries to check up on him. “I am not lost in the woods or being stalked by a panther or getting swatted by a bear.” His grandmother owns a chocolate shop and Finn likes to bake cookies after his climbs. He begins to name cookies after his experiences with each peak and his recipes are included. These small details help develop Finn’s character and add a little levity to the story.

What didn’t work as well:

Climbing in the Adirondacks isn’t like being in taller mountain ranges so Finn’s experiences are comparable to strenuous hiking in mountainous areas. There are 46 peaks of similar elevations and terrain so there is some redundancy in his experiences.

The final verdict:

The story is as much about Finn’s emotional journey with grief as it is about scaling all 46 peaks. It’s a heartwarming tale and I recommend you give it a shot.