The Trouble With Heroes

I’ve always had a soft spot for novels written in verse—their quick pace pulls me in, yet they often deliver a deeper emotional impact than traditional prose.

In “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴” by Kate Messner, we follow Finn, a 13-year-old struggling with inner turmoil. After he’s caught vandalizing a gravestone, he’s sentenced to an unusual form of restitution: climbing all 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks.

Finn’s journey isn’t just about the physical challenge. Like many of us, he’s processing the lingering trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. But his grief runs even deeper—he’s mourning the loss of his father, who was also a firefighter and hero during the September 11 attacks.

With each hike, Finn slowly begins to heal. Immersed in the natural world, his anger and sadness start to shift. Through the mountains, he rebuilds himself—gaining strength in body, mind, and heart—as he navigates his grief in his own deeply personal way.