Common Sense Media Review
By Joly Herman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Poetic form suits moving book about a teen's grief.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES, 13-year-old Finn Connelly finds himself in big trouble after he kicks down a local woman's headstone at the graveyard in his Upstate New York town one bad night. He's also failing English Language Arts (E.L.A.) and P.E., which does nothing to buoy his sinking self-worth. He's facing charges of vandalism when his mom and the daughter of Edna Grace Thomas, whose headstone he destroyed, cook up an alternative punishment. If he honors Edna, the late secretary of the local climbing club, by climbing 46 famous peaks, while using the opportunity to finish his E.L.A. assignment of writing poems about heroes, he'll walk free. If that's not challenge enough, Finn's finding he's got to face up to the feelings that drove him to destruction in the first place.
Is It Any Good?
Full of educational nuggets, this inspiring and cathartic coming-of-age story does not shy away from a teen's grief. Anger seethes between the biting lines that Finn Connelly writes to satisfy his E.L.A. teacher's poetry assignment requirements. But The Trouble with Heroes delves deeper than expected, touching on the effects of PTSD that first responders—and their families—face after tragedies like 9/11 have occurred. The lack of diversity among the characters in the book feels like a missed opportunity, but there are emotional surprises and keen turns-of-phrase that will keep fans of veteran author Kate Messner's work turning the pages.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how perseverance makes a difference to the characters in The Trouble with Heroes. Can you track changes in Finn's mental and physical health as a result of his work ethic?
Losing self-control gets the main character into a heap of trouble. How does he learn to channel his feelings for the greater good?
In this book, examples of healthy teamwork show how working together literally saves lives. How have teams of people helped you in your life?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Cooking , Adventures , STEM
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Bloomsbury Children's Books
- Publication date : May 29, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 14
- Number of pages : 368
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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