By Kate Messner
New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025. Fiction. 356 pages.
Most kids look forward to summer, knowing it's a few months they will have some free time for hobbies and relaxation. Finn, the main character in the book, is facing a different summer than most of the kids his age. While Finn was spending time in the local cemetery, dealing with his own grief, he vandalized the headstone of a woman.
Finn wasn't aware of this fact, but the woman whose headstone he toppled, was well-known in his community for hiking all forty-six Adirondak Peaks. Her family decides that they will waive vandalism charges against Finn, if he agrees to hike all of the same mountains their mother loved. To meet the family's request, he has to hike all of the mountains during his summer break.
This novel in verse was a lovely story. I found myself cheering for Finn to make amends, while totally understanding the grief and devastation that led him to be in trouble in the first place. I wanted to be with Finn on some of the hikes, so I could see the lovely views and pet Seymour (the dog he had to take on hikes as part of his penance). I appreciated how many people were supporting Finn, and felt compassion for the loneliness and heartache he and many of the other characters were facing. I would definitely recommend this book, and think it could be particulary helpful for any family dealing with the death of a family member and how to work through their grieving process.
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