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How to Be Brave
An emotional contemporary YA novel about love, loss, and having the courage to chase the life you truly want.
Reeling from her mother's death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave - all the things she's wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she's always been afraid to do - including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most - and you learn that you're stronger and braver than you ever imagined.
Reeling from her mother's death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave - all the things she's wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she's always been afraid to do - including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most - and you learn that you're stronger and braver than you ever imagined.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2015
12 people are currently reading
1982 people want to read
About the author
E. Katherine Kottaras
7 books98 followersI am a contemplative writer, holistic teacher, and multimedia artist.
I am the author of the critically-acclaimed YA contemporary novels, HOW TO BE BRAVE (2015) and THE BEST POSSIBLE ANSWER (2016), both from St. Martin’s Press/Griffin Teen. I am also the writer, voice, and co-creator of Yoga with Eleonora on PillowFortTV and the co-writer with Vanitha Swaminathan of the forthcoming picture book, A RAINBOW INSIDE MY BODY, illustrated by Holly Hatam (Viking 2024).
In June 2023, my visual art piece, YOU WERE BORN OF LOVE, was selected by glendaleOUT for their exhibit, MAPPING MY QUEER: Body Mapping Our Queer Identity held at the Adams Mini-Park Gas Station and at the Brand Library as part of Glendale’s Second Annual Pride Events and hosted by the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture. I am grateful for the creative invitations to meditate on my body’s histories, presence, and healing/-ed futures through my written and visual works.
In addition to my current position as Associate Professor of English at Pasadena City College, I am proud of my work as a middle, high school, and community college teacher for over two decades. I hold an M.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine, as well as an M.S. in Kinesiology, with a focus on Integrative Wellness, from Point Loma Nazarene University.
Having completed multiple certifications, including becoming a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200, 2011), an ACE-certified personal trainer (2019), and an ACE-certified health coach (2021), while also living with multiple invisible illnesses and neurodivergence, I am passionate about bodily self-determination and health equity. I believe that holistic and inclusive approaches to expression, healing, and growth should be accessible to all.
I have served as a board member for the Children's Literature Council of Southern California and as a volunteer for We Need Diverse Books. As the queer daughter of immigrants, I was especially humbled to be honored as PCC's 2019 Ally of the Year for my work supporting undocumented and LGBTQ students and received PCC's 2021 Above and Beyond Award for Outstanding Service to Students.
I am interested in the stories we tell, the stories we are given, and the ways we can redefine our worlds by discovering which stories are true. I believe in working towards a future that is inclusive, empathetic, and full of love.
I also love to garden, woodwork, craft with thrifted and reclaimed items, snuggle with fluffy animals, hike flat wooded paths, and draw on the kitchen walls while the spaghetti boils. (Sometimes I space out and the pasta ends up overcooked, but it's nothing a drizzle of EEVO and a heaping mound of parmesan can't fix.)
Connect with Katherine (she/they) on the medias: IG, YouTube, FB, or LinkedIn.
Praise for HOW TO BE BRAVE:
“Georgia’s realistically profane voice aptly captures her personality, carrying the novel; her traverse through grief and experimentation make for a believable and satisfying character arc. A thoughtful exploration of grief and life.” Kirkus Reviews
“Kottaras’s debut traces Georgia’s struggles and triumphs as she reluctantly sets out to fulfill her mother’s final wish for her to try new things and be fearless. Georgia’s Greek-American heritage offers a distinctive backdrop for the novel’s themes of emotional healing and self-discovery, while Georgia herself emerges as a realistically flawed and genuine protagonist.” –Publishers Weekly
“The book’s strongest sections are the lyrical flashbacks that tell the story of her mother’s life and death, but Georgia’s struggles with weight and body image are also handled with care. A perfect book for anyone trying to figure out what they want their life to look like, and how to be brave enough to make that life a reality.” —Booklist
If you have questions or would like to contact her directly, please visit her at ekatwrites.com.
I am the author of the critically-acclaimed YA contemporary novels, HOW TO BE BRAVE (2015) and THE BEST POSSIBLE ANSWER (2016), both from St. Martin’s Press/Griffin Teen. I am also the writer, voice, and co-creator of Yoga with Eleonora on PillowFortTV and the co-writer with Vanitha Swaminathan of the forthcoming picture book, A RAINBOW INSIDE MY BODY, illustrated by Holly Hatam (Viking 2024).
In June 2023, my visual art piece, YOU WERE BORN OF LOVE, was selected by glendaleOUT for their exhibit, MAPPING MY QUEER: Body Mapping Our Queer Identity held at the Adams Mini-Park Gas Station and at the Brand Library as part of Glendale’s Second Annual Pride Events and hosted by the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture. I am grateful for the creative invitations to meditate on my body’s histories, presence, and healing/-ed futures through my written and visual works.
In addition to my current position as Associate Professor of English at Pasadena City College, I am proud of my work as a middle, high school, and community college teacher for over two decades. I hold an M.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine, as well as an M.S. in Kinesiology, with a focus on Integrative Wellness, from Point Loma Nazarene University.
Having completed multiple certifications, including becoming a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200, 2011), an ACE-certified personal trainer (2019), and an ACE-certified health coach (2021), while also living with multiple invisible illnesses and neurodivergence, I am passionate about bodily self-determination and health equity. I believe that holistic and inclusive approaches to expression, healing, and growth should be accessible to all.
I have served as a board member for the Children's Literature Council of Southern California and as a volunteer for We Need Diverse Books. As the queer daughter of immigrants, I was especially humbled to be honored as PCC's 2019 Ally of the Year for my work supporting undocumented and LGBTQ students and received PCC's 2021 Above and Beyond Award for Outstanding Service to Students.
I am interested in the stories we tell, the stories we are given, and the ways we can redefine our worlds by discovering which stories are true. I believe in working towards a future that is inclusive, empathetic, and full of love.
I also love to garden, woodwork, craft with thrifted and reclaimed items, snuggle with fluffy animals, hike flat wooded paths, and draw on the kitchen walls while the spaghetti boils. (Sometimes I space out and the pasta ends up overcooked, but it's nothing a drizzle of EEVO and a heaping mound of parmesan can't fix.)
Connect with Katherine (she/they) on the medias: IG, YouTube, FB, or LinkedIn.
Praise for HOW TO BE BRAVE:
“Georgia’s realistically profane voice aptly captures her personality, carrying the novel; her traverse through grief and experimentation make for a believable and satisfying character arc. A thoughtful exploration of grief and life.” Kirkus Reviews
“Kottaras’s debut traces Georgia’s struggles and triumphs as she reluctantly sets out to fulfill her mother’s final wish for her to try new things and be fearless. Georgia’s Greek-American heritage offers a distinctive backdrop for the novel’s themes of emotional healing and self-discovery, while Georgia herself emerges as a realistically flawed and genuine protagonist.” –Publishers Weekly
“The book’s strongest sections are the lyrical flashbacks that tell the story of her mother’s life and death, but Georgia’s struggles with weight and body image are also handled with care. A perfect book for anyone trying to figure out what they want their life to look like, and how to be brave enough to make that life a reality.” —Booklist
If you have questions or would like to contact her directly, please visit her at ekatwrites.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
January 4, 2016
The Contents of a Generic "Bucket List" Book How to Be Brave
1. A "damaged" or emotionally unstable heroine. At first, I kind of adored how Georgia was really pushing herself to think positively and to pull herself up--she was that way for the entirety of the book. She does a lot of body-shape shaming, though. She shames on both skinny girls and weighty girls. At some point I just wanted to shove myself into the book to tell her that no one's perfect!
2. "Quirky" best friends to join in the bucket list fun. In How to Be Brave's case, the best friends, to me, were kind of inconsiderate and kind of asshole-y. We have Liss, who hangs out with people who were bitchy to her best friend. There's also Evelyn who's weird as fuck and doesn't make any sense half the time.
3. Stereotyping. I honestly can't think of a character in this book that isn't a stereotype of some sort. Georgia's the "fat" girl who gets bullied by the queen bees, Liss is the best friend who could be "popular" if not for hanging out with Georgia, Evelyn's the best friend who can't get enough of getting high-- The list goes on, folks.
4. A tacky and kind of pointless bucket list. Okay, I'll admit, there were a few items on the list that I did like and thought were cute (ex. “Try out for Cheerleading”), but majority of them were either typical and/or had no real purpose (like cutting class, skinny-dipping and things like those).
5. Weird-ass pacing. At the beginning of the book, I was basically just going, "What the crap is going on?" That feeling lessened as the book went on, but still. There were also some scenes that just randomly popped up and didn't seem to have any decent transition.
6. A hint of grief. The synopsis promised me a LOT of grief and anguish, but I honestly didn't feel anything until the last 10% of the book. Maybe that's just me being a rock, which only happens once in a blue moon.
7. Flowery prose. Most of this book's told in your typical, simple, conversational tone, but there are a few scenes here and there that's told in this sort-of poetry style that's VERY flowery and lyrical and choppy. I'm the kind of person who isn't into those things, unfortunately.
8. A cute love interest and an aww romance. Guys, Daniel is so adorable. He's sweet, friendly, and with that I-want-to-pinch-your-cheeks-so-bad occasional awkwardness. His romance with Georgia was light and wasn't the whole purpose of the book, which is great.
9. Lots of character development. Yes, I did just rant A LOT about the characters and their shitty ways. But I did end up liking/tolerating most of them by the end of the book, especially Georgia. Each character realized things about themselves and others, and some of them even changed for the better.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of How to Be Brave for review!
Blog | Deadly Darlings
Blog | The Social Potato
Blog | The Book Geek
Twitter | @aimeereads
Instagram | @aimeereads
Email | aimee@thebookgeek.org
1. A "damaged" or emotionally unstable heroine. At first, I kind of adored how Georgia was really pushing herself to think positively and to pull herself up--she was that way for the entirety of the book. She does a lot of body-shape shaming, though. She shames on both skinny girls and weighty girls. At some point I just wanted to shove myself into the book to tell her that no one's perfect!
2. "Quirky" best friends to join in the bucket list fun. In How to Be Brave's case, the best friends, to me, were kind of inconsiderate and kind of asshole-y. We have Liss, who hangs out with people who were bitchy to her best friend. There's also Evelyn who's weird as fuck and doesn't make any sense half the time.
3. Stereotyping. I honestly can't think of a character in this book that isn't a stereotype of some sort. Georgia's the "fat" girl who gets bullied by the queen bees, Liss is the best friend who could be "popular" if not for hanging out with Georgia, Evelyn's the best friend who can't get enough of getting high-- The list goes on, folks.
4. A tacky and kind of pointless bucket list. Okay, I'll admit, there were a few items on the list that I did like and thought were cute (ex. “Try out for Cheerleading”), but majority of them were either typical and/or had no real purpose (like cutting class, skinny-dipping and things like those).
5. Weird-ass pacing. At the beginning of the book, I was basically just going, "What the crap is going on?" That feeling lessened as the book went on, but still. There were also some scenes that just randomly popped up and didn't seem to have any decent transition.
6. A hint of grief. The synopsis promised me a LOT of grief and anguish, but I honestly didn't feel anything until the last 10% of the book. Maybe that's just me being a rock, which only happens once in a blue moon.
7. Flowery prose. Most of this book's told in your typical, simple, conversational tone, but there are a few scenes here and there that's told in this sort-of poetry style that's VERY flowery and lyrical and choppy. I'm the kind of person who isn't into those things, unfortunately.
8. A cute love interest and an aww romance. Guys, Daniel is so adorable. He's sweet, friendly, and with that I-want-to-pinch-your-cheeks-so-bad occasional awkwardness. His romance with Georgia was light and wasn't the whole purpose of the book, which is great.
9. Lots of character development. Yes, I did just rant A LOT about the characters and their shitty ways. But I did end up liking/tolerating most of them by the end of the book, especially Georgia. Each character realized things about themselves and others, and some of them even changed for the better.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of How to Be Brave for review!
Blog | Deadly Darlings
Blog | The Social Potato
Blog | The Book Geek
Twitter | @aimeereads
Instagram | @aimeereads
Email | aimee@thebookgeek.org
August 13, 2015
3.5 stars
How to Be Brave is a book I was really looking forward to, because I’ve grown to love books that have to-do lists. They’re an easy way of implementing a fun plot and create character growth. Georgia, the main character in this novel, needs her to-do list as a way to start living, a promise she made on her mother’s deathbed. Try everything, do everything, and live your life. That’s the tagline for Georgia’s Live Life list, which includes things such as “get high”, “go skinny-dipping”, “join a tribal dance class”, and “trapeze”. Armed with a best friend, a new friend who likes to live on the edge, and potential boyfriend material, Georgia’s about to get more than she bargained for.
First of all, I really liked Georgia. I love how she actively tried to think Positive Thoughts throughout the day, and decided to make a list in order to live. These are all things that really resonated with me and I could really relate to her. There’s also this:
Yup, sounds like me, alright.
I thought this book was going to be light-hearted and funny, and it was, but there were also a few deeper subplots in the book. For one, Georgia’s new friend Evelyn has given up on caring about just about anything and is bordering on depression. Then there’s a prosaic verse at the end of every chapter, describing what it was like to watch her mother wile away due to illness. It was hard to read at times, but I appreciated what it was trying to do. There’s more to this story than your average teenager’s problems, and I really liked that.
There was also a really conservative father, who preferably saw his daughter wed at 70, but at times, I could really relate to him as well:
This is basically what it’s all about – to enjoy the little things in life and enjoy what you have right now. I appreciate both lifestyles here – enjoy the little things but also reach for the stars. The sky is the limit. Your sky, your limit. But do make time for ice cream and hot fudge.
What I didn’t like was the skinny-shaming. Georgia was big and she felt comfortable in her bigness, which would’ve been great if she’d left it at that. Instead, she continues to pick on skinny girls, with their tiny arms and even tinier bras, and wonders if they even know how to eat. A lot of people advocate against fat-shaming, but it goes the other way around as well. Every body is beautiful. Yet of course Georgia loses weight by the time she’s ready for a relationship. I know she did this because of her health and her mother, but still, it’s amazingly convenient. That’s the one thing that really bugged me.
Overall, though, this was a good read. Something for your summer list.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy
How to Be Brave is a book I was really looking forward to, because I’ve grown to love books that have to-do lists. They’re an easy way of implementing a fun plot and create character growth. Georgia, the main character in this novel, needs her to-do list as a way to start living, a promise she made on her mother’s deathbed. Try everything, do everything, and live your life. That’s the tagline for Georgia’s Live Life list, which includes things such as “get high”, “go skinny-dipping”, “join a tribal dance class”, and “trapeze”. Armed with a best friend, a new friend who likes to live on the edge, and potential boyfriend material, Georgia’s about to get more than she bargained for.
First of all, I really liked Georgia. I love how she actively tried to think Positive Thoughts throughout the day, and decided to make a list in order to live. These are all things that really resonated with me and I could really relate to her. There’s also this:
“After pulling my hamstrings during my one wild attempt to be a marathoner, I made a new commitment to run only if being chased by a bear or some other frothing wild animal.”
Yup, sounds like me, alright.
I thought this book was going to be light-hearted and funny, and it was, but there were also a few deeper subplots in the book. For one, Georgia’s new friend Evelyn has given up on caring about just about anything and is bordering on depression. Then there’s a prosaic verse at the end of every chapter, describing what it was like to watch her mother wile away due to illness. It was hard to read at times, but I appreciated what it was trying to do. There’s more to this story than your average teenager’s problems, and I really liked that.
There was also a really conservative father, who preferably saw his daughter wed at 70, but at times, I could really relate to him as well:
“You make life too complicated, and you’ll have nothing but regret. See what you have now, right in front of you. It’s all here. Your friends. Ice cream. Hot fudge. You know, just enjoy it. You do not know when it will be gone.”
This is basically what it’s all about – to enjoy the little things in life and enjoy what you have right now. I appreciate both lifestyles here – enjoy the little things but also reach for the stars. The sky is the limit. Your sky, your limit. But do make time for ice cream and hot fudge.
What I didn’t like was the skinny-shaming. Georgia was big and she felt comfortable in her bigness, which would’ve been great if she’d left it at that. Instead, she continues to pick on skinny girls, with their tiny arms and even tinier bras, and wonders if they even know how to eat. A lot of people advocate against fat-shaming, but it goes the other way around as well. Every body is beautiful. Yet of course Georgia loses weight by the time she’s ready for a relationship. I know she did this because of her health and her mother, but still, it’s amazingly convenient. That’s the one thing that really bugged me.
Overall, though, this was a good read. Something for your summer list.
“But being brave isn’t about living every minute exhilarated. It’s about waking up and knowing that despite the worry and the sadness and the deep, dark fear, you’re going to go forth anyway. That you’re going to try anyway. That you have a choice, and you’re going to choose to live, today, bravely.”
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy
November 28, 2015
How To Be Brave is a heart-warming debut that tackles down what normal teenagers face nowadays: insecurities, bullying, but most of all this is a book about self-discovery and finding the courage to speak out, stand out and do shit you thought you'd never, no chance in hell, would ever do. Like sky-diving from a plane, for example.
I mostly avoid contemporary because most of the time, the books in the genre captured reality so well that it scares me. I love being ignorant, see. And the idea that there are kids, or even adults suffering out there because of society depresses me. Reading How to Be Brave is like a punch to the gut.
Georgia, a highscool senior who's no size 2 and is overly self-conscious of her body. She had also recently lost her mother to a disease, so she's trying hard to cope with her loss. She was also constantly mocked on her body image all through 5th grade to senior year. So you can guess that yes, there are body shamings (skinny shaming, fat shaming, even clothes shaming!), and yes, there are labellings. (Georgia calls the more privileged kids as 'richy-bitchies) there are also the usual stereotypical kinds of labelling such as the students being classified as geeks, jocks, the artsy students, the emos, etcetra.
That normally would have put me off but in this case, I could tolerate it because I suppose that it serve as a purpose to raise awareness and it's quite beautiful that way.
My favourite part in the book would be when Georgia made a bucket list for herself. Things she wants to do that requires a bit of recklessness and guts, and it's just so inspiring eventhough the things on the list are quite 'normal'. Also, I simply love the tight bonded friendship moments between Georgia and her bestfriend, Liss. I have to give the author extra more props that she didn't made the romance as the main focus. This tilted more to a story about making stupid mistakes, growing from them, and being brave by your own.
I noted that this little book is also quite heavy on cussings (So teenager-ish!) and this is also no 'clean' story, mind you. There are lots of smoking, getting high and making out which I'm okay with since its actually what teenagers do nowadays. It is realistic and it doesn't shy away from it.
Overall, I liked this despite the clichés and I would definitely get the polished version in the future.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review or content whatsoever.*
I mostly avoid contemporary because most of the time, the books in the genre captured reality so well that it scares me. I love being ignorant, see. And the idea that there are kids, or even adults suffering out there because of society depresses me. Reading How to Be Brave is like a punch to the gut.
Georgia, a highscool senior who's no size 2 and is overly self-conscious of her body. She had also recently lost her mother to a disease, so she's trying hard to cope with her loss. She was also constantly mocked on her body image all through 5th grade to senior year. So you can guess that yes, there are body shamings (skinny shaming, fat shaming, even clothes shaming!), and yes, there are labellings. (Georgia calls the more privileged kids as 'richy-bitchies) there are also the usual stereotypical kinds of labelling such as the students being classified as geeks, jocks, the artsy students, the emos, etcetra.
That normally would have put me off but in this case, I could tolerate it because I suppose that it serve as a purpose to raise awareness and it's quite beautiful that way.
My favourite part in the book would be when Georgia made a bucket list for herself. Things she wants to do that requires a bit of recklessness and guts, and it's just so inspiring eventhough the things on the list are quite 'normal'. Also, I simply love the tight bonded friendship moments between Georgia and her bestfriend, Liss. I have to give the author extra more props that she didn't made the romance as the main focus. This tilted more to a story about making stupid mistakes, growing from them, and being brave by your own.
I noted that this little book is also quite heavy on cussings (So teenager-ish!) and this is also no 'clean' story, mind you. There are lots of smoking, getting high and making out which I'm okay with since its actually what teenagers do nowadays. It is realistic and it doesn't shy away from it.
Overall, I liked this despite the clichés and I would definitely get the polished version in the future.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review or content whatsoever.*
August 20, 2015
WHAT INSPIRED ME TO WRITE HOW TO BE BRAVE:
My father passed away when I was seventeen, and my mother passed away when I was thirty. My daughter was ten months old when my mother died, and I found myself sandwiched between the death of my best friend and the presence of this new life. It was a dark and confusing time – I wanted to drown in my grief but also knew I had to keep myself afloat for the sake of my new baby. That’s when I turned to writing. On my darkest days, my husband would tell me to take time for myself – to go for walks, yoga, etc. – but more often than not, I would find myself at the library, writing.
HOW TO BE BRAVE specifically started as a thought experiment to see what my relationship with my dad would have been like had my mom died first. After I started writing, Georgia became her own character with her own struggles. While there might be pieces of my own story in the book, it’s really Georgia’s story, and hers alone.
If you have any further questions about my writing, please contact me through my website. I'd love to hear from you!
My father passed away when I was seventeen, and my mother passed away when I was thirty. My daughter was ten months old when my mother died, and I found myself sandwiched between the death of my best friend and the presence of this new life. It was a dark and confusing time – I wanted to drown in my grief but also knew I had to keep myself afloat for the sake of my new baby. That’s when I turned to writing. On my darkest days, my husband would tell me to take time for myself – to go for walks, yoga, etc. – but more often than not, I would find myself at the library, writing.
HOW TO BE BRAVE specifically started as a thought experiment to see what my relationship with my dad would have been like had my mom died first. After I started writing, Georgia became her own character with her own struggles. While there might be pieces of my own story in the book, it’s really Georgia’s story, and hers alone.
If you have any further questions about my writing, please contact me through my website. I'd love to hear from you!
November 13, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.)
“The Do Everything Be Brave List
In no particular order
Dedicated to Diana Askeridis”
This was a really good coming-of-age story, and I really liked Georgia.
Georgia was a girl who I could relate to; she was overweight and unhappy, and not brave enough to wear an orange dress that she loved. She was bullied, and had to cope with that as well as the death of her mother, which was really sad.
“6. Learn how to draw, like Mom.”
The storyline in this was pretty good, with Georgia writing a bucket list of sorts, of things that she wanted to be brave enough to do, things that her mother would encourage her to do if she was still alive, and I thought it was done really well.
“7. Try out for Cheerleading”
There was some romance in this, and I liked it, even if we got a sort-of love triangle popping up at one point.
“13. Ask him out.
14. Kiss him.”
The ending to this was also good, and I was pleased with the way things worked out for Georgia.
“15. See what happens from there.”
7.5 out of 10
“The Do Everything Be Brave List
In no particular order
Dedicated to Diana Askeridis”
This was a really good coming-of-age story, and I really liked Georgia.
Georgia was a girl who I could relate to; she was overweight and unhappy, and not brave enough to wear an orange dress that she loved. She was bullied, and had to cope with that as well as the death of her mother, which was really sad.
“6. Learn how to draw, like Mom.”
The storyline in this was pretty good, with Georgia writing a bucket list of sorts, of things that she wanted to be brave enough to do, things that her mother would encourage her to do if she was still alive, and I thought it was done really well.
“7. Try out for Cheerleading”
There was some romance in this, and I liked it, even if we got a sort-of love triangle popping up at one point.
“13. Ask him out.
14. Kiss him.”
The ending to this was also good, and I was pleased with the way things worked out for Georgia.
“15. See what happens from there.”
7.5 out of 10
November 23, 2015
Wow, you are annoying.
August 4, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
This was a very sweet young adult novel. Georgia doesn't want to go back to school. It's her senior year, her mom died just a few months ago, she's over weight and picked on, so she just isn't looking forward to dealing with these things so soon after her mother's death.
She has a best friend named Liss that has her back and takes up for her when she is bullied.
**MILD SPOILERS**
I love Georgia's character though because even though all of this is going on, she is so full of snark and easy for me to like. Georgia's mother died at the young age of 56, she had diabetes, kidney failure, heart failure which all turned into sepsis from an infected tube and killed her. She is so sad that her mom is gone, which anyone would be, but she is mad at her too for not taking care of herself. You can read more about that in the book. Georgia had her mother write her a letter before she died and in this letter she told Georgia to try everything, to basically live life to the fullest. This urges Georgia to make a bucket list so to speak. She has a few normal things on there and a few, there is no way in God's green earth I would do, on there.
So, Georgia and Liss start doing things off the list that can be done with a friend. While doing one of these things they meet a girl named Evelyn. I was mad at Georgia when she first saw Evelyn because she made a derogatory remark about her. I mean if you don't like people doing it to you, then don't do it to other people. But, they all ended up becoming best friends.
Georgia also has a love interest named Daniel. She wants to ask him out but is scared. They have art together. Georgia took after her mom with her artistic flare. I won't tell you what ensued between Daniel and Georgia.
There are a lot of rough things happen in the book. Issues come out with Georgia and her dad who is Greek and they own a restaurant. The things that come out with her father are not so bad though. But the things that happen with Liss, Daniel and Evelyn are a bit rough for a time.
This is a journey a young girl has to make in life without her mother there. There are a lot of funny things going on in the book that made me laugh and that's a good thing. We all need to laugh sometimes, even Georgia. There are parts in the book that Georgia is talking to her mother, almost like writing letters in her head. They were very sweet and sad.
Overall, I loved the book. I thought it was an endearing young adult novel.
**I would like to thank NETGALLEY and ST. MARTIN'S PRESS for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.**
This was a very sweet young adult novel. Georgia doesn't want to go back to school. It's her senior year, her mom died just a few months ago, she's over weight and picked on, so she just isn't looking forward to dealing with these things so soon after her mother's death.
She has a best friend named Liss that has her back and takes up for her when she is bullied.
**MILD SPOILERS**
I love Georgia's character though because even though all of this is going on, she is so full of snark and easy for me to like. Georgia's mother died at the young age of 56, she had diabetes, kidney failure, heart failure which all turned into sepsis from an infected tube and killed her. She is so sad that her mom is gone, which anyone would be, but she is mad at her too for not taking care of herself. You can read more about that in the book. Georgia had her mother write her a letter before she died and in this letter she told Georgia to try everything, to basically live life to the fullest. This urges Georgia to make a bucket list so to speak. She has a few normal things on there and a few, there is no way in God's green earth I would do, on there.
So, Georgia and Liss start doing things off the list that can be done with a friend. While doing one of these things they meet a girl named Evelyn. I was mad at Georgia when she first saw Evelyn because she made a derogatory remark about her. I mean if you don't like people doing it to you, then don't do it to other people. But, they all ended up becoming best friends.
Georgia also has a love interest named Daniel. She wants to ask him out but is scared. They have art together. Georgia took after her mom with her artistic flare. I won't tell you what ensued between Daniel and Georgia.
There are a lot of rough things happen in the book. Issues come out with Georgia and her dad who is Greek and they own a restaurant. The things that come out with her father are not so bad though. But the things that happen with Liss, Daniel and Evelyn are a bit rough for a time.
This is a journey a young girl has to make in life without her mother there. There are a lot of funny things going on in the book that made me laugh and that's a good thing. We all need to laugh sometimes, even Georgia. There are parts in the book that Georgia is talking to her mother, almost like writing letters in her head. They were very sweet and sad.
Overall, I loved the book. I thought it was an endearing young adult novel.
**I would like to thank NETGALLEY and ST. MARTIN'S PRESS for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.**
September 5, 2016
Copy received through NetGalley.
Review on my blog illbefinealonereads
Update (Sept. 4th 2016): For some reason I have only put the link to the review (why am I lying with 'some reason', I used to do this at the beginning), so here is the review I wrote then:
Laced with interesting poems, colorful characters, and a story like you haven’t read before, How to Be Brave is the next big YA book. I expect you all to include it on your to-read list. You’re going to love Georgia’s journey towards self-confidence, you’re going to love the references to the art world, and you most definitely are going to drool over Daniel.
Why didn’t I give this book 5 stars? I do not know. You’ll read it, you’ll see. But I’m having a ‘positive thought’ day, much like Georgia, so I’m not gonna point out flaws. Everything is beautiful today.
Review on my blog illbefinealonereads
Update (Sept. 4th 2016): For some reason I have only put the link to the review (why am I lying with 'some reason', I used to do this at the beginning), so here is the review I wrote then:
Laced with interesting poems, colorful characters, and a story like you haven’t read before, How to Be Brave is the next big YA book. I expect you all to include it on your to-read list. You’re going to love Georgia’s journey towards self-confidence, you’re going to love the references to the art world, and you most definitely are going to drool over Daniel.
Why didn’t I give this book 5 stars? I do not know. You’ll read it, you’ll see. But I’m having a ‘positive thought’ day, much like Georgia, so I’m not gonna point out flaws. Everything is beautiful today.
November 3, 2015
4.25
After Georgia's mom dies - she creates a list of ways to be brave. There are things she's always been afraid to do but decides it's time to start taking some chances. When her list leads her into situations she wasn't expecting, Georgia finds out how strong she is and how brave she really is.
This was such an emotional YA story. There are so many issues addressed in this book from bullying, suicide, death and drugs. I knew this was an emotional book going into it, just from reading the description but I was really surprised by the way this author was able to address these issues and how real this book felt. Personally, I related to this book because when my own mom died, I had a hard time and didn't feel like myself for at least a year afterwards- it was the worst time of my life. I made some poor decisions, I struggled to understand what happened and I am an adult. For Georgie, loosing her mom as a teen, I wasn't surprised by some of the choices she made and the situations she put herself in. My heart hurt for her and I really just wanted to give her a hug. I loved the way this author brought this all together at the end. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who loves YA.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
After Georgia's mom dies - she creates a list of ways to be brave. There are things she's always been afraid to do but decides it's time to start taking some chances. When her list leads her into situations she wasn't expecting, Georgia finds out how strong she is and how brave she really is.
This was such an emotional YA story. There are so many issues addressed in this book from bullying, suicide, death and drugs. I knew this was an emotional book going into it, just from reading the description but I was really surprised by the way this author was able to address these issues and how real this book felt. Personally, I related to this book because when my own mom died, I had a hard time and didn't feel like myself for at least a year afterwards- it was the worst time of my life. I made some poor decisions, I struggled to understand what happened and I am an adult. For Georgie, loosing her mom as a teen, I wasn't surprised by some of the choices she made and the situations she put herself in. My heart hurt for her and I really just wanted to give her a hug. I loved the way this author brought this all together at the end. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who loves YA.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
February 8, 2016
How to Be Brave is a celebration of life, from the captivating open page to the emotional ending. Kottaras acutely and poetically depicts the painful struggle of re-finding yourself after a defining loss—and the stark effects of both success and failure along the way—in a lovely, heartfelt debut.
You can tell that's what I think because I blurbed it, and that's what I said ;)
As someone who went through the process of watching a parent dying*, this book resonated with me so strongly. At the risk of getting overly personal, I remember having so many of these same "Who will I be afterward?" thoughts when my father was sick, and to see that experience through someone else's eyes meant so much to me. Bonus points for having a main character on the plus-size border without it being a weight story, do not see that neeeeearly enough in YA.
Fun fact: when I read this, I cried exactly twice - on the first page and on the last. Hence the blurb wording!
You can tell that's what I think because I blurbed it, and that's what I said ;)
As someone who went through the process of watching a parent dying*, this book resonated with me so strongly. At the risk of getting overly personal, I remember having so many of these same "Who will I be afterward?" thoughts when my father was sick, and to see that experience through someone else's eyes meant so much to me. Bonus points for having a main character on the plus-size border without it being a weight story, do not see that neeeeearly enough in YA.
Fun fact: when I read this, I cried exactly twice - on the first page and on the last. Hence the blurb wording!
November 12, 2015
I really liked the idea of this, so I was eager to see how it all played out.
I liked Georgia well enough. I loved the idea of trying something new and being spontaneous. Liss and Daniel and Evelyn were all decent characters, but everyone seemed a bit clichéd. I wanted to fall in love with these characters and root for them to the very end and that didn't happen.
My main complaint was that I wasn't a huge fan of how her friends acted in the second half of the story. What happened and what is implied and how it was handled didn't work for me.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the journey and the storytelling. I just didn't see the spark I was hoping for.
**Huge thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I liked Georgia well enough. I loved the idea of trying something new and being spontaneous. Liss and Daniel and Evelyn were all decent characters, but everyone seemed a bit clichéd. I wanted to fall in love with these characters and root for them to the very end and that didn't happen.
My main complaint was that I wasn't a huge fan of how her friends acted in the second half of the story. What happened and what is implied and how it was handled didn't work for me.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the journey and the storytelling. I just didn't see the spark I was hoping for.
**Huge thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
September 3, 2015
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It takes courage to become an adult. You have to be brave in order to survive the teenage years but we all grow up at some point, right? In this book, we follow Georgia’s struggling journey to adulthood.
Writing Style
I love first person POV when used properly and when the author focuses on feelings. I could really relate with Georgia because of the good writing style. There was description followed by feelings, thoughts and then dialogue. I felt like there was flow to the story and the writing style as well. What I didn’t really like was that at the end of every chapter, there was a poetic paragraph that bored me. Sometimes it’s ok to give a poetic touch to contemporary stories because they make them more emotional. In this particular book I think I didn’t need this. The book was emotional enough already and I was seriously skipping this paragrpahs. They were a bit useless.
Also being Greek gives me the advantage to understand greek perfectly well, obviously. Surprisingly, there was an impressive amount of greek phrases in the book but reading them felt so wrong because they were not used correctly. I don’t blame mrs. Kottaras because the language is difficult and I hope that this happened because this is just an arc and it’s not edited yet.
I really don’t mean to offend her but I think a little bit more research would have helped. I could even help her correct the mistakes before the book gets published.
Plot
I loved the plot, I think it hit me right in the feels. A chubby girl, who’s mother died recently, tries to survive frienship, love and reality. I found it so so so realistic and I think it’s the first time I’ve ever read a contemporary book with real, teenage drama and not too much unrealistic drama.
Anyway the pace was good and I finished the book really fast because it was interesting to see if Georgia will manage to complete her goals.
I also loved how friendship was glorified and how much it means to have a true friend who can’t live without you and is able to forgive your silly mistakes.
What I didn’t like is that Georgia was getting high because she felt brave while doing so and I think it was wrong. You’re brave when you’re not a drug addict. I didn’t like that using drugs was portraited as something brave. No, I absolutely do not mean to say that mrs. Kottaras is encouraging teenagers to do that, don’t get me wrong. What I gathered from the book is that these are actual problems in America. Teenagers can easily be manipulated to smoke and do drugs because it’s only natural and it’s not that dangerous. I think it is and I think people should start reading about how to prevent using drugs and how to be in control of situations like that.
Characters
Georgia was a troubled teenage girl, living with a single parent who was lost in his grief. I didn’t blame her for her actions because I don’t even know how I would react in situations like the ones she was experiencing. She was a loyal friend and yes she might have doupted her friend at some point but she found the courage to accept everything even though they were just assumptions.
Overall
This book was not really for me. I think I am too old to be able to really enjoy reading about teenage drama BUT it was a good book in general. I think people need to work a bit more and correct a few mistakes and it will be better. My best wishes to the author. Hopefully people will like it.
Check out my twitter BookLand@twitter
Also you can like my fb page Bookland@facebook
Arc kindly provided by the publisher, via netGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
It takes courage to become an adult. You have to be brave in order to survive the teenage years but we all grow up at some point, right? In this book, we follow Georgia’s struggling journey to adulthood.
Writing Style
I love first person POV when used properly and when the author focuses on feelings. I could really relate with Georgia because of the good writing style. There was description followed by feelings, thoughts and then dialogue. I felt like there was flow to the story and the writing style as well. What I didn’t really like was that at the end of every chapter, there was a poetic paragraph that bored me. Sometimes it’s ok to give a poetic touch to contemporary stories because they make them more emotional. In this particular book I think I didn’t need this. The book was emotional enough already and I was seriously skipping this paragrpahs. They were a bit useless.
Also being Greek gives me the advantage to understand greek perfectly well, obviously. Surprisingly, there was an impressive amount of greek phrases in the book but reading them felt so wrong because they were not used correctly. I don’t blame mrs. Kottaras because the language is difficult and I hope that this happened because this is just an arc and it’s not edited yet.
I really don’t mean to offend her but I think a little bit more research would have helped. I could even help her correct the mistakes before the book gets published.
Plot
I loved the plot, I think it hit me right in the feels. A chubby girl, who’s mother died recently, tries to survive frienship, love and reality. I found it so so so realistic and I think it’s the first time I’ve ever read a contemporary book with real, teenage drama and not too much unrealistic drama.
Anyway the pace was good and I finished the book really fast because it was interesting to see if Georgia will manage to complete her goals.
I also loved how friendship was glorified and how much it means to have a true friend who can’t live without you and is able to forgive your silly mistakes.
What I didn’t like is that Georgia was getting high because she felt brave while doing so and I think it was wrong. You’re brave when you’re not a drug addict. I didn’t like that using drugs was portraited as something brave. No, I absolutely do not mean to say that mrs. Kottaras is encouraging teenagers to do that, don’t get me wrong. What I gathered from the book is that these are actual problems in America. Teenagers can easily be manipulated to smoke and do drugs because it’s only natural and it’s not that dangerous. I think it is and I think people should start reading about how to prevent using drugs and how to be in control of situations like that.
Characters
Georgia was a troubled teenage girl, living with a single parent who was lost in his grief. I didn’t blame her for her actions because I don’t even know how I would react in situations like the ones she was experiencing. She was a loyal friend and yes she might have doupted her friend at some point but she found the courage to accept everything even though they were just assumptions.
Overall
This book was not really for me. I think I am too old to be able to really enjoy reading about teenage drama BUT it was a good book in general. I think people need to work a bit more and correct a few mistakes and it will be better. My best wishes to the author. Hopefully people will like it.
November 6, 2015
Self-consciousness, self-esteem, fear, pain, suffering, deceit, denial, bullies, death. All her life, Georgia lived in these spheres. Fifteen years later, she decided to wake up and live again. A truly moving book that will eventually make you believe that there is still a second chance in life and love.
I ended up ugly-crying, hanky-sniffing and eyes-bawling with this book, so emotional and heartbreaking. You'd think this is another story about fulfilling bucket lists. Let me tell you, there's more to it than accomplishing all these wishes. And Georgia experienced all the gritty stuffs from day one. It wasn't an easy feat. Me? I don't know if I could do all those lists Georgia had made. She was relentless, I am not. Tribal dancing, cheer-leading with the bullies? Oh come on!
In my case, I need another book that will tell me how to be brave. Ugh. This book had a lot of feels and I'm filled to the brim with all these emotions. E. Katherine Kottaras's writing successfully moved me to tears. I had always been conscious of my body weight and appearance and found myself comparing Georgia's character with mine. I couldn't help it. The story was powerful and impossible to ignore. How To Be Brave deserved 5 stars for rendering me speechless from this moment on.
*I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review**
P.S. Just so you know, there were also light moments in this book, funny and snarky. I loved that there's balance of drama and fun in Georgia's life.
I ended up ugly-crying, hanky-sniffing and eyes-bawling with this book, so emotional and heartbreaking. You'd think this is another story about fulfilling bucket lists. Let me tell you, there's more to it than accomplishing all these wishes. And Georgia experienced all the gritty stuffs from day one. It wasn't an easy feat. Me? I don't know if I could do all those lists Georgia had made. She was relentless, I am not. Tribal dancing, cheer-leading with the bullies? Oh come on!
In my case, I need another book that will tell me how to be brave. Ugh. This book had a lot of feels and I'm filled to the brim with all these emotions. E. Katherine Kottaras's writing successfully moved me to tears. I had always been conscious of my body weight and appearance and found myself comparing Georgia's character with mine. I couldn't help it. The story was powerful and impossible to ignore. How To Be Brave deserved 5 stars for rendering me speechless from this moment on.
*I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review**
P.S. Just so you know, there were also light moments in this book, funny and snarky. I loved that there's balance of drama and fun in Georgia's life.
August 15, 2015
How to Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras follows Georgia on her journey of grief, finding herself, and surviving her senior year of high school. After her beloved mother passes away after battling with multiple health problems, Georgia decides to follow her mother’s advice and learn to be brave. She creates a list of fifteen things she’s always been afraid to do and begins to check them off one by one. Tribal dance? Ask out her biggest crush? Try out for cheerleading? Naturally, things don’t necessarily go as planned.
I’m going to be honest– I hesitated a bit when reading my ARC of this book. As someone who lost her mother as a teenager, I tend to be very weary of YA novels that overplay the sad, wide-eyed motherless teen role. But I was pleasantly surprised– aside from Sonya Sonyes’ “One of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies” (one of my all-time favorites), this is the first book I have read that has truly captured the individual, heartbreaking nature of experiencing this unique grief at such a young age.
I fell in love with Georgia, her father, and her friends. I fell in love with her mother’s spirit, living so brightly through Georgia while allowing her to shape herself. I bawled at times, and smiled so hard that my face hurt at other times. And that is what I needed from this book. Thank you, E. Katherine Kottaras. I sincerely wish that thirteen-year-old me had been able to read this book. You are going to help so many people through Georgia’s story, and even though I’m an “adult” now, you’ve certainly helped me.
How to Be Brave hits stores on November 3rd, and you guys absolutely need to read it.
FIVE STARS, WITHOUT A DOUBT.
I’m going to be honest– I hesitated a bit when reading my ARC of this book. As someone who lost her mother as a teenager, I tend to be very weary of YA novels that overplay the sad, wide-eyed motherless teen role. But I was pleasantly surprised– aside from Sonya Sonyes’ “One of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies” (one of my all-time favorites), this is the first book I have read that has truly captured the individual, heartbreaking nature of experiencing this unique grief at such a young age.
I fell in love with Georgia, her father, and her friends. I fell in love with her mother’s spirit, living so brightly through Georgia while allowing her to shape herself. I bawled at times, and smiled so hard that my face hurt at other times. And that is what I needed from this book. Thank you, E. Katherine Kottaras. I sincerely wish that thirteen-year-old me had been able to read this book. You are going to help so many people through Georgia’s story, and even though I’m an “adult” now, you’ve certainly helped me.
How to Be Brave hits stores on November 3rd, and you guys absolutely need to read it.
FIVE STARS, WITHOUT A DOUBT.
December 13, 2015
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/h...
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I didn't know what I was getting into when I signed up to review this book. I signed up for a YA Debut tour and was matched up with this one, so I decided to give it a go and read it. I rarely read synopses for reviews anymore, but I gave it a quick glance over and it looked like it would be interesting.
And it was.
This was a heavy read for me. Not that it was depressing or what have you, but Georgia, the main character, is going through a lot after her mom's death. This wasn't something I could read in one sitting because of the content. Still, I found myself drawn to the story and wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Reading this felt... real. As if I was actually looking in to Georgia's life... struggles and all.
I don't want to give out spoilers, but for a good portion of second half of the book I could feel this huge bubble of loneliness growing inside of me. I wanted so badly to just... I don't know... give her a hug? She needed one. Especially after it was discovered that she was carrying something as heavy as she was.
Hell, after reading through that part, I need a hug.
Anyway, slight spoiler: it ends on a positive note, which helped my heart to stop breaking. Because, my gawd, she really did NOT need more stuff thrown at her.
Good book, I enjoyed it. Recommended to people who like realistic stories.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I didn't know what I was getting into when I signed up to review this book. I signed up for a YA Debut tour and was matched up with this one, so I decided to give it a go and read it. I rarely read synopses for reviews anymore, but I gave it a quick glance over and it looked like it would be interesting.
And it was.
This was a heavy read for me. Not that it was depressing or what have you, but Georgia, the main character, is going through a lot after her mom's death. This wasn't something I could read in one sitting because of the content. Still, I found myself drawn to the story and wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Reading this felt... real. As if I was actually looking in to Georgia's life... struggles and all.
I don't want to give out spoilers, but for a good portion of second half of the book I could feel this huge bubble of loneliness growing inside of me. I wanted so badly to just... I don't know... give her a hug? She needed one. Especially after it was discovered that she was carrying something as heavy as she was.
Hell, after reading through that part, I need a hug.
Anyway, slight spoiler: it ends on a positive note, which helped my heart to stop breaking. Because, my gawd, she really did NOT need more stuff thrown at her.
Good book, I enjoyed it. Recommended to people who like realistic stories.
November 18, 2015
Find this and other reviews at Ramblings of a Daydreamer.
4.5 stars
In many ways, How to be Brave wasn’t what I was expecting. Despite the synopsis, the cutesie cover made me think it would be light and fluffy, so a lot of it really surprised me. It was more mature than I expected, while still managing to really capture the feeling of being a teen. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, sweet, funny, and ultimately hopeful.
I really liked Georgia. She had a great voice and she was easy to connect to. She was flawed, she made mistakes, she did stupid things, and she hurt and disappointed people - including herself at times. But she also went through a lot, learned a lot of important lessons, and grew a lot. One of the things that surprised me about this book was some of the things Georgia did. There were things that shocked me, but then I was like ‘this is what life is like for a lot of teens - drinking, drugs, experimenting’. It’s stuff I haven’t seen in a lot of books, so while I know it’s happening, it’s strange to read about. That being said, I appreciated the honest portrayal and the fact the author didn’t shy away from real life stuff.
Having watched a parent and grandparent/best friend die, many parts of the story really hit home for me. My dad wasn’t even fifty when he died, and he suffered so much, just like Georgia’s mother did. I can understand that feeling of wanting to do things to honour someone, do things they maybe didn’t get to do, and continuing to live even though part of you wants to just curl up and cry and scream and grieve forever. I liked the idea of the list being a way for Georgia to honour her mother, as well as getting her to try new things, keep going, and learn to be brave. She started out doing things for and because of other people and then learned to do things for herself. She learned that sometimes being brave is just living. Just getting by, surviving. It doesn’t have to be about grand gestures and occasions and milestones. It can be the quiet, everyday things that take courage. It can be realizing difficult things about yourself. Watching Georgia learn to be brave was a mixture of amusing, painful, and inspiring, and it was easy to cheer her on as she stumbled, fumbled, and succeeded.
When things related to Georgia’s crush took up a few spots on her list, I was worried it would be one of those books where the guy saves the girl, but it wasn’t like that at all. The romance was actually a very small part of the plot, which I actually appreciated because it suited the story. Daniel did help Georgia, and their interactions were adorable and sweet and completely believable (the awkwardness rang so true and made me laugh because I’ve been there), but all of that was a small part of Georgia’s overall journey. Their slowly evolving relationship was actually probably more accurate and true-to-life than a lot of other portrayals of teen relationships.
How to be Brave is a brave story. Kottaras took some chances, and they paid off, at least for me. This story was real and it was honest. It made me smile, laugh, and tear up. I think Georgia is a character a lot of people will be able to relate to and see themselves in. The things Georgia learned about being brave made me think and inspired me to be brave in my own life.
4.5 stars
In many ways, How to be Brave wasn’t what I was expecting. Despite the synopsis, the cutesie cover made me think it would be light and fluffy, so a lot of it really surprised me. It was more mature than I expected, while still managing to really capture the feeling of being a teen. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, sweet, funny, and ultimately hopeful.
I really liked Georgia. She had a great voice and she was easy to connect to. She was flawed, she made mistakes, she did stupid things, and she hurt and disappointed people - including herself at times. But she also went through a lot, learned a lot of important lessons, and grew a lot. One of the things that surprised me about this book was some of the things Georgia did. There were things that shocked me, but then I was like ‘this is what life is like for a lot of teens - drinking, drugs, experimenting’. It’s stuff I haven’t seen in a lot of books, so while I know it’s happening, it’s strange to read about. That being said, I appreciated the honest portrayal and the fact the author didn’t shy away from real life stuff.
Having watched a parent and grandparent/best friend die, many parts of the story really hit home for me. My dad wasn’t even fifty when he died, and he suffered so much, just like Georgia’s mother did. I can understand that feeling of wanting to do things to honour someone, do things they maybe didn’t get to do, and continuing to live even though part of you wants to just curl up and cry and scream and grieve forever. I liked the idea of the list being a way for Georgia to honour her mother, as well as getting her to try new things, keep going, and learn to be brave. She started out doing things for and because of other people and then learned to do things for herself. She learned that sometimes being brave is just living. Just getting by, surviving. It doesn’t have to be about grand gestures and occasions and milestones. It can be the quiet, everyday things that take courage. It can be realizing difficult things about yourself. Watching Georgia learn to be brave was a mixture of amusing, painful, and inspiring, and it was easy to cheer her on as she stumbled, fumbled, and succeeded.
When things related to Georgia’s crush took up a few spots on her list, I was worried it would be one of those books where the guy saves the girl, but it wasn’t like that at all. The romance was actually a very small part of the plot, which I actually appreciated because it suited the story. Daniel did help Georgia, and their interactions were adorable and sweet and completely believable (the awkwardness rang so true and made me laugh because I’ve been there), but all of that was a small part of Georgia’s overall journey. Their slowly evolving relationship was actually probably more accurate and true-to-life than a lot of other portrayals of teen relationships.
How to be Brave is a brave story. Kottaras took some chances, and they paid off, at least for me. This story was real and it was honest. It made me smile, laugh, and tear up. I think Georgia is a character a lot of people will be able to relate to and see themselves in. The things Georgia learned about being brave made me think and inspired me to be brave in my own life.
August 25, 2015
**I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review**
"It's the first time I've mentioned my mom in a while. I know it. Liss knows it. She's always here and never here."
Every once in a while I come across a book that really resonates with me. Not often, but sometimes. This was one of those books for me. Told in first person, with bits in verse, HOW TO BE BRAVE is a quiet YA about a high school senior named Georgia trying to move on and figure out her life in the wake of her mother's death. She wants to live up to a promise she made to her mother on her deathbed that she would "be brave," but she's struggling to come to terms with what that means. Along with her best friend Liss, she makes a list of tasks she wants to complete in honor of her mom, including things like skinny dip, make flambe, and ask out her crush. Meanwhile, she's trying to pick up the pieces of her old life at home and bond with her father, who is severely depressed himself.
Without going into too much personal detail, I was also an only child who lost my mom at a young age due to health problems. I found myself nodding along with this book, "Yep." "I remember feeling like this." "I still feel like this sometimes." It was a touching, but realistic portrayal of trying to find an identity for yourself after experiencing such a devastating loss. I was enthralled from the first page to the last. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever lost someone, or simply anyone who wants a good YA read and doesn't mind shedding a few tears. Five stars!
"It's the first time I've mentioned my mom in a while. I know it. Liss knows it. She's always here and never here."
Every once in a while I come across a book that really resonates with me. Not often, but sometimes. This was one of those books for me. Told in first person, with bits in verse, HOW TO BE BRAVE is a quiet YA about a high school senior named Georgia trying to move on and figure out her life in the wake of her mother's death. She wants to live up to a promise she made to her mother on her deathbed that she would "be brave," but she's struggling to come to terms with what that means. Along with her best friend Liss, she makes a list of tasks she wants to complete in honor of her mom, including things like skinny dip, make flambe, and ask out her crush. Meanwhile, she's trying to pick up the pieces of her old life at home and bond with her father, who is severely depressed himself.
Without going into too much personal detail, I was also an only child who lost my mom at a young age due to health problems. I found myself nodding along with this book, "Yep." "I remember feeling like this." "I still feel like this sometimes." It was a touching, but realistic portrayal of trying to find an identity for yourself after experiencing such a devastating loss. I was enthralled from the first page to the last. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever lost someone, or simply anyone who wants a good YA read and doesn't mind shedding a few tears. Five stars!
December 26, 2015
Quick Points about How to Be Brave
- Characterizations
The characters in How to Be Brave were very difficult at times. I didn't feel like they were as well-fleshed out as they could have been. It frustrated me because I was unable to connect with the characters in any way. Georgia, the protagonist, came across as emotionless, despite her battling with the grief of having just lost her mother. I didn't think that her emotions and feelings were written in a way that touches readers. Instead, by the end of the book, I felt extremely passive to her, which I doubt is how I should have felt with a book like this.
- Pacing
How to Be Brave was a short book, too short, in my opinion. Because of that, the whole book felt rushed. The pacing issues were probably my main reason for not enjoying this one as much. The speed at which Georgia and her friend went through her bucket list ended up not feeling very realistic.
- Writing
I thought the writing was decent enough and I do think that the author has the potential to grow as a write with more books in her resume. She could definitely be big in the YA world if she brushes up on certain areas of her writing.
Overall, I felt very meh about this book because of the characters and the pacing. I'll probably pick up something by this author in the future because I did like her writing enough though!
October 31, 2015
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
You can see the original review on my blog at http://www.forwardsandbookwords.wordp...
I had so many mixed feelings about this book. I honestly don’t even know where to start.
The book has a very basic plot. In order to take her mind off the tragic end to her mother’s life, our protagonist decides to make somewhat of a bucket list in order to help herself live her life to the fullest since her mother no longer could.
I love bucket list books – they’re definitely among my favorite elements to read about in contemporary novels (that, and boarding schools). I was hoping that this would be a fun, cute-sy bucket list that she completes with her best friend, Liss, who we were introduced to early in the story (kind of Since You’ve Been Gone-esque). However, it wasn’t like that at all.
Of course, just because this book wasn’t exactly like I expected it to be doesn’t mean that it’s horrible. My huge issue with the bucket list was that it didn’t make sense to me at all. The list’s purpose was to help improve Georgia’s life and honor her mother’s dying wishes: for her to be brave.
But some of the things on the list were illegal.
I just found it hard to take the book seriously when Georgia and her friends are doing drugs and skipping school on a regular basis and Georgia’s only thoughts are about how proud her mother would be of her for trying new things. Obviously these events are going to lead to some sort of lesson, but because such a large majority of the book was Georgia doing these crazy things, I had a really hard time liking her character.
Another issue I had with Georgia was that she was supposed to be a senior in high school, but she really didn’t seem like one at all. The conversations she had with people and even her narrative seemed like someone who was much younger.
There were also so many pop culture and technology-related references throughout the novel. I mean, slang and abbreviations can be fun in moderation but using phrases like OMG and #YOLO (even mockingly) in the narrative pretty often made it seem as if the narrative itself was screaming, “I’m a high schooler! Trust me!” the entire book.
There were some characters that I really liked. I loved the fact that Georgia’s love interest was a total dork but he was still respected by everyone in the story and he could still be really funny (without being a total unrealistic dreamboat).
I also like Georgia’s dad’s character. He wasn’t the most involved parent throughout the story, but he had his funny moments. He is from Greece and one of his quirks in the story was that he would say these Greece idioms in Greek, and then when he would translate them into English they would make absolutely no sense. A little cheesy, yes, but I can appreciate some cheese every now and then.
There were also some moments in the narrative where it seemed like Georgia was writing in verse. I found these sections really interesting, and beautiful, although they were never completely explained. Either way, they did a good job of breaking up sections and adding some more unique elements to the story.
This story also included some pretty diverse and unique characters. As I said, Georgia’s dad was Greek, and Georgia struggles with her weight. I also thought it was really interesting that there was a character in this story who struggled with depression, but she wasn’t the main character and wasn’t even necessarily the focus of the story, which I haven’t really seen done in YA before.
There were some pretty cliché characters, too, which aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Needless to say, however, I wasn’t too surprised when the two “mean girls” were also later revealed to be captains of the cheerleading squad. I didn’t mind these characters, as they added a lot of intriguing drama to the story, but they did seem pretty unrealistically mean. Speaking as someone who is currently in high school, though people can be pretty cruel, I have never heard anyone say that someone’s dress would look better on them.
All things considered, this book wasn’t amazing when it comes to the writing style or the plot, but it was incredibly fast-paced. I flew right through it, and there was never a moment when I wasn’t interested in what would happen next. It certainly got me out of my reading slump. If you like quick, easy contemporaries that have a fun little story, you might really like this one!
You can see the original review on my blog at http://www.forwardsandbookwords.wordp...
I had so many mixed feelings about this book. I honestly don’t even know where to start.
The book has a very basic plot. In order to take her mind off the tragic end to her mother’s life, our protagonist decides to make somewhat of a bucket list in order to help herself live her life to the fullest since her mother no longer could.
I love bucket list books – they’re definitely among my favorite elements to read about in contemporary novels (that, and boarding schools). I was hoping that this would be a fun, cute-sy bucket list that she completes with her best friend, Liss, who we were introduced to early in the story (kind of Since You’ve Been Gone-esque). However, it wasn’t like that at all.
Of course, just because this book wasn’t exactly like I expected it to be doesn’t mean that it’s horrible. My huge issue with the bucket list was that it didn’t make sense to me at all. The list’s purpose was to help improve Georgia’s life and honor her mother’s dying wishes: for her to be brave.
But some of the things on the list were illegal.
I just found it hard to take the book seriously when Georgia and her friends are doing drugs and skipping school on a regular basis and Georgia’s only thoughts are about how proud her mother would be of her for trying new things. Obviously these events are going to lead to some sort of lesson, but because such a large majority of the book was Georgia doing these crazy things, I had a really hard time liking her character.
Another issue I had with Georgia was that she was supposed to be a senior in high school, but she really didn’t seem like one at all. The conversations she had with people and even her narrative seemed like someone who was much younger.
There were also so many pop culture and technology-related references throughout the novel. I mean, slang and abbreviations can be fun in moderation but using phrases like OMG and #YOLO (even mockingly) in the narrative pretty often made it seem as if the narrative itself was screaming, “I’m a high schooler! Trust me!” the entire book.
There were some characters that I really liked. I loved the fact that Georgia’s love interest was a total dork but he was still respected by everyone in the story and he could still be really funny (without being a total unrealistic dreamboat).
I also like Georgia’s dad’s character. He wasn’t the most involved parent throughout the story, but he had his funny moments. He is from Greece and one of his quirks in the story was that he would say these Greece idioms in Greek, and then when he would translate them into English they would make absolutely no sense. A little cheesy, yes, but I can appreciate some cheese every now and then.
There were also some moments in the narrative where it seemed like Georgia was writing in verse. I found these sections really interesting, and beautiful, although they were never completely explained. Either way, they did a good job of breaking up sections and adding some more unique elements to the story.
This story also included some pretty diverse and unique characters. As I said, Georgia’s dad was Greek, and Georgia struggles with her weight. I also thought it was really interesting that there was a character in this story who struggled with depression, but she wasn’t the main character and wasn’t even necessarily the focus of the story, which I haven’t really seen done in YA before.
There were some pretty cliché characters, too, which aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Needless to say, however, I wasn’t too surprised when the two “mean girls” were also later revealed to be captains of the cheerleading squad. I didn’t mind these characters, as they added a lot of intriguing drama to the story, but they did seem pretty unrealistically mean. Speaking as someone who is currently in high school, though people can be pretty cruel, I have never heard anyone say that someone’s dress would look better on them.
All things considered, this book wasn’t amazing when it comes to the writing style or the plot, but it was incredibly fast-paced. I flew right through it, and there was never a moment when I wasn’t interested in what would happen next. It certainly got me out of my reading slump. If you like quick, easy contemporaries that have a fun little story, you might really like this one!
November 15, 2015
It is very true that How To Be Brave is a very well written, and at times extremely poignant 'coming of age' story that deals with a whole host of issues in the life of 17-year old, Georgia Askeridis. It is also true that said story does an excellent job of putting its reader in the heart and mind of its brave, emotionally intelligent, and sensitive heroine.
The Problem(s)?
The List
The plain truth of the matter is that there is truly no need for this list.
It does nothing to enhance Georgia's connection with the memory her mother. That is done through their shared love for art. As well as through Georgia's much more relevant personal poems, remembrances, and musings concerning both her mother's life, and Georgia's attempts to come to terms with her death.
The list also works against the message of the book, because its importance is negated by the afore mentioned issues that plague both Georgia and those closest to her.
When faced with the choice between finding out whether Georgia does No. 15 (see book) or if she confronts her father's very closed way of dealing with the lose of his wife. Who really cares all that much about the overall possibility that No. 15 may or may not happen.
At best, the list serves as a plot driver. A segue into events or realizations.
At worst, it's about as annoying as a cute younger brother at a sleepover. (A cute novelty for the first five minutes. A reoccurring candidate for the Have You Seen Me? wall at the local Walmart for the rest of the night!)
The Pollyanna Principle
Author E. Katherine Kottaras takes very laudable steps in the direction of contemporary germaneness with her attempts at addressing topics such as: self esteem, death, grief, suicide, body image, and drug use.
So, it is quite surprising that by book's end, every issue that Georgia and those closest to her have had to face has somehow righted itself for the better. A shiny, happy, and oh so new day is on the not too distant horizon for all. (Insert REM's Shiny Happy People here.)
The 'everything works out in the end' scenario that readers are presented with here, once again puts readers at crossed purposes with the realism that the author works so hard to convey.
With the exception of Georgia's mother still being dead, there is not a single happily...bow left untied here!
WTF?!
The Advantage(s)
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
This story is a wonderful example of someone experiencing the pain of losing a parent, and finding the strength to live on...in their own truth.
Georgia is strong enough to both honor her mother, but careful not to let her mother's mistakes become her own.
She also learns to find her voice, depend on the resources around her, and strive to be happy in the process.
The Writing
This book is a veritable wonderland of poetry, prose, word play, snark, and wit. A large part of this read's appeal lies in the fact that one is never quite sure what is going to be said next, or the form that said sentiment is going to take.
Georgia is allowed an intelligence that is befitting her emotional depth. In giving her main character this, author Kottaras also ensures that her book will appeal to both adult and teen readers.
In Short...
This is a good book with a strong and empowering message!
Please take the time to read it? You'll be glad you did!
The Problem(s)?
The List
The plain truth of the matter is that there is truly no need for this list.
It does nothing to enhance Georgia's connection with the memory her mother. That is done through their shared love for art. As well as through Georgia's much more relevant personal poems, remembrances, and musings concerning both her mother's life, and Georgia's attempts to come to terms with her death.
The list also works against the message of the book, because its importance is negated by the afore mentioned issues that plague both Georgia and those closest to her.
When faced with the choice between finding out whether Georgia does No. 15 (see book) or if she confronts her father's very closed way of dealing with the lose of his wife. Who really cares all that much about the overall possibility that No. 15 may or may not happen.
At best, the list serves as a plot driver. A segue into events or realizations.
At worst, it's about as annoying as a cute younger brother at a sleepover. (A cute novelty for the first five minutes. A reoccurring candidate for the Have You Seen Me? wall at the local Walmart for the rest of the night!)
The Pollyanna Principle
Author E. Katherine Kottaras takes very laudable steps in the direction of contemporary germaneness with her attempts at addressing topics such as: self esteem, death, grief, suicide, body image, and drug use.
So, it is quite surprising that by book's end, every issue that Georgia and those closest to her have had to face has somehow righted itself for the better. A shiny, happy, and oh so new day is on the not too distant horizon for all. (Insert REM's Shiny Happy People here.)
The 'everything works out in the end' scenario that readers are presented with here, once again puts readers at crossed purposes with the realism that the author works so hard to convey.
With the exception of Georgia's mother still being dead, there is not a single happily...bow left untied here!
WTF?!
The Advantage(s)
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
This story is a wonderful example of someone experiencing the pain of losing a parent, and finding the strength to live on...in their own truth.
Georgia is strong enough to both honor her mother, but careful not to let her mother's mistakes become her own.
She also learns to find her voice, depend on the resources around her, and strive to be happy in the process.
The Writing
This book is a veritable wonderland of poetry, prose, word play, snark, and wit. A large part of this read's appeal lies in the fact that one is never quite sure what is going to be said next, or the form that said sentiment is going to take.
Georgia is allowed an intelligence that is befitting her emotional depth. In giving her main character this, author Kottaras also ensures that her book will appeal to both adult and teen readers.
In Short...
This is a good book with a strong and empowering message!
Please take the time to read it? You'll be glad you did!
August 3, 2015
This is yet another books which is centralized on a kind of bucket list. While I haven't read Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson, I'm pretty sure that book was about some kind of bucket list, too. A book I reviewed earlier, 18 Things, also featured a bucket list.
Now you might see where I'm going with this. I'm a bit tired of contemporaries that have the same kind of plot point. It kind of takes away the originality of the book, and honestly, I couldn't care less about whether the protagonist wants to go skinny-dipping or not. This kind of plot points makes the book predictable, a little repetitive and when you see it in more than one book, you can observe a formula emerging. It feels like you're reading the same book over and over again.
And that is probably why this book wasn't a hit for me. When I requested this on Netgalley, I was hoping that the author would have some fresh take on the whole "bucket list" concept. When that didn't happen, I very quickly grew bored with this book, BUT I can't say it was a terrible book, and it did have it's plus points.
For example, I liked the writing style. There were slightly poetic passages that were written beautifully, and flowed very smoothly. The only problem with it was that sometimes it lulled me to boredom. It really depends on what kind of writing style keeps you reading, and normally, I wouldn't mind this kind of style if only the plot was exciting. (Case point: Daughter of Smoke and Bone). But because I didn't find the plot very impressive (it was predictable and the pacing was a bit slow, as opposed to Daughter if Smoke and Bone), it was boring.
The characters. They were okay. I felt like this is a book where you should fall in love with the characters and sob over their angst, but that didn't happen. All the side characters were like cardboard cut-outs, showing only one face. Daniel was the perfect crush who is completely understanding and *gasp* may just like the Georgia (the protagonist) back, Liss is the quirky, fun best friend, Evelyn is the troubled teen, Avery is the high school queen bully who secretly nurses her insecurity and Georgia's father is the absent, grief-stricken parent. Yawn! All of these characters seemed one dimensional and their personalities when no deeper than their designated stereotypes.
The main character, Georgia, was not too bad. I liked her and everything, but she still seemed a bit meh. I really liked her connection to art and how that connected her to her mother, but I didn't really see much character development through this novel. Sure, she may have been a bit braver, bit more artistic and and bit more connected to her dad by the end of the book, but that was it.
How To Be Brave, was, overall, an okay read. My feelings when it comes to this book are completely apathetic, which is a disappointment because I expected it to be heart-warming and exciting. I appreciate the diversity and Greek references, but otherwise this book felt like a very formulaic contemporary.
Now you might see where I'm going with this. I'm a bit tired of contemporaries that have the same kind of plot point. It kind of takes away the originality of the book, and honestly, I couldn't care less about whether the protagonist wants to go skinny-dipping or not. This kind of plot points makes the book predictable, a little repetitive and when you see it in more than one book, you can observe a formula emerging. It feels like you're reading the same book over and over again.
And that is probably why this book wasn't a hit for me. When I requested this on Netgalley, I was hoping that the author would have some fresh take on the whole "bucket list" concept. When that didn't happen, I very quickly grew bored with this book, BUT I can't say it was a terrible book, and it did have it's plus points.
For example, I liked the writing style. There were slightly poetic passages that were written beautifully, and flowed very smoothly. The only problem with it was that sometimes it lulled me to boredom. It really depends on what kind of writing style keeps you reading, and normally, I wouldn't mind this kind of style if only the plot was exciting. (Case point: Daughter of Smoke and Bone). But because I didn't find the plot very impressive (it was predictable and the pacing was a bit slow, as opposed to Daughter if Smoke and Bone), it was boring.
The characters. They were okay. I felt like this is a book where you should fall in love with the characters and sob over their angst, but that didn't happen. All the side characters were like cardboard cut-outs, showing only one face. Daniel was the perfect crush who is completely understanding and *gasp* may just like the Georgia (the protagonist) back, Liss is the quirky, fun best friend, Evelyn is the troubled teen, Avery is the high school queen bully who secretly nurses her insecurity and Georgia's father is the absent, grief-stricken parent. Yawn! All of these characters seemed one dimensional and their personalities when no deeper than their designated stereotypes.
The main character, Georgia, was not too bad. I liked her and everything, but she still seemed a bit meh. I really liked her connection to art and how that connected her to her mother, but I didn't really see much character development through this novel. Sure, she may have been a bit braver, bit more artistic and and bit more connected to her dad by the end of the book, but that was it.
How To Be Brave, was, overall, an okay read. My feelings when it comes to this book are completely apathetic, which is a disappointment because I expected it to be heart-warming and exciting. I appreciate the diversity and Greek references, but otherwise this book felt like a very formulaic contemporary.
August 4, 2015
An ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This review contains spoilers (a lot) Read it on your own rick
Aside from all the getting high, kissing wrong people, trying to kill them self = which I found very familiar with, since our society is like this. I find this book very realistic and I can say it was great to read for a change something with this kind of content.
This review contains spoilers (a lot) Read it on your own rick
Aside from all the getting high, kissing wrong people, trying to kill them self = which I found very familiar with, since our society is like this. I find this book very realistic and I can say it was great to read for a change something with this kind of content.
October 26, 2015
I don't know what it is but I am drawn to books about grief. I also love books that focus on friendship and ones that focus on personal growth. (I like character arcs, basically.) And so a book that does all three? YES PLEASE.
And honestly, I love Georgia. I love her so, so much. She's a plus-sized lady (and in high school, so God love her for that) and she doesn't really focus on her weight. She is okay with the fact that she has curves and she never really obsesses about it. She wants to lose a few pounds but that's to be healthier, not "prettier."
At the same time, though, she has the same body issues that I'm pretty sure almost literally every woman ever has. (One of her life list items is to go skinny dipping, which is fine until she realizes that will mean being naked in front of people.)
The only reason this book isn't five stars is because, at 288 pages, I thought a few things seemed really rushed. But those 288 pages were all wonderful and I cannot wait to read everything E. Katherine Kottaras ever writes, ever.
How to Be Brave sets out to make statements on dealing with grief and body image and self-acceptance and that time where you're trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life AND dealing with crumbling friendships. There is a lot going on and it would be so easy to let one (or many) of those balls drop. That doesn't happen in this case; everything is handled masterfully. (So masterfully, in fact, even Olivia Pope couldn't have handled it better.)
Highly recommended.
And honestly, I love Georgia. I love her so, so much. She's a plus-sized lady (and in high school, so God love her for that) and she doesn't really focus on her weight. She is okay with the fact that she has curves and she never really obsesses about it. She wants to lose a few pounds but that's to be healthier, not "prettier."
At the same time, though, she has the same body issues that I'm pretty sure almost literally every woman ever has. (One of her life list items is to go skinny dipping, which is fine until she realizes that will mean being naked in front of people.)
The only reason this book isn't five stars is because, at 288 pages, I thought a few things seemed really rushed. But those 288 pages were all wonderful and I cannot wait to read everything E. Katherine Kottaras ever writes, ever.
How to Be Brave sets out to make statements on dealing with grief and body image and self-acceptance and that time where you're trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life AND dealing with crumbling friendships. There is a lot going on and it would be so easy to let one (or many) of those balls drop. That doesn't happen in this case; everything is handled masterfully. (So masterfully, in fact, even Olivia Pope couldn't have handled it better.)
Highly recommended.
February 6, 2016
I love, love, loved this book. I could totally relate with Georgia. Not with the losing her mother, but with the weight. I wasn't exactly obese but I was overweight for my age and height. I still struggle with my weight today. I really loved that this book touched on that. I personally haven't read my YA books that deal with this subject very much. I felt so proud of her for doing all the things that scared her. To actually finding her voice and telling people what she needed to say to them. Having the courage to ask that guy out. It's hard to be brave and go after the things you want. I was definitely crying the last few chapters of the book because I was so happy for Georgia. Her life was finally going in the direction it needed to. There were definitely a whole lot of bumps along the way, but she made it through and found out a lot about herself and her mother along the way.
October 21, 2015
Just to be clear, this is a teen book. I was pleasantly suprised with this book. It deals with a girl who has just lost her mother. It goes into her dealing with the death while trying to keep the promises she made to her as she was dying. It deals with high school drama and the pressure to fit in. I loved the external characters in this book and loved the way they interacted with each other. I think the subject matter was spot on and dealt with in a nice and uplifting way. I would definitely recommend this read to any high school aged kid out there.
August 17, 2015
Read the ARC from Netgalley so I didn't really notice how off the cover is until now but that girl is WAY smaller than the main character is described! I was also annoyed by the fact that Georgia's personal growth coincides with weight loss. But Georgia likes herself and even though she's bullied she doesn't internalize it and that made up a bit for some of the other flaws in how the book deals with the character's weight.
September 2, 2016
In How to be Brave at first I liked it, it was just a normal girl trying to overcome her fears with her friend. But, then it gets really out of hand, with sex and a lot of drugs. The end, yes held a great message but in the middle of the book... I could have lived without reading it. I might choose to read this again if I couldn't find anything else I kind of liked.
April 30, 2018
How to Be Brave is a captivating and emotional book that I enjoyed reading. However, I must confess that I had contradictory opinions while I was reading. It started really well and I really liked the MC, but then there were parts inside the story about her that didn't sit well with me. I still think it was a great book.
Georgia (the MC) starts the story with the difficult task of learning to live without her mom after she passed away. She is determined to live a good life in honor of her mother's last advice for her therefore she decides to do a bucket list. While doing the things on her list, she comes to realize that some are good, some are peer pressure and others are simply dumb. She faces disappointment, desperation, hope, good times, bad times and she loses herself until she has to come up again and regain herself.
How to Be Brave is a compelling story full of emotion with the right touch of humor. It was easy to read and it did not fail to deliver a great story!
.
Full review coming next week!
Georgia (the MC) starts the story with the difficult task of learning to live without her mom after she passed away. She is determined to live a good life in honor of her mother's last advice for her therefore she decides to do a bucket list. While doing the things on her list, she comes to realize that some are good, some are peer pressure and others are simply dumb. She faces disappointment, desperation, hope, good times, bad times and she loses herself until she has to come up again and regain herself.
How to Be Brave is a compelling story full of emotion with the right touch of humor. It was easy to read and it did not fail to deliver a great story!
.
Full review coming next week!
March 1, 2021
Sometimes, change do occur.... Georgia, used to be the "good student" but after her mother's death, she decided to create a bucket list. In the beginning, Georgia was getting her friend Liss to push her to finish her list, but towards the end, she was really doing it for herself, not for someone else.
June 21, 2018
This book has a very moving story. It is full of drama and characters that are easy to become attached to. Its a very light read and an overall good story.
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