“Life will turn us upside down, and it will still be okay.”
After the death of her mother, Georgia takes a look at her life and how she wants to live it. Prompted by a letter her mother left her, she makes a list of fifteen things that she would like to do but never had the courage to try in the past, calling it “The Do Everything Be Brave List.” As she begins checking things off her list, she finds that actions have consequences and that things don’t always turn out the way we hope. That being brave shows you, just how strong you can be.
How to Be Brave is a heart-warming debut novel about self-discovery, and finding your courage and voice in the world. Georgia is a very likeable main character and her intention of living life bravely and thinking positively is sweet and inspiring.
The novel is a mix of light-hearted and dark as it does touch on some deep and serious issues such as depression and suicide. I wish the list would have been more thought out and personal, providing a better understanding of who Georgia is and what she desires in life. The list itself did not feel like the focal point of the novel, although that appeared to be the objective. Overall, I found How to Be Brave to be a nice and enjoyable read.
Favourite quote: “… 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 for it anyway. That you’re going to try anyway. That you have a choice, and you’re going to choose to live, today, bravely.”
*ARC provided by NetGalley. Publication date: November 3, 2015.
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