Review by Ian Keogh

With Brave Svetlana Chmakova takes a second visit to Berrybrook Middle School, but features an entirely different cast from those used in Awkward. Central on the cover is Jensen Graham who fantasises about saving the world. The exact particulars can vary from one imagined scenario to the next, but the aim is fixed, a way of compensating for his being overweight and insecure in real life, which he views as form of video game with obstacles to be negotiated on a daily basis. Accompanying him on the cover are Jenny and Alikah, the driving forces behind the school newspaper, and firm believers in truth and justice.

Middle school being hell for the smart, but socially awkward loner is a popular topic for both young adult fiction and graphic novels aimed at the same market, but Chmakova’s entries stand out for being artistically superior and instantly communicating. Jensen may be fearful about his environment, but his better qualities are instantly conveyed. He’s enthusiastic, definitely imaginative, and learns that when he puts himself out, there are rewards.

A lot of what Jensen becomes involved in requires planning ahead, and there’s an amusing contrast in his making detailed plans for things that will never occur, while unable to apply the same diligence to actual life. Chmakova certainly plans ahead. The way Jensen’s life becomes more complicated, to the point where choices have to be made, is a gradual building process, and despite all the signifiers, it’s a surprise to Jensen that he’s being bullied. This isn’t just via the obvious duo, but supposed friends constantly making cutting remarks. Once that comes into focus Chmakova starts supplying possible solutions.

These are solutions obvious to adults, but which often make children more fearful, and this isn’t glossed over for the sake of a convenient story. Every youngster who reads Brave ought to have sympathy for Jensen as they examine their own feelings, and it will cause a few to question their own behaviour. This is no head-on lecture either. Chmakova has several other issues running, all of them involving, although everything is seen from Jensen’s viewpoint.

Just because a message or solution is obvious to adults, we shouldn’t overlook that there’s always a child going through bullying who doesn’t know where to turn, and Brave addresses that with common sense, considerable charm and practical advice.