Customer Reviews

Brave Men Run - A Novel of the Sovereign Era

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been listening to the podiobook of this book (available at www.podiobooks.com) and it has completely captivated myself, my wife, my 11 year old daughter and my 14 year old son. Told as a revealing and personal narrative, the story is dramatic, well paced, intriguing and very accessible. It's also a great blast from the past for those of us who were in high school and/or college in the fabulous 80s! Warning: Some of the content is probably more suggestive than a pre-teen should be exposed to, but it is relatively brief and easily by-passed for younger consumption.

You don't see many examples of "super-hero" stories in novel form (unless you are speaking of graphic novels, of course). But 'Brave Men Run' begins its existence in a non-graphic form, both written and as an audiobook (actually, the better term is podiobook in this case). I could definitely see 'Brave Men Run' as a graphic novel, but for now I am very happy to have experienced it in its current form.

As with most good novels, when you peel back the layers of 'Brave Men Run' you find more depth. On the surface it is a coming of age novel. The main character endures high-school during an alternate-Earth Reagan era. He falls in love and is transformed by the events that take place around him.

'Brave Men Run' is also an origin story, in comic-book terms. It introduces what character William Donner calls 'The Sovereign,' similar to the 'mutants' of X-Men stories. The twist here is that the story is told through the eyes of main character Nate Charters, a boy with definite differences that has no idea if he is one of these 'Sovereign.' that have announced themselves to the world.

The tone of the story is that of an outsider seeking normalcy in an 80s world. But if being a misfit in high school wasn't enough, this 'Sovereign Declaration' produces a new form of alienation for Nate Charters.

'Brave Men Run' has been called "The Breakfast Club meets the X-Men", and "Spiderman as directed by John Hughes." The 80s feel is realistic across the board, and the voice the author gives to Nate Charters (especially in the podiobook) is on the mark. Children of the 80s will enjoy the references, comic book readers will enjoy the references to the 'silver age' of comics, and the story is enjoyable to boot.

If you are unsure about purchasing the book, please take some time to listen to the free podiobook version that you can obtain from the author's website or through I-Tunes. As stated before, the voice of Matthew Wayne Selznick is perfect for the main character, and the production value of the podiobook is great for those that are hesitant to try this form of media.

A strong recommendation for this book and its companion podiobook!

Brave Men Run is a rare find in books today. The story of Nathan Charters is very easy to relate to and just flat out fun to read. The story is of Nathan Charters, who was born a bit different. He's got some special gifts and finds they also have a knack for getting him into trouble. The story is a coming of age story of friends, first loves and responsiblity. Brave Men Run takes place in the 80's where Nate is attending High School where being different is a curse. Nate has to learn to live with who he is before he can live up to his potential. If you like character driven stories, you'll love this book. If you like comics, you'll like this book. If you are a fan of the 80's, you'll probably like this book. Buy the book and tell your friends about it!

I listened to the audio version of this book and absolutely loved it. It begins with a perfect sense of time and place, set in a small high school during the 1980's, then adds well-developed, compelling characters, and a genuine mystery. From there it develops into a fascinating alternate history, a remix of superheroes, an adventure story, and a emotionally honest coming of age story with some real surprises. I loved it.

Brave Men Run brought me right back to my time in high school. It brought back all the memories of what was good in the 80's colored by an amazing super-hero story. Matt Selznick's writing takes this story above so many others in the genre. He made me really care about the characters and what happened to them. His dialog is flow effortlessly and his plot had more than enough twists to keep me guessing at what would happen next.

Matt Selznick is in the top ten of the new genre writers this year and Brave Men Run is a book you don't want to miss.

Originally debuting via free podcast form, author Matthew Wayne Selznick manages what seems at first blush an impossible hybrid: a mixture of 80s teen movie nostalgia and superhero comic book angst. Not only does Selznick somehow combine these into one seamless whole, but he does it with tremendous verve and flair. He writes with a distinctive voice that somehow makes the familiar fresh and new, but don't underestimate the nostalgic value of the familiar here. If you were alive in the 80s -- and especially if you were a teenager -- Selznick offers a powerful trip down memory lane, with no shortage of pop culture and historical references.

Beneath this veneer of nostalgia, however, lies the beating heart of a powerful coming-of-age story that transcends its comic book inspirations to appeal to any type of reader, not just comic book fans. This is not a cape-and-tights story, here, but a tale about what most teenagers feel at one time or another: being an outcast.

Buy it to relive your 80s youth, buy it to enjoy the comic book tales of misfits and outcasts that you loved, but more importantly, buy it because it's a damned good book that transcends the very classics it pays homage to.

Matthew Wayne Selznick's debut novel is such a fun read. For kids who grew up in the 80's, there's so many aspects of this book that will bring you right back, and on top of all that... super-powers! Awesome, huh?

This is better than I thought it would be. It starts off as though it is going to be a terrible teenage romance novel, and just keeps improving.
The setting is the 1980s, unashamedly. Some other reviews had mentioned 'The Breakfast Club'. While the movie is seen by the characters in the book, luckily, this is nothing like it. So, if like me you were one of the people that would have to paid cold hard cash to watch something like that, then don't worry, this book is way better.

Nate Charters is having a Buffy like experience at high school, as he is slightly odd looking, has strange eyes, and some feline type animal abilities. So, your usual yank high school jock types pick on him, needless to say. He does have a couple of friends.

Amazingly enough, he meets a cool girl that likes him, and horny inexperienced teenager instincts come to the fore.

Some after, a bombshell hits, politically. A scientist calls a news conference, and demonstrates that he can levitate, and change the color of any objects he feels like. He wants Sovereign political status for him and all people like him, and demands a meeting with Reagan, accusing all nations of the world of extreme human rights violations, when it comes to his people.

Needless to say, this is like throwing 10,000 sabre-tooth tigers among a bunch of very startled avian pests.

From there, things escalate. Nate writes an essay, assuming he is a Sovereign. One of the school bullies may be, as well. His mother pulls him out of school. The spooks come knocking.

Other people appear out of his past, with other agendas, and violence ensues.

We have elements of other milieu like The 4400, The X-Men, Runaways, and others all coming together, here.

Plenty of comic geek stuff here, too. Presumably Selznick is a Marvel fan. Lee and Ditko run a business, his family holiday house is at Kirby Lake, they hang out at Romita Park. His girlfriend throws a Mary Jane Spider-Man line at him. Although, there is a Donner Institute, and speaking of Buffy, Mr Giles is the man in charge of overseeing home schooling arrangements. Plenty of chuckles to be had, there.

The book ends at a resolution point, but could clearly be continued.

I could split hairs and call this a 3.75, I suppose. The editing is pretty good, considering.

A book that can basically be enjoyed by anyone. Clearly it is aimed at having a young adult appeal, but unlike a lot of that sort of thing, here teenagers seem to talk a lot more like teenagers actually do, than some ludicrous G-rated version of the same.

I would happily read more.

Remember when you first started reading comics? Remember when the X-men weren't completely worn out and tired? Remember when the 80s seemed fresh and new?

Even if you don't - you will after reading this coming of age supers origin story. This book is a testament to the power and quality of the indie press.

Brave Men Run is a science fiction novel set in a small American town in the 1980's, dealing with a teenage outcast whose physical peculiarities become more than the subject of highschool ostracism after a scientist makes public the existence of superhumans on live national television at a Washington, D.C. press conference. Despite being billed as "the Breakfast Club meets the X-men", BMR tells it's story with all the sincerity of speculative short fiction and the narrative complexity of true "literature" without the pretentiousness. If you have an interest in a classic coming of age story that never leaves the bounds of reality in exchange for pulpy outrageousness nor ever descending into artsy self-satisfaction, this book is highly recommended. I can't say it will be the best book you have ever read, but it it definitely possesses literary qualities and meaningful themes, as well as a clever and colorful description of the real 1980's (and the thought out incorporation of an alternate history), that many people have long claimed stories about people with superpowers (and about teenagers outcasts for that matter) lack. So with that in mind I posit another description of this novel: The Catcher in the Rye for the X-Men/MTV generation.

All that said, BMR does have it's problems, but none of them are glaringly obvious. Pretentious commentary from this reviewer side, it really is a light but substantial read with a satisfying ending worthy of a chance from even "serious" fiction readers who usually stay far away from genre fiction. I enjoyed it as both a comicbook and pop-science fiction fan AND a literary man, so I hope that you will consider giving it a try.