Customer Reviews

Brave Story (Novel-Paperback)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A boy, whose family is in crisis, sets out on a journey into a fantastical world in order to change his destiny. Actually, there is a lot more to the book than this.

The lead character, Wataru, faces many different kinds of struggles. In addition to combating magical statues and demons, he also faces real psychological and moral dilemmas. Faced with two, complex worlds, Wataru frequently struggles to decide what is right and how he should proceed. It is easy to empathize with characters on both sides of many of this book's conflicts. As such, this complex book really makes you think.

In this book, there are both fantastical elements and real-world elements. This is what makes the book so remarkable. In fact, the first couple hundred pages of this weighty tome (the book itself is over 800 pages long) are set in the real world and deal primarily with Wataru's domestic crises as his family begins to fall apart. The first chunk of the book does have strong, very-important fantasy themes, but these are used largely for the benefit of telling Wataru's domestic story.

And then, once Wataru does enter and remain in the fantasy world, his real-world problems continue to plague him. The fantasy world, Vision, resembles the real world in many important respects.

In the beginning of the book, the fantasy world bleeds into the real world. In the rest of the book, the real world bleeds into the fantasy world.

I'm sure I'm making the book sound too dry. For most of the book, I was on the edge of my seat, racing through pages, seeing and experiencing the adventures Wataru faces. My heart was racing as Wataru barely survived his encounters with demons, magical statues, and the worshipers of the old God. This book is, for the large part, a truly fast read, and often it is quite gripping. I finished this 800 page behemoth in the course of a week.

I've heard people compare this book to books from the Harry Potter series. While there are numerous similarities, "Brave Story" is a far darker novel. I probably wouldn't have liked this book as much had it not been for some very dark, scary moments. I like those moments - they make the book seem more real and relevant. Much of the book isn't disturbing at all, but some of it really is. This is something to keep in mind.

I loved this book - sometimes-dark, it was always complex and gripping and had great characters and a wonderful fantasy world. A true must-read.

This is a book that turned out to be a little different from my expectations. Judging from the cover, the book appears to almost be a children's story, or much lighter in tone. Unlike the book jacket, the first 200 pages of the book have almost nothing to do with the fantasy world of Vision... it is mostly grounded in the real world, where Waturu goes through daily life in modern Japan: days of school, times with his friend, and the collapse of his family and his parent's impending divorce.

This story struck me as an instant classic. I found it to be deeply moving; at times quite dark, yet also uplifting and inspiring. The characters are quite memorable, and you want to embrace them all. One of the things I found the most thought provoking is that all of the characters-- even the ones that do terrible things and could be considered the villains-- do things for reasons that can be readily understood and even sympathized with. When Wataru's parents talk of divorce, you can see how painful and touchy a subject it is, and why both sides want what they do. Neither side is completely right, neither side is completely wrong. The motivations and approaches of Wataru and Mitsuru are polar opposites, yet you sympatize with both.

This is a moving book, and has a deep undercurrent of complicated emotions. A very enjoyable read that I found very difficult to put down. I am very happy that I bought this book in hardcover, as I look forward to reading it again and again. An instant favorite.

A very deceptive book that initially comes across as a typical 'save the magical world' novel but is actually far, far deeper and has incredible character development and emotional explanation. The characters, desite their fantastic background, appealed to my own emotions as they go through happy and sad times very similar to real life. A must-read to anyone.

My obsession with Brave story actually came to me at a convention. I was watching fan-made music videos based on animated films, and Brave Story the movie was one used. I was captivated by it, and so searched for the film. My search, inevitably, lead me to this mammoth tome.
It took me ages to get past the first two hundred pages or so. The reason for this is, well, because it was very slow... you follow Wataru, and you see the world as he sees it. There are no hints to any mishaps or unhappiness in his life. He's a normal kid, with normal issues.
It's when his life falls apart that it hits you... you realize that, like Wataru himself, you've been tricked into thinking everything was safe. You feel his frustration when no one tells him what's going on; you want to punch his dad square in the face for saying the things he says. Essentially, during that slow and uneventful 200 pages, you've BECOME Wataru. And you feel his pain as your own.
After that, you're thrust into a world of magic and wonder. It doesn't take long to see that Vision reflects Wataru's inner turmoil. The depth of this book aside, the characters are remarkable. You love them all, even those who are Wataru's antagonists.
The cover gives this book an air of simplicity, but I assure you, it's not a novel dumbed down for children to read.
For those of you who love fantasy... who enjoyed Harry potter, and Lord of the Rings, and any number of fantastical tales, this book is beautiful. I have yet to finish it, but I'm in no hurry! I want to prolong the adventure for as much as I can, because I know when I'm finished, I'll find myself missing Wataru, Meena, and Kee Keema terribly.

This is a fantasy story with a hero-apprentice by the name of Wataru Mitani who is in the 5th grade. Wataru is a sweet and reserved young boy who goes to the local elementary school whose life gets more complicated as the story opens. He lives in an apartment with his mother and father but soon his father walks out on his mother and him for another woman. Wataru's life feels like it's falling apart. Meanwhile at school a new boy has arrived, Mitsuru Ashikawa, who is good-looking and brilliant and very aloof. Wataru realizes there is something different about him but he can't quite put his finger on it. Then one day Wataru is wandering by a "haunted" building and he hears stuff going on inside and he finds the school bully and his two sidekicks beating up Mitsuru. Wataru starts to get beat up too but manages to pull the tape off Mitsuru's mouth and Mitsuru says a spell and the bully and his two buddies are eaten by a monster. It is shortly after this that Wataru enters the world of vision through a portal that only opens every 10 years which Mitsuru has already entered. He is told upon entering that anyone from the real world who enters must assume the title of "traveler" which Wataru does.

During Wataru's travels through Vision he makes some friends, a giant talking lizard named Kee Keema and a young female kitkin named Meena who looks like a cat. The people who look like Wataru are called Ankh and in some places in Vision they believe they are superior to the others and treat the ones like Kee Keema and Meena horribly. Wataru also faces many challenges along the way as he attempts to collect 5 gemstones to put in his sword which will get him to the Tower of Destiny where the Goddess will grant his wish. This book is a real page-turner and I would stay up extra long at night because I couldn't find a good stopping point.

I highly recommend this book to anyone 10 and over especially if you like fantasy books and/or fairy tales and love being transported to another world. This was a wonderful book and Miyabe is a wonderful writer.

When I was first researching this book and seeing what it was about, I was looking for something different and boy did I get something different alright. Different in a very good way! I have to admit, the size of the book was scary at first, but once you get reading, you hardly realize it. By the time you know it, you easily read 200 pages.

Yes, some say that it did start out kind of slow, but the first 150-200 pages in gives you much needed information for when you get dived into the main chunk of the story. All the information in the beginning helps you to feel for the characters that much more.

The main adventure in the book is completely amazing. It keeps you wanting to read more and at a couple of points in the book it actually made me stop and be like "noo wayy!" Brave Story touches on people's values, morals, and finding yourself. You can actually feel for the main character Wataru as he is first thrown into the world. He was scared and timid, with hardly any confidence. As the story progresses you can actually see him develop. He becomes braver, taking risks, being more confident in himself and his actions and grow has a person all together, emotionally, maturally and physically.

This is a story with great fantasy, action, and self reflection that no person should pass up. It is highly detailed to give the reader a visual and an escape into a fantasy world where they themselves can feel like the struggling heroine who can grow and learn.

Words can't fully describe how much I adore and love this book. Like many others have pointed out it DOES have a slow start. As much of a bookworm as I am, it took me a couple sessions of reading till I really got engrossed. Wataru is an average Japanese boy with every day concerns in an every day life. His biggest fascination is video games, a new transfer student, and an abandoned building rumored to be haunted. Other than a few mystical hints, you're stuck in a normal innocent life... that soon goes very awry with the betrayal of his father and collapse of his family life.

After his mothers suicide attempt, Wataru finds his world crashing down around his ears. Desperate, he follows Mitsuru (the mysterious transfer student) to the world of Vision, a place where travelers from the real world are invited to start a quest. If they collect all gems and reach the tower of destiny, they are granted one wish and only one wish to change their fate.

From the moment Wataru arrives in vision, it is a fantastical adventure. Vision is born from the imagination of those from the real world. Mitsuru, the boy before him advances quickly with a status of a master sorcorer. Wataru, on the other hand, is at the beginning judged to be a warrior in training. He experiences the full extent of vision, finding friends and journey mates in the beastkin Kee Keema and Meena and becoming a highlander (somewhat a renegade group of protectors of justice). He becomes entangled in plots, learns of the prejudice against beastkin and the injustices of the north, and must face his own insecurities and struggle with doubts. While Mitsuru chooses to let nothing stand in his way and remains aloof to this world, taking any means necessary to choose his goals, Wataru engages himself in all its problems and cares for it and the people in it.

There is a darkness to this story. It can be quite political and satirical at times and carries much emotional depth and discoveries. Staying on the right path. Friendship. Sacrifices. Misfortune. Changing ones fate and finding the bravery to simply live. This story grows to epic proportions and carries an enormous heart. This is one book to treasure.

It's a shame really -- I wish I had the creativity and imagination Miyuki Miyabe has to create this intricate novel full of originality and artistic imagery. I found myself anxiously turning every page wondering what adventures Wataru (main charachter) would find himself in next.

Wataru, is an 11 year old boy facing the struggles of divorce. His Dad leaves the family without an ounce of shame while Wataru watches his Mom wither away in depression. Wataru's accepts an offer to enter the world of "Vision" whose objective is to reach the Tower of Destiny in order to chanage his fate in the "real world".

As a world created by the imaginations of ordinary people, Vision is the direct source of Wataru's thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams. In his travels through the magical world he befriends two companions who help him on his adventure: the talking feline, Meena and the Lizard humanoid, Kee-Keema. Together they battle demons, defeat various monsters, and meet an array of interesting and helpful animal-folk.

This book was engaging to the very end. Miyabe is detailed in her descriptions making all the charachters come to life. All the way from talking felines, lizards, dragons, and birds -- every charachter is colorful in personality forcing you to fall in love with every last one of them. Wataru is a courageous explorer who wears his heart on his sleeve. He's even described by his antagonist as "too nice,right down to the bitter end".

This is a story about a boy who defeats the odds, grows in courage, and gives a new meaning to the word brave.

I picked this book up one day on a whim. I thought that since it was so long, (816 pages) it would last me a long time. Unfortunately, I was so immersed in the world it offered me, I finished it within three days. Well, so much for lasting me a while. But that just serves to show it's greatness, does it not? This book was beautiful. I am an avid fantasy lover and at first I thought that I would just be annoyed by the first 200 or so pages, as they were set completely in the real world and were only talking about his family troubles. However, once I began reading I forgot all about my hesitations. There were a few fantasy elements to satisfy some of my thirst, and there was wonderful writing to make up for the rest. I was happy when Wataru was happy, mad when he was mad, and defensive for him and sad when he was sad. It was as if Wataru had become a little brother to me. I was angry at his father for his incredibly selfish acts, and had to put the book down for a few minutes to vent my sadness and anger at times. When it came time for Wataru to travel to the world of Vision to reunite his family, I almost didn't want to go with him. However, I was happy I did. The story of Vision was just as amazing. I felt Wataru's friends became my brothers and sisters as well, and his enemies became my enemies. However, his rival, Mitsuru, was an enemy I could sympathize for. With such an awful life, I understood why he was the way he was and I felt bad for him, as he had no friends to turn to for guidance or help. I knew, however, that Mitsuru was an enemy and had to be defeated, and so I rooted for the heroes all the way. Even the most horrible villain at all, revealed towards the end of the novel, I could feel for. It was unloved and unwanted and thusly became what it was. Wataru's final decisions make me feel many conflicted emotions. I was angry at him, for losing an opportunity, but happy that knew what was truly right. Overall, Brave Story is my absolute favorite book I have yet to read. The only thing left to do with it now is to get my friends to read it, as they are turned off by the cover.

First thing, I do wish this book was available on the Kindle... I've gotten used to the lightweight Kindle and this monster of a book was heavy and a bit uncomfortable for in-bed reading... but that has nothing to do with my rating.

I really enjoyed this book- I loved all the characters, especially Kutz. The real world theme of the story of finding your place in the world and questioning your life are things that I think any real life kid can relate to. As a child my parents were divorced and I found myself thinking back as I read this book to the sadness /I/ felt as a child with divorced parents. I loved the world of Vision and all the characters- each one had a special, unique background that could spawn separate books if the author really chose to do so. Kutz is one of those rare, strong heroines that I enjoyed and she plays a pivotal point in the novel. It's hard to find a young readers' book with a tough woman that wears the pants and looks great doing it. :)

I am stuck on whether or not to keep this book because I feel this special tie to it that I would love to share with others in the future, but at the same time it's thick and bulky and I am about to move... and lugging heavy boxes of books while moving is not fun (again I wish it was on Kindle...).

At times I felt like I was watching a RPG video game and some parts felt a little cliche and predictable. I would have liked to know what became of Trone.

I do hope that there is a sequel out, or in the works, for this novel.. maybe some spin-offs for the characters and their background stories. I would certainly enjoy reading about the pasts of ALL the characters in this book and there are certainly many more stories to be told.