The Brave by James Bird

4.5 out of 5 🌟 OCD, indigenous people and a hint of magic

I stopped reading middle-grade books when I was probably 12. I've promoted myself to the young adult shelf and avoided 'childish' books for long, long years. And here I am, in my early thirties, reading that genre again. And one thing I know for sure, there are children books about more 'serious' topics and containing more in-depth life knowledge than in many adult-ish books. And 'The Brave' is one of these books.

'The Brave' has probably one of the most interesting synopsizes I've ever heard of. It's a story about a boy with a very specific type of OCD - counting each letter in sentences directed to him. It's caused a great issue for his peers, who bullied him, and his father, who sent him away to live with his mother. Collin's mom is an indigenous woman living in an Ojibwe reservation in Minnesota and that's a tremendous life change for a boy from South California! Collin has to learn new ways of living and get to know his mother, his new family, and his native American heritage.

The author, James Bird, is an Ojibwe descent himself and I really appreciated every insight about the tribe's life he incorporated into the book. He used magical realism to weave Ojibwe's believes into the plotline creating a phantasmagoric narration about family, friendship, love, and grief.

It's a poignant story that gave me all the feelings. I was cheering for all the characters as we laughed and cried together. I'm not sure if my 9-year old son is ready for that book but I definitely was.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.

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