This book was quite a journey. The first 130 pages went by really slowly and I'd say the book was barely a 3/5, but after it got going it really took off. I enjoyed all of the characters and his missions and felt the book wrapped up in a really fantastic way. It's rare that I come across someone with this much self awareness and growth. ( )

Trigger Warnings: attempted suicide, character death, death of a loved one, murder, divorce, cheating/adultery

Eleven-year-old Wataru Mitani's life is becoming a huge mess. His family life is falling apart, a new kid at school upsets everything he knows, and he's got a "fairy" speaking to him in his head. He wants a way to change his fate.

Thanks to his "friend", Wataro is dropped into the magical world of Vision, a land filled with creatures both friend and foe. To change his destiny, he must collect five gemstones to possess the Demon's Bane, the only way into the Tower of Destiny where the Goddess of fate awaits. Each stone has a different quality: charity, bravery, faith, grace, and the power of darkness and light. Making friends along the way, Wataro ultimately must come to terms with the nature of himself.

Within just over 800 pages, there is a lot that happens in this book. I took my time with it, but at the same time, I devoured the novel as well. I kind of went into this a little blind. I found a copy at the bookstore and was immediately intrigued by the cover. I read a lot of YA fantasy, but not a lot of portal fantasy; it was so much better than I expected.

The first quarter of the book, a lot of people may say it's a bit slower, but I never thought that was the case. Miyabe is setting up Wataru's real life before he goes to Vision. There are bullies, divorces, adulterous affairs, suicide attempts, disappointments... all the things that make the real world what it is, that's what the first quarter of the book is all about. Only through understanding Wataru's place in the real world and running away do we experience and appreciate his growth through his journey in Vision.

The next part is set in a place called Vision. This part reads very much like an RPG video game, a factor that Wataru references quite a few times throughout his journey. Wataru goes on his quest to receive gems for his sword so he may become strong enough to defeat the final challenge (boss). Along the way he meets his travelling companions, Kee Keema and Meena along with other friends and acquaintances. The fantasy world adapts itself to the Traveler, therefore, no two journeys are the same. To fight the evil in this world, Wataru must discover and alienate his own evil tendencies.

Brave Story does follow a lot of fantasy narrative arcs: character starts in the real world and gets deposited into a strange one, the main character grows in some way, the climax happens with the world(s) hanging on a thread... but this book has two extras: a protagonist who gets challenged philosophically and has to weigh moral choices in a world that is anything but black and white. Miyuki Miyabe wrote a fantastic young adult novel that builds on the problems of growing up and what it means to be human.

For being a young adult novel and having the main character only 11, I was greatly impressed with how Miyabe wrote about Wataru's father's betrayal. Because Vision reflects Wataru's life, some inhabitants will look similar to those he knows in real life, so he ends up meeting those who reflect both his father and his mistress. The man who resembles his father is just as selfish in Vision as he is in the real world. The interaction isn't for Wataru to understand his father's feelings and forgive his actions - the point is for Wataru to understand his own anger and what happens when it's held in. Happiness doesn't always happen the way you think they need to.

"The human heart is a strange, bottomless container. Anything and everything goes in, just waiting to be taken out again someday."

The last part, only a few pages, wraps up loose ends.

Overall, this book has a little bit of everything you need for an excellent portal fantasy. I know it might look scary because it's long, but I challenge anyone who enjoys fantasy to read it. It's philosophical, thought-provoking, creative, emotional, inspiring, and entertaining. Brave Story allows you to experience the journey with Wataru with all it's highs and lows in a way that doesn't sugarcoat the lessons. I really felt like I was another companion by the end. ( )

A great world for middle-schoolers and even older teens to get wrapped up in. Very sensitive and thoughtful treatment divorce and infidelity from a teen point of view. Strong story line with a lot of adventures; however, for readers already familiar with fantasy manga/anime, it might be too long. ( )

Engaging story with a beautiful ending. The story had classic fantasy elements, but most were used in a way that felt fresh. I feel privileged to have spent so much time with Wataru and Mitsuru, and I'm looking forward to checking out the other media their story has inspired.

I'd give it 5 stars overall, but I took a star off for some of the depictions of female characters. There was a lot of focus on physical feminity, especially with Kaori and Meena. Wataru kept describing Kaori as "doll-like," and "fragile," and it would have been nice to have less stereotypical physical descriptions. It set Kaori up to be kind of like the princess in a tower. That said, I loved the way that Kaori and Wataru interacted in the real world at the end of the book, and Kutz was fabulous. Also, Meena, even though she tended towards being expressively emotional and crying, showed her mettle and value as a companion multiple times. ( )

One of the best books I've read this year and a book I want my own copy of. I'm sure there are a million summaries of the plot so I won't summarize. Instead I will say that the story always stayed a twist or turn ahead of me and I was not able to guess what was going to happen next with any accuracy. I loved that the hero, Wataru, is truly a normal kid with nothing exceptional about him--not the usual "normal kid" who happens to be able to solve any puzzle, brave any monster, find him/herself full of amazing powers exceeding any seen before, etc. Not that that "normal kid" isn't in the story, because he is and his name is Mitsuru. But he is not the hero and plays a really different, more interesting role. Wataru's world of Vision is complex without getting bogged down in its complexities as in the Wheel of Time series. There are politics without endless meetings, for example. Though the book is over 800 pages long it never feels bloated and the story doesn't lag. The dialogue does not repeat and helps to develop the characters and further the story--there is no sense of dialogue as filler. And the ending is poetic, beautiful, wise, and thought-provoking. I felt a sense of loss when I had finished reading and realized there was no more to come.
I would recommend this to all kids about 11 and up, and to all adults who love Narnia, Middle-Earth, and the Harry Potter series. ( )