“Brave Men Run” is the story of Nate Charters. Born different, unsure of his origins, he’s an outcast at Abbeque Valley High School, a self-proclaimed “boy freak” with few friends and low self-esteem. When the Sovereign Era dramatically dawns, Nate finds himself in a quest to discover the truth: is he more than he seems, a misfit in a miraculous . . .
It’s a fiery hot summer, and sixteen-year-old Jesse Wright is on the run. An oddly gifted boy, he arrives in a new city where the direction of his life is about to change. He’s hungry and lonely and desperate – and beset by visions of a stranger who is being brutally tortured. And then there are Jesse’s own memories of . . .
In an alternate present the minds of teen offenders are uploaded into computers for rehabilitation—a form of virtual wilderness therapy. Zach is a homo cognoscens, one of the new humans who can navigate the Fulgrid. Though still a high school student, he is indentured to the Fulgur Corporation as a counsellor. Laura is a homo sapiens. Their story is part . . .
Peter is your typical high school student, but when his mother’s marriage falls apart he copes by dreaming up the story of Dorothea, an elf who lives in the magical Bois d’or forest. Releasing his frustrations in his French teacher’s nightly writing assignment, Peter shares Dorothea’s story with his teacher, imagining a world in which witches, a renegade elf lord . . .
To me, the entire premise of the story was the most interesting thing about it. The summary gives hints of action, suspense and fantastical elements that are all a driving force in any read (if that’s your thing, anyway). Unfortunately I feel this story doesn’t quite follow through on the intrigue it promises, at least initially.
When I first listened to the podcast version of Brave Men Run, I was amazed at how well Selznick deals with the genre. It was so addictive that I only took breaks for eating, sleeping and downloading new episodes on my slow internet connection. All in all, it took about a day to get through the entire podcast novel. I [more . . .]