An emotional contemporary YA novel about love, loss, and having the courage to chase the life you truly want.
 
Reeling from her mother’s death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave – all the things she’s wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she’s always been afraid to do – including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most – and you learn that you’re stronger and braver than you ever imagined.
 
A Barnes & Noble Must-Read YA About Loss

A Barnes & Noble YA That Gets It Right: Mental Health Edition

A Buzzfeed YA Book To Watch

Chosen as one of the best YA Novels of November by Bustle.com
 
Kottaras’s debut traces Georgia’s struggles and triumphs as she reluctantly sets out to fulfill her mother’s final wish for her to try new things and be fearless. Georgia’s Greek-American heritage offers a distinctive backdrop for the novel’s themes of emotional healing and self-discovery, while Georgia herself emerges as a realistically flawed and genuine protagonist. - Publishers Weekly
 
How to Be Brave is an exceptional novel that will hold the reader’s rapt attention from beginning to end. Deftly crafted and specifically recommended for your readers ages 12 to 17, How to Be Brave will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to school and community library YA Fiction collections. - Midwest Book Review
 
Georgia’s realistically profane voice aptly captures her personality, carrying the novel; her traverse through grief and experimentation make for a believable and satisfying character arc. A thoughtful exploration of grief and life. - Kirkus Reviews