Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“When you don’t know what’s wrong, how can you ask for help?”

Gaaaah, where do I even start?! Probably with the fact I didn’t expect to CRY when reading a book aimed at kids, but here we are. The Bravest Word is an emotional rollercoaster with so many life lessons, and explores the impact a beautiful abandoned dog has on one boy’s mental health struggles. And that barely even scratches the surface of how brilliant this book is. So so happy to be sharing my review for the book tour alongside all these brilliant reviewers!

About the book

When eleven-year-old Matt finds Cliff, a hurt, neglected dog abandoned in the bush, he knows the brave little pup needs saving. He wants to help. But can he?

Lately, Matt has had way more bad days than good days. The pieces of his life just don’t seem to fit together any more and he doesn’t understand why. He’s finding it impossible to concentrate at school and has lost interest in the activities he used to love. Plus, he’s tired all the time.

Matt’s too afraid to share what’s really going on in his own head with anyone. His friends and family will never understand . . . maybe it’s not only Cliff who needs saving.

The beginning

The first chapter of this book was so incredibly powerful. We’re introduced to the main character, Matt, a boy of high school age who is quite obviously not himself. He doesn’t enjoy the things he used to enjoy, he’s always tired, and when walking onto that football pitch amongst all the expectations of his parents, his teammates and his coach, he knows he can’t do it. The pressure of needing to be something he can’t be takes its toll. It was a very moving first chapter and such a thought-provoking one. It was the start of understanding what this boy was going through. The author has done such a great job of making us drawn to this character and to root for him throughout the rest of the book. Despite the sad opening, it was super important to highlight just what Matt has going on in his head, and made me think of all the ways he could work on himself to shake off that awful feeling. The author’s writing was so easy to digest and to understand and I couldn’t wait to join Matt on his journey!

“Her words suddenly irritate me. I don’t understand any of it. Me, life, anything. And in a flash, that irritation turns into a ball of anger rushing to the surface.”

The author pens Matt’s relationships with other people to perfection, especially his parents. His relationship with his Dad is particularly lovely. We can easily see the world through Matt’s eyes and I could really resonate with him so early on in the book. It was in a memorable scene with his Dad that Matt discovers an injured dog – and as soon as a dog is mentioned in any book, it’s an instant hit for me! My own dog is like my child and brings me so much happiness, so I knew this particular dog would play a huge part in Matt’s life from this moment onwards. The condition of this dog was heartbreaking, but it was so beautiful seeing Matt’s kindness and determination shine through. He needed to help this dog. There was no way they could leave him alone in the middle of nowhere after he’d clearly been neglected. Animal cruelty is so hard to stomach for me, but the author tackles this so delicately. Already, the bond between boy and dog was strong and it simply warmed my heart. I knew things would change for Matt after that day. He had an important job to do now.

The middle

Remember that feeling of desperately wanting a dog when you were a kid? Yep, me too, and that’s exactly how Matt feels when it’s clear that the dog (now named Cliff after Matt’s grandad) was going to make a full recovery… and needed a new home. The process of his Mum coming around to the idea and talks of responsibility felt so heartwarming, and it was clear that Matt would excel in looking after little Cliff. The author has completely perfected that feeling of loving a pet, and my eyes glossed over with tears too many times to count! Whenever Matt thought about Cliff, he kind of forgot about everything bothering him for a while, which was such a beautiful little detail from the author. It was clear that Matt needed this little dog in his life just as much as the dog needed him. The author continues to write in such a way that makes you so conscious of Matt’s struggles and has you wanting nothing but the best for him. I already knew this book would help children in understanding their feelings, and for adults to support young people with depression and anxiety.

“How do you tell the people who love you most, the ones who give you everything and want you to be happy, that you aren’t happy but you don’t know why?”

What I really loved about this story was how seamlessly the author pens Matt’s growth and how he changes and improves as Cliff becomes such an important part of his life. It’s all just beautifully written and explored so powerfully. The care and attention Matt puts into caring for his new pet and ensuring he is safe and well-looked after fills you with emotion. This book shows just how different people can cope and work on their depression and anxiety, and it emphasises that everyone can have good days and bad days. You just need to work on turning those bad days into good ones. I even felt as though I learned a bit from this book, especially as we go through Matt’s ‘bad day’ thought processes. Working on getting Cliff back to full health was the best thing for Matt, and it soon becomes clear his parents think so too. It made me want to hold my dog close, so she certainly had a few extra cuddles throughout me reading this (but she has countless cuddles anyway – she loves attention!)

The end

Matt uploads Cliff’s updates to PicRoll, a social media site, where he’s created an anonymous profile. It begins to build momentum, and soon thousands of people are keeping up with Cliff’s recovery journey. But Matt also begins to understand the way he feels, sharing these updates not only from Cliff’s point of view, but also his own. It was his own way of expressing how he was feeling and understanding his thoughts, without talking to another person, something he found difficult and daunting. I just loved how the author portrayed all this – it’s all so delicately written but also sparks so much emotion from the reader too. It was shortly after this that six words from Matt made my eyes tear up so suddenly I wasn’t sure what was happening. Kate Foster is the BEST at emotive writing that really provides food for thought. My heart! Conversations between Matt and his dad gave me a lump in my throat and were just absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t get enough of how perfect it was.

“I’m so happy he’s here, so, so happy, but after writing that last PicRoll post, it’s as if I’ve opened a trapdoor in my chest and let a whole bunch of my emotions out.”

I think my eyes were filled with tears throughout the final couple of chapters to be honest. The pure beauty of the author’s words even stronger as Matt opens up to his mum and his friends. How his friends react to what he had to say was just too much for my heart (again!) It’s written in a way that stays with you long after reading, and it’s likely to have a little place in my heart because I’ve never read anything so strong, so important. The book, especially the ending, covers so much in terms of signals to look out for in someone with anxiety and depression, and it really opened my eyes to how it effects children and those around them. Cliff being there was super important to Matt’s healing, from start to finish, and even though it sounds like such a cute book on the surface, it’s deep with a much more meaningful core. I’ve been quite taken aback by just how much I loved this for a children’s book, but it is genuinely one of the best books for kids I’ve read in about 6 years of reviewing! Absolutely phenomenal!

Overall thoughts

The Bravest Word is such a clever, emotional and powerful read which explores the effects of depression in children (and dogs!) Matt’s new dog is shown to not be a ‘cure’ for his own depression, something which I was a bit nervous about when I started, but a way of showing him that it’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to feel the way he feels and there isn’t anything ‘wrong’ with him. The conversations Matt has with his friends and family, everything he experiences and the thoughts he has when things get too much are all explored delicately, but it really packs a punch. And the book also shows just how perfect dogs are and why we need to protect them. Matt and Cliff really needed one another! Everything about this book was simply beautiful, and I know it will continue to help children and adults in understanding and talking about depression. An absolute must read for anyone!

Huge thanks to the author, Kate Foster, and Love Books Tours for my beautiful copy and place on the tour! You can grab your own copy of The Bravest Word right now on Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following the author over on Instagram and Twitter/X for updates!

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