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Chasing Brooklyn
Restless souls and empty hearts
Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.
Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.
412 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2009
167 people are currently reading
14754 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Schroeder
39 books2,100 followersLisa Schroeder is the author of more than twenty books for kids and teens. Her latest novel is A NIGHT TO DIE FOR, a YA murder mystery. She lives in Oregon where she works full-time and writes when she can.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,017 reviews
January 26, 2012
"Motion is always preferable
to stagnation.
When you move,things happen."
Initial Final Page Thoughts.
I would say that this book wanted to make me want to sign up for a triathalon.
But that would be a horrible lie.
It did make me want to go back to the beginning and read it again though.
High Points.
It seemed Ms Schroeder had a checklist of everything I dislike in books and she wrote this book just to spite me and show how wrong I am and to make me look silly.
People who shouldn’t be in love, falling in love against all the odds.
“I’ll meet you at the finish line.”
*sobs*
Boys teaching a girl how to be strong.
Taken at face value, yeah. But the girl’s not a bad teacher herself.
Boys buying girls red roses.
I’d still prefer yellow ones, but if it was Nico then I wouldn’t mind getting a bouquet of dandelions.
Boys singing to girls.
Maybe it doesn’t annoy me if it’s to the tune of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’…
Mini Golf.
I… uh…I got nothing.
Flower girls. Running. Lucky. Mint toothpaste. Notebooks. Fear. Acceptance. Greif. Playlists. Dreams. Pasta. Rainy day picnics. Whispering sweet everythings. Beginning. Finish lines.
Low Points.
I still
f e e l
A BIT ANTSY
when
a r e
set out
in eXcItInG
ways.
Just personal preference but I just think that this book didn’t need that.
Heroine.
At the beginning of this book, when we first meet Brooklyn, I made a little note at the end of one her poems.
It read:
*cough*
“I like that this girl isn’t really whingy.”
A few poems later, when my face was permanently like so: :( , I made another little note at the end of one of Brooklyn’s poems.
It read:
*cough*
“:( I want her to be really whingey. Surely that’s better than being numb. Let it out, Brooklyn!”
I loved Brooklyn; I thought she was such a great heroine.
She’s just how I like them: smart, funny, sad, a bit messed-up, honest, vulnerable, determined, compassionate.
Hero.
I’m not telling you anything about Nico because I want you to meet him for yourself. He’s quickly become one of my favourite YA heroes.
He’s just how I like them: smart, funny, a bit sad, messed-up, honest, vulnerable, determined, compassionate.
See what I did there?
Yup, boy helps girl but girl helps boy and they’re equal in their struggles and their strength.
OH! Also, Nico can make Italian food. That’s right.
Italian food.
Theme Tune.
People Help the People by Birdy.
Shh, don’t tell anyone, but I like this version better than the original.
(Sorry lads, I still love the rest of your album.)
God knows what is hiding in this world of little consequence
Behind the tears, inside the lies
A thousand slowly dying sunsets
God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts
I guess the loneliness came knocking.
No one needs to be alone, oh save me.
Sadness Scale.
9/10.
I’m not a crier in real life and I don’t cry at books.
Well, that’s a lie.
In recent memory I’ve cried at two books. Sure I’ve felt emotional at lots of others but physical tears just two.
Now three.
I’m not talking about A Monster Calls stratospheres but I’d say there was a definite misty gleam.
The despair, the loss, the longing, the hope, the laughter, the vulnerabilities of the characters, the reality of it all.
In the ‘About the Author’ at the end of this book it states that Ms Schroeder “loves to write in verse because it allows her to really get at the emotional core of the story.”
And boy, does she.
Recommended For.
People who are determined to finish the race… even if they have a stitch. People who can listen to ‘Fix You’ without sobbing like a small child (Although, actually I don’t like that song. This one, however.) People who measure happiness by how far you can jump on the swings. People who like Italian food. That’s right. Italian Food.
This book is part of my "A Week in Verse" feature on my blog. Find out more here.
Read
July 19, 2009This is my third YA novel, another ghost story, told from the point of view of two characters - Brooklyn and Nico. Fans of I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME will hopefully like this one!
February 15, 2012
The “well-intentioned ghost” storyline has never really worked for me. In fact, they tend to make my face resemble this :-| (or the physical equivalent thereof as I am not, after all, an emoticon) , which I call the “No face”. As in, “No, leave that business to Patrick Swayze and the 1990s where it belongs.”
However, when the lovely Jo throws down a book recommendation, I have no power to resist. She is that good. I had not too long ago been lamenting the fact that I had yet to discover a novel-in-verse that I really liked. I concluded thatI am an uncultured philistine who knows nothing about poetry they just weren’t for me. Yet, armed with a glowing endorsement and a copy of Chasing Brooklyn on my kindle, I decided to test my theory one last time.
So here it is, my official retraction: I was wrong, and the novel-in-verse enthusiasts (Lisa Schroeder fans in particular) were right.
This really is a lovely book, and once I started reading it, I didn’t want to stop. Though it starts in something of a heavy place, amid the characters’ respective grieving processes, the story is genuinely uplifting. And I don’t mean that in an overly saccharine, pushily upbeat sense. While there is more than a touch of the whimsical about the plot, it’s also grounded in real emotion and some very tender and insightful scenes about living in the face of loss.
This is a dual point of view book voiced by Brooklyn – whose boyfriend Lucca died a year previously – and Lucca’s brother Nico. In this case, the approach works really well. Rather than too much similarity in voice causing the perspectives to blur into each other, they were distinct and clear, from the tone through to the style. Brooklyn’s passages were more descriptive and introspective, slower, while Nico’s were initially sharper, harder – almost staccato.
I admit I had gone into this book with reservations about how the characterisation would fare in verse form, but these proved unwarranted. Despite the occasional sparseness of the writing, Brooklyn and Nico felt fully fleshed out. Through his feelings of anger and sadness, Schroeder allows flashes of Nico’s humour to come through, even in some of the more intense scenes. It saves this story from becoming what might have otherwise been just another overwrought mourning book.
While both characters are presented complete with their various vulnerabilities and flaws, they’re also given the chance to exist outside of the realm of their shared loss. By this I mean that there is a sense of who these people were before the tragedy, and who they might yet become.
The slow development of Nico and Brooklyn’s relationship was well-handled, it was at once both sweet and realistic. I felt the validity of their reservations and the respect for the grieving process, yet was also a little bit twitterpated at seeing their mutual feelings emerge and develop.
(Or maybe that was about Nico? Don’t look at me like that. If you’ve read this you know I’m not the only one.)
In fact, that’s probably an apt way to sum up how I felt about this book. While I freely admit to initially being the Thumper ”it’s not going to happen to me” verse-novel naysayer, I’ve since had to change my tune. Well played, Lisa Schroeder.
And Jo.
However, when the lovely Jo throws down a book recommendation, I have no power to resist. She is that good. I had not too long ago been lamenting the fact that I had yet to discover a novel-in-verse that I really liked. I concluded that
So here it is, my official retraction: I was wrong, and the novel-in-verse enthusiasts (Lisa Schroeder fans in particular) were right.
This really is a lovely book, and once I started reading it, I didn’t want to stop. Though it starts in something of a heavy place, amid the characters’ respective grieving processes, the story is genuinely uplifting. And I don’t mean that in an overly saccharine, pushily upbeat sense. While there is more than a touch of the whimsical about the plot, it’s also grounded in real emotion and some very tender and insightful scenes about living in the face of loss.
This is a dual point of view book voiced by Brooklyn – whose boyfriend Lucca died a year previously – and Lucca’s brother Nico. In this case, the approach works really well. Rather than too much similarity in voice causing the perspectives to blur into each other, they were distinct and clear, from the tone through to the style. Brooklyn’s passages were more descriptive and introspective, slower, while Nico’s were initially sharper, harder – almost staccato.
I admit I had gone into this book with reservations about how the characterisation would fare in verse form, but these proved unwarranted. Despite the occasional sparseness of the writing, Brooklyn and Nico felt fully fleshed out. Through his feelings of anger and sadness, Schroeder allows flashes of Nico’s humour to come through, even in some of the more intense scenes. It saves this story from becoming what might have otherwise been just another overwrought mourning book.
While both characters are presented complete with their various vulnerabilities and flaws, they’re also given the chance to exist outside of the realm of their shared loss. By this I mean that there is a sense of who these people were before the tragedy, and who they might yet become.
The slow development of Nico and Brooklyn’s relationship was well-handled, it was at once both sweet and realistic. I felt the validity of their reservations and the respect for the grieving process, yet was also a little bit twitterpated at seeing their mutual feelings emerge and develop.
(Or maybe that was about Nico? Don’t look at me like that. If you’ve read this you know I’m not the only one.)
In fact, that’s probably an apt way to sum up how I felt about this book. While I freely admit to initially being the Thumper ”it’s not going to happen to me” verse-novel naysayer, I’ve since had to change my tune. Well played, Lisa Schroeder.
And Jo.
July 11, 2017
4.5 Stars
This story is a haunting tale (literally) about dealing with, and moving on after tragic loss, and finding love when you least expect it.
Brooklyn lost her boyfriend Lucca in a tragic accident one year ago, and now his best friend, Gabe, has died of an overdose. Brooklyn was very much in love with Lucca, and hasn't been dealing with the loss well. Who would? She's abandoned her art and writes letters to Lucca every day. All of a sudden Brooklyn starts having nightmares about Gabe. Truly heart-pounding, scary, run-for-your life nightmares! She has no idea why, and is beyond frightened.
Nico is Lucca's older brother, and has barely been coping with the death of his brother as well. Lucca was the favorite child of his parents and he feels he's a poor substitution. Lucca starts visiting Nico in his dreams, begging him to help Brooklyn. He has no idea why she needs help or how to provide it. But Lucca's request is desperate enough that Nico arranges to meet up with Brooklyn to make sure all is well. Nico can tell there is something wrong but Brooklyn won't say what.
This story was told in verse, a form of storytelling I am quickly beginning to love. A verse novel can speak volumes with very few words. It's like a focused type of storytelling. Lisa Schroeder did a masterful job in capturing just the right emotion, at the right time. I was riveted from the beginning and didn't want to put this book down. It was suspenseful and scary but also heart-warming, and heart-breaking. Nico is so swoon-worthy, a total knight-in-shining-armor type of guy. You find yourself falling for him just as Brooklyn does, not that she is completely aware of this at first. Love this verse from her:
When I wake up
I whisper prayers of thanks.
Thank you for a night free of ghosts and nightmares.
Thank you for another day of living.
Thank you for a race that gives me purpose.
Thank you for a lullaby last night.
Thank you for the boy who sang it.
I think he called me lovely in the song.
Did he?
Yeah, he did.
And I feel my heart
do a dance of joy
at the thought.
If you haven't read a verse novel, do yourself a favor and give one a try. They're a fast and if done right, powerful read. I highly recommend this one.
This story is a haunting tale (literally) about dealing with, and moving on after tragic loss, and finding love when you least expect it.
Brooklyn lost her boyfriend Lucca in a tragic accident one year ago, and now his best friend, Gabe, has died of an overdose. Brooklyn was very much in love with Lucca, and hasn't been dealing with the loss well. Who would? She's abandoned her art and writes letters to Lucca every day. All of a sudden Brooklyn starts having nightmares about Gabe. Truly heart-pounding, scary, run-for-your life nightmares! She has no idea why, and is beyond frightened.
Nico is Lucca's older brother, and has barely been coping with the death of his brother as well. Lucca was the favorite child of his parents and he feels he's a poor substitution. Lucca starts visiting Nico in his dreams, begging him to help Brooklyn. He has no idea why she needs help or how to provide it. But Lucca's request is desperate enough that Nico arranges to meet up with Brooklyn to make sure all is well. Nico can tell there is something wrong but Brooklyn won't say what.
This story was told in verse, a form of storytelling I am quickly beginning to love. A verse novel can speak volumes with very few words. It's like a focused type of storytelling. Lisa Schroeder did a masterful job in capturing just the right emotion, at the right time. I was riveted from the beginning and didn't want to put this book down. It was suspenseful and scary but also heart-warming, and heart-breaking. Nico is so swoon-worthy, a total knight-in-shining-armor type of guy. You find yourself falling for him just as Brooklyn does, not that she is completely aware of this at first. Love this verse from her:
When I wake up
I whisper prayers of thanks.
Thank you for a night free of ghosts and nightmares.
Thank you for another day of living.
Thank you for a race that gives me purpose.
Thank you for a lullaby last night.
Thank you for the boy who sang it.
I think he called me lovely in the song.
Did he?
Yeah, he did.
And I feel my heart
do a dance of joy
at the thought.
If you haven't read a verse novel, do yourself a favor and give one a try. They're a fast and if done right, powerful read. I highly recommend this one.
November 9, 2015
I discovered this book when I dropped by on our local bookstore and browsing some books probably 3 years ago. There is something about this that makes me want to read it. I got side tracked by other books and this slipped out of my mind. I'm so glad I finally got into it.
Chasing Brooklyn is written in verse. The premise is beautiful and easy to read. I didn't expect to be hooked with its story. It's sad, touching, and refreshing with a touch of paranormal. There are some parts/lines just hit me on the chest. So good and well-written. It's nice to see Nico and Brooklyn recovered from loss of their dearly departed loved ones, and found happiness and love with each other. The ending fell a little flat to me, still it is such a great story. I'll read more of Lisa Schroeder's novels.
My favorite:
[Fri., Jan.13th--Brooklyn]
The beautiful thing is,
music can be like
a time machine
One song--
the lyrics, the melody, the mood--
can take you back
to a moment in time
like nothing else can.
Chasing Brooklyn is written in verse. The premise is beautiful and easy to read. I didn't expect to be hooked with its story. It's sad, touching, and refreshing with a touch of paranormal. There are some parts/lines just hit me on the chest. So good and well-written. It's nice to see Nico and Brooklyn recovered from loss of their dearly departed loved ones, and found happiness and love with each other. The ending fell a little flat to me, still it is such a great story. I'll read more of Lisa Schroeder's novels.
My favorite:
[Fri., Jan.13th--Brooklyn]
The beautiful thing is,
music can be like
a time machine
One song--
the lyrics, the melody, the mood--
can take you back
to a moment in time
like nothing else can.
February 14, 2012
“How many days was I like that?
Pretending to listen, but not hearing a word?
Pretending to care when I hated it all?
Pretending to live when I was dying inside?”
Lisa Schroeder’s Chasing Brooklyn introduces readers to two hauntingly sad characters filled with pain, grief, and longing. Two characters that will stay with me each and every day. In a world that keeps go, go, going, how does one learn to survive, keep feeling, smiling, getting up and moving on after the loss of a loved one, child, brother, best friend, or boyfriend?
Brooklyn’s boyfriend, Lucca, died a year ago, but her heart can’t let go. Now haunted with nightmares, Brooklyn must find a way out of her grief. Lucca’s brother, Nico, is still running from his pain, from a house suffocating with grief, from his own insecurities, and from his brother’s shadow and ghost. Can Nico and Brooklyn stop running, reach out, and help each other? Perhaps with a little ghostly push and assistance.
Brooklyn and Nico stole my heart! Their heartfelt story grabbed on to my heart and squeezed the hell out of it pretty much from page one! Once I opened this book, there was no putting it down until the end. With beauty and patience, readers slowly get to know both Nico and Brooklyn through their voices, humor, families, kindness, shared loss, and growing support and tenderness with each other. These two have the sweetest hearts! Nico could possess the best heart in all of YA fiction. He certainly holds my heart! I am still swooning over here! :D The boy cooks ravioli, sneaks in the sliest comments to make you smile, sings lullabies, swings in the air, and sweeps in to rescue like no other!
“It feels like I’ve lost so much, she says softly.
What have I got left?
I grab her arm and pull, just enough to get her walking.
Me, Brooklyn.
You’ve got me.”
My favorite part of this book though is the message of support and compassion. We all need help, shoulders to cry on, and people to listen, but we also have to open up, trust again, reach out to give help and get help so we can stand up on our own. I loved and admired Brooklyn’s strength and courage. And once again, Ms. Schroeder’s style, words, and grace just took my breath away. Truly an inspiring and moving reading experience from the first word to the last.
I do hope you allow Brooklyn and Nico into your hearts and souls. They might just haunt you. They will linger in my heart to remind me to reach out for support, but also to offer support to others in times of pain and darkness.
Pretending to listen, but not hearing a word?
Pretending to care when I hated it all?
Pretending to live when I was dying inside?”
Lisa Schroeder’s Chasing Brooklyn introduces readers to two hauntingly sad characters filled with pain, grief, and longing. Two characters that will stay with me each and every day. In a world that keeps go, go, going, how does one learn to survive, keep feeling, smiling, getting up and moving on after the loss of a loved one, child, brother, best friend, or boyfriend?
Brooklyn’s boyfriend, Lucca, died a year ago, but her heart can’t let go. Now haunted with nightmares, Brooklyn must find a way out of her grief. Lucca’s brother, Nico, is still running from his pain, from a house suffocating with grief, from his own insecurities, and from his brother’s shadow and ghost. Can Nico and Brooklyn stop running, reach out, and help each other? Perhaps with a little ghostly push and assistance.
Brooklyn and Nico stole my heart! Their heartfelt story grabbed on to my heart and squeezed the hell out of it pretty much from page one! Once I opened this book, there was no putting it down until the end. With beauty and patience, readers slowly get to know both Nico and Brooklyn through their voices, humor, families, kindness, shared loss, and growing support and tenderness with each other. These two have the sweetest hearts! Nico could possess the best heart in all of YA fiction. He certainly holds my heart! I am still swooning over here! :D The boy cooks ravioli, sneaks in the sliest comments to make you smile, sings lullabies, swings in the air, and sweeps in to rescue like no other!
“It feels like I’ve lost so much, she says softly.
What have I got left?
I grab her arm and pull, just enough to get her walking.
Me, Brooklyn.
You’ve got me.”
My favorite part of this book though is the message of support and compassion. We all need help, shoulders to cry on, and people to listen, but we also have to open up, trust again, reach out to give help and get help so we can stand up on our own. I loved and admired Brooklyn’s strength and courage. And once again, Ms. Schroeder’s style, words, and grace just took my breath away. Truly an inspiring and moving reading experience from the first word to the last.
I do hope you allow Brooklyn and Nico into your hearts and souls. They might just haunt you. They will linger in my heart to remind me to reach out for support, but also to offer support to others in times of pain and darkness.
May 8, 2013
Is it possible to love every chapter, every line, and every words of a book?
Because it did happened to me...with this one.
I love everything about this book! This is my first time to read a novel written in verse. I bought this just a few days ago because of the good reviews and recommendations. Also, I was intrigued by how it was written in verse. Then, I opened it and began reading the first chapter. And I just realized that I couldn't stop reading. Wow, it actually took me only the first page. And I got hooked.
I knew this is a tear jerker, so I expected myself to cry. And I indeed literally cry. I love how it was written, how it was able to capture my heart.
It MOVED me. It was heart breaking, but it made me fall in love too. I felt everything, every word. I was amazed by how a certain book can teach a lot of things, a lot of lessons in life.
I love the characters - Brooklyn and Nico. They are both sad, lonely, and broken. They both lose someone they love the most - Lucca. He's the boyfriend of Brooklyn and brother of Nico. Somehow, Lucca's ghost helped them, to finally move on and be happy again.
Here's my favorite line from it:
“My reflection tells one story.
My heart, a different one.
The difference is,
hearts don't lie.
Mirrors do.”
*sigh*
I can't stop thinking about this book. I feel everything.
I really love it. Can you believe it, it only took me one book from the author and I'm now a fan?!
So you know I'll be reading more books from her. ;)
It deserves billion stars! ;)
Because it did happened to me...with this one.
I love everything about this book! This is my first time to read a novel written in verse. I bought this just a few days ago because of the good reviews and recommendations. Also, I was intrigued by how it was written in verse. Then, I opened it and began reading the first chapter. And I just realized that I couldn't stop reading. Wow, it actually took me only the first page. And I got hooked.
I knew this is a tear jerker, so I expected myself to cry. And I indeed literally cry. I love how it was written, how it was able to capture my heart.
It MOVED me. It was heart breaking, but it made me fall in love too. I felt everything, every word. I was amazed by how a certain book can teach a lot of things, a lot of lessons in life.
I love the characters - Brooklyn and Nico. They are both sad, lonely, and broken. They both lose someone they love the most - Lucca. He's the boyfriend of Brooklyn and brother of Nico. Somehow, Lucca's ghost helped them, to finally move on and be happy again.
Here's my favorite line from it:
“My reflection tells one story.
My heart, a different one.
The difference is,
hearts don't lie.
Mirrors do.”
*sigh*
I can't stop thinking about this book. I feel everything.
I really love it. Can you believe it, it only took me one book from the author and I'm now a fan?!
So you know I'll be reading more books from her. ;)
It deserves billion stars! ;)
January 5, 2013
This book has 3175 ratings on GR with a 4.14 average rating. And since I’ve been reading (and enjoying!) some real drivel lately, I figured this was a big step up from my current fare and I’d like it as much as everyone else does. From the reviews, I think I was expecting something more like Hold Still, which deals beautifully with someone learning to live again after suffering a loss, or as evocative as an Ellen Hopkins novel. (I really need to get it through my thick skull already that just because a book is written in verse, does not mean I will like it as much as I like Ellen Hopkins’ books.) It was High Expectations City, Population: Me.
Alas, this book did not impact me as powerfully as it did the thousands who read and enjoyed it. I read the last word in the last sentence on the last page. I said to myself, “Self, is that it?” I flipped the page. Yes, that was it; the rest was previews of the author’s other books. I closed the book. I scratched my head. I asked myself, “Self, did you read the same book as everyone else?” I checked the ISBN and yes, it was the same book. Huh.
The story had so much so potential, but I just didn’t care about any of the characters and that complete disconnect between them and me was never bridged. Brooklyn’s grief read more like moping than the deep, endless sorrow of a girl who lost her first love and is falling for said love’s brother. Nico was okay. The lullaby he sings to Brooklyn made me feel queasy, though. As for the ghost element, I like the idea of the helpful ghost of a lost loved one trying to help you let go and move on with your own life, but the execution made it felt more absurd than poignant. Sometimes if I don’t like the protags in a book the secondary characters make up for it, but there was really no one else to like in Chasing Brooklyn. Families and friends are so distant from Brooklyn and Nico that they may as well have not been written in at all. I think that sense of complete self-absorption was another reason I just couldn’t get into this one.
Based on the reviews here and on her other books, I’ve gleaned this is Schroeder’s strongest work to date, so I probably won’t be reading the others.
Alas, this book did not impact me as powerfully as it did the thousands who read and enjoyed it. I read the last word in the last sentence on the last page. I said to myself, “Self, is that it?” I flipped the page. Yes, that was it; the rest was previews of the author’s other books. I closed the book. I scratched my head. I asked myself, “Self, did you read the same book as everyone else?” I checked the ISBN and yes, it was the same book. Huh.
The story had so much so potential, but I just didn’t care about any of the characters and that complete disconnect between them and me was never bridged. Brooklyn’s grief read more like moping than the deep, endless sorrow of a girl who lost her first love and is falling for said love’s brother. Nico was okay. The lullaby he sings to Brooklyn made me feel queasy, though. As for the ghost element, I like the idea of the helpful ghost of a lost loved one trying to help you let go and move on with your own life, but the execution made it felt more absurd than poignant. Sometimes if I don’t like the protags in a book the secondary characters make up for it, but there was really no one else to like in Chasing Brooklyn. Families and friends are so distant from Brooklyn and Nico that they may as well have not been written in at all. I think that sense of complete self-absorption was another reason I just couldn’t get into this one.
Based on the reviews here and on her other books, I’ve gleaned this is Schroeder’s strongest work to date, so I probably won’t be reading the others.
February 6, 2010
Chasing Brooklyn is told in verse. Sometimes verse works, sometimes it doesn't. Lisa Schroeder knows how to do it!
This is now my favorite novel by Lisa.
Chasing Brooklyn is such a sad yet BEAUTIFUL story! It's about loss, and letting go, but most importantly it's about hope and love.
You'd think you couldn't have strong characterization in a novel told with such few words, but wow. I found such a connection with these characters it was unbelievable. Schroeder is amazingly talented. I can't begin to imagine the heartache you would feel to lose someone you love so deeply and I think Lisa accurately captures that despair.
I also enjoyed the few references to Lisa's first novel I Heart You, You Haunt Me. However it's not something you would need to read first in order to enjoy this novel.
Since the novel is in verse it goes by rather quickly, but it doesn't damper the power behind the story.
This is now my favorite novel by Lisa.
Chasing Brooklyn is such a sad yet BEAUTIFUL story! It's about loss, and letting go, but most importantly it's about hope and love.
You'd think you couldn't have strong characterization in a novel told with such few words, but wow. I found such a connection with these characters it was unbelievable. Schroeder is amazingly talented. I can't begin to imagine the heartache you would feel to lose someone you love so deeply and I think Lisa accurately captures that despair.
I also enjoyed the few references to Lisa's first novel I Heart You, You Haunt Me. However it's not something you would need to read first in order to enjoy this novel.
Since the novel is in verse it goes by rather quickly, but it doesn't damper the power behind the story.
October 14, 2023
AMAZING IM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK
October 8, 2011
This is my first time to read a book that is not in paragraph, but in verses. I thought I may not like it but instead I loved it. I love the fast-pace of Chasing Brooklyn which is not so cheesy but is very real and emotionally well written. This is basically the first book I've read from Ms. Schroeder and I can say that she writes exceptionally a very good and emotional story about lost, friendship, relationships, and love.
So the story is about Brooklyn losing her boyfriend Lucca, which is Nico's brother, and her friend Gabe. It tells about how much she'd dealt after the loss of two of her loved ones. But in another point, it also tells about Nico's perspective about going through a year with the death of his brother. After a year of Lucca and Gabe's death, Brooklyn and Nico had been "haunted" respectively with Brooklyn of Gabe, that he's literally chasing her in her dreams, and Lucca to Nico, giving hints to help Brooklyn. In the end, they had a little mutual understanding with one another. Trying to figure out their feelings and whether to it is right. But at least that was what Lucca would have wanted, for Brooklyn to be happy. With Nico. ☺♥
I was glad that at the last part, Brooklyn and Lucca are finally together. I love that they're together because they pretty much deal with the same situation and at least they understand each other. Chasing Brooklyn is one extraordinary book about loss and love but it's actually digging oneself on how to face life after the loss of a person you love, deciding whether to live for tomorrow or just mourn and remain in the past.
In the end, I love how the relationship between the two escalated in a good way for the both of them. Totally worth the read! :) Helps you think that it's good that someone's really outhere for you without you realizing it. :)
So the story is about Brooklyn losing her boyfriend Lucca, which is Nico's brother, and her friend Gabe. It tells about how much she'd dealt after the loss of two of her loved ones. But in another point, it also tells about Nico's perspective about going through a year with the death of his brother. After a year of Lucca and Gabe's death, Brooklyn and Nico had been "haunted" respectively with Brooklyn of Gabe, that he's literally chasing her in her dreams, and Lucca to Nico, giving hints to help Brooklyn. In the end, they had a little mutual understanding with one another. Trying to figure out their feelings and whether to it is right. But at least that was what Lucca would have wanted, for Brooklyn to be happy. With Nico. ☺♥
I was glad that at the last part, Brooklyn and Lucca are finally together. I love that they're together because they pretty much deal with the same situation and at least they understand each other. Chasing Brooklyn is one extraordinary book about loss and love but it's actually digging oneself on how to face life after the loss of a person you love, deciding whether to live for tomorrow or just mourn and remain in the past.
In the end, I love how the relationship between the two escalated in a good way for the both of them. Totally worth the read! :) Helps you think that it's good that someone's really outhere for you without you realizing it. :)
April 7, 2013
This is the second time I've read a work from this author and it still didn't fail to leave me at awe especially since this is a verse novel.
When I started this I realized that this is much more intense and emotional that the last book I've read of this author so I was a little doubtful if it would be able to connect and affect me deeply since it was written in a verse form. But lo and behold because it did! I was surprised to find myself tearing up on some parts and some making my skin filled with goose bumps. I fascinating how those short verses was able to contain such powerful emotions and feelings. It was very captivating and entrancing.
Nico and Brooklyn are characters that are so easy to like. I felt instant connection with them and felt the sadness and the struggles they've been having since the death of someone they both loved so deeply. The comfort they found through each other and how both of them had helped to let go and move on was very heartwarming and poignant. Their story was such a lovely and touching one that it made its way easily on my favorites shelf.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
When I started this I realized that this is much more intense and emotional that the last book I've read of this author so I was a little doubtful if it would be able to connect and affect me deeply since it was written in a verse form. But lo and behold because it did! I was surprised to find myself tearing up on some parts and some making my skin filled with goose bumps. I fascinating how those short verses was able to contain such powerful emotions and feelings. It was very captivating and entrancing.
Nico and Brooklyn are characters that are so easy to like. I felt instant connection with them and felt the sadness and the struggles they've been having since the death of someone they both loved so deeply. The comfort they found through each other and how both of them had helped to let go and move on was very heartwarming and poignant. Their story was such a lovely and touching one that it made its way easily on my favorites shelf.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
August 28, 2010
Brooklyn experiences unsettling nightmares after her boyfriend, Lucca, passes away. She is not sure why it is Gabe, a friend of hers, that keeps appearing even though she wishes it was Lucca in his place. Nico, Lucca's brother, takes on running to escape the harsh reality his brother's death instills. Brooklyn and Nico need to reach out to one another to get past their shared despair - but will it be too difficult?
I really liked this story in poetry format. Although I think it would suffer if it were be forced into prose, the story was still good. There was not much going on, but Brooklyn and Nico were both damaged, deep characters struggling to get past the death of someone close to them.
I will be sure to check out other books by Lisa Schroeder.
I really liked this story in poetry format. Although I think it would suffer if it were be forced into prose, the story was still good. There was not much going on, but Brooklyn and Nico were both damaged, deep characters struggling to get past the death of someone close to them.
I will be sure to check out other books by Lisa Schroeder.
March 5, 2015
*Read again as a read aloud 2014-2015 school year*
I have a new favorite author :)
I have a new favorite author :)
October 8, 2019
This book was about a girl that had a boyfriend that had died and the book goes over all of her obstacles and how she slowly works to overcome them. I had liked this book quite a bit because it had a lot of meaning and always had something going on, and was never too boring. I would recommend this book to any readers looking for a sad kind of in some ways a fictional book to read.
October 20, 2018
An interesting YA read written entirely in poems or letters. A great message to never give up and be true to yourself.
October 5, 2017
Loved how it was written in verse, which made for a quick read, and told from two viewpoints. A sweet and heartwarming story about dealing with grief and finding those to help you get through it.
June 12, 2013
Schroeder is one of the top names when it comes to verse novels and I can now see why. Although I often stay away from these poetry-bound novels, Schroeder assuaged most of my fears and managed to suck me into her beautiful tale. I wasn't expected it, but Chasing Brooklyn managed to contain deep and well-rounded characters I truly felt for. Brooklyn, the protagonist who lost her boyfriend and is now haunted by her friend who overdosed is a heroine we can get behind, struggling to maintain a facade of being alright and caring for her dad while her mother and two younger brothers remain elsewhere. And then there's Nico, more of a protagonist himself than a love interest, and his fragile self-esteem combined with his delicate relationship with his parents made him so very real. When put together on the page, their story is gripping and lovely; a novel of dealing with grief and moving on with life, all told in a very unique style that is hard to forget.
And yet, there were still so many flaws with this novel. For one, I find that most grief novels tend to depict the deceased as perfect human beings, which is not only disappointing but also renders their characters to be very flat. And while that didn't bother me too much with this book, it still existed. Instead, what really bothered me about this novel was the ghost plot line itself. Now, I'm not a big fan of ghosts and the plot line with nightmares and terrifying dreams was all just a little too overstated and obvious to have much of an impact. All of Brooklyn's dreams were filled with typical metaphors and symbols that spelled things out for her too easily. I wish that Brooklyn's journey had been more about herself and Nico than about how their ghosts brought them together. It was all too convenient and cliched for my liking. Additionally, by the end of the novel I felt as if the effectiveness of the prose really began to wear off. With this type of style, it's hard to get behind too many topics and cover them all in-depth - I wanted to know more about the secondary characters, more about Brooklyn's father, more about these parents who were also grieving. Nevertheless, all things considered - especially my aversion to verse novels - I'd call this read a success. It's short and sweet and I'll certainly be on the lookout for more of Schroeder in the future.
And yet, there were still so many flaws with this novel. For one, I find that most grief novels tend to depict the deceased as perfect human beings, which is not only disappointing but also renders their characters to be very flat. And while that didn't bother me too much with this book, it still existed. Instead, what really bothered me about this novel was the ghost plot line itself. Now, I'm not a big fan of ghosts and the plot line with nightmares and terrifying dreams was all just a little too overstated and obvious to have much of an impact. All of Brooklyn's dreams were filled with typical metaphors and symbols that spelled things out for her too easily. I wish that Brooklyn's journey had been more about herself and Nico than about how their ghosts brought them together. It was all too convenient and cliched for my liking. Additionally, by the end of the novel I felt as if the effectiveness of the prose really began to wear off. With this type of style, it's hard to get behind too many topics and cover them all in-depth - I wanted to know more about the secondary characters, more about Brooklyn's father, more about these parents who were also grieving. Nevertheless, all things considered - especially my aversion to verse novels - I'd call this read a success. It's short and sweet and I'll certainly be on the lookout for more of Schroeder in the future.
December 12, 2015
I never go for a paranormal stories , yet I don't know how I came across this one, I had it since quite a while , yet I decided it to read tonight.... And something was different , the air was different ,maybe if i had read it on some other day It wudn't have the same effect its having tonight.
There were answers in this book , that I was trying to find today about my life .... this is weird , I should stop thinking that way , but I just can't brush off that feeling ....
Anyway coming to the story & characters , it was simple & subtle ... I liked both the characters & how they both changed perspective of viewing life. Its sweet , all those little things said about life, about loss, new beginning ....
Don't read it if you are looking for a rocking love story , with tattooed hero , & intense love scenes , because this has none of it ..... & yet its beautiful in its own simple way....
....Love is the answer , not fear .....
There were answers in this book , that I was trying to find today about my life .... this is weird , I should stop thinking that way , but I just can't brush off that feeling ....
Anyway coming to the story & characters , it was simple & subtle ... I liked both the characters & how they both changed perspective of viewing life. Its sweet , all those little things said about life, about loss, new beginning ....
Don't read it if you are looking for a rocking love story , with tattooed hero , & intense love scenes , because this has none of it ..... & yet its beautiful in its own simple way....
....Love is the answer , not fear .....
March 13, 2010
I loved Chasing Brooklyn so, so much it's now one of my favorite books. I'm a big fan of verse writing, and this book is now one of the reasons why. I tend to rate books because of how much emotion they are able to convey. How much of what happens, feels like it's happening to me. Having read it one one sitting, this was an emotional roller coaster.
It is a beautiful story about grief, dealing, hope, healing, dreams, and obviously... love. The healing power of love. The characters, the plot, the writing, everything was just amazing. And I adored the alternating points of view. Has to be said: I love Nico (and he loves me back, FYI).
Nothing more to say; I think I made it quite clear that readers who enjoy love stories, and those who like to read about dealing with grief issues will definitely enjoy this book. I'll stop raving about it now!
It is a beautiful story about grief, dealing, hope, healing, dreams, and obviously... love. The healing power of love. The characters, the plot, the writing, everything was just amazing. And I adored the alternating points of view. Has to be said: I love Nico (and he loves me back, FYI).
Nothing more to say; I think I made it quite clear that readers who enjoy love stories, and those who like to read about dealing with grief issues will definitely enjoy this book. I'll stop raving about it now!
June 8, 2015
This one was beautiful!
October 22, 2016
So beautifully done. Full review to come!
December 1, 2010
I love this cover. And I love the title. And I just really love this book. I'm so glad some thoughtful reader nominated it for a Cybils award this year, because I honestly don't think I would have picked it up otherwise. And I have no good reason for that except I think I somehow got the mistaken impression it was just another problem novel and I wasn't in the mood. Shame on me for making my ignorant assumptions and not giving this lovely novel a try before now. CHASING BROOKLYN is Lisa Schroeder's third novel for young adults but the first that I've read. I'm happy to say it will definitely not be the last! Interestingly, it's billed as a companion novel to Schroeder's earlier I Heart You You Haunt Me. I believe it features a couple of side characters from that book, but I found no trouble at all falling into this story without having read the first. It stands very strongly on its own two feet. I haven't read a really good novel in verse in quite awhile and I just adore them when they're well done. CHASING BROOKLYN is a perfect example of a novel in verse that is lyrically light on its feet, but pulsing with that breathtakingly uncertain blend of loss, longing, and love.
It's been a year since Brooklyn's boyfriend Lucca died in a car crash. One year since it became difficult to draw breath in and out every day, to get up every single day and make food for herself and her dad and then eat it, to go to school and pretend she's fine and not coming apart at the seams. To the outside world--her worried friends, her lonely father, her faraway mother and little brothers--she puts on a bright face. In her journal each day and in frequent letters to Lucca, she pours out the grief that consumes her. A talented artist, Brooklyn has all but forgotten her work. That creative spark seems to have dwindled in the past year until now it barely exists at all. And she wonders whether or not it is possible to recover from such loss. Maybe she never will. Nico has spent the last year mourning the death of his beloved brother. Lucca was always the golden boy--Mom and Dad's favorite, bright and shining and full of life. And the two brothers were best friends. Now it's just Nico. And their house is filled with silences he doesn't want to face. So Nico runs. And runs. He runs so fast and so far, like he's training for the race of his life. And then one day a message. Just a whisper. Barely discernible but there. "Make sure Brooklyn is okay." Nico is confused and afraid he's beginning to hallucinate. Surely Brooklyn is just fine by now. She looks fine every day at school. She doesn't look like she needs her dead boyfriend's older brother checking up on her at all. But Nico can't ignore the messages as they keep coming, more and more insistently. And so he finds himself reluctantly chasing Brooklyn.
What a simply lovely story is here. CHASING BROOKLYN is a surprisingly gentle, swallow-in-a-single-gulp read that left me smiling and feeling as though the sun had just come out after a particularly dreary day. One of my favorite things about it is there are no bad guys, no snide caricatures, no backstabbing or flashy, disingenuous "best friends." There is just honesty and unhappiness, kindness and real affection. Having lost loved ones myself, Brooklyn and Nico's experiences washed over me with the unmistakable rush of authenticity. The hint of the paranormal sets up several heart-pounding moments, but the focus remains steadily on how real people in the here and now reach out to each other and are able to build hope from the shared experience of loss. Here are a couple of my favorite entries:
Hard not to like them after reading those, isn't it? Both of these kids were so clear in my head from the very beginning. I could smell the spaghetti sauce bubbling in Nico's kitchen. I could hear the click of the door closing as Brooklyn said an empty goodnight to her father once again. I loved Brooklyn's and Nico's journal entries and how they articulated the ways in which grief shaped their lives in the year after losing Lucca. It's easy to want the best for both of them. And it's impossible to resist Nico's halting efforts to find Brooklyn and help her in whatever way he can. The boy is a keeper if ever there was one. CHASING BROOKLYN is a sweet and haunting story and absolutely one that should not be missed.
It's been a year since Brooklyn's boyfriend Lucca died in a car crash. One year since it became difficult to draw breath in and out every day, to get up every single day and make food for herself and her dad and then eat it, to go to school and pretend she's fine and not coming apart at the seams. To the outside world--her worried friends, her lonely father, her faraway mother and little brothers--she puts on a bright face. In her journal each day and in frequent letters to Lucca, she pours out the grief that consumes her. A talented artist, Brooklyn has all but forgotten her work. That creative spark seems to have dwindled in the past year until now it barely exists at all. And she wonders whether or not it is possible to recover from such loss. Maybe she never will. Nico has spent the last year mourning the death of his beloved brother. Lucca was always the golden boy--Mom and Dad's favorite, bright and shining and full of life. And the two brothers were best friends. Now it's just Nico. And their house is filled with silences he doesn't want to face. So Nico runs. And runs. He runs so fast and so far, like he's training for the race of his life. And then one day a message. Just a whisper. Barely discernible but there. "Make sure Brooklyn is okay." Nico is confused and afraid he's beginning to hallucinate. Surely Brooklyn is just fine by now. She looks fine every day at school. She doesn't look like she needs her dead boyfriend's older brother checking up on her at all. But Nico can't ignore the messages as they keep coming, more and more insistently. And so he finds himself reluctantly chasing Brooklyn.
What a simply lovely story is here. CHASING BROOKLYN is a surprisingly gentle, swallow-in-a-single-gulp read that left me smiling and feeling as though the sun had just come out after a particularly dreary day. One of my favorite things about it is there are no bad guys, no snide caricatures, no backstabbing or flashy, disingenuous "best friends." There is just honesty and unhappiness, kindness and real affection. Having lost loved ones myself, Brooklyn and Nico's experiences washed over me with the unmistakable rush of authenticity. The hint of the paranormal sets up several heart-pounding moments, but the focus remains steadily on how real people in the here and now reach out to each other and are able to build hope from the shared experience of loss. Here are a couple of my favorite entries:
Sat., Jan. 7th--Brooklyn:
In a funeral home
there's no cross to give you hope.
There's no bible to give you peace.
There's no minister to assure you all is well.
In a funeral home . . .
There are still flowers which I love.
There are still people who I know.
There is still death which I hate.
In a funeral home . . .
There is a family without a son.
There is a band without a guitarist.
There is a school without a classmate.
In a funeral home . . .
There is a coffin with a boy.
Sun., Jan. 15th--Nico
Spaghetti Sunday
is my favorite day of the month.
The third Sunday of every month,
Ma makes a big batch of spaghetti with meatballs,
and relatives fill our house like fish fill a net
on a good fishing day.
The guys eat and watch football or basketball or baseball,
depending on the season,
while the girl eat
and talk births or weddings or funerals
depending on the month.
Ma's spaghetti slid into Lucca's heart as a toddler
and never left.
I know when she makes it,
she thinks of him,
how he'd come in and ask for a sample of sauce
as it simmered on the stove.
She'd fill a wooden spoon just for him.
He'd slurp the sauce.
She'd reach up and wipe his chin.
He'd say, "Perfection, Ma."
She'd smile, looking at him, and say, "Yes. It is."
I always wondered,
did he know she wasn't talking
about the sauce?
Hard not to like them after reading those, isn't it? Both of these kids were so clear in my head from the very beginning. I could smell the spaghetti sauce bubbling in Nico's kitchen. I could hear the click of the door closing as Brooklyn said an empty goodnight to her father once again. I loved Brooklyn's and Nico's journal entries and how they articulated the ways in which grief shaped their lives in the year after losing Lucca. It's easy to want the best for both of them. And it's impossible to resist Nico's halting efforts to find Brooklyn and help her in whatever way he can. The boy is a keeper if ever there was one. CHASING BROOKLYN is a sweet and haunting story and absolutely one that should not be missed.
June 26, 2017
4.5/5
When I pick up a verse book written by Lisa Schroeder I know that I'm going to read an emotionally turbulent and transcending book about grief, love and loss. 'Chasing Brooklyn' is beautiful and heart-achey and lovely, the carefully selected words tumbling down the pages. My heart is full after reading about Brooklyn and Nico's journey to recovery, acceptance and courage in the wake of their boyfriend/brother Lucca's, and now Gabe's deaths. I really like how Schroeder plays with the space that she is given, and the formatting does make a difference to the overall experience. Once again, the emotions are perfectly captured, I was able to empathise and understand the inner struggles that the two were facing and it was such a quick and ultimately heartwarming read. The supernatural element - Schroeder likes to write ghosts in her stories - added excitement and fear and moved the story along. Full review to come later when I get to a comp - these are just my initial thoughts.
When I pick up a verse book written by Lisa Schroeder I know that I'm going to read an emotionally turbulent and transcending book about grief, love and loss. 'Chasing Brooklyn' is beautiful and heart-achey and lovely, the carefully selected words tumbling down the pages. My heart is full after reading about Brooklyn and Nico's journey to recovery, acceptance and courage in the wake of their boyfriend/brother Lucca's, and now Gabe's deaths. I really like how Schroeder plays with the space that she is given, and the formatting does make a difference to the overall experience. Once again, the emotions are perfectly captured, I was able to empathise and understand the inner struggles that the two were facing and it was such a quick and ultimately heartwarming read. The supernatural element - Schroeder likes to write ghosts in her stories - added excitement and fear and moved the story along. Full review to come later when I get to a comp - these are just my initial thoughts.
April 24, 2010
Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died a year ago and since then it's as if she's just stopped living, too. Things worsen when her friend Gabe kills himself and seems to be haunting Brooklyn in her dreams - why is he in her dreams instead of Lucca? Lucca's brother Nico can't stop running. The only time he even feels vaguely normal is when he goes running. Nico is struggling, too, as it appears that Lucca's ghost is visiting him, demanding that he help Brooklyn. As Gabe's visits into Brooklyn's dreams become more frequent and Lucca's messages for Nico, too, Nico decides to reach out to Brooklyn. But how can he help her, when he can't even help himself?
I've never really heard of Lisa Schroeder before but when I saw the summary on International Book Tours, I immediately signed up as I loved the synopsis. However once I got an email telling me it was coming to me, I looked it up on Amazon to see what it was about and I learned that instead of being written like an actual book with sentences, this was a novel written in verse. This surprised me as I've never read a book written in verse and, to be honest, I was rather worried because it really didn't appeal to me. However I knew I would have to read it to provide a review so I sat down to get stuck in.
One of my main worries about reading a book written in verse was that it would, quite simply, be boring and plotless. Yes the synopsis tells us a plot of the book but how much detail can you make of a plot when each page contains 15 lines maximum? However I'm pleasantly surprised to report that the book was neither boring nor plotless. The fact that there's only 10-15 lines per page makes for an incredibly quick read. It also makes it incredibly moreish and I found myself wanting to read just one more page - up until the point that I read the whole book in one sitting. The plot is a little thin on the ground particularly since I'm not a huge believer in ghosts and people haunting you in your dreams but it moved along a quite a pace and there wasn't too much focus on the ghostly aspect.
Another worry I had was that I wouldn't fully connect to the characters and although I could manage to tell Brooklyn and Nico apart I can't really say they were fully rounded characters. The lack of description about themselves was unfortunate and I can't say that I imagined either Brooklyn nor Nico in my head as real, proper characters. The one thing that saved Brooklyn and Nico from total oblivion in my mind was the powerful emotions they're both feeling regarding the deaths of both Lucca and Gabe. I thought all of their emotions were hugely real and I did feel for both Brooklyn and Nico over what they were going through. I for one couldn't imagine anything like that happening to me and still being able to exist after it happened.
The book is told in alternating chapters - though they aren't really chapters - by both Nico and Brooklyn and I must say I enjoyed Nico's chapters more than Brooklyn's. Nico seemed more of a survivor whereas Brooklyn seemed eager to just let go. I liked how the relationship developed between Brooklyn and Nico though and it was sweet how they both tried to help each other. I can't really compare Schroeder's writing with anything as this is the first verse novel I've read but I will say that I managed to read it really quickly; the pages just fly by because there's so few words.
Overall I thought Chasing Brooklyn was a fairly decent read. It had emotion and seemed to be written beautifully. I wouldn't say that I'm a convert to verse-written books, I'd say they're more something you get used to rather than love automatically like regular books or perhaps they're more like marmite - you either love books written in verse or you hate them. I can't say I loved Chasing Brooklyn but nor did I hate it, it was really just OK. I certainly don't think I'll be buying or pre-ordering any verse-written books but if I happen to come across a cheap copy I certainly would give them another go!
I've never really heard of Lisa Schroeder before but when I saw the summary on International Book Tours, I immediately signed up as I loved the synopsis. However once I got an email telling me it was coming to me, I looked it up on Amazon to see what it was about and I learned that instead of being written like an actual book with sentences, this was a novel written in verse. This surprised me as I've never read a book written in verse and, to be honest, I was rather worried because it really didn't appeal to me. However I knew I would have to read it to provide a review so I sat down to get stuck in.
One of my main worries about reading a book written in verse was that it would, quite simply, be boring and plotless. Yes the synopsis tells us a plot of the book but how much detail can you make of a plot when each page contains 15 lines maximum? However I'm pleasantly surprised to report that the book was neither boring nor plotless. The fact that there's only 10-15 lines per page makes for an incredibly quick read. It also makes it incredibly moreish and I found myself wanting to read just one more page - up until the point that I read the whole book in one sitting. The plot is a little thin on the ground particularly since I'm not a huge believer in ghosts and people haunting you in your dreams but it moved along a quite a pace and there wasn't too much focus on the ghostly aspect.
Another worry I had was that I wouldn't fully connect to the characters and although I could manage to tell Brooklyn and Nico apart I can't really say they were fully rounded characters. The lack of description about themselves was unfortunate and I can't say that I imagined either Brooklyn nor Nico in my head as real, proper characters. The one thing that saved Brooklyn and Nico from total oblivion in my mind was the powerful emotions they're both feeling regarding the deaths of both Lucca and Gabe. I thought all of their emotions were hugely real and I did feel for both Brooklyn and Nico over what they were going through. I for one couldn't imagine anything like that happening to me and still being able to exist after it happened.
The book is told in alternating chapters - though they aren't really chapters - by both Nico and Brooklyn and I must say I enjoyed Nico's chapters more than Brooklyn's. Nico seemed more of a survivor whereas Brooklyn seemed eager to just let go. I liked how the relationship developed between Brooklyn and Nico though and it was sweet how they both tried to help each other. I can't really compare Schroeder's writing with anything as this is the first verse novel I've read but I will say that I managed to read it really quickly; the pages just fly by because there's so few words.
Overall I thought Chasing Brooklyn was a fairly decent read. It had emotion and seemed to be written beautifully. I wouldn't say that I'm a convert to verse-written books, I'd say they're more something you get used to rather than love automatically like regular books or perhaps they're more like marmite - you either love books written in verse or you hate them. I can't say I loved Chasing Brooklyn but nor did I hate it, it was really just OK. I certainly don't think I'll be buying or pre-ordering any verse-written books but if I happen to come across a cheap copy I certainly would give them another go!
November 26, 2012
Another long run,
Hoping to put distance
between me
and everything else.
The farther,
The better.
Only problem is,
the distance is just temporary,
Because no matter far I go,
I always have to come back.
I first came across Lisa Schroeder when I had randomly ordered The Day Before written by her. I had not known her and I also didn't know that the whole novel was written in verses. The whole experience altogether was pretty surprising.
And..I Love Surprises! :D
The beauty of novels written by Ms.Schroeder?
They are simple , precise , fast paced and beautiful.
I love how I don't have to read monotonous pages of ultimate cheesiness and am simply presented with words my heart truly needs. Words my soul and the critic in me appreciates. I think that's the beauty of poetry. It's one thing to simply write a short story and another to write a whole verse.It looks pretty simple but it actually isn't. Atleast for donkeys like me :P
This is a companion novel to I heart you , you haunt me by Lisa Schroeder , so for those who haven't read that yet , I suggest you first go ahead and read that first. Although it wouldn't make a difference because this is a totally different story....just based on the same plot.
Chasing Brooklyn is Brooklyn's and Nico's story.
Lucca was an important part of both their lives. They loved him and he loved them more than anything. When Lucca died , Brooklyn lost her beloved boyfriend and Nico lost his brother.
Just a year later , Their friend Gabe dies and it all shatters all over again. And that's when the haunting begins.
Chasing Brooklyn was beautiful.
I simply adore the simplicity of the whole story. There were times where I had that type of a feeling where you're reading something so heartbreaking , your breath catches and all you want to do is cry. Although this might sound extreme , the emphasis is totally on the emotion behind it. There were so many I though of how lame was it of all those 600 page books when I could spend my time with such books and cry my eyes out. And I love it when books make me cry.
Nico and Brooklyn were wonderful characters.
Each were masters of their own insecurities , own fears , own ideas...They were so vulnerable yet determined to stay strong. Losing someone close to you takes away a huge piece of your heart. How should you function in that person's absence? How should you stay strong when the things that remind you the most about that person are always there with you?
But Life goes on..
And this is what Chasing Brooklyn sends out as a beautiful message. :)
“Sometimes life is a feast with eggs Benedict & hollandaise sauce, waffles & strawberries, sausage links & hashed brown potatoes. And sometimes life is scrambled eggs. In the end, your stomach gets full all the same. And years from now, you may not remember exactly what you ate.”- Chasing Brooklyn.
Hoping to put distance
between me
and everything else.
The farther,
The better.
Only problem is,
the distance is just temporary,
Because no matter far I go,
I always have to come back.
I first came across Lisa Schroeder when I had randomly ordered The Day Before written by her. I had not known her and I also didn't know that the whole novel was written in verses. The whole experience altogether was pretty surprising.
And..I Love Surprises! :D
The beauty of novels written by Ms.Schroeder?
They are simple , precise , fast paced and beautiful.
I love how I don't have to read monotonous pages of ultimate cheesiness and am simply presented with words my heart truly needs. Words my soul and the critic in me appreciates. I think that's the beauty of poetry. It's one thing to simply write a short story and another to write a whole verse.It looks pretty simple but it actually isn't. Atleast for donkeys like me :P
This is a companion novel to I heart you , you haunt me by Lisa Schroeder , so for those who haven't read that yet , I suggest you first go ahead and read that first. Although it wouldn't make a difference because this is a totally different story....just based on the same plot.
Chasing Brooklyn is Brooklyn's and Nico's story.
Lucca was an important part of both their lives. They loved him and he loved them more than anything. When Lucca died , Brooklyn lost her beloved boyfriend and Nico lost his brother.
Just a year later , Their friend Gabe dies and it all shatters all over again. And that's when the haunting begins.
Chasing Brooklyn was beautiful.
I simply adore the simplicity of the whole story. There were times where I had that type of a feeling where you're reading something so heartbreaking , your breath catches and all you want to do is cry. Although this might sound extreme , the emphasis is totally on the emotion behind it. There were so many I though of how lame was it of all those 600 page books when I could spend my time with such books and cry my eyes out. And I love it when books make me cry.
Nico and Brooklyn were wonderful characters.
Each were masters of their own insecurities , own fears , own ideas...They were so vulnerable yet determined to stay strong. Losing someone close to you takes away a huge piece of your heart. How should you function in that person's absence? How should you stay strong when the things that remind you the most about that person are always there with you?
But Life goes on..
And this is what Chasing Brooklyn sends out as a beautiful message. :)
“Sometimes life is a feast with eggs Benedict & hollandaise sauce, waffles & strawberries, sausage links & hashed brown potatoes. And sometimes life is scrambled eggs. In the end, your stomach gets full all the same. And years from now, you may not remember exactly what you ate.”- Chasing Brooklyn.
September 8, 2016
it's okay
to want to date
your dead boyfriend's brother
isn't it?
according to this novel
the best way to deal with grief
is to fall in love
with the deceased's kin.
and, if you make a promise,
and can't keep it in life
keep it in death.
i will haunt you.
ggaaahhhhhh.
look, i went back and forth on this one. at the beginning, the poems were grating and amateurish but then the story picked up and i was like oh i see i can do this then. then...oh, then, gabe happened.
when gabe was a scary undead mo-fo i was pretty excited to keep reading. dead moths! creepy roses! the smell of rot and decay! hellooooooooo, gorgeous! in the back of my mind, i couldn't quite figure out how they were going to reconcile the storyline, though. gabe was friends with both nico and brooklyn. he liked lucca. why was he now haunting the crap out of lucca's former flame?
but the undead are fickle beings, right? i figured they would spin up some sort of lame but satisfactory explanation regarding lucca's death or an unfulfilled crush on brooklyn (since who doesn't have one of those in this novel), but, no, no, it was far worse.
warning: i'm going to spoil the shit out of this.
after several weeks of poor sleep, cold fingers creeping up her back, and that one time with the dead moth, brooklyn finally tires of running (figuratively, subconsciously) and confronts gabe who turns from a rotting, lesion-addled corpse-man back to...
gabe!
nice, sweet, normal-looking gabe!
who tells brooklyn that...WAIT FOR IT...he promised her he would get her through lucca's death and failed in life so is now finishing the job in death.
i cannot make this up.
i'm sure the moral here is meant to be something like: we are our own worst demons...or...living is important! don't stop living! no matter how sad you are! and the parts where nico and brooklyn try to come back to life through training and banter really are very sweet.
but then you look at the bigger picture and you think "does that mean gabe killed himself to help brooklyn?" because that transcends the novel to the beyond the screwed up. especially considering lucca had the power to send his brother messages. it makes you wonder if he sent gabe some messages, too. and suddenly everything gets a real ugly spin on it.
also, you need to think about lucca. what brother in the world (or, you know, afterworld) hopes to set his living brother up with his former girlfriend? i mean...it's a bizarre spin on keeping it in the family and one that i felt made little to no sense. i understand wanting to make your family happy, but this seems a bit...excessive.
you hear that, tim and jen? I WILL HAUNT YOU.
so, there you have it. uneven, strangely written, and too-open-ended as to leave uncomfortable undertones strewn about.
like rose petals at the end of your bed.
to want to date
your dead boyfriend's brother
isn't it?
according to this novel
the best way to deal with grief
is to fall in love
with the deceased's kin.
and, if you make a promise,
and can't keep it in life
keep it in death.
i will haunt you.
ggaaahhhhhh.
look, i went back and forth on this one. at the beginning, the poems were grating and amateurish but then the story picked up and i was like oh i see i can do this then. then...oh, then, gabe happened.
when gabe was a scary undead mo-fo i was pretty excited to keep reading. dead moths! creepy roses! the smell of rot and decay! hellooooooooo, gorgeous! in the back of my mind, i couldn't quite figure out how they were going to reconcile the storyline, though. gabe was friends with both nico and brooklyn. he liked lucca. why was he now haunting the crap out of lucca's former flame?
but the undead are fickle beings, right? i figured they would spin up some sort of lame but satisfactory explanation regarding lucca's death or an unfulfilled crush on brooklyn (since who doesn't have one of those in this novel), but, no, no, it was far worse.
warning: i'm going to spoil the shit out of this.
after several weeks of poor sleep, cold fingers creeping up her back, and that one time with the dead moth, brooklyn finally tires of running (figuratively, subconsciously) and confronts gabe who turns from a rotting, lesion-addled corpse-man back to...
gabe!
nice, sweet, normal-looking gabe!
who tells brooklyn that...WAIT FOR IT...he promised her he would get her through lucca's death and failed in life so is now finishing the job in death.
i cannot make this up.
i'm sure the moral here is meant to be something like: we are our own worst demons...or...living is important! don't stop living! no matter how sad you are! and the parts where nico and brooklyn try to come back to life through training and banter really are very sweet.
but then you look at the bigger picture and you think "does that mean gabe killed himself to help brooklyn?" because that transcends the novel to the beyond the screwed up. especially considering lucca had the power to send his brother messages. it makes you wonder if he sent gabe some messages, too. and suddenly everything gets a real ugly spin on it.
also, you need to think about lucca. what brother in the world (or, you know, afterworld) hopes to set his living brother up with his former girlfriend? i mean...it's a bizarre spin on keeping it in the family and one that i felt made little to no sense. i understand wanting to make your family happy, but this seems a bit...excessive.
you hear that, tim and jen? I WILL HAUNT YOU.
so, there you have it. uneven, strangely written, and too-open-ended as to leave uncomfortable undertones strewn about.
like rose petals at the end of your bed.
May 3, 2018
Review
This book was fine. I did not enjoy this book as much as other books I have read, but overall the book was not bad. One thing I liked about the book was the creepiness of how the ghosts kept haunting Brooklyn and Nico. I did not like how bland the book seemed at times.
Plot
This book is about a girl named Brooklyn who is getting over the traumatic death of her boyfriend Lucca and friend Gabe. Brooklyn can not sleep at night because Gabe has been haunting her excessively in her dreams. Nico, Lucca's brother, starts to get messages from Lucca saying that he needs to help Brooklyn. As time passes Nico helps Brooklyn get over her problems by making her train for a triathlon. They end up falling in love and stop getting haunted by the dead.
Characterization
Brooklyn changed a lot over the book. In the beginning she was so sad because of Lucca's death and wrote to him every single day in her journal. After Nico kept trying to befriend her and help her train for the triathlon, she started to change for the better; she stopped writing to Lucca and became happier. Then at the end of the book she finally became happy again.
Recommendations
I would recommend this book to high schoolers. This book was definitely made to be read by girls because of the romance in it. I would not recommend this book to anyone younger than highschool because they may not understand the context of the book.
This book was fine. I did not enjoy this book as much as other books I have read, but overall the book was not bad. One thing I liked about the book was the creepiness of how the ghosts kept haunting Brooklyn and Nico. I did not like how bland the book seemed at times.
Plot
This book is about a girl named Brooklyn who is getting over the traumatic death of her boyfriend Lucca and friend Gabe. Brooklyn can not sleep at night because Gabe has been haunting her excessively in her dreams. Nico, Lucca's brother, starts to get messages from Lucca saying that he needs to help Brooklyn. As time passes Nico helps Brooklyn get over her problems by making her train for a triathlon. They end up falling in love and stop getting haunted by the dead.
Characterization
Brooklyn changed a lot over the book. In the beginning she was so sad because of Lucca's death and wrote to him every single day in her journal. After Nico kept trying to befriend her and help her train for the triathlon, she started to change for the better; she stopped writing to Lucca and became happier. Then at the end of the book she finally became happy again.
Recommendations
I would recommend this book to high schoolers. This book was definitely made to be read by girls because of the romance in it. I would not recommend this book to anyone younger than highschool because they may not understand the context of the book.
March 8, 2010
Won a copy of the ARC in a book tour, so, sadly I didn't get to keep it :o( However, I'm happy that I was able to pass such a great book on for others to read. So, here's my review:
Chasing Brooklyn was one of those stories that allowed me to feel the various emotions that the characters -Brooklyn and Nico were going through a year after a death that affected them both in very different ways. A supernatural twist to the story had ghosts to help pave the way for both Brooklyn and Nico, in what would be a quest to find a life not only worth living, but a way to live without Brooklyn's boyfriend and Nico's brother. They each had such different ways to deal with death, even after a year had passed. They might have both been still alive, but were they really living? I liked how you could feel the struggles to let go and lean on each other, to understand that they were both going through many of the same things. To be able to see both characters change and grow with the turn of each page and as more time passed in the story.
The author - Lisa has a unique writing style that at first glance made me wonder if there would be gaps or missing pieces to the story. I have to say that after reading the first few pages I knew there wouldn't be anything left out. It was a fast read that had me wanting more and fearing it would end to soon.
Written in alternating chapters from Brooklyn and Nico's journals/thoughts it gave me such an amazing insight to just what each was going through. You could feel each and every phase of grief they were feeling from one moment to the next. The struggles are true to life - often at times heartbreaking, yet at other times I found it light and fun.
I can say that Lisa has written a story that to me was emotional, powerful, and strong and filled with love. I look forward to the day when I can purchase this book and read it again. Whether you read it before it comes out or when it's released, you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to see just what she writes next.
For more info and reviews please visit my Book Review Blog here - A Life Bound By Books
Chasing Brooklyn was one of those stories that allowed me to feel the various emotions that the characters -Brooklyn and Nico were going through a year after a death that affected them both in very different ways. A supernatural twist to the story had ghosts to help pave the way for both Brooklyn and Nico, in what would be a quest to find a life not only worth living, but a way to live without Brooklyn's boyfriend and Nico's brother. They each had such different ways to deal with death, even after a year had passed. They might have both been still alive, but were they really living? I liked how you could feel the struggles to let go and lean on each other, to understand that they were both going through many of the same things. To be able to see both characters change and grow with the turn of each page and as more time passed in the story.
The author - Lisa has a unique writing style that at first glance made me wonder if there would be gaps or missing pieces to the story. I have to say that after reading the first few pages I knew there wouldn't be anything left out. It was a fast read that had me wanting more and fearing it would end to soon.
Written in alternating chapters from Brooklyn and Nico's journals/thoughts it gave me such an amazing insight to just what each was going through. You could feel each and every phase of grief they were feeling from one moment to the next. The struggles are true to life - often at times heartbreaking, yet at other times I found it light and fun.
I can say that Lisa has written a story that to me was emotional, powerful, and strong and filled with love. I look forward to the day when I can purchase this book and read it again. Whether you read it before it comes out or when it's released, you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to see just what she writes next.
For more info and reviews please visit my Book Review Blog here - A Life Bound By Books
September 28, 2014
The teaser was kinda creepy. I’m not a fan of anything ghostly. This must be the reason why I didn’t give much of an attention when Ate Eu urged me to make a time to read this novel.
My only regret after reading was I should have read it earlier. The very moment she recommended it.
I like it. No. I think I love it.
This, too, is my first time to read a novel in a form of a poem. A taste of Shakespear. But words won’t make your nose bleed and wonder why the sun ate the moon? In fact it was so light I can read it over and over again.
There’s no heavy drama. No heart wrenching love affair. Not even a tear-inviting story. And yet it was so poignant, it tugs your heart without making you cry.
Oh yes there were ghost. But it didn’t make me scream. In fact I find it cute. hehe.
For me the story was more of a psychological book for people who has issues with life. Like me.
What was written was just the surface of a deep ocean. You need to swam deeper to know what’s at the bottom. And I did.
This is what I found...
Chasing Brooklyn is life. Our life. Especially for those who has been haunted and chased.
Brooklyn and Nico are Me and You.
Lucca and Gabe mirrors our fears in life. They represents the ghost of our past or fears in life.
Brooklyn’s fear of facing Gabe shows our own fear in facing our own endeavor.
Nico’s habbit of running shows that sometimes we chose to just run-away from our fears. We tend to think that it was the only way to be in motion so we could move on. Only to realize that we ended up to stagnation.
But Brooklyn and Nico became each other’s beacon. When they chose to face their fears the ghosts disappeared. Together they healed. Together they were happy. Together they were loved. Together they found each other.
Brooklyn refuse to face Gabe because she was so afraid of his ghost. Just as how we are so afraid to face ours.
I love Nico’s lullaby for Brooklyn. I love every words in this story. The struggles. The healing. The fears. The bravery. I love how Lisa Schroeder ended the story-- at the finish line where Nico is waiting for Brooklyn, knowing it’s only just the beginning.
My only regret after reading was I should have read it earlier. The very moment she recommended it.
I like it. No. I think I love it.
This, too, is my first time to read a novel in a form of a poem. A taste of Shakespear. But words won’t make your nose bleed and wonder why the sun ate the moon? In fact it was so light I can read it over and over again.
There’s no heavy drama. No heart wrenching love affair. Not even a tear-inviting story. And yet it was so poignant, it tugs your heart without making you cry.
Oh yes there were ghost. But it didn’t make me scream. In fact I find it cute. hehe.
For me the story was more of a psychological book for people who has issues with life. Like me.
What was written was just the surface of a deep ocean. You need to swam deeper to know what’s at the bottom. And I did.
This is what I found...
Chasing Brooklyn is life. Our life. Especially for those who has been haunted and chased.
Brooklyn and Nico are Me and You.
Lucca and Gabe mirrors our fears in life. They represents the ghost of our past or fears in life.
Brooklyn’s fear of facing Gabe shows our own fear in facing our own endeavor.
Nico’s habbit of running shows that sometimes we chose to just run-away from our fears. We tend to think that it was the only way to be in motion so we could move on. Only to realize that we ended up to stagnation.
But Brooklyn and Nico became each other’s beacon. When they chose to face their fears the ghosts disappeared. Together they healed. Together they were happy. Together they were loved. Together they found each other.
Brooklyn refuse to face Gabe because she was so afraid of his ghost. Just as how we are so afraid to face ours.
I love Nico’s lullaby for Brooklyn. I love every words in this story. The struggles. The healing. The fears. The bravery. I love how Lisa Schroeder ended the story-- at the finish line where Nico is waiting for Brooklyn, knowing it’s only just the beginning.
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