TinasBookReviews: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

January 2010 by Simon and Schuster

Hardcover, 412 pages

Purchased

Book Synopsis

Restless souls and empty hearts.

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca died a year ago, and now their friend Gabe has 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 chasing her through her dreams. Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying so hard not to feel the pain of missing Lucca. But when he begins receiving messages from his dead brother, telling him 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. (GoodReads)

Memorable Quote

I go by myself to see Lucca.

Ma will be too loud, wailing for him to come back, as if Heaven will hear her cries and do as she says.

Yellow Daises tell me Brooklyn’s been here.

His flower girl.

I brought nothing.

Just myself.

Seems fitting.

Feels like that’s all I’ve got anymore.

Pg.7 (Nico’s thoughts at Lucca’s grave)

Review

Haunting, beautiful and pretty much close to perfection...................................

Chasing Brooklyn is by far one of the best YA books I’ve read this year. Schroeder’s words were so haunting to me it left me with chills. The writing (verse, poetry writing) sentence structure and prose was exquisitely beautiful and brought forth so much emotion I was able to connect to Nico and Brooklyn and seriously immerse myself in their sad world. When I feel the characters emotions and I’m crying with them……that is a sign of a talented writer!! I read this in one sitting, and I was very raw after but happy when I finished.

So much death and grieve has fallen upon Brooklyn’s high school. Jackson (a character from a previous book) died after a terrible diving accident. Then, a year ago, Brooklyn's boyfriend, Lucca, died in a terrible car crash, and most recently, Gabe, the driver of the car, killed himself after he couldn't take the guilt of Lucca's death for another day.

Brooklyn is in a pit of despair and can’t seem to bounce back after Lucca’s death. She no longer draws and spends too much time writing letters to Lucca that will never be sent. Soon after Gabe's death, Brooklyn begins having terrible nightmares where Gabe chases and torments her. She can't figure out what he wants and the dreams are becoming more horrific as the days go by.

Meanwhile, Nico is being visited by his ghostly dead brother Lucca. Nico starts receiving the same messages over and over again - "Help Brooklyn" -but Nico doesn't know how to help Brooklyn so he does the only thing he can, and attempts to build a friendship with her. He decides to ask her to join him prepare for an upcoming triathlon, hoping the work-outs and the challenge will help her deal with Lucca's death.

Through their friendship and their own separate grief the two form a bond much unexpected. They both waver away from this thinking that betraying Lucca will destroy them further but little do they know what destiny has in store.

Chasing Brooklyn is a story of grief and loss and all the dark things that creep out when one is suffering tragedy. It’s also about the beauty and hope of healing and finding the greatest power to overcome…..love……

Rating

Mild language, intense grief and darkness dealing with suicide and death, I would recommend for the mature teen and up.

5/5- YA – Grief, love, ghosts and beautiful writing