Chasing Brooklyn [Hardcover]

Lisa Schroeder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2010

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A year after Brooklyn’s boyfriend, Lucca, was killed in an automobile accident, Gabe, the boy who was driving the car, commits suicide and, soon thereafter, begins haunting Brooklyn’s dreams. At the same time, Lucca starts showing up in the reveries of his older brother, Nico. Both spirits are persistent and demanding, but what is it, exactly, that they want? Readers of this verse novel will figure that out long before Brooklyn and Nico do, but the first-person point of view, which switches back and forth between the two teens, successfully builds suspense and foreboding in this highly readable romance-cum-ghost-story. The text could use fresher imagery (does the sky have to be a canvas, and clouds, cotton balls?), but the plot is well structured and the characters are appealing. Schroeder’s I Heart You, You Haunt Me (2009) was a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult readers, and this one offers promise of being the same. Grades 8-12. --Michael Cart

Review

" [Chasing Brooklyn] cut right to the emotional quick . . . . While the wrenching impact will leave readers raw, the ultimately hopeful ending is comforting. A quick read, but one with substance."

-- School Library Journal, February 2010

"[Written in free verse] both narrators speak in compact and emotional lines. The haunting premise is an appealing one." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April 2010

High school junior Brooklyn and senior Nico are trying to move past the death of Lucca, a pivotal figure in both of their lives. Lucca was Brooklyn's boyfriend and Nico's brother. Although it has been one year since Lucca's death, the recent overdose death of Gabe, Lucca's long-time best friend, shakes Nico and Brooklyn by reopening the wound of Lucca's sudden passing. Soon after dying, Gabe begins haunting Brooklyn's dreams. Gabe's intent is not clear, but the dreams have a malicious overtone that unsettles Brooklyn. meanwhile Nico has his own supernatural communications with his dead brother, and the clear message from Lucca to Nico is that Brooklyn needs help. Nico reaches out to Brooklyn, and their grief and love for Lucca bring them together. But soon Brooklyn and Nico's newfound friendship leads to deeper feelings.

Beautifully written is verse, this touching novel will appeal to older teens looking for a heartfelt story of redemption and triumph mixed with a little romance and tenderness. The sparse text is expertly used to convey Brooklyn's pain and longing for her loss of Lucca and her unexpected feelings for Nico. The dream sequences are more than a little creepy, adding a supernatural feeling to a novel that defies easy categorization.

- VOYA April 2010

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; 1 edition (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416991689
• ISBN-13: 978-1416991687
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Schroeder is a native Oregonian, which means her childhood summers were spent camping, fishing, reading books (of course!), and playing in the sun, when it finally came out. These days, Lisa spends her summers, and every other part of the year, sharing all the wonderful things Oregon has to offer with her husband and two sons. She is the author of four novels for young adults published by Simon Pulse - I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, FAR FROM YOU, CHASING BROOKLYN and THE DAY BEFORE. She is also the author of two middle-grade novels published by Aladdin - IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES and SPRINKLES AND SECRETS.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deep, emotional, can't-put-down read, May 24, 2010

By 

Shannon Messenger (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chasing Brooklyn (Hardcover)

Lisa's gift to fans of I Heart You, You Haunt Me, this is not a sequel, and definitely stands alone. There's loss. There's love. And above all else: there's hope. It's also my favorite book she's written thus far. What I love about all of Lisa's books is that she has a way of making me like things I normally wouldn't. I'm not really a big verse novel person. Nor am I into ghost stories. And I'm generally not a fan of anything that makes me cry. But I adore her books. I would love to figure out how she does that, but it remains a mystery. Maybe she has magic powers I don't know about. Somehow she manages to make me forget that I'm reading poems instead of paragraphs. In fact, I think this story would lose its power if it were written traditionally. The verse feels so intimate--like diary entries--that you really connect with the characters on another level. And while the format makes for a quick read (my first time through only took a couple hours) I would strongly encourage anyone to read slower (or to read it twice) because there are subtleties woven through the words that are too easily lost while speed reading. Bottom line: It's a wonderful story to sip and savor--not gulp--and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves touching stories about living with loss and finding a reason to keep going.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MaryinHB www.maryinhb.blogspot.com, May 18, 2010

By 

Mary L. Jacobs "BookHounds" (Huntington Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chasing Brooklyn (Hardcover)

This is another wonderful book from author Lisa Schroeder. I love the lyrical quality to Schroeder's writing and this surpassed the her other two books, Far From You and I Heart You, You Haunt Me.
I wasn't expecting to be wowed by a book written in free verse, but the sparseness of words makes the story of overcoming grief even that much more special. This is one of those stories that will stick with you long after you put down the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GreenBeanTeenQueen Reviews, January 25, 2010

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GreenBeanTeenQueen (MO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Chasing Brooklyn (Hardcover)

About the Book: Brooklyn's boyfriend Lucca died a year ago. And now her friend Gabe has died of an overdose. Brooklyn is loosing sleep and being haunted by Gabe in her dreams.

Nico lost his brother Lucca and is trying to escape the pain. But when Lucca starts to leave him messages to help Brooklyn, Nico and Brooklyn find themselves being drawn to each other and having to face emotions that have been buried. They just need to learn to let each other in.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I LOVED IT!! I really enjoy novels in verse and I think Lisa Schroeder writes them beautifully, but she blew me away with Chasing Brooklyn. This is a book you'll want multiple copies of-one to keep and one to pass around to friends.

The novel is told in alternating voices-Brooklyn and Nico's. I wasn't sure how this would work with a novel in verse, especially since each alternating part was short to start. But Lisa Schroeder pulled it off and gave Brooklyn and Nico distinct voices and soon I was swept up in both stories.

I was so drawn into the book I couldn't put it down. I stayed up waaay past my bedtime to finish this one. (That's what I get starting this one thinking "I'll just read a little bit before I fall asleep...) It's a book that has such gorgeous lyrical writing you just want to get lost in the words.

Chasing Brooklyn is an emotional read and the journey the reader takes with Brooklyn and Nico is one that will stick with you. You'll want to keep this one around for multiple re-reads because these are characters you won't want to leave behind. Yes, it's a ghost story, but most of all it's a love story and a beautiful tale about two people who need each other to heal. Both Brooklyn and Nico are hurting and you feel their pain and want to reach in and help them. Their journey to each other is heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time.

There's a cameo from a character in I Heart You, You Haunt Me. Chasing Brooklyn isn't a sequel, but takes place in the same school. I re-read I Heart You, You Haunt Me before I read Chasing Brooklyn, but that's not necessary. Lisa ties the two novels together nicely and reader's won't be lost if they haven't read the first one. (Although really, you should read that one too-it's also amazing!)

Chasing Brooklyn is easily one of my favorite reads of 2010 and earns a place in my top books of all time. I think it's Lisa's best book and I can't wait for more.