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akira1crowley's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
himissjulie's review against another edition
A teen version of Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson--a high compliment.
longlost's review against another edition
3.0
one of the main reasons i started reading this book was to get a feel for the culture of Brooklyn, and i feel like the author did that here perfectly. i felt completely immersed in this urban world, and while i didn't particularly connect with any of the characters i wouldn't say that that's a flaw on the book's part because it IS hard for me to connect to most characters, especially in books. i did feel for Kid's arc throughout the book, and i was invested in their relationship with scout - i especially enjoyed the sort of 'detached' way, for lack of a better word, that the author wrote the relationships between these characters. you can feel the tenuousness between each character and how their environment is impacting their behaviour and their wellbeing.
the depiction of homelessness and its hardships was also done in a respectful and nuanced way in my opinion - it's never depicted as anything "glamorous" or "enticingly edgy" like some media can do with subjects as heavy as this, but it's also put into the story in a holistic way that doesn't make homelessness Kid's sole problem. sure, they're homeless, and this has an effect on them and how they behave, but there's more to their character than just being Some Homeless Kid. maybe an odd thing to mention, but i've seen a lot of media types make something like this into the sole defining problem for a character, and i'm glad it didn't happen here.
the characters also feel very defined and appropriately used. i was especially fond of Fish, as she felt particularly three-dimensional, and i very much appreciated the attention to the contrast of her wanting to help Kid and their friends, but also wanting to follow the law to keep her business safe. the relationship between Kid & Scout, despite feeling at times rushed and over-the-top, felt perfectly in place in a story about Kid's life-changing summer in Brooklyn. if it were in any other setting then it may not have worked for me, but here it felt like it captured the tone of the book perfectly.
all-in-all, a moving story about healing from pain and opening up. i'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for some nice prose and some character-driven story arcs. things don't so much happen to the characters in this book as the characters happen to it - you're introduced to this little corner of Brooklyn where the characters reside, and we're very much led to explore the consequences of their actions, and sometimes their inaction.
the depiction of homelessness and its hardships was also done in a respectful and nuanced way in my opinion - it's never depicted as anything "glamorous" or "enticingly edgy" like some media can do with subjects as heavy as this, but it's also put into the story in a holistic way that doesn't make homelessness Kid's sole problem. sure, they're homeless, and this has an effect on them and how they behave, but there's more to their character than just being Some Homeless Kid. maybe an odd thing to mention, but i've seen a lot of media types make something like this into the sole defining problem for a character, and i'm glad it didn't happen here.
the characters also feel very defined and appropriately used. i was especially fond of Fish, as she felt particularly three-dimensional, and i very much appreciated the attention to the contrast of her wanting to help Kid and their friends, but also wanting to follow the law to keep her business safe. the relationship between Kid & Scout, despite feeling at times rushed and over-the-top, felt perfectly in place in a story about Kid's life-changing summer in Brooklyn. if it were in any other setting then it may not have worked for me, but here it felt like it captured the tone of the book perfectly.
all-in-all, a moving story about healing from pain and opening up. i'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for some nice prose and some character-driven story arcs. things don't so much happen to the characters in this book as the characters happen to it - you're introduced to this little corner of Brooklyn where the characters reside, and we're very much led to explore the consequences of their actions, and sometimes their inaction.
iwantamonkey's review against another edition
3.0
Quick read (read in 1 day). Really interesting use of LGBTQ youth. Some things (one story line) wrapped up neatly and that didn't feel genuine to me. Lots of feelings here -- love! Sad! Family! Messy!
Looking forward to reading more by same author.
Looking forward to reading more by same author.
naitasia's review against another edition
3.0
My true rating for this book is 3.5 stars. It falls short of 4 because I feel as though the story is written with a building momentum that is never fulfilled. I kept waiting for something, what I'm not sure, but whatever it was, it never came. Or maybe it was the transient nature of the gender neutral-no last name characters that didn't fully ground me. Now that I'm finished, I don't feel sated. However, it tasted good as I went through each chapter.
While the transient nature of the characters was a little off putting, anything more would not have worked for this story. It's about the nature of summer, that unpredictable time of transition where anything goes and usually does, and it's rarely the same from one to the next. School age kids live for summer, so telling the story from Kid's perspective is perfect. At that tender age of 15 to 16 he's trying to figure out who he is, and even though it would be easier if an adult would just tell him he'll be wondering that for the rest of his life, they let him think he's on his own. Except he's not.
I liked how Steve Brezenoff shows you both Kid's love of Felix and his for Scout, because it allows you to see the difference from his own mind as he remembers it. He was enamored with Felix, his talent, what he represented, this "thing" that Felix had. Superficial, transient, like Summer. With Scout, it meant more. Kid loved Scout and she loved him in return. A mutual love that grew out of the nestled haze of Summer, that will linger long after the sun sets. To me, it was more evident in the way they shared the music together than anything. They flowed so perfectly without effort, like a natural team. No shyness or hesitation. It could be no other way.
I'm willing to admit that my expectation of something more probably comes from years of reading over-dramatic fiction, because I have no other valid reason for giving this book less than 4 stars. I liked that there was no pretty epilogue tying it all up in a nice bow, I didn't need to see them as college sweethearts or doing a Eurotour. I appreciate that things were left chaste between them, it was sweet and respectful, because it's never been about that. And I'm glad Kid can walk away with a clear conscience about the fire at the warehouse.
While the transient nature of the characters was a little off putting, anything more would not have worked for this story. It's about the nature of summer, that unpredictable time of transition where anything goes and usually does, and it's rarely the same from one to the next. School age kids live for summer, so telling the story from Kid's perspective is perfect. At that tender age of 15 to 16 he's trying to figure out who he is, and even though it would be easier if an adult would just tell him he'll be wondering that for the rest of his life, they let him think he's on his own. Except he's not.
I liked how Steve Brezenoff shows you both Kid's love of Felix and his for Scout, because it allows you to see the difference from his own mind as he remembers it. He was enamored with Felix, his talent, what he represented, this "thing" that Felix had. Superficial, transient, like Summer. With Scout, it meant more. Kid loved Scout and she loved him in return. A mutual love that grew out of the nestled haze of Summer, that will linger long after the sun sets. To me, it was more evident in the way they shared the music together than anything. They flowed so perfectly without effort, like a natural team. No shyness or hesitation. It could be no other way.
I'm willing to admit that my expectation of something more probably comes from years of reading over-dramatic fiction, because I have no other valid reason for giving this book less than 4 stars. I liked that there was no pretty epilogue tying it all up in a nice bow, I didn't need to see them as college sweethearts or doing a Eurotour. I appreciate that things were left chaste between them, it was sweet and respectful, because it's never been about that. And I'm glad Kid can walk away with a clear conscience about the fire at the warehouse.
garbage's review against another edition
3.0
“We hardly spoke, because all night “good-bye” tried to find my lips from where it was stuck in my throat, like a pill that wouldn’t go all the way down, so I pushed it back with sip after sip of my drink.”
There are so many mixed feelings inside of me. With a strange writing style, enigmatic characters, and a unique look at summertime in Brooklyn and what it means to be human, [b:Brooklyn, Burning|10628114|Brooklyn, Burning |Steve Brezenoff|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348322144s/10628114.jpg|15536616], was absolutely nothing I expected. The protagonist, Kid, has no defined sexuality or gender. The novel is written in second person, directed at Scout, another teen, and I absolutely despised that at first. It quickly became apparent that writing style didn’t matter. Even through my annoyance, I managed to get swept into Kid’s world of drugs and homelessness and the strength of music.
Admittedly, I still didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. Its uniqueness alone gives it a lot of brownie points, but it still fell a bit short for me, plot-wise. The writing was beautiful (despite my initial struggles with the style), but ultimately, it felt a little like [b:Go Ask Alice|46799|Go Ask Alice|Beatrice Sparks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327870536s/46799.jpg|2115708]. The difference being that [b:Brooklyn, Burning|10628114|Brooklyn, Burning |Steve Brezenoff|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348322144s/10628114.jpg|15536616], was actually interesting and bearable to read.
amylandranch's review against another edition
3.0
Set in Brooklyn, this story is unique in that the author never reveals the gender identity of the main character, Kid or the character they fall in love with, Scout. Teens that have left home for various reasons, living in the streets, finding support from local community members- it is a gritty picture but also there is hope. The blurb calls it a love story over two different summers. Teens dealing with gender identity, homelessness, drug use/drinking and lack of parental support might find solace in the pages. 9th grade and up.
jrt5166's review against another edition
2.0
Props to the author for telling the story of some lost kids who need their story told. That said, I had trouble with this book because of the way the protagonist loved - not who, mind you, but how. Kid's love for Felix and then Scout was all consuming and obsessive. It was as if nothing else in life mattered, and with Felix especially it bordered on hero worship. Frankly, I think that's not healthy, and I don't like seeing that sort of relationship romanticized.
missusb21's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted more from this sparse, economical book. I accept that Felix and the fire are the driving tension of the narrative, but whenever we spent time in the past, I just wanted to know more about Scout and Kid. I wanted the romance of that story to have more time on the page.
But in essence, this is beautifully written, hauntingly atmospheric and powerfully inclusive.
But in essence, this is beautifully written, hauntingly atmospheric and powerfully inclusive.