Scan barcode
A review by themaddiest
Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff
3.0
Kid’s parents don’t understand. Trying to find a place to accept Kid, Kid ends up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Over the course of two summers, Kid falls hopelessly in love and learns about life and loss. Summer draws to a close, and Kid has to face the fact that there are things to learn about life.
If the summary doesn’t sound like it’s doing the book justice, that’s because it’s not. The narrator of Steve Brezenoff’s novel is never identified by gender. Neither is Scout, the person that Kid falls in love with one summer in Brooklyn. This gender-neutrality is intentional and effective. Brezenoff’s novel is a lyrical, understated love story to Brooklyn. Fast-paced this book is not: this is a slow, deliberate story that unfolds in a way that can only be described as complex. It’s not going to work for many readers, but for readers who don’t mind a hearty dose of complexity with their their books: get ready for a doozy of a story.
Based partially on actual events–Brezenoff took the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse fire of 2006 and crafted a story around it–Kid’s story flashes back and forth in time to help explain why Kid ended up where they did. Unable to make their parents understand, Kid ends up in Brooklyn, looking for a respite from the pressures of home, and ends up falling in love with music and with Scout, another runaway. The flashbacks offer slow but well-done insights into Kid’s situation, and Brezenoff’s careful descriptions of Brooklyn offer specificity and familiarity, making the book’s setting palpable.
The book handles issues of sexual identity, homelessness, and street life with nary a trace of sensationalism. Brezenoff’s skilled writing keeps these issues from overwhelming the story and provides some of the best commentary on youth homelessness that this reviewer has come across in quite some time. The book’s raw tone only enhances its complex characters and situations.
Also notable is Brezenoff’s decision to keep both Kid and Scout’s genders unnamed. Kid’s first-person narrative keeps the reader at somewhat of a distance (which won’t work for all readers), but Kid’s tendency to refer to Scout as “You” is a touch of sheer brilliance. It takes some getting used to, but it really works.
Recommended. This is a notable book.
Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff. Carolrhoda Books, 2011. Electronic galley accepted for review via NetGalley.
If the summary doesn’t sound like it’s doing the book justice, that’s because it’s not. The narrator of Steve Brezenoff’s novel is never identified by gender. Neither is Scout, the person that Kid falls in love with one summer in Brooklyn. This gender-neutrality is intentional and effective. Brezenoff’s novel is a lyrical, understated love story to Brooklyn. Fast-paced this book is not: this is a slow, deliberate story that unfolds in a way that can only be described as complex. It’s not going to work for many readers, but for readers who don’t mind a hearty dose of complexity with their their books: get ready for a doozy of a story.
Based partially on actual events–Brezenoff took the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse fire of 2006 and crafted a story around it–Kid’s story flashes back and forth in time to help explain why Kid ended up where they did. Unable to make their parents understand, Kid ends up in Brooklyn, looking for a respite from the pressures of home, and ends up falling in love with music and with Scout, another runaway. The flashbacks offer slow but well-done insights into Kid’s situation, and Brezenoff’s careful descriptions of Brooklyn offer specificity and familiarity, making the book’s setting palpable.
The book handles issues of sexual identity, homelessness, and street life with nary a trace of sensationalism. Brezenoff’s skilled writing keeps these issues from overwhelming the story and provides some of the best commentary on youth homelessness that this reviewer has come across in quite some time. The book’s raw tone only enhances its complex characters and situations.
Also notable is Brezenoff’s decision to keep both Kid and Scout’s genders unnamed. Kid’s first-person narrative keeps the reader at somewhat of a distance (which won’t work for all readers), but Kid’s tendency to refer to Scout as “You” is a touch of sheer brilliance. It takes some getting used to, but it really works.
Recommended. This is a notable book.
Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff. Carolrhoda Books, 2011. Electronic galley accepted for review via NetGalley.