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461st out of 1,169 books
—
6,225 voters
Brooklyn, Burning
by
Steve Brezenoff (Goodreads Author)
When you're sixteen and no one understands who you are, sometimes the only choice left is to run. If you're lucky, you'll find a place that accepts you, no questions asked. And if you're really lucky, that place has a drum set, a place to practice, and a place to sleep. For Kid, the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, are that place. Over the course of two scorching summers,...more
Hardcover, 210 pages
Published
September 1st 2011
by Carolrhoda Books
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Good writing and a story that didn't really affect me.
A homeless teen narrator whose gender and sexuality are never defined, kicked out of home for being "undecided" - certainly a very interesting perspective from which to write a teen novel. The message is clear - labels mean nothing, only love matters.
I wanted to like Brooklyn, Burning more. But it is hard to like a book which has romance at its core but whose characters you have no connection with. Kid and Scout never came alive for me, they...more
A homeless teen narrator whose gender and sexuality are never defined, kicked out of home for being "undecided" - certainly a very interesting perspective from which to write a teen novel. The message is clear - labels mean nothing, only love matters.
I wanted to like Brooklyn, Burning more. But it is hard to like a book which has romance at its core but whose characters you have no connection with. Kid and Scout never came alive for me, they...more
16 likes · like · see review
view all 14 comments
4.5 stars
**Minor spoilers ahead.**
If we only look at the surface, it’s pretty clear that Brooklyn, Burning is about gender identity and sexual orientation issues. But looking at the surface is not nearly enough. By concentrating too much on things like gender identity, we fail to see what’s underneath, and we miss everything that’s beautiful. Now, I know that sounds like a terrible cliché, but it’s a lesson that can’t be repeated enough.
This book, much like its main character, refuses to be cat...more
**Minor spoilers ahead.**
If we only look at the surface, it’s pretty clear that Brooklyn, Burning is about gender identity and sexual orientation issues. But looking at the surface is not nearly enough. By concentrating too much on things like gender identity, we fail to see what’s underneath, and we miss everything that’s beautiful. Now, I know that sounds like a terrible cliché, but it’s a lesson that can’t be repeated enough.
This book, much like its main character, refuses to be cat...more
16 likes · like · see review
There is a certain rough beauty which can be found in urban environments. Anyone who has stood on a rooftop at sundown or noticed a patch of wildflowers poking out of a concrete sidewalk will appreciate the strange duality of natural and manmade aesthetics, as well as the occasional difficulty of finding security and happiness in such surroundings.
For Kid, who has been living on the streets for over a year, the city of Brooklyn offers both strength and sadness and love and loss. Kid's parents ca...more
For Kid, who has been living on the streets for over a year, the city of Brooklyn offers both strength and sadness and love and loss. Kid's parents ca...more
23 likes · like · see review
“I squeezed your hand and looked at your face. It was lit up, not from the rising sun, but from within, and I knew mine must have been too.”
High points.
Questions the restrictions and preconceptions of gender. Brooklyn. Music. Love with no limits. Sunsets. No inhibitions. The dark side of growing up. The complex relationship between kids and parents who could never/refuse to understand. Summer. Basements. Sex. Dealing with loss. Looking to the future. Happy ending…thank god.
Low Points.
When I love...more
High points.
Questions the restrictions and preconceptions of gender. Brooklyn. Music. Love with no limits. Sunsets. No inhibitions. The dark side of growing up. The complex relationship between kids and parents who could never/refuse to understand. Summer. Basements. Sex. Dealing with loss. Looking to the future. Happy ending…thank god.
Low Points.
When I love...more
7 likes · like · see review
I've been thinking about this for awhile. What can I say that will do this book justice and won't sound like a bunch of gushing? Truth? All I can do is rave about it.
This isn't a boy meets girl story. Or a boy meets boy. Or a girl meets girl. Or maybe it is... That's the beauty of it. This story is about two teenagers in a bad situation who fall in love. It's about two human beings connecting through music and shared experiences. And it's done beautifully. All of the characters are REAL and nua...more
This isn't a boy meets girl story. Or a boy meets boy. Or a girl meets girl. Or maybe it is... That's the beauty of it. This story is about two teenagers in a bad situation who fall in love. It's about two human beings connecting through music and shared experiences. And it's done beautifully. All of the characters are REAL and nua...more
When I started reading Brooklyn, Burning I was really excited for it, because of the wonderful reviews it has received but at the same time I tried to keep my expectations low. With hype you always have to expect something not to live up to it.
Brooklyn, Burning didn't live up to my expectations. It is not a bad book. The writing is alright and I can appreciate how the Brezenoff never slipped in not revealing the gender of the main character. At the same time I found not knowing very frustrating...more
Brooklyn, Burning didn't live up to my expectations. It is not a bad book. The writing is alright and I can appreciate how the Brezenoff never slipped in not revealing the gender of the main character. At the same time I found not knowing very frustrating...more
2 likes · like · see review
Also found here: http://theninjareader.tumblr.com/post...
It's summer again, which means a lot of things for Kid. In the last year he was kicked out of home, lost a loved one and had his roof burn down (both literally and figuratively). He's hounded by the police, and isn't too thrilled when he discovers he's falling in love again, with a guitarist who answers a long-forgotten add.
That's not really what this book is about, though. It's just what I could sum up in two sentences.
Much like its narr...more
It's summer again, which means a lot of things for Kid. In the last year he was kicked out of home, lost a loved one and had his roof burn down (both literally and figuratively). He's hounded by the police, and isn't too thrilled when he discovers he's falling in love again, with a guitarist who answers a long-forgotten add.
That's not really what this book is about, though. It's just what I could sum up in two sentences.
Much like its narr...more
2 likes · like · see review
I can easily say it's one of the best books I've read this year. I love contemp, and I love it even more when an author takes a giant leap and tries something different. In Brooklyn,Burning the giant leap was the point of view. Imagine sitting down and listening to a story being told to you, that's what Kid is doing-telling the story of Scout. It's not in third person and it's not in first person. It's a mix and it works. I was immediately drawn into Kid. The life Kid lives isn't an easy one. Af...more
When YOU aren’t what your parents expect, what do you do? When life isn’t what YOU expect it to be, who do you turn to? For Kid, who came home one day to find a packed bag on the bed and is told to leave home, help comes in the form of strangers turned friends. From Fish, the bar owner with a cellar that is perfect for practicing their music, to Felix and Konny and Scout, all on the streets.
This was a very different and moving story about identity and the need to belong from a gritty and raw per...more
This was a very different and moving story about identity and the need to belong from a gritty and raw per...more
actually more like one and a half stars. im being very hard on it but i did end up skimming the last half of the book because though i wanted to find out how it resolved, the writing was just not grabbing me and im not sure why. part of it was that it jumped around alot and used "you" to describe two separate characters, one past and one present and so i was never sure who or where we were in the story. not great for getting the reader involved. when i read the writers note in the back i thought...more
As a subgenre, literary YA can be tricky. An author not only has to have the writing chops to impress adult reviewers; they have to have a premise strong and relevant enough to attract teens. Do it wrong and you end up with straight adult literary fiction, or worse: a bad book. (See: an awful lot of bad books.) With Brooklyn, Burning, Steve Brezenoff comes within a hair's breadth of doing it wrong - but pulls back from the edge just in time to give us one of the strongest releases in any genre,...more
Steve Brezenoff's latest novel, Brooklyn, Burning, sets the bar high for punk-friendly, slacker-sweet, gender-indifferent YA. And it takes on the issues facing many LGBT teens in the wisest way possible: by refusing to make those issues all that the book is about.
Brooklyn, Burning's strongest statement about gender and sexual identity comes through what goes unsaid. The biological sex of the two main characters is never explicitly identified, and the "you" and "I" and strategic phrasing that ma...more
Brooklyn, Burning's strongest statement about gender and sexual identity comes through what goes unsaid. The biological sex of the two main characters is never explicitly identified, and the "you" and "I" and strategic phrasing that ma...more
Brooklyn, Burning is set among a community of teens in the punk scene on the edge of homelessness. This is triple jeopardy territory to write about without coming off as condescending, dated, or moralizing, but Brezenoff uses some clever tricks to pull it off. His first person narrative voice is credible: sharp about some things, a little dense about others. I criticized Brezenoff's last novel for sometimes putting a bit too much adult hindsight into his young character's voice; I don't think he...more
Well-written and interesting YA novel about street kids, loosely based around the 2006 burning of a historic warehouse in Brooklyn.
What's really interesting about this book is that the author never specifies a gender for either the narrator or the narrator's current romantic interest. It's a GENDER-FREE ROMANCE. I'd thought once of writing one, but never figured out how to do it. Brezenoff pulls it off perfectly. I didn't even realize until a couple of chapters in that this was the case -- I had...more
What's really interesting about this book is that the author never specifies a gender for either the narrator or the narrator's current romantic interest. It's a GENDER-FREE ROMANCE. I'd thought once of writing one, but never figured out how to do it. Brezenoff pulls it off perfectly. I didn't even realize until a couple of chapters in that this was the case -- I had...more
Sep 23, 2011
Melanie Goodman
added it
Steve Brezenoff’s sophomore novel, Brooklyn, Burning, is a gorgeous but painful piece of literary fiction. It is both poetic and sentimental, gritty and raw. The book is deeply rooted in its setting, imbued with the vibe of Brooklyn. After being kicked out of the house, Kid lives on the streets of the city, crashing in a warehouse or the cellar of a bar. While Kid’s life isn’t easy, Kid manages to find kindness among others who know what it’s like to be lost, lonely, and unaccepted. Kid also man...more
Kid (yes, that's what "he" calls himself) has been living on the Brooklyn streets, in warehouses, and in the basement of a bar ever since his dad packed his stuff and told him to get out. He has a tendency to fall in love with other lost musicians-first Felix and then Scout. He somehow manages to surround himself with some caring adults who gently try to push Kid to make safe(r) decisions. He becomes the prime suspect in a warehouse fire for which he doesn't want to seem to admit he's not guilty...more
I actually didn't realize our protag's an LGBTQ character until the (horrifically hurtful) statement from Kid's father. It makes me kind of glad: it proves that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people are just the same as everyone. It's not always easy to get comfortable with the main character, but as the history comes out, it's impossible not to feel for Kid. All these emotions roiled up -- abandonment, acceptance, aspirations -- make for a close-to-the-heart read.
The depth which...more
The depth which...more
A touching and interesting story, mainly about the summer love between Kid and Scout two street kids who share a love of music, mysterious circumstances and the desire to share something that might last longer than summer.
Brezenoff never reveals the gender of Kid and in the beginning of the story neither Scout nor Kid is immediately distinguished with a gender signifier, which I found interesting. That first chapter was appealing to me because it allowed the characters to develop without me bein...more
Brezenoff never reveals the gender of Kid and in the beginning of the story neither Scout nor Kid is immediately distinguished with a gender signifier, which I found interesting. That first chapter was appealing to me because it allowed the characters to develop without me bein...more
4.5
Surface: it's about kids who are unsatisfied and (feel) unaccepted; they're lost and maybe confused about who they are and what they want.
Closer: (and you don't really have to look that close with Kid telling the story,) you get one that's just of People; of being found, then lost, then found again.
There's plenty appealing in this:
It's real. With a narrator like Kid, I could feel his anger, sadness... I could feel as he did. He doesn't sugar coat. What he did, where he lived and those he kn...more
Surface: it's about kids who are unsatisfied and (feel) unaccepted; they're lost and maybe confused about who they are and what they want.
Closer: (and you don't really have to look that close with Kid telling the story,) you get one that's just of People; of being found, then lost, then found again.
There's plenty appealing in this:
It's real. With a narrator like Kid, I could feel his anger, sadness... I could feel as he did. He doesn't sugar coat. What he did, where he lived and those he kn...more
4 likes · like · see review
Sadly, my favorite thing about this novel was the cover. Brooklyn, Burning and I were just not a great match.
I may have been missing something, but I was constantly confused by the writing style. I feel dumb to admit it, but for an absurd amount of time, I didn't know which characters were boys and which were girls. I really don't think it was that clear... Also, I was confused by what was taking place in the present and what was taking place in the past since the scenes were switching back and...more
I may have been missing something, but I was constantly confused by the writing style. I feel dumb to admit it, but for an absurd amount of time, I didn't know which characters were boys and which were girls. I really don't think it was that clear... Also, I was confused by what was taking place in the present and what was taking place in the past since the scenes were switching back and...more
For a complete writer's review, please see my blog at: http://lorettajokapinos.blogspot.com/
One of the last things I'd ever want to do is spoil this book for the readers. I despise telling people what to think or how to feel. So, I'm going to make this section short and vague. Brooklyn Burning is a coming of age story about a teen on the streets of NYC. To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect when I started reading the ARC I received via NetGalley.com. But once I got started, I was ple...more
One of the last things I'd ever want to do is spoil this book for the readers. I despise telling people what to think or how to feel. So, I'm going to make this section short and vague. Brooklyn Burning is a coming of age story about a teen on the streets of NYC. To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect when I started reading the ARC I received via NetGalley.com. But once I got started, I was ple...more
I loved. Loved. This Book. I have already recommended it to so many people. There is always a second chance and one must forgive...especially yourself. And love is always possible. You must love and be loved in return....we are all worthy. All the characters in this book were so real and flawed and damaged, but I couldn't help wanting to hug them for that reason and I adored the that we were never told by the author whether or not the two love interests were either male or female...because it si...more
The biggest thing that comes out of this story for me is that it is very clever in its POV. Which is a lot to recommend it, but the downside is that the plot feels thin in a couple of places. Let's start with the awesome first.
The protagonist is Kid, who's living on the street slash on a couch in the basement of a bar after being kicked out. In a first person POV, there's no need for Kid's gender to ever be revealed, but more than that, Brezenoff can avoid mentioning it in any way. And, for adde...more
The protagonist is Kid, who's living on the street slash on a couch in the basement of a bar after being kicked out. In a first person POV, there's no need for Kid's gender to ever be revealed, but more than that, Brezenoff can avoid mentioning it in any way. And, for adde...more
So, so beautiful. I'm in love with the world.
Jun 29, 2011
Catie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Catie by:
Wendy+ Maja = MaWen, the netgalley previewing team
This book came as quite a little surprise. I recently finished The Absolute Value of -1, which was gorgeous but also full of difficult characters and had a heartbreaking ending. So, I really did not expect this book to have:
a) a sweet love story
or
b) a joyously happy ending.
Let’s review what I thought this book was about: homeless teenage runaways, intolerant parents, and gender identity. You can see why I did not think this book was going to be a happy one. But guess what? This is a lovely, hap...more
a) a sweet love story
or
b) a joyously happy ending.
Let’s review what I thought this book was about: homeless teenage runaways, intolerant parents, and gender identity. You can see why I did not think this book was going to be a happy one. But guess what? This is a lovely, hap...more
11 likes · like · see review
Brooklyn, Burning is about teens living on the streets of Brooklyn, more by choice because of unhappy family lives than because of poverty.
Mourning his love of the previous summer, Kid welcomes Scout, another intentionally lost musician and young seeker, into his life. There’s gender ambiguity, treated very naturally (except by the uncomprehending and uncompromising father who's thrown Kid out). The reader never finds out whether Scout is male or female. There's also a mystery with class strugg...more
Mourning his love of the previous summer, Kid welcomes Scout, another intentionally lost musician and young seeker, into his life. There’s gender ambiguity, treated very naturally (except by the uncomprehending and uncompromising father who's thrown Kid out). The reader never finds out whether Scout is male or female. There's also a mystery with class strugg...more
{Sited from my website TeenageBookaholic }
When you're a 16 year old who's not understood and in love, what do you do? That's Kid's situation. Kid's has been kicked out of his house by his father, who expects the perfect child, and has fallen in love with Felix, a homeless, heroin addict with a voice like no other. Kid loves to lose himself in Felix's voice and music, but when Felix dies, Kid vows to never love again. However, when the next summer comes around, Scout drops into his life with the...more
When you're a 16 year old who's not understood and in love, what do you do? That's Kid's situation. Kid's has been kicked out of his house by his father, who expects the perfect child, and has fallen in love with Felix, a homeless, heroin addict with a voice like no other. Kid loves to lose himself in Felix's voice and music, but when Felix dies, Kid vows to never love again. However, when the next summer comes around, Scout drops into his life with the...more
Kid is on the streets of Brooklyn and the story takes place over the course of two summers. Kid finds friends, fairly safe places to be, and food on a semi-regular basis. A warehouse fire gets the police involved which pushes the story to a conclusion. This gives Kid a chance to work things out in his/her head, and with his/her parents. Through the course of the book you learn a lot about Kid, but not gender. You get the story through what is happening and remembrances of the last summer.
I had...more
I had...more
"I don't remember what he sang about; I'm not sure I ever knew. It was his voice, gritty but gentle, like my father's hands when I was too small to see past them, and the slow way his melody moved along its path, not in any hurry but enjoying every note for itself, rather than looking forward to the next note, and the next, until the song's end. This song would have no end; it couldn't possibly. This song was forever."
Life has been hard for Kid. S/he (Brezenoff never addresses Kid's gender) has...more
Life has been hard for Kid. S/he (Brezenoff never addresses Kid's gender) has...more
(See this post on my tumblr Here)
This story unleashes tales both past and present about one kids experience with living in Brookyln and being in a ‘band’, falling in love, witnessing a fire, and learning that life does go in and in some point you must grow up and accept that.
I loved this story because it’s written in first person, and at first I was confused because it never stated if the main character was a boy or girl, and then it falls in love with two new people and then I understood the s...more
This story unleashes tales both past and present about one kids experience with living in Brookyln and being in a ‘band’, falling in love, witnessing a fire, and learning that life does go in and in some point you must grow up and accept that.
I loved this story because it’s written in first person, and at first I was confused because it never stated if the main character was a boy or girl, and then it falls in love with two new people and then I understood the s...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So.... what's this book about? | 6 | 22 | Oct 21, 2012 07:58am | |
| Bookbent: April/May/June 2012 - Brooklyn, Burning | 4 | 18 | Jun 18, 2012 02:54pm |
Steve Brezenoff is the author of the young adult novels The Absolute Value of -1 and Brooklyn, Burning, and his third, Guy In Real Life, will be released in 2014. He has also written dozens of chapter books for younger readers. Though Steve grew up in a suburb on Long Island, he now lives with his wife and their son in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
More about Steve Brezenoff...
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“I probably loved him as best as I knew how.”
—
3 people liked it
“Your song crept over me as I drifted, the room spinning ever so slightly, and I rolled onto my side and pulled up my knees, facing the back of the couch, and put my hands up together by my chin, like your music was a blanket I could gather around me.”
—
2 people liked it
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