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...
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reviews
Sep 17, 2011
Tatiana
rated it: 
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 S 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 S More...
12 comments
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(17 people liked it)
Sep 22, 2011
Maja
rated it: 
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 mai 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 mai More...
12 comments
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(15 people liked it)
Jun 21, 2011
Wendy Darling
rated it:
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' 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' More...
32 comments
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(23 people liked it)
Feb 04, 2012
Jo
rated it:
“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.
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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.
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(5 people liked it)
Oct 30, 2011
Annika
rated it:
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 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 More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 05, 2012
Katya
rated it:
Also found here: http://theninjareader.tumblr.com/post/15...
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 se 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 se More...
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(2 people liked it)
Sep 16, 2011
Jen
rated it: 
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.
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(1 person liked it)
Nov 03, 2011
WovenMyst
rated it: 
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 More...
This was a very different and moving story about identity and the need to belong from a gritty More...
Feb 18, 2012
Maggie
rated it:
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,
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Dec 09, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
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" 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" More...
Nov 07, 2011
Doug
rated it:
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
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Oct 26, 2011
Kathleen
rated it:
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 c 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 c More...
Sep 23, 2011
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
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Sep 17, 2011
Karly
rated it:
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
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Jul 27, 2011
Eden
rated it:
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 de More...
The de More...
May 06, 2011
Tara
rated it:
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 RE 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 RE More...
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(2 people liked it)
Sep 03, 2011
Hollowspine
rated it:
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 with 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 with More...
Jun 30, 2011
Isamlq
rated it:
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 c 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 c More...
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(4 people liked it)
Aug 31, 2011
Britta
rated it:
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 switchi 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 switchi More...
Sep 19, 2011
Lorettajo
rated it:
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 go 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 go More...
Sep 17, 2011
Hannah
rated it:
So, so beautiful. I'm in love with the world.
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(1 person liked it)
Jun 29, 2011
Catie
rated it:
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 b 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 b More...
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(12 people liked it)
Aug 07, 2011
Vanessa
rated it:
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 cl 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 cl More...
Dec 14, 2011
Alexei
rated it:
{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 li 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 li More...
Nov 04, 2011
Mark
rated it:
"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 addres More...
Life has been hard for Kid. S/he (Brezenoff never addres More...
Jul 10, 2011
Tonya
rated it:
Brooklyn, Burning was quite a surprise for me. I think I expected something hard-edged and bitter, the way I imagine the streets of Brooklyn might be. What I got was something altogether different.
Brooklyn, Burning is the story of Kid (as in Billy, the), a teenager living on the streets of Brooklyn. Kid is an unlabeled entity; we're never gives any indication of either Kid's gender or sexual orientation, simply because Kid doesn't know the answer to either question. I found myself tryi More...
Brooklyn, Burning is the story of Kid (as in Billy, the), a teenager living on the streets of Brooklyn. Kid is an unlabeled entity; we're never gives any indication of either Kid's gender or sexual orientation, simply because Kid doesn't know the answer to either question. I found myself tryi More...
Sep 20, 2011
Hannah (In The Best Worlds)
rated it:
I don't know how to explain how wonderful this book is without understating or overstating. Which makes it even more incredible, it escapes words. The story itself is an understatement, making it a raw portrait of a human being captured through the smoky haze of a warehouse fire, cigarettes, and dingy bars. It's brilliant and powerful.
This is a book that has needed to surface. It is narrated by Kid, a homeless teenager suspected of burning down the historical warehouse used as a h More...
This is a book that has needed to surface. It is narrated by Kid, a homeless teenager suspected of burning down the historical warehouse used as a h More...
Sep 11, 2011
Hannah
rated it:
Brooklyn, Burning is one of those books where you don't even notice how great it is while reading it; only once you've finished it do you see how incredibly good it really is. (At least, that's how it was for me.) It doesn't have one set topic or storyline, and while reading it, I wasn't all that impressed. There was nothing wrong with it, but it didn't really seem all that special, either. Only once I'd turned the last page did I see all the subtleties and how inconspicuously amazing Brooklyn,
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Sep 03, 2011
CorLostForWords
rated it:
Source: Received from Netgalley, courtesy of the Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to Netgalley and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: 4/5
It is the middle of summer in Brooklyn, and Kid is exploring old hangouts, relaxing to music, and is hoping to play a set or two in Fish's bar. No one in Kid's family seems to understand what life is like for Kid. Having lost so More...
My rating: 4/5
It is the middle of summer in Brooklyn, and Kid is exploring old hangouts, relaxing to music, and is hoping to play a set or two in Fish's bar. No one in Kid's family seems to understand what life is like for Kid. Having lost so More...
Jul 24, 2011
Nai
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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