Review: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Title: Chasing Brooklyn

Author: Lisa Schroeder

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Genre(s): young-adult; romance; contemporary; paranormal

Source: Hardcover – bought

My Rating: 

Synopsis (goodreads):

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.

My Review:

I’ve come to love books in verse. So, when i come across one, i tend to buy it no matter what. And it obviously helps if I’ve already heard about the book. There is just something about the way stories are told in verse. Rather enjoyable to read and unfortunately quick to finish.

Chasing Brooklyn is about a girl named Brooklyn and no we aren’t chasing her, at least until you get inside her dreams. You see, she’s being haunted by her dead boyfriend’s dead friend. And her dead boyfriend’s brother is being haunted by dead boyfriend. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? But, really it isn’t.

While the basis of the story was sad and about loss, you also tend to feel hopeful for the characters. As cheesy and cliched as this sounds – you become one with the character because you come to terms with their loss along with them. Their fears become your fears. Their strength becomes your strength.

Its a gripping love story. A haunting story. There are times when I absolutely love the chemistry between Nico and Brooklyn, but then come Brooklyn’s dreams and I’m scared. They were so real. Incredibly so.

Lisa Schroeder really did a commendable job with this book. Oh, and she made me want to join a triathlon too!

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• Worth the read: “Chasing Brooklyn” (janelleevans.wordpress.com)

“Waiting On” Wednesday #33

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

The Program (Program #1)

by Suzanne Young

SLOANE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO CRY IN FRONT OF ANYONE.

With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in.

AND THE PROGRAM IS COMING FOR THEM.

Expected publication: April 2013 by Simon Pulse (first published 2013)

Review: Crank (Crank, #1) by Ellen Hopkins

Crank by Ellen Hopkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crank was phenomenal!

I literally could not put the book down till i finished it. Ellen writes these amazing stories through poetry that just give the book more depth and life. The imagery and description that she gives of things, emotions and effects really have me hooked till the very end. And i know that anyone who has read Ellen’s books knows what i’m talking about.

In Crank we are introduced to Kristina, a good daughter, and the whole story is told though her eyes. It talks about her life spirals out of control when she gets addicted to meth aka crank. It is based on Ellen’s daughter’s life.

“Life was good
before I
met
the monster
After,
life
was great,

At
least
for a little while.”

The above is how the book starts and it pretty much explains it all. The monster if you haven’t already guessed is crank. Kristina is a bright, good kid. But now, Kristina is gone. Bree has taken her place. Bree is dangerous. Bree is willing to try anything. Bree craves the monster. Bree craves crank.

I know many parents would speculate about this book any frankly i will not recommend it to readers below the age of 15. Why? There is far too much graphic detailing involved. The book revolves around sex, drugs, and the choices and mistakes you must make when growing up. But those older should definitely give it a shot because it is so real. That is one of the reasons why i loved the book so much. The book is literally oozing with reality. Plus the way Ellen depicts her stories makes it all the more delectable.
Give it a shot, peeps and let me know what you think.

View all my reviews

In My Mailbox #13

Crank (Crank #1)

by Ellen Hopkins

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina — she’s fearless.

Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul — her life.

 

 

Witch & Wizard (Witch & Wizard #1)

by James Patterson , Gabrielle Charbonnet

The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they’d never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents–and maybe the world?

“Waiting On” Wednesday #10

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare

by Melissa Jensen
 Pretty in Pink meets Anna and the French Kiss in this charming 
romantic comedy 

Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that’s just fine by her. She’s got her friends— the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She’s got her art— and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing. Still, it’s hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. 

Especially when he is your French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they’re dating? And is Ella going to dare to be that girl?

Expected publication: February 16th 2012 by Speak

Shooting Stars

by Allison Rushby

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

Expected publication: February 28th 2012 by Walker & Co (J)

Unraveling Isobel

by Eileen Cook

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. 

“Thrilling and creepy, super sexy, and so very hilarious.” –Lisa McMann, bestselling author of the Wake trilogy

Expected publication: January 3rd 2012 by Simon Pulse

Second Chance Summer

by Morgan Matson

Taylor’s family might not be the closest-knit – everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled – but for the most part, they get along fine. Then they get news that changes everything: Her father has pancreatic cancer, and it’s stage four – meaning that there is basically nothing to be done. Her parents decide that the family will spend his last months together at their old summerhouse in the Pocono Mountains. 

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former summer best friend is suddenly around, as is her first boyfriend. . . and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses, the Edwards become more of a family, and closer than they’ve ever been before. But all of them very aware that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance – with family, with friends, and with love.

Expected publication: May 8th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Love and Leftovers

by Sarah Tregay

My wish 
is to fall 
cranium over Converse 
in dizzy, daydream-worthy 
love. 

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father. 

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this “vacation” has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you’ve watched your parents’ affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you’ve lost it? 

Love and Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

Expected publication: January 1st 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books (first published December 27th 2011)

“Waiting On” Wednesday #9

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

Under the Never Sky

by Veronica Rossi

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—nicknamed The Death Shop—are slim.

If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms eventually will. In this dystopia, even the very air she breathes

could kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild, dangerous—a savage. He’s also her only hope.

Perry needs Aria, too. She alone holds the key to his redemption. And their unlikely alliance will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Expected publication: February 7th 2012 by HarperCollins

Wanderlove

by Kirsten Hubbard

 It all begins with a stupid question:Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria’s a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan’s a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they’ve got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can’t run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Expected publication: March 13th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

The Story of Us

by Deb Caletti

A new novel about love, life, and everything in-between… from fan-favorite and award-winner Deb Caletti.Cricket’s on a self-imposed break from her longtime boyfriend, trying to figure out whether she’s in it for the right reasons. But this is a bad week to try to figure it all out. After ditching two previous husbands-to-be at the airport, Cricket’s mother Daisy is finally getting married, to Dan Jax. Cricket loves Dan, but as the families and friends start to arrive for Wedding Week at the beautiful guest house on Bishop Rock, run by old hippies Ted and Rebecca Rose and their sweet, sexy son Ash, things start getting complicated.There’s no airport on Bishop Rock, as far as anyone knows, but Cricket fears that Dan is in danger of becoming ditched husband-to-be number three, and Cricket’s own desires have chosen now to have a mind of their own. Because even though her boyfriend looms large in her mind, Ash is right in front of her….

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Simon Pulse

Article 5

by Kristen Simmons

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC have been abandoned.The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police — instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior — instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested don’t usually come back.

17-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. That life in the United States used to be different.

In the three years since the war ended, Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the Federal Bureau of Reformation. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And what’s worse, one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Expected publication: February 14th 2012 by Tor Teen

Slide

by Jill Hathaway

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Expected publication: March 27th 2012 by Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins

Review: Prom Crashers by Erin Downing

Prom Crashers by Erin Downing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was fun read. Its short, quick and definitely a summer read. I had a blast reading about Emily and her friends.

Emily doesn’t have a date for prom, this fact alone is bad but throw in a mother and sister completely gaga about prom and you feel down all the time. So, when she meets ‘yummy’ Ethan, she figures he’s the perfect guy for her. Only problem, she took his number and then lost it. The only clue she has is that he’s attending prom too, only she has no idea for which school. So, the daring and adventurous Emily decides to crash every single prom in the city in order to find her Mr. Perfect.

When i finished this book, i wanted to do all the things that Emily and her friends did to accomplish their goal. She had put everything on the line just to find that one guy who she thought was perfect for her, never mind the fact that she was running on instinct alone.

Anyone looking for an easy summer read, grab this book. You’ll have fun reading this and won’t want to put it down till you turn the very last page!

View all my reviews