Title:
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 1416991689
Pages: 412
Year: 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Dunedin Public Library
Rating: 5/5
Plot summary (from the publisher):
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.
Other Books I’ve Read By Author: None
Why I Picked Up This Book: Lisa Schroeder followed me on twitter, I followed back, and she gained a reader. Behold the power of twitter.
My thoughts:
This is the first novel in verse I have read. I was a little reluctant because poetry is certainly not my thing (I blame too much John Donne in high school), but I loved it. The book is told through both Brooklyn and Nico, and the transitions between the too become smooth as you get into the novel. The writing is beautiful and powerful. I didn’t want to put it down.
The plot kept me wanting more and the format caused me to race through the pages. After an hour, I realized I was halfway through. The book is not about ghosts and I would not classify it as paranormal. Chasing Brooklyn is about moving on after a loss. It’s about finding the people who will help you find your way back. And it’s about making choices in a complicated world. The ghosts are there but they fit into the story in a more natural way than I expected.
I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good young adult novel. Don’t let the verse or the paranormal aspect turn you off. It was a fantastic reading experience.
Memorable Passages:
This is hard to choose, so I’m just going to randomly pick something so you can get a feel for the language. From pages 172-173.
Sat., Jan 21st – Nico
I stop at the park again
and swing.
Slow at first.
Then higher and higher.
Back and forth.
I close my eyes and let the rain
pelt my face.
Back and forth.
I’m glad for the rain.
Back and forth.
It’s good camouflage.
Sat., Jan. 21st – Brooklyn
I stay up
until my head literally hurts
I’m so tired.I go to bed with
Lucca’s music
softly playing in my ears.I tell myself it will protect me.
He will protect me.Wherever you are, Lucca.
Please.
Protect me.
Will I Read This Author Again?: Absolutely
Other Reviews: I don’t see any in my reader. If I missed yours, let me know.
Buy It Now: Amazon
Extras: Follow Lisa Schroeder on Twitter; and visit her website.
my books. my life. 
The two things that I thought would put me off reading this book at the start of the post were the paranormal thing and that it’s written in verse. Now that you’ve mentioned that I shouldn’t be kept from reading by these things, I can’t help but put it on my TBR list. It sounds like a beautiful read.
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This looks like a unique effort – a YA novel in verse! Thanks for writing about it. I will add it to my ‘TBR’ list.
You might like a novel called ‘Equinox’ too – it is a novel in sonnets set in Sydney. You can find it at : http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/22/equinox.html
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A novel written in verse, fascinating. From a fellow non-poetry fan, I loved how you explained the book’s style in your review. It’s going on the TBR. Thanks!
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Twitter is a glorious thing isn’t it?
I have this book on my TBR pile as well. I keep hearing wonderful things about it. I worry about it being in verse though, I don’t know how well I’ll like that. I’m going to give it a try at some point though. 🙂
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I was a little nervous about the verse as well but it was really easy to get into the writing.
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