This was such a unique story. If you don't like unlikable characters, this story is not for you! I got so invested in the story and Brooklyn's crazy decisions that I kept forgetting we were leading up to her getting murdered. Going into this, I thought that would be a bigger component of the story, but it was a very small portion of the book. The book starts out with a bang Brooklyn experiencing something horrible and we get to see the different ways her family responded. I love seeing stories that really lay out how and illustrate how a person turns out the way they do--which is exactly with Brooklyn did. We see Brooklyn grow up into a selfish, terrible person but we see *why* she turned out that way. It was exhausting to follow her story, but in a way that I was still so invested and engaged.

SPOILER THOUGHT: What drove me crazy by the end was that the mom really got off scott free. The mom was just as horrible of a person as Brooklyn, but everyone hated Brookyln and gave the mom grace?? That pissed me off. I wish we saw more people acknowledge how horrible the mom was (and the mom's responsibility for how Brooklyn turned out) or at least an apology for things the mom did during Brooklyn's childhood.

This is only the second book that I’ve read by this author but based on my feelings towards the first, I did not hesitate to read this one. I wanted to stop so many times but truly believed it would get better and wanted it to do so. It did not. Overall Brooklyn, the character (all of them really), and the story itself are a bit of a train wreck and struggled to finish.

This is one of the most gut-wrenching books I’ve read in a long time at that’s simply for the way it left me feeling. I’m used to my emotions getting wrapped into books, often against my will. Normally I welcome this feeling. I love being so drawn into a story that it starts to feel real as if you are experiencing the same physical, emotional, and psychological battles as the characters. However, this book enhanced even the smallest darkness I was feeling. Not every story has or should have a happy ending but I feel that there should be some sort of redemption, for better or for worse. Once I finished this book, I truly hated how I felt. It ended almost abruptly and left behind what felt like a lingering cloud of darkness that was hard to shake. While my younger self probably would’ve loved or even enjoyed this book, it is a no for me now. It was simply a confirmation that this subgenre is no longer for me. I do however believe that if the author had been given time, it could’ve had the potential to be better. Nevertheless, her talent will be missed.

I first became a of fan of Tracy Brown when I came across her White Lies series. This is an entertaining read that takes the reading into the life of Brooklyn who is a teenager and the daughter of a preacher which is a self-entitled spoiled selfish brat. Brooklyn who comes from a religious family that gains money thru the church scamming church members. Brooklyn learned the game and she runs away stating she will never come back aiming to prove that she doesn’t need her mom. The very life that Brooklyn wants to getaway from she finds herself right there front and center because that is the only life that she knows. At times I felt compassion for Brooklyn and at other times I felt that she was in her element and whatever happened she brought it upon herself.

Tracy Brown will truly be missed in the literary world.

I received an ARC via NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin’s Griffin and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I did not get a change to read this before it went into the archive. If I can find a reasonably priced physical book, I will get it!

This was a great read. Brooklyn was a whole mess from start to finish. Never thinking about others and always putting herself first. Love all of Tracy Brown's books! Rest well, Queen!

**Contains spoilers**

Giving this a 3.75

This was my first read by Tracy Brown, although I’ve seen some of her work online. This story definitely takes you on a ride. At the beginning, I felt for Brooklyn, especially with how her mom didn’t protect her from “Uncle Morris” and how she got played by Alonzo, a man much older than her. HOWEVER, as the story progresses, you see that Brooklyn is only ““loyal” when things are going her way. You watch her snake everyone she knows. The more I read, the more I began to dislike her as a character. Also, even though Tracy hints at the ending at the beginning, I was still surprised.

Ahhhhhh! Tracy did not disappoint. This is my third read from the author and I am so sad that she is no longer with us. The story line and character development was great. Would definitely recommend.

"Brooklyn" by Tracy Brown is a gripping and emotionally charged tale that follows the tumultuous journey of its titular character from a sheltered upbringing to a life of hustling and survival on the streets of New York. Despite Brooklyn's flaws, Brown delves deep into her psyche, revealing the motivations behind her actions and the consequences of her choices. The narrative is brisk and filled with twists, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. Brown's vivid portrayal of the setting adds depth to the story, immersing readers in Brooklyn's world. The surprising twist at the end adds an extra layer of complexity, leaving readers with much to ponder. As a fan of Tracy Brown's previous work, receiving an ARC of "Brooklyn" was a poignant experience, knowing that it was her final book before her passing. It was a privilege to delve into her storytelling once again, and despite some flaws, "Brooklyn" stands as a testament to Brown's talent as a storyteller.

This book was a whirlwind of events from start to finish. In the beginning I felt sorry for Brooklyn because of the people who failed to protect her but as the story continued I started to really dislike her. The initial events with her uncle were things out of her control but everything after was directly on her.
From that first betrayal by her mother it seemed like she made it her mission to stab everyone in the back who ever cared for her. She turned on her brother, sister, Hass, Stacey, and even Angel.
It was a story that kept me intrigued but sometimes the pacing seemed a little off. Events would happen so quickly with little to no transition. I was very surprised by the ending…I wasn’t expecting that at all.
Again, reading about the events of Brooklyn’s life and how her choices landed her in the ending events of the book were very interesting.

First of all, RIP Tracy Brown! WOW what a lasting impression of last book to write! Brooklyn was crazy story of girl who had to manipulate, hustle, and lie to get to where she wanted to be...or did she end up where she wanted to be? Definitely highly recommend this read!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a copy of Brooklyn from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I am not required to write a positive review.

This is my first Tracy Brown novel. Brooklyn is a trip. She’s named after the New York borough she was born in. The middle child of a Pastor. and his wife, she’s determined to carve out her own path. Her cynicism has convinced her that religion is only a hustle her parents are using to defraud God’s people.

This book is full of family drama and trauma. Will Brooklyn survive the aftermath of confronting family secrets?

It’s giving Coldest Winter Ever… it’s giving Fly Girl let’s just say Brooklyn was giving (hyper focused on money, sex, and drugs) whew this was indeed a heartbreaking story… Just when I thought Brooklyn was growing up she disappointed me yet again. Middle child issues, selfish as hell, and to top it off what she did to her brother… SMH
I did like the twist at the end and honestly I didn’t see that coming.

Overall, I was truly annoyed with this character throughout the book and for that reason I will never forget her 😒

One of my favorite books of 2022 was Tracy Brown’s brilliant “HOLD YOU DOWN.” Run, don’t walk and read that book. I was so sad to hear that Tracy died last year after she submitted Brooklyn.

Needless to say, I was so excited to delve into a new work with Brooklyn. Unfortunately, the book did not work for me as Brooklyn was a very difficult character to like and believe in. I don’t need to like the character to love a book, but there were some plot threads, involving Brooklyn’s brother and his boyfriend, that I just did not like. I won’t go into them for fear of spoiling the book.

Brooklyn is about a young girl in a conservative church family. Her father is pastor of a church on Staten Island. Her mother is cold and cares about appearances over parenting her daughter who is in desperate need of some help.

Brooklyn leaves her family and ends up hustling/selling drugs. The story takes us through her estrangement to her return to Staten Island.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @#stmartinsgriffin and #netgalley for a free arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I started this book feeling one way about the title character, Brooklyn. By the end my mind was completely changed. Brooklyn is named after the borough in which she was born. However, she grows up in a sheltered Staten Island family. She makes a lot of choices to rebel against her family and leads an estranged life from them.

The author starts the novel off with the presumed murder of Brooklyn. As the novel progresses, Tracy Brown presents a well crafted and thrilling story of what the title character endures. The novel takes place during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The descriptions of the places and people put the reader in that era.

Readers who enjoy contemporary fiction and thrillers will enjoy this book.

RIP to Tracy Brown, she was a masterful writer!!

This book was an amazing rollercoaster and a cautionary life tale!! Brooklyn, the FMC was an outgoing child who had her innocence snatched away too soon, and was easily catapulted into an existence of heartless betrayal. She starts off as a typical teenager, believing she understands the world outside of the coocoon of her sheltered home life and wanting badly yo escape. Sadly, the world comes at her fast with lessons that she refuses to learn, and in the end must face the consequences for her actions.

I enjoyed this story from start to finished and was completely engrossed in the development of the characters. I made so many highlights to keep up with the twists in the story and the evolution of the FMC. The issues tackled in the book were handled so realistically and I'm happy the author chose to dig and face the heavier topics head on.

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc of this fantastic read! I'm sure I'll be re-reading this one again in the future.

This story starts off with death. Throughout the story, we determine whether the ends really justified the means.

Betrayed by her mother at a pivotal moment in her life, Brooklyn no longer has faith in those around her. Her selfishness knows no bounds.

The way she betrayed her brother was cruel.

I try to like Brooklyn but then her spitefulness shows up. She is unable to handle any form of rejection.

The topics of this story are heavy. Lots of trigger warnings should be applied.

So much happened in such a short time. The way Brooklyn lived her life, the trail of potential killers is long.

3.5 stars raised to 4 stars.
This story begins at the end. After struggling with her attacker in Clove Lake Park on February 9, 2003, her body is found. Detective Ramos and Detective Lee wonder what happened to this girl. This is Brooklyn’s story. Her father is the pastor of Promised Land Church. Her mother is concerned how everything looks to the church community. Brooklyn has a brother Amir who has his own problems. They have a younger sister Hope. I loved Tracy Brown’s last book, HOLD YOU DOWN, which was a 5 star read for me. After the start of BROOKLYN, I could not read fast enough for the first 40% of the book. After an event happens that forces Brooklyn to leave New York, the book slowed down for me and I had difficulty staying focused. I found myself rereading sections. I do think this is an important story to be told. After finishing, I read a bio for Tracy Brown and am deeply saddened to see she passed away. So very sad. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

I absolutely adore the way Tracy Brown beautifully weaves together her stories and characters. Each of her books leaves a lasting impression and leaves you deep in thought, almost as if you could walk out the door and encounter these people in real life. However, my only qualm with this particular story is that the ending felt somewhat rushed. Nevertheless, I highly recommend giving this novel a chance and it would make for a fascinating topic of discussion in any book club setting.

I just finished Brooklyn by Tracy Brown and here are my musings.

Brooklyn lives a repressed life. Devoutly religious parents stifle her so much that she dreams of the day she can escape. She finds some reprieve after bumping into her best friend's cousin. A hustler and much older than her. They start a secret relationship and he pays her to run drugs for him. Her best friend calls her and tells her that her cousin plans to get married. To someone else. Anger pulses through her and she confronts him. This is when her life spirals.

She ends up fleeing her family, stealing from their church and getting into the game for herself. When she meets Hassan and they start a relationship. Running drugs and making plans but things don’t go as planned for Brooklyn .

Have you ever started a book and not had a clue what it is about because the title gives away nothing? That was me on this book. I went in totally blind and it did not disappoint me!

Brooklyn wanted a life free from constraint. She hated watching her parents live their hypocritical lives. I started off liking Brooklyn but towards the end of the book… I didn’t like her anymore. She was selfish and cruel. She reminded me of her mother. She was the same.

I don’t know much about the subject of drug trade but it seemed like the author knew what they were talking about. It felt real and I enjoyed the hustle. It was well paced and I was hooked right in. The ending was great, I wasn’t expecting it. I was blown away to be honest.

I don’t read many thriller dramas but this one has me thirsting for more.

4 stars!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy

#brooklyn #blackhistorymonth #bookstagrammers #bookworm #bookcommunity #booklover #booknerd #booksofinstagram #bookmerch #booktography #toberead #bookblog #smp #smpinfluencer

Brooklyn by Tracy Brown had me hooked from the prologue, desperate to find out who and why someone wanted to kill the main character. By the end of the book, I understood...Brooklyn James is not a likeable protaganist, not in the least. She has her reasons, but most of the problems she encounters are of her own making, and she is not afraid to leave people she loves behind if it serves her purpose.

At times heartbreakingly painful, the events in the novel start out bad, and continue down the path of destruction throughout. This could be considered a cautionary tale, the story of how a person gets drawn into the underbelly of society, or how a self-centered, manipulative woman is destroyed. It is well-written, and like a train-wreck, I could not look away and quit reading. This is absolutely not a book for those who are looking for happy endings...for most of the characters, actually.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the digital copy of Brooklyn by Tracy Brown. The opinions in this review are my own.