Blog Tour Review: Brooklyn, Burning - Steve Brezenoff

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, Kid falls hopelessly in love and then loses nearly everything and everyone worth caring about. But as summer draws to a close, Kid finally finds someone who can last beyond the sunset.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Title: Brooklyn, Burning

Author: Steve Brezenoff

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Publication Date: September 1, 2011

Format: E-ARC

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. 

Blog Tour: Teen Book Scene blog tour. You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner located below the review. 

Look for it: Amazon, Book Depository

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 someone the summer prior, Kid is determined to become immersed in Brooklyn, and when someone new comes into Kid's life, this might just be the turning point to everything. 

I can't help but draw parallels to R.E.N.T. when I read Brooklyn, Burning. Love, and an extended family of friends drawn to each other, make this read a beautiful ode to the power of love and friendship. Blood family are inconsequential as they don't understand their offspring, so said offspring find family elsewhere and bond together. They live in the moment, and savour their time together. For Kid, travelling across Brooklyn, and checking out old haunts works as Kid mulls over the events of last summer, and Felix. 

There is no he or she involved in this book. It is only you. With no sexual identities, the main characters could be anyone, but does it matter? No, I don't think so. They are who they are, and that should not detract from them as people. Though said language could be jarring at times it works for Brooklyn, Burning. I couldn't help but fall in love with this story. The song Just Be by Tiesto was running through my head as I read it and I think it would be an apropos song for the Brooklyn, Burning playlist. Who hasn't struggled with their identity and tried to find themselves?

This read is powerful as we follow Kid around Brooklyn, discovering and mulling over the past, present, and the future. 

The characters themselves are all very likeable, and I couldn't help but fall in love with them as their stories came to light. They all had integral roles, and were part of Kid's family. I found that I loved Brooklyn, Burning more than The Absolute Value of [-1]. I think the different style of the writing, and the bonds that were formed with Kid's extended family really worked and felt real. It just resonated with me. 

All in all, a ridiculously fantastic exploration of love and loss amid the hazy days of music and summer. This is a phenomenal tribute to Brooklyn, and I hope more readers will fall in love with Kid and Kid's story. Having a family that understands you, and being accepted for who you are, is something we all want in our lives; and for Kid, that becomes a reality. I'd definitely recommend this read. 

Blog Tour: Brooklyn, Burning - Steve Brezenoff - Felix Character Interview

Steve Brezenoff is here today with a character interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for his soon to be released novel, Brooklyn, Burning. Thank you for being here today, Steve and Felix! You can follow along with the tour here. Enjoy! 

Welcome Felix! =)

What is one thing you want to change about yourself? 

Sometimes at night, especially when I fall asleep—or let’s be honest for a minute, pass out—on the floor, with my head against the front of the couch, and Kid’s hand is hanging off the side, I wish I knew how to stick around.

What one song describes the world as you see it?

All my songs are supposed to describe the world as I see it, but I guess you wouldn’t know any of those. How about “Hang on to Your Ego,” by the Beach Boys? Or maybe that just describes me in the world. . . .

What is your favorite memory associated with Fish's bar?

Fish’s place is like one big, blurry memory for me. Sitting on the stool at the back, with my guitar on my lap; lying on my back on the couch as I come down, watching Kid fiddle behind the drum kit, my drum kit; even Jonny and his self-satisfied smiles. All of it was magic, in its way.

If you could do one thing without repercussions, what would it be and why?

Pipe dreams. I can’t do a thing without repercussions. That’s how I got where I am today.

How would you describe your life in Brooklyn?

It bounced between festering in basements and floating on a liquid stream of delicious tunes.

Thank you for being here today, Felix and Steve! 

Steve Brezenoff can be found on his website, his blog, and on twitter. 

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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, Kid falls hopelessly in love and then loses nearly everything and everyone worth caring about. But as summer draws to a close, Kid finally finds someone who can last beyond the sunset.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

The Absolute Value of -1 - Steve Brezenoff - Blog Tour Review

The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero.

So what's the absolute value of a friendship?

Of love?

Just how far apart are we, anyway?

LILY: "For three years, I'd been trying to hold on to Simon and pull him against me. He was a bar of soap in the shower, though: slippery as hell, and one false move--squeeze a little too tight--and he's gone. And picking up a wet bar of soap in the shower is pretty difficult."

NOAH: "Lily has these big brown eyes. It sounds corny, but they totally get me. They make my stomach and heart flip five times a piece. So I looked away quickly, because I have a tendency to kind of stare at her if I don't catch myself. It's been like that forever."

SIMON: "I never thought much would change with Lily being my girlfriend. I mean, she and Noah were the only people I hung out with much anyway, so now I'd be kissing her and fondling her and she'd be kissing me and fondling me. Not much of a difference, really."

Title: The Absolute Value of -1

Author: Steve Brezenoff

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Publisher: Carolrhoda LAB

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

Source: Received from author courtesy of The Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to Steve Brezenoff, and Kari from The Teen Book Scene for sending me this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 4/5

The Absolute Value of -1 opens up with Suzanne, Simon's older sister, giving an introduction of sorts. The book then is broken up into three segments. One segment each for the three friends, Lily, Noah, and Simon. Each segment gives a more detailed look at the individual characters, and what they are dealing with, and how they interpret situations differently from each other. Life can be tough when you are a teenager, and through the viewpoint of all three characters, we see just how they react to the hand they are dealt. 

Lily is a character that I can somewhat commiserate with, however I wish she would have spoken up more. She has a snarky, tongue in cheek voice, and I found that I quite enjoyed reading from her perspective. It was refreshing to read her thoughts and realize that they weren't glossed over. Her raw emotions were an honest representation of her character. 

Noah is the one to go to if you want to obtain a buzz. He has his own issues with abuse, both physical and verbal. He has the shortest segment in the book, but in no way does that mean that he is a less important character. He lets the reader in fully to see just what his situation is like, and again, there is nothing glossed over. It is heartbreaking really to see what he lives with, and how he handles everything that is thrown at him.

Simon's segment is perhaps the most heartbreaking of all. His emotions are ragged, especially with what he is dealing with. He is a character that I found myself identifying with almost immediately. His circumstances dictate that he grow up faster than he should, leaving him not knowing which way is up.

 As the book progresses we see a variety of situations glimpsed through the eyes of all three characters. The variance between them though is astonishing, as one would look at something completely different from the others. This book also goes to show you that you may think you know what is going on in your friends' lives, but you don't. Not really. 

All in all, a book that takes an unfiltered look at the hardships that circulate through most families. A well-written, and thought-provoking read. What would you have done in any of the characters given situations?

Blog Tour: The Absolute Value of -1, Steve Brezenoff, Guest Post, and Giveaway.

Today I would like to welcome The Absolute Value of -1 author, Steve Brezenoff here. This post kicks off his blog tour with The Teen Book Scene. The tour will move to Kari's blog tomorrow, and you can follow along with the rest of the tour here. To find out more about Steve, and The Absolute Value of -1, you can check out his website. 

What books (2-3) would each of the main characters personally identify with, or love?

Simon: He reads a few books during |-1|, so I’ll start with The Sun Also Rises, which he says he loves right in the pages. It’s great because the protagonist, Jake, had . . . well, an inability to act with his love interest. I won’t say anymore about that, except that Simon isn’t exactly one for swift action in the face of tragedy, either.

Simon also reads Franny & Zooey, but I think The Catcher in the Rye is probably his preferred Salinger work. Let’s face it: Holden Caulfield and he have a lot in common: uncommonly strong affection for their sisters, a tendency to objectify the opposite sex, and being sort of obnoxious, tiresome, depressed jerkwads!

And speaking of doing something, here’s . . .

Noah: I don’t know that Noah is likely to pick up a book, honestly, but if he were forced, he’d first probably go for The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists. The kid’s kind of a horn-dog, so we’re being honest here. And hey, most teen male readers gravitate to the nonfiction section, right?

Along similar lines, I can imagine him grabbing a copy of The Art of War by Sun Tzu—anything to give him an upper hand in society would be his thing.

Lily: She’s a math whiz, so she couldn’t possibly resist John Green’s masterpiece (IMHO) An Abundance of Katherines. I can imagine her enjoying the mathy epilogue more than the novel itself, even!

I also think Lily might be into Hamlet. I mean, she loves Simon, so it stands to reason she’d love the most melancholy, emo-est “protagonist” of all time, right? (I put that word in quotes because a protagonist should traditionally do something, rather than sit around thinking and crying. I think that sums it up.)

It looks like they have quite the eclectic taste in reading material! I think I'll be picking up a few of these books to see what they're all about! What a great list! :) 

Giveaway

I'll keep the rules short and sweet. 

Comment on this post with your email address for a chance to win my copy (gently used) of the Absolute Value of -1 and a couple of bookmarks. (Thank you, Steve, for providing me with this copy and the bookmarks! :) 

Feel free to include what YOUR favourite book is in your comment. :) 

Giveaway is open to the US and Canada only. (Sorry to those of you who are international!) :(

Giveaway ends October 8th, 2010.
Giveaway has ENDED. Thank you to those who participated!