Damn, this girl has been through it. She’s selfish and impulsive. But she’s been through stuff. This book is filled with trigger warnings but it’s centered around a woman just trying to survive.

I would like to thank Publisher and NetGalley for this ARC Copy.



This was a coming-of-age story here you have the James Family who has a Church in NY. The main character Brookly has 2 years left of High School but she ready to leave home now. I kindled understand with a Mother, like Sabrina she was awful and after what happen with Morris. I knew wouldn't care for her. But as I was reading this book the more I disliked Brooklyn she was to Hotheaded for me with her Brother Amir. This book was a real Page Turner love it rest in peace Queen.

This was an emotional conflicting read. Brooklyn’s character was easy to dislike and yet easy to love as well because it was her family trauma and lack of support that caused her to make the decisions she made.. A lost young girl trying to find herself in a cruel world she surrounded herself by crime and unfortunately paid the price. I really enjoyed this story and the roller coaster journey..

Brooklyn by Tracy Brown was a dynamic character study of religion and spirituality, love and loss, and the ways in which people forge pathsat the fork in the road. This is my first book by Tracy Brown and I plan to read her backlist.

Knowing that this would be my last review for this author made it difficult for me to write. Once more, Tracy Brown wrote a masterfully written book. From the first to the last chapter, Tracy has the ability to hold the reader's interest. Although some of the scenes in Brooklyn left you emotionally spent, the book was so compelling that you didn't want to put it down. Brooklyn, the primary character, was a lot. I wanted to feel sorry for her, but a lot of her suffering was self-inflicted due to her own dishonesty and greed. The adage "what goes around, comes around" was applicable at the conclusion of this masterpiece. Tracy Brown was a true gem in the book industry, and I adored her books. She will be sincerely missed, and her books are timeless.

RIP Tracy Brown! I wish I had gotten to read her books while she was still with us, but I'm grateful I can enjoy her writing now.

First thing, this cover is beautiful! This story was full of surprises. It was a pleasant mixture of drama and mystery with twists that caught me completely off guard. This book was captivating! The ending was very shocking. The author has a writing style that pulls you in and keeps you engrossed until the last page.

Brooklyn was one of those characters that I loved to hate. I felt sorry for her, because her choices were a direct result of her upbringing, in my opinion. Yes, she was selfish at some points, but I truly felt she was misunderstood. I found myself rooting for her and wanting to see her do better. I flew through this one and enjoyed every second of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In my opinion Tracy Brown will always be one of the best writers to have ever done it and I’m deeply saddened by her passing.
Brooklyn is an emotional roller coaster of a story that weaves a sad tale of a young woman trying to grow up way too fast. The story starts with young Brooklyn’s murder and takes you through the events that led to her tragic demise. She isn’t a likable woman at all-she makes choices that often hurt the people around her and she’s selfish and naive navigating adult situations. But you can’t help but feel bad for her, especially when you see who she surrounds herself with and an upbringing marred by a mother who seemingly hates her own child and a father who doesn’t practice what he preaches. The ending left me with a deep sense of sadness not just for Brooklyn’s fate but for the family and friends that tried to love her through their own hurt.
4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

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.