This book was so captivating. We follow young Brooklyn as she leaves her strict and religious family in Statin Island after a series of devastating incidents. With no family, Brooklyn ventures to NYC to build a new life. There, she gets in with all the hustlers. Her ambition gets the best of her and she finds herself alone once again. I couldn't put this book down. Even though Brooklyn might be a difficult character to like, I still wanted to follow her story. Thank you, NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book but to me, it was so sad overall the way her life turned out. Her choices and reactions to life events were heartbreaking. Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

I am grateful to get a chance to read this, I appreciated how Brooklyn felt like a real person an not like the usual ones portrayed in other books where I just don't really feel any feelings for them (one of these feelings I felt for Brooklyn was frustration towards her, but still happy I felt SOMETHING). This was emotional for me which isn't surprising I've read gore and I've read romance an they both got tears out of me the same way😂.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced ready copy of this book. This is my first Tracy Brown read, and now I know where to look for hard hitting contemporary stories featuring black female characters. The story grabbed my attention from the start, and continued to do so. The FMC Brooklyn definitely stood out. She makes many questionable decisions, but she pays the consequence for them as well. The book also highlights church culture and how damaging that can be when there are secrets and dishonest practices involved. Overall I enjoyed the read, and I will be checking out other titles from this author.

This is a coming-of-age book centered around Brooklyn Melody James. It’s a tale of a young girl who feels unseen and unloved by her mother. Even though she had all she ever wanted, she was a typical teenager rebelling against her family dynamics. Taking place in New York in the late 90s, you follow the life of young Brooklyn as she battles through childhood molestation, unwanted teen pregnancy, drugs, and betrayal.

The pacing of the story can seem a little rushed, but that's sometimes is expected based on character limits. Overall it was a solid read.

I don't know what to say about this book I definitely enjoyed it I like the characters I felt like I was reading abt a movie that I just I saw, it was an easy read like I said the characters were great. Brooklyn main character needed to break free from the holds of a hypercritical religious family by getting caught up some mess but while breaking free she destroyed lifes in the process. I definitely recommend it i gave it 3.5 stars

Brooklyn was a fast-paced read following one woman's life through her early death and how her actions impacted the people around her. While I really enjoyed reading this, the pacing felt a little off most of the time, with the bulk of Brooklyn's upbringing happening in the first half and then the second half took off like a rocket between her young adult life to her death. We didn't get much of a glimpse of why Brooklyn behaved the way she did aside from her constant anger at rejection, and it lacked a lot of the emotional weight that I was hoping for. That being said, it's a compelling story, though I wish that the secondary characters were built out a little more so that the reveal of the murderer really hit home.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Brooklyn. the middle child, was against conformity. From her point of view, there was a game being played and she wasn't interested in it. She was born in Brooklyn but raised in Staten Island. Her parents, deep in the church, had expectations of who their children should be and Brooklyn didn't care. Secrets, lies and narcissism make for a very interesting plot. A series of bad decisions and selfish motives have consequences and she will pay. This is really good storytelling. I was completely engaged. I needed to know who and why! I recommend this book highly. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity.

I really enjoyed this book. Loved the cover as well. I must say the writing is amazing. The storyline was good. I did feel as if the ending was kind of rushed in a way. Brooklyn was the type of character that you had wondering the 5W’s and be thinking to yourself like come on girl really? I wanted to enter the book and give Brooklyn some choice of words. Great read overall. This was my first read by this author and may she Rest In Peace.

I have not read a book by Tracy Brown that I did not love and this no exception. Every time I read a book by her it’s something and creative at the end. This a great harmony between urban fiction and mystery thriller in way that I would never have seen coming.

Since the beginning it is known that Brooklyn, the main character of this story, was reaping what she showed in her life. Brooklyn is very unlikeable and selfish. When you learn about her childhood and upbringing you start to feel bad for and think she is misunderstood but the she continues to make the same mistakes betraying the people that love her. She can’t see that she became the very thing she detested and ran from as a child, if not worse.

If you have not read any books by Tracy Brown, which you should, this for sure would get you reading more of her work.

Rest in peace Ms. Tracy Brown and thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martins Griffin for this advanced reader's arc of Brooklyn by Tracy Brown. First, rest in peace to Tracy Brown. This is the second book I have read from her, the first being Hold You Down and she was a remarkable author. Her writing is gut wrenching and powerful. She writes the black woman's experience so raw and relatable. Brooklyn, "you in danger girl" is all I kept thinking while reading this book. She was doomed from the start of the book and it just continued on for her. I just felt so bad for her, but also wanted to smack her in the head. I wanted so much for her, but she just kept getting in her own way. She had a moment to just turn it all around and she messed it up. The book was an easy, quick read and I really think to honor Tracy, everyone should read this book.

Thank you, St. Martin's Griffin, for the e-ARC and physical ARC copies, and to Tracy Brown for your creativity.

There's something to be said about the way Tracy Brown wrote. The ability she had to captivate the reader and make a book impossible to put down. Her storytelling could make you angry, sad, happy, and many more emotions.

This novel is a cautionary tale of the price of selfishness, the cost of wanting to grow up too fast, and the toll ungratefulness takes on one's life. The reader quickly finds out the ending on the first few pages of the book, but it is the journey one takes to get there that's important. Tracy Brown creates a story where you are immediately immersed.

Brooklyn has a tragic life-altering event that occurs early in life that sets her on a path to her demise. An event that ultimately changed the way she viewed life and the people around her. I believe this led to Brooklyn being so lonely in the end, which is crazy to think because she was a preacher's kid surrounded by the church. There was a sense of community, as some would think, but was that the truth in this story? The answer is no. This church was full of secrets, and I honestly think Brooklyn was tired of living with secrets, as they were hard to hold onto and weighed heavily on her. Instead of hiding behind the veil, she told it all and did who and what she wanted to. In search of finding herself outside the bubble of the church, her life turned into a downward spiral.

Brooklyn is an unlikeable character who can't seem to get it right. She is selfish, and at one point I thought she was misunderstood, but she proved me wrong by the end of the book. I wanted better for Brooklyn; I wanted her to be okay after she left her family, but she just could not get it right.

That being said, this book contained some portions that seemed to be unfinished and rushed through as expected with the untimely death of its author, but I implore everyone who decides to read to look beyond that and find the message Tracy left for us. I highly recommend this book if you need a fast-paced, quick read with urban elements.

Tracy Brown you will be missed!❤️ I was hooked from the beginning. I couldn’t put it down the betrayal, deception & pain it was like a wrecking ball just never had enough 😬. My thoughts just kept repeating “damnnn Brooklyn” “stopp” “omgg” “whyyyy” “noooo” & “wtf” she created enemy after enemy 🫢


Favorite Quote:
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
"My spirit floats above my body now, disposed of like garbage in such a cold and barren place. As Jordan's silhouette fades into the frigid night, it finally sinks in that this is it. I played a deadly game. And I lost."


Did I cry at the end.. yes, yes I did 🥹

Where do I begin?! I really enjoyed this book. It’s the second book I've read by Tracy Brown. This book gave us the life story of a young girl named Brooklyn. I was able to relate to Brooklyn in the beginning because I too was a sheltered child oils not wait to have freedom. But Brooklyn made some terrible decisions that led her down the wrong path of life. The ending of this book was so surprising. I can’t wait for the book to release, I need a physical copy.

"My spirit floats above my body now, disposed of like garbage in such a cold and barren place. As Jordan's silhouette fades into the frigid night, it finally sinks in that this is it. I played a deadly game. And I lost."

That quote pretty much sums up this entire book in a few lines. Tracy Brown did an excellent job of captivating me from the start. Brooklyn had me clutching my pearls throughout this whole book. Just when I thought she couldn't be any more vile and evil, she proved me wrong. While I did feel bad for the sexual assault from her "uncle," I didn't feel as though it justified her behavior. Her parents failed her in every way imaginable.

Every time I thought I knew who killed her, Brooklyn did yet another thing to create yet another enemy. Once her murder did take place, the identity of the killer was surprising for me. I love that the story wasn't predictable. There were so many twists that I believe this would make a great Lifetime movie. The ending saddens me because I truly believe that Tracy Brown set the scene for a possible sequel. But now that she is deceased, that will not happen. Rest in eternal peace Tracy Brown and thank you for the gift of this wonderful book.

This is definitely a cautionary tale to any young person who thinks they have it all figured out. Brooklyn was like the average teenager, ready to grow up and get from under her parent’s thumb. It’s easy to tell someone life isn’t that bad, but I don’t want to invalidate her feelings. I understand where she was coming from especially in regards to her mother, but I felt like there were a lot of knee jerk reactions that had heavy consequences.

To me, I would place Brooklyn up on the the shelf with Winter (Coldest Winter Ever) and Tracy (Flyy Girl) because to know them is to love them. These are two coming of age urban classics and I feel Brooklyn falls right in line with these books. The main characters are all prime examples that a hard head makes for a soft behind. Like it’s clear they’re capable of doing right, but they’re just not interested.

All in all, this was a great read. To Ms. Tracy Brown, gone but never forgotten. Thank you for leaving behind your amazing works and blessing us one last time with Brooklyn 💚

Tracy Brown's voice is sorely missed!

Brooklyn, the main character lived a life of betrayal, disappointments, deception, and abuse.

This story highlights Brooklyn's life as a teenage girl who is raised in a two parent household. Her father is a prominant pastor of a church, and her mother is the first lady of the church. Brooklyn discerns early on that her mom is an opportunist, not quite the wholesome pastor's wife that the public sees, and her father is gifted church oratorical hustler. Brooklyn realizing early on that everyone is a hustler on some level, even her parents.

After experiencing a traumatic experience when she was younger at the hands of her uncle and witnessing how her mom's focus was more about image than healing, Brooklyn learned early on her place in society and had a plan to succeed. After watching years of manipulation, deception, hustling, in the church she was ready for her new journey on the streets. Will she get caught up in deception, betrayal, and greed?
Will she survive on the streets? Does she have the mentality to run with the hustlers? Will she ever return to her family, to her church? Is it too late for redemption, for forgiveness?
Tracy Brown did a great job on this book. Her skill of capturing the audience attention by page one was evident at the onset of this story.
I am saddened to have loss such a humble and powerful writer, but thankful that her stories will last forever.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for allowing me to read this ARC. I enjoyed this book immensely.

This book was a bag of mixed emotions. I went from hopeful, sad, angered, to understanding. This was something that I enjoyed reading the whole way through. Our MC made me mad in ways I don't think the human language can encompass, but I understood her. She is a girl trying to find her own way. Growing up in the church is not an easy task. Especially when you are one of the preachers kids. Juxtaposed between the image of purity and virtue it can be hard being a human being. Brooklyn loves to toe the line with danger. Pushing boundaries and trying to plan for a future that ends up being just a dream. I spent most of the time attempting to grapple with my frustration for some of these choices that she makes during this story, but I can't be that mad at her when she herself is just a child at the end of the day. She is forced into situations that are far too complex for her to deal with by herself. But her with the lack of familial support, especially from her mother it makes it near impossible for her to make decisions that aren't based out of spite. This is defiantly a drama that will linger in the mind. You will think about all the choices that Brooklyn made and the ones you would've done differently. But ultimately decided that everything happened the way it was meant to be. It is sad that the late Tracy Brown passed away so early in her life. But it warms my heart to know she was able to have this legacy be shared with the world. I recommend you give this book a read, because it will leave you with a sense of understanding for those who are forced to grow up fast even when it seems like they have the "prefect" life.

What can I say?! This was chefs kiss! Amazing read from this author but as always I knew it was going to be a great read! Truly missing Tracy Brown but beautiful story nonetheless.

Wow this was an amazing storytelling from beginning to end having you wonder who would have the motive to kill Brooklyn and it definitely didn’t disappoint as the story progressed on the type of person she truly was.