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.

Brooklyn was amazing! Tracy Brown has been one of my favorites and I’m devastated by her passing.

This book had all the drama that you need in a book. Brooklyn has always felt like the black sheep in her family. Things come to a head when she finally lashes out.

Brooklyn has to navigate life, love, friendship, and loyalty and she doesn’t always rise to the occasion. This was another great read! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

I can’t even begin to tell yall how sad it makes me that this is the last book we’ll get from Tracy Brown. She’s such a talented writer who uses her gift to tackle issues the black community faces through her books. Brooklyn was no different. This book addressed issues like church trauma, childhood trauma, homophobia, family relationships, abortion, and so much more. Tracy had me from page one. Literally page one. There was so much drama in this book my jaw stayed on the ground. Brooklyn caught so many bad breaks in the beginning I felt so bad for her and was really rooting for her. In the end she was her own downfall. This book was a hard lesson on life and I really enjoyed it.

RIP to the great @tracybrownwrites

Tracy will FOREVER be my favorite author hands down. She was a phenomenal writer and knew how to get you invested in the characters she creates. Just like her other books Brooklyn is top tier it gives the urban street vibes we all look for money, drugs, sex, drama all that. She took us on a wild ride with Brooklyn cause this girl was a PROBLEM CHILD!!! I hate to say it but them preacher kids be wild’n.

I found myself sympathizing with Brooklyn a lot in the beginning then after a while she had me like now girl why the hell would you go and do that. She brought a lot of things on herself but life was really life-ing for Brooklyn it ate her ass up and spit her back out. This book was fast-paced, intense, emotional, and filled with so many memorable characters. That damn Sabrina is all I can say she got under my skin. We just gone say she’s a poor excuse for a mother.

Overall, just read the book I can’t say much without giving away all the goodies but it’s worth reading!!! My only downside is knowing this will be our last book from Tracy Brown and I’m still not okay. If y’all haven’t read her previous books definitely recommend you read them especially Hold You Down whew the heartache that book caused me LOL. Special thanks to the author @tracywrites (R.I.P) and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy!!!

Brooklyn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brooklyn by Tracy Brown (RIP) is based on a young teenaged Brooklyn, her need for attention, self-centeredness and rapid downward spiral. I went into this thinking this was a coming of age story, but Brooklyn is a cautionary tale on how growing up too fast and bad decisions may cost you your life.

From the outside looking in Brooklyn the daughter of a well known pastor and picture perfect mother has a pretty good life. But all that glitters ain’t gold and the pastor and co are merely just keeping up appearances and scheming their way to the top. Brooklyns parents are the villains in her story and rightfully so, cause her Mama was trash and her daddy was easily manipulated by his wife’s words. I hated the mother in this book. But she was also relatable. Cause there are so many mothers out there who literally hate their daughters. This book was giving Coldest Winter Ever mixed with Greenleaf.

Brooklyn was selfish and a master manipulator and only cared about herself. Not once in this book did she stop and think how her actions would affect those close to her (Amir 😢). If woe is me was a person…it was Brooklyn. This child never took accountability for the things she did. Wherever Brooklyn went, she left a trail of chaos, broken hearts and a burned bridge behind her.

After chapter 12 the scenes start to feel rushed and the ending is abrupt. It’s almost like the book wasn’t finished. yes, I do understand the author passed away… but it just feels like something is missing. Like there should be maybe 4-5 more chapters to bring this story full circle. I also wanted to see more of certain characters like Alonzo; I just knew he was gone pop back up and cause chaos. But he just faded into the background. Also, more about Hope would’ve been nice, cause I know homegirl had her share of secrets they just were never brought to the forefront.

If you have read a Tracy Brown book before than you already know your emotions are about to be on a rollercoaster. Thank you @netgalley for this ARC.

The cover and title drew me to the novel and I loved it. It reminded me of classics like “The Coldest Winter Ever”. Brooklyn was truly an enigma of a character. She made you want to root for her only to leave you disappointed. I liked the take on church, family dynamics, and character flaws. Brooklyn as a character was really well written. I cried during the family argument scene and a few more that just really tugged at my heart strings.

The ending didn’t surprise me but I would have loved to see an Epilogue continuing from the killer’s perspective. I also would have liked to see more character development of Hope. I’m sure she had her secrets as well but it was never shared.

Overall I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I am floored at this. Brooklyn did so many people dirty. I mean horrendous things. This was so well written. The killer was surprising. I mean she did terrible things but didn’t deserve to die. I think Hope should’ve just given her the money and let her leave. It was Hassan who I felt bad for. He was so good to her and loved her down bad. Then what she did to Angel???? After all Angel did for Brooklyn??? Hands down, 5 stars.

Description
Tracy Brown crafts a tale about a master manipulator and serial survivor, who will scorch earth to get what she wants. The question isn’t who murdered her; the question is who wouldn’t?

Brooklyn Melody James has finally gotten the punishment she deserves after leaving a web of lies, heartache, and betrayal behind her. As her life slips away, Brooklyn remembers the events that shaped her into the cold, calculating creature she became.

Brooklyn learned the art of hustling from her parents who used the church to get money. Idolizing her father and despising her mother, Brooklyn’s determined to be the type of woman who makes her own rules. When her back’s up against the wall, she sacrifices her family, takes the burnt offering that remains, and runs away. In NYC, young Brooklyn charms her way into the inner circle of hustlers and stick-up kids, learning tricks along the way. She catches the eye of a major player in the drug game, Hassan, and they have a breathless love affair. Brooklyn becomes integrated into his operation, earning the trust of Hassan and his associates. But when she gets the keys to the kingdom, driven by unfettered ambition and a ruthless desire to survive, Brooklyn snatches the pot of gold, leaving bitter retribution promises behind her.

From DC to Maryland, Brooklyn burns bridges and breaks hearts. What she doesn't realize is that someone is prepared to end her reign of terror. As she faces her killer and her fate, Brooklyn’s stunned that justice comes from the least likely place.

My Take:
Ever watch a soap opera during sweeps season? Normally a large event or a whodunnit begins to bring in viewers. This book feels exactly like that: we meet Brooklyn as she meets her demise and we see all of the players who would want her dead. Brooklyn was a piece of work and there were times when I thought that *I* was the one who did it: the book didn't read so much as a mystery and more of "this is why the end was inevitable." Having said that, as a Baltimore girl, I appreciated the references to Maryland, which helped me fill in blanks and entertain myself when things lagged a bit. All told, if you want a dramatic book with urban crime elements, this isn't a bad way to spend an afternoon. It would also make a good book to read with others: it may be fun to guess who met Brooklyn at the end. Rating 3.5, which I will round up to 4.

Wow! This book. Brooklyn lived fast and it all caught up to her. I so wanted Brooklyn to live her life and learn from her experience. I am ever the optimist. I know in real life we hear about young women like Brooklyn all the time. We just don't know their backstories. My heart ached for Brooklyn when her mother did not react the way you expect a mother to react. This book delivers on drama. It pulls at your heartstrings. Man, I felt for this girl. Then I was so over her. I wanted her to wise up and stop being so set on going down the path she chose. This was a great book. It pulls you in from page one and keeps you engaged. Great book. Wonderful entry from Tracy Brown. may she rest in peace.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

This story has so much depth and detail to it and I absolutely was interested from chapter one. This is Brooklyn James and Hassan story, and we follow her as she runaway and learns the cold hard truth about surviving the streets and hustling and the consequences of it all.

I found the book stereotypical of the downtrodden south, and with violence and triggers in the first few pages, I did not continue. DNF for me, although I'm sure some will read it and understand the purpose for the writing.