Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Hardcover: 412 pages

Publisher: Simon Pulse; 1 edition (January 5, 2010)

ISBN-10: 1416991689

ISBN-13: 978-1416991687

Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Review:

Chasing Brooklyn takes place about a year and six months after Jackson's death in I Heart You, You Haunt Me. Surprisingly enough, I did not figure this out until the very end of Chasing Brooklyn, when Ava makes a personal appearance, which I very much appreciated because I love knowing how characters are doing after the fact.

Originally, I rated Chasing Brooklyn a grade lower than I Heart You, You Haunt Me the first time I read it. I don't think I'm changing that this second time around because it still feels like the story dragged on more than it should; and its similarity to Schroeder's first novel does not go unnoticed. However, there so many more elements in this story to enjoy and experience than in her first novel. Also, the two deaths that are the center of this book, give it more sustenance than you would expect. What I noticed about the two main characters--Brooklyn and Nico--from the very beginning was their individual voices when it came to grieving family/friend/boyfriend. Something I thought would have been a difficult feat to pull off--and in verse, no less--was the constant alternative perspective when switching view-points from Brooklyn to Nico and vice versa. The smoothness with which Schroeder had the ability to write was incredible, and I'd like to commend her easy way of making the reader understand all of the character's emotions. The absolute vividness of every frustrating nightmare and ghostly appearance was in itself spooky but it definitely added something to the book that made it all the more intriguing.

I can only hope that The Day Before brings some light into these otherwise dark and rejuvenating tales, and I will be reading more of Schroeder's future works as well.

Grade: C

Source: Publisher

LiLi

Guest Post: Lisa Schroeder on Best Part of Being an Author!

The best part of being an author
by Lisa Schroeder

When I first started writing for kids and teens years ago, it was all a dream, what it would be like.
I imagined what it would be like to walk into a book store and see a book I'd written with my name on it, sitting on the shelves. What a feeling, I thought.

I imagined book signings where I'd sign books for people who happened to wander by, not realizing that it doesn't really work that way. Ha! How incredible to have people wanting my autograph, I thought.

Yeah, there were lots of things I imagined. What I didn't imagine were the e-mails and letters from fans.

Over the years, I have received many, many notes from readers. Some make me cry, when they share the loss of someone they loved, like the 12 year old girl who lost her dad in Iraq when he stepped on a bomb. My earlier books about love and loss, healing and hope, seem to help some teens. And for that I'm thankful.

Some notes make me smile, like the one I got from a 13 year old girl who said she hated to read, but they had to do this "stupid thing" in school where they had to read 4 books every semester, and her teacher handed her I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME and said, "Read it." And then she went on to tell me how she got in trouble in math class because she was reading the book instead of listening to the math teacher.

And some notes, well, they make me do both - cry and smile. Like this one:

Today my daughter Stephanie, who is 14 years old, read your entire novel from cover to cover.
She could not put it down and even read it through dinner. While this may not seem like a big deal, this was in fact somewhat of a miracle to me. You see, Stephanie does not enjoy reading. She has been dealing with dyslexia from 2nd grade on. She is a studious student and has developed many workarounds to deal with school, including being impeccably organized and has become the hardest worker I have ever known.
Reading comes with difficulty and takes up a tremendous amount of energy for her. We've tried books on tape and several styles, different genre, but nothing really "lit her fire."

Today was the very first time she actually told me she was really enjoying reading and she was giving me a play by play of what was happening in the novel. She even asked for me to look you up and see what other books you had written - so we have purchased some more. She really enjoys your style of writing and for our small family all the way on the east coast - I wanted you to know of the miracle that occurred in my living room today.

***

When I get notes like that one, I feel so honored to be able to call myself an author. This business can be crazy sometimes. We worry about reviews, about sales numbers, about being skipped by the chains and on and on.

In the end, I have to remember these readers, whose lives were changed for the better because of something I've written.

I never imagined letters from readers when I dreamed of being an author years ago. But they are the very best part of this job.

Thank you Lisa for sharing that with us!

LiLi

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Simon Pulse; Original edition (January 8, 2008)

ISBN-10: 9781416955207

ISBN-13: 978-1416955207

Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

Review:

What's special about Ava Bender? She's hopeful.

Isn't it everyone's grieving wish to be in some sort of contact with the one they've lost? To live on with them hanging around, always there for you, letting you remember the happy memories? What happens when the bond that connect the two doesn't break when it was supposed to? Wouldn't that be a dream come true?

Ava understands the literal meaning of death, however, she's tested on what the words "moving on" mean. To have your boyfriend waiting for you would be your dream, never having to let him go. But when you come to the conclusion that he's holding himself back because he is an incorporeal being, how much are you willing to let him hold you back? For how long?

With such a brief book and so few words, the emotions that placated me throughout the grievance and self-discovery were amazing to feel. I believe that if it were done in any other way not in verse, the same amount and variety of emotions would not have portrayed themselves to the reader as well. I also believe that at times, reading in verse is more like an experience of another person's emotions if nothing else. One thing I liked the most was the pace, because it brought about all the stages that Ava essentially needed to go through for herself and also complemented the assurance of having the people around her trying to bring her back to the world of the living.

Schroeder wrote such an approachable book that would make lost readers find a light. Lyrical yet relatable, I Heart You, You Haunt Me created a visual visage of what Ava went through and all the steps she took to make it there.

Grade: B

Source: Publisher

LiLi

Author Interview: Lisa Schroeder

First a little background on Lisa Schroeder as an author...

Lisa Schroeder is a native Oregonian which means her childhood summers were spent camping, fishing, reading books (of course!) and playing in the sun, when it finally came out. These days, Lisa spends her summers, and every other part of the year, sharing all of the wonderful things Oregon has to offer with her husband and two sons. She is the author of numerous books for kids and teens, including CHASING BROOKLYN (Simon Pulse, 2010) and IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES (Aladdin, 2010).

And now on to the interview...

How does writing in verse help your stories?

I think the verse creates an atmosphere I couldn't create with regular prose. It also allows me to get to the emotional core of the story. I work really hard to make the verse accessible, and to not take away from the story. Story is always my number one priority - writing a book that will keep the reader turning the pages. The verse is just a way to tell the story in a way that will make the story more lyrical, perhaps, and more emotional.

If you could put a label on all your published novels, what would it be and why?

For my YA novels, it would be:

Try it, you might like it!

Some people open the cover and are turned off by the verse. So many people were reluctant to try it and then write to me or tweet about it and say how it was not what they expected it all, and that they really enjoyed the book a lot more than they thought they would. I don't want people to have preconceived notions about the book. It's still a story with a plot and compelling characters and I *promise* it's not hard to read at all. In fact, I have a good following with reluctant readers.

Is it conscious on your part to have a theme of loss in most of your books?

No, it just sort of worked out that way for the first three books. THE DAY BEFORE has a much different theme, I think, so hopefully readers will enjoy seeing a new area explored. In this one, I tackle fear - and that sometimes, you have to feel the fear and do it anyway, and trust that everything will work out as it should.

Would you ever consider writing a book not in verse? If so, what would it be about? If not, why not?

I've actually published a middle grade novel not in verse (IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES) and have another one coming out in September called SPRINKLES AND SECRETS. And I recently sold a YA to Simon Pulse that is in regular prose as well. It doesn't have a title yet, and publication is a long way off, so I'm not saying much about it yet, but yes - I do like to write in regular prose too! Verse isn't going to work with every story. In fact, I'd probably argue, it's not going to work with most stories. But when it does work, it helps make a story extra special.

Who is an author in the YA genre you admire and why?

Oh, that is so hard - I admire many, many authors. I especially admire the many mid-list authors who don't get a lot of recognition but write wonderful books and they keep writing and try to maintain a positive attitude in the face of it all. Authors like Saundra Mitchell (THE VESPERTINE), Sonia Gensler (THE REVENANT), and Cheryl Renee Herbsman (BREATHING). I'm starting to think writing the book is the easy part, it's surviving and keeping your sanity in this really tough business that is the hard part.

What are some of your favorite pass-times?

I love reading, of course, watching movies, walking my dog, baking yummy treats, and just hanging with the family.

Thank you for sharing, Lisa!

LiLi

Giveaway: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 28, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1442417439
ISBN-13: 978-1442417434

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

3 winners will receive their own SIGNED hardcover copy of The Day Before!

All you have to do to enter is fill out this FORM
Open to US residents only and will close on July 22th at midnight EST. Thank you to my lovely contact at Simon & Schusters!

LiLi