Another Brooklyn

I found this book really dissatisfying. I didn’t warm to any of the characters and found them lacking any development and real growth. We are given important information in very sharp snapshots and yet ‘unimportant’ information is dragged out and laboured upon. I understand that this is probably to represent how we view ‘memories’, but it just didn’t work for me as it was too fragmented.

What I did enjoy was the lyrical style of the writing, which was beautiful and flowed, but I just made no connection so couldn’t rate it higher. The bits I wanted to know about she skimmed over, and the bits I didn’t want, I heard way too much about. Something just didn’t mesh with me, which is a shame, because I wanted to really love it.

We were sent 10 copies of 'Another Brooklyn' in exchange for our reviews..

This month the Macclesfield Book Group have read ‘Another Brooklyn’ by Jacqueline Woodson – the story of four adolescent girls finding their way in the hard world of 1970’s Brooklyn. This book explores themes of race, religion, friendships and death through a poetic narrative and unusual structure.

The group had very mixed feelings about this book - with half thoroughly enjoying Jacqueline's unusual poetic style of writing and half finding it confusing. Here are a few thoughts:

'this book for me was a gorgeous poem of words. Magical but also memorable for it's tragedy'

'The book really captures this era of the 1970's and is a thoroughly enjoyable read'

'unorthodox writing style, short, sharp, expressive and poetic'

'an uncensored story of a difficult upbringing for August and her brother in 1970's America with themes of racial unrest, friendships and suffering'

'it didn't really relate to my childhood and was written in a style that was so personal it sometimes seemed to exclude the reader'

'very atmospheric'

'the oblique writing style demands an effort from the reader and it is not quite satisfying'

'very lyrical - no plot as such. a journey through a young black girl's life and the problems and emotions that entails'

'i liked how 4 girls all helped each other to get through difficult times'

'it's a novel about struggle to come to terms with death, warmth of friendship, the precarious nature of life and relationships'

'why did this story need to be told? lacks a 'point' and is more like grim reminiscing'

'a very emotional read'

I loved this book.  It's was beautifully written and was wonderfully lyrical more like poetry than a novel almost.  Despite being a white, British woman in the 21st century I felt that Jacqueline Woodson made me feel and understand what it was like to be young, black and living in New York in the 1970s. 

On top of that the collective challenges that face us all through life and growing up were beautifully evoked; childhood and its loss, developing sexuality, grief, family and friendships, and learning how to be the person that you are going to become. 

Woodson is clearly a writer of great skill and "Brown Girl Dreaming" is now most definitely on my to-read list.

Our newly formed reading group choose this book as our first book. The feedback was mixed but mostly favorable. The member of the group commented on the authors interesting use of perception and how memories can change over time, and how time also changes relationships, both physically and mentally and this was captured in an emotional way in the writing.
submitted by
(The friends of Blackhall Library Reading Circle)