Crossing into Brooklyn by Mary Ann McGuigan- Reshelved Book

Hello readers!

As some of you who have read our reviews here before, you all should know that I am at my happiest when I'm reading a good YA book.

Even though we're a smaller blog, we do get asked to review books by some pretty awesome authors! (If that makes anyone uncomfortable, then you don't need to continue this post.  Just know that I'm being honest with my thoughts and feelings on this book!)

That being said... Mary Ann McGuigan reached out to us back in the fall, asking if we would be willing to read and review her latest novel Crossing into Brooklyn.

After three long months, I was finally able to sit and read (devour, really since I finished it in two days!)...

Crossing into Brooklyn tells the story of Morgan Lindstrum, a teenager who is about to discuss a hidden past that her mother has been hiding for decades.  Morgan is recently grieving the loss of her grandfather; when she discovers that there's a man behind this mystery she has uncovered.

I liked this book but writing this review got me wondering... Why didn't we hear about Morgan's uncle Michael more.  I think in a way, it would have been interesting to hear a little about his background history.

What we as readers do get to see, is how poverty affects people.  According to Mary Ann, she has chosen this topic to tackle in her other two novels.  It's a subject matter that hits close home to her. Working off of this subject, McGuigan took an approach that was different then her other two novels.  According to McGuigan, "This is the first time I've explored what that frightening, uncompromising landscape feels like to an outsider, someone who has not experienced poverty". 

This is something that the reader can see within the story line.  Morgan is naive in thinking that if Sarah's mother were to sign Terrance as an artist, that he would be able to move out of the ghetto. She doesn't understand why she can't have Clover, Terrance and another family live with her in Princeton.  

There were pieces of Morgan's past that the reader never gets to hear.  This was mainly seen when she thinking about her past around Ansel.  That was something that didn't bother me too much. 

Near the end, Clover does come to NJ and she does get to speak to Morgan's mother, Maggie.  I was very surprised why Clover was reaching out to Maggie.  (I don't want to ruin the end of the story for anyone) I thought that it would have been something much more than what it was.  


This YA book was definitely one that but me out of my little YA comfort zone. But, I don't regret reading it! 

I give this book 4 out of 5 coffee beans. 

See you guys at the next review!

~Jillian