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lemon_drop's review
4.0
I always am so impressed when a sports book is about so much more... and this one definitely is. One family... 9 generations... 1 favorite pasttime connecting them all across time. This story will appeal to everyone, sports fans or not!
dlarca's review
2.0
I think The Brooklyn Nine has great boy/reluctant reader appeal. Despite its length (300 pages), this is a quick read, more like 9 short stories that have a common denominator but can also stand alone. The Brooklyn Nine follows the Schneider family through nine generations of baseball lovers. Most of the characters are boys between the ages of 9 and 14, but two of the middle stories focus on girls in the family. Each character has a lot of heart and there is a strong focus on family ties and dedication. Gratz also briefly explores prejudice during Walter’s story in a way that makes the reader think about injustice without beating them over the head with it.
tami_provencher's review
3.0
The Brooklyn Nine is sectioned into nine innings/stories, each of which is a succeeding generation in one family with the theme of each story centering around baseball. It is an intriguing structure for a novel and has some great possibilities.
The individual stories are each well-written with nicely drawn characters. I liked the stories/”innings” separately. The problem I have is that there is really no connection between the stories in plot or character content. The characters from the earlier generation rarely appear in the ensuing story, and when they do it is usually only in a brief mention. Each story felt very separate from the others. As a result the book felt like a string of unconnected short stories; each time the story seemed to be picking up in pace and excitement and interest it was over and the author switched to different setting, different story, different plot. For me, as a reader, it was disconcerting.
I think The Brooklyn Nine has some of the same characteristics as fellow Lovelace nominee Football Genius in that each book is probably enhanced by a reader’s interest in baseball or football. I am a big football fan and so I enjoyed Football Genius‘s descriptions of football games and strategies. In contrast I am NOT a baseball enthusiast and at times found myself bored and wanting to skip over descriptions of baseball games, players and strategies in The Brooklyn Nine.
In summary, The Brooklyn Nine is a collection of good–but not great–short stories. If you love baseball you will probably enjoy this book quite a lot. If baseball is not your thing, this book is probably not for you.
The individual stories are each well-written with nicely drawn characters. I liked the stories/”innings” separately. The problem I have is that there is really no connection between the stories in plot or character content. The characters from the earlier generation rarely appear in the ensuing story, and when they do it is usually only in a brief mention. Each story felt very separate from the others. As a result the book felt like a string of unconnected short stories; each time the story seemed to be picking up in pace and excitement and interest it was over and the author switched to different setting, different story, different plot. For me, as a reader, it was disconcerting.
I think The Brooklyn Nine has some of the same characteristics as fellow Lovelace nominee Football Genius in that each book is probably enhanced by a reader’s interest in baseball or football. I am a big football fan and so I enjoyed Football Genius‘s descriptions of football games and strategies. In contrast I am NOT a baseball enthusiast and at times found myself bored and wanting to skip over descriptions of baseball games, players and strategies in The Brooklyn Nine.
In summary, The Brooklyn Nine is a collection of good–but not great–short stories. If you love baseball you will probably enjoy this book quite a lot. If baseball is not your thing, this book is probably not for you.
theartolater's review
4.0
9 interconnected short stories about how 9 generations of kids from the same family were connected via baseball. Surprisingly well done.
mimima's review
4.0
My youngest son, who is a reluctant reader, got this for Christmas. I picked it up and read it yesterday. I found it fascinating, it traces the history of baseball through the eyes of a family in New York City.
I hope he finds it as interesting as I did.
I hope he finds it as interesting as I did.
angeldove1993's review
3.0
It's a cute idea, and very quick-paced. Because we meet nine main characters in less than 400 pages, I feel like barely knew any of the characters. And, I'm a bit upset that never connected the baseball and the bat.
oddandbookish's review
5.0
I read this book when I was in high school because I really love baseball. I loved this book. I love historical fiction and the fact that this book follows nine generations was something I loved.
crtney's review
4.0
One of my favorite YA books so far this year.
It, like, hardly ever happens. The perfect game. A complete game pitched by on pitcher with no one reaching first base. Some of the best pitchers who have played the game never pitch a perfect game. But in 1981, when Michael Flint steps on the mound in the 9th inning with 2 out and a full count, he is just one pitch away from a perfect game. Then the catcher calls for a curveball—a pitch that, for Michael, is much more likely to bounce in the dirt than it is to make it over the plate. But some days are just perfect. Some days just offer themselves up like a special gift. Some days the sun smiles and the grass laughs and a boy in Brooklyn just might pitch a perfect game. Follow Michael and his family on a trip through time and history as they experience American life and play baseball through nine generations in nine innings. “The Brooklyn Nine” by Alan Gratz
It, like, hardly ever happens. The perfect game. A complete game pitched by on pitcher with no one reaching first base. Some of the best pitchers who have played the game never pitch a perfect game. But in 1981, when Michael Flint steps on the mound in the 9th inning with 2 out and a full count, he is just one pitch away from a perfect game. Then the catcher calls for a curveball—a pitch that, for Michael, is much more likely to bounce in the dirt than it is to make it over the plate. But some days are just perfect. Some days just offer themselves up like a special gift. Some days the sun smiles and the grass laughs and a boy in Brooklyn just might pitch a perfect game. Follow Michael and his family on a trip through time and history as they experience American life and play baseball through nine generations in nine innings. “The Brooklyn Nine” by Alan Gratz
megmccuis's review
4.0
It gets rounded up to four, because, baseball. I liked the book and the concept behind it. However, I was always left wanting more from each story. Some had cliffhanger endings that bugged me, and others that worked surprisingly well. I did feel like the writing was a little bit scattered sometimes, but I enjoyed it