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Life is Funny
E. R. Frank’s seminal first novel weaves together the stories of eleven teenagers in one city over seven years in this groundbreaking and “impressive debut” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Why does Gingerbread always have a smile on his face? “Because life is funny,” he tells Keisha. But for her—and almost everyone else in her Brooklyn neighborhood—there doesn’t seem to be much to laugh about.
China, Ebony, and Grace are best friends, but Grace’s mother isn’t crazy about her being friends with two girls who aren’t white, and each cut Ebony makes on her wrist seems to drive them even further apart.
Just across the schoolyard there’s Eric who has to raise his younger brother Mickey, even though no one expects him to amount to anything. Meanwhile, Sonia’s Muslim parents expect everything of her, and it may be more than she is able to give after she suffers a shattering loss.
When Drew brings his father’s Jaguar into Sam’s family’s auto body shop across town they seem to be from opposite sides of the tracks, but Drew’s the one hiding a dark family secret. And he’s not the only one.
Why does Gingerbread always have a smile on his face? “Because life is funny,” he tells Keisha. But for her—and almost everyone else in her Brooklyn neighborhood—there doesn’t seem to be much to laugh about.
China, Ebony, and Grace are best friends, but Grace’s mother isn’t crazy about her being friends with two girls who aren’t white, and each cut Ebony makes on her wrist seems to drive them even further apart.
Just across the schoolyard there’s Eric who has to raise his younger brother Mickey, even though no one expects him to amount to anything. Meanwhile, Sonia’s Muslim parents expect everything of her, and it may be more than she is able to give after she suffers a shattering loss.
When Drew brings his father’s Jaguar into Sam’s family’s auto body shop across town they seem to be from opposite sides of the tracks, but Drew’s the one hiding a dark family secret. And he’s not the only one.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2000
About the author
E.R. Frank
8 books88 followersE. R. Frank is the author of two highly praised novels for Atheneum: America and Friction. Her first novel was Life Is Funny, winner of the Teen People Book Club NEXT Award for YA Fiction and was also a top-ten ALA 2001 Quick Pick.
In addition to being writer, E. R. Frank is also a clinical social worker and psychotherapist. She works with adults and adolescents and specializes in trauma.
In addition to being writer, E. R. Frank is also a clinical social worker and psychotherapist. She works with adults and adolescents and specializes in trauma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 31, 2008
I kept notes on the eleven interrelated teens in this books set in Brooklyn, each of them with one or more chapters, but an Excel spreadsheet might have been better. For instance Gingerbread, (because he looks like a Gingerbread Man) has ADHD, takes “riddle-in,” has two terrific parents, is in love with Keisha whose mother is dope fiend, her older brother molested her and she’s protecting her niece from him. Drew is Gingerbread’s next- door neighbor, whose father beats his mother, and uses his wealth like a club. Drew’s friend is Sam, whose father is Drew’s father’s mechanic, while Sam works as a mechanic he’s also a model to pay for college. But perhaps the most interesting characters are 16- year old Eric and his 8 year old brother Mickey. Their mother is a junkie, but Eric would do anything for Mickey, including trusting a teacher and attempting to succeed in school, and later, in their foster home. Monique thinks this about an assignment she’s given:
“The assumption that her assignment will rock our world amazed me. As if our childhoods were some sort of preparation for this other more valid existence. As if we haven’t already learned the most educational and profound lessons just by having lived our lives.”
Keisha thinks about Gingerbread and all he’s brought to her life:
“Before the day Gingerbread first talked to me, I’d a long time forgotten about laughing, but the second after he said his own name right out loud, I remembered again. When we first started, I asked why he laughed so much, and he said, like it ought to be plain as day, Because life is funny, and maybe that’s when I for real started to fall in love.”
“The assumption that her assignment will rock our world amazed me. As if our childhoods were some sort of preparation for this other more valid existence. As if we haven’t already learned the most educational and profound lessons just by having lived our lives.”
Keisha thinks about Gingerbread and all he’s brought to her life:
“Before the day Gingerbread first talked to me, I’d a long time forgotten about laughing, but the second after he said his own name right out loud, I remembered again. When we first started, I asked why he laughed so much, and he said, like it ought to be plain as day, Because life is funny, and maybe that’s when I for real started to fall in love.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2019
I'm not surprised Life is Funny is on the Banned Book list for many schools and some libraries seeing as how it shoves real world problems like abuse, drugs, self harm, suicide, racism, and poverty straight in the reader's face.... and the majority of the POVs are from minorities standpoint.
Wouldn't want anyone developing compassion and empathy for the kids from the wrong side of the tracks, now would we?
Wouldn't want anyone developing compassion and empathy for the kids from the wrong side of the tracks, now would we?
September 25, 2013
*CHARACTERS* I would rate the characters a 5. I could imagine what each of them looked like based on how well they were described by Frank. One character Drew was a mexican good looking boy, had green eyes, and was toned. Grace was another main character was a very pretty girl with long blonde hair with fair skin. I enjoyed all the eleven charters. They were all believable because all the things they are going through is possible. They all stay true to them selves, for example, Drew knew he had to do something to be true and stop lying about his mother's bruises. "My dad's beating the shit out of my mother," (Frank 71) is when Drew takes control of his dad beating his mom and calls the police who come and arrest his dad. He stayed true to himself and to his mother in this instance.
*SETTING*The setting would be a 4. The setting of "Life is Funny" is Brooklyn, New York for seven years. The setting is important to the story it has all the main character living within blocks of one another without them knowing each other. The time passes very quickly goes forward about half a year every new chapter. The setting could really be in any state as long as the characters can still be near one another. Being close to other main characters really helps how they connect to one another. "Monique walks with me around the little island. Seagulls hassle each other over our heads." (Frank 113). shows that they are at the ellis island in New York.
*PLOT* The plot would have to be a 3. The story was not told is an usual order what so ever. The chapters just switched to another main character and their point of view of what is happening in their own lives. I could not predict the whole ending but i was able to predict of some of the characters were related. The book started with a teenage girl named Ebony who saw a boy named Eric and described him as "But that boy Eric, he doesn't smile or slow down or anything." (Frank 5). Who after that spread out to Eric, Grace, Sam, Drew, Keisha, China, Lennette, Sonia, Gingerbread,and Monique who all in some way intertwine with one another's life's and problems. "I loves my Gingerbread." (Frank 222). is how Keisha and Gingerbread are connected to one another because they start to date and love one another.
*THEMES* The themes would have to be a 5. The author has many themes but the main idea is everything changes eventually you may not be able to tell right away but over time it is clear. In the book Life is Funny “Time is tricky. You have whole months, even years, when nothing changes a speck, when you don’t go anywhere or do anything or think one new thought. And then you can get hit with a day or an hour, or half a second, when so much happens, it’s almost like you are born all over again into some brand-new person you damn sure never expected to meet.” (Frank 256). The story is really about how much peoples lifes can change over the course of a couple years. The title is actually something Gingerbread says to Keisha saying how life can be funny and things can happen at any time.
*PERSONAL RESPONSE* I really enjoyed this book. It was different then most every other book, it made it fun to read and enjoyable. It also had eleven main characters instead of just one or two so it was exciting to read like elven stories all tied into one. I would recommend this book to a friend since it is a great read and different. It was actually recommended to me by Sabrina Llamas.
*SETTING*The setting would be a 4. The setting of "Life is Funny" is Brooklyn, New York for seven years. The setting is important to the story it has all the main character living within blocks of one another without them knowing each other. The time passes very quickly goes forward about half a year every new chapter. The setting could really be in any state as long as the characters can still be near one another. Being close to other main characters really helps how they connect to one another. "Monique walks with me around the little island. Seagulls hassle each other over our heads." (Frank 113). shows that they are at the ellis island in New York.
*PLOT* The plot would have to be a 3. The story was not told is an usual order what so ever. The chapters just switched to another main character and their point of view of what is happening in their own lives. I could not predict the whole ending but i was able to predict of some of the characters were related. The book started with a teenage girl named Ebony who saw a boy named Eric and described him as "But that boy Eric, he doesn't smile or slow down or anything." (Frank 5). Who after that spread out to Eric, Grace, Sam, Drew, Keisha, China, Lennette, Sonia, Gingerbread,and Monique who all in some way intertwine with one another's life's and problems. "I loves my Gingerbread." (Frank 222). is how Keisha and Gingerbread are connected to one another because they start to date and love one another.
*THEMES* The themes would have to be a 5. The author has many themes but the main idea is everything changes eventually you may not be able to tell right away but over time it is clear. In the book Life is Funny “Time is tricky. You have whole months, even years, when nothing changes a speck, when you don’t go anywhere or do anything or think one new thought. And then you can get hit with a day or an hour, or half a second, when so much happens, it’s almost like you are born all over again into some brand-new person you damn sure never expected to meet.” (Frank 256). The story is really about how much peoples lifes can change over the course of a couple years. The title is actually something Gingerbread says to Keisha saying how life can be funny and things can happen at any time.
*PERSONAL RESPONSE* I really enjoyed this book. It was different then most every other book, it made it fun to read and enjoyable. It also had eleven main characters instead of just one or two so it was exciting to read like elven stories all tied into one. I would recommend this book to a friend since it is a great read and different. It was actually recommended to me by Sabrina Llamas.
January 18, 2019
This is a raw story of 11 teens in Brooklyn during a period of 11 years. It deals with real problems, like drugs, physical and sexual abuse, alcohol, sex... I find the book realistic but too much to be considered a read starting in middle school. There is cursing, but my biggest issue is with the very explicit sex scene between teens. I am not a prude, but this is too explicit for that age group. If it wasn’t for that, I’ll consider the book a good picture of today’s realities teens may face that I would not mind 12-13 year olds to read.
March 8, 2021
Hands down my favorite book. No matter what age I am or point in my life, this always reaches me in a way nothing else has. Timeless, captivating, heart wrenching ... I'll never be able to walk away from life is funny; I find myself re reading it every few years.
April 7, 2021
Life is funny is a story about 13 teens struggling to survive in the heart of NYC. This is a reread for me. I read it as a teen and again as an adult I understand why it was one of my favorite books. I highly recommend this.
April 18, 2020
A brillant YA Debut novel. The interesting part is when the author weaves those characters together and allows the plot to continue to unfold.
April 10, 2023
This is probably my sixth time reading this book and it never stops being good. I don’t know why I like it so much. Something about it is just… chefs kiss.
September 7, 2011
This book settled right into my soul. It tells the story of eleven different teenagers whose lives drape over each other to various degrees, but what makes the book so captivating is that each teenager's story stands on its own, and contains characters that feel real and whole, facing problems that are all too prevalent in our world. It's sad to think that a book about domestic violence, drug abuse, neglect, teen pregnancy, cutting, poverty or foster care could be seen as contrived or overdone, but I have found myself, when reading some young adult novels, feeling that way. Somehow, though, this book, which addresses ALL of these issues, doesn't come across as too dramatic. It came across as telling of what lies beneath the faces of today's teens, of what goes on under the skin of the kids we think we have figured out, and the surprises that would be uncovered for those we think have it together. The only reason this book wasn't given five stars is because, with so many different characters taking their turn speaking and telling so many individual stories, I had a hard time keeping straight who was who when they were referenced in a later tale. So, as a novel, it was hard to follow because too many threads were spun separately from each other to create a clear whole picture. However, I didn't much care, because I enjoyed this book more as a collection of vignettes, or linked short stories. I grew attached to certain characters and wanted to know more about all of them. I loved how each character had a distinct voice, how the writing reflected each character's brain and language, and how each character's inner strength played an integral part to the survival of not just themselves, but their families. A wonderful read for any teacher or parent out there.
December 26, 2021
I'm actually surprised about how well this book holds up. I first read this in the 5th grade when I was Mickey's age, way too young for the subject matter but even then it meant a lot to me.
For transparency, the star deduction is because the AAVE is pretty bad, and it honestly shows the author's blindspot. She is, as far as I know, a white social worker who knows about these stories secondhand and so has huge blindspots on basic things like the types of language black kids use to communicate. She also demonstrates very little specific cultural knowledge. The book deals a lot with hope and the passage of time and appreciating the little things (and most but not every character's life is ruined by poverty drugs and violence, there are a few middle class characters with their own family issues) so I personally don't think its torture porn, but because the author knows these kids through their pain, that is almost exclusively what we see in this book. The "off-ness" of the book is explained by the author's distance.
Nonetheless, there is a lot of truth here. This is a rare book where 3rd person would not have worked at all. With the bizarre, dated, and at times stereotypical colloqualisms aside, the characters are so vivid that they feel like they're actually telling the audience their private thoughts, and the writing quality is poetic without taking you out of it. The characters are from very diverse walks of life, and all of them are interesting and have something important to say.
For transparency, the star deduction is because the AAVE is pretty bad, and it honestly shows the author's blindspot. She is, as far as I know, a white social worker who knows about these stories secondhand and so has huge blindspots on basic things like the types of language black kids use to communicate. She also demonstrates very little specific cultural knowledge. The book deals a lot with hope and the passage of time and appreciating the little things (and most but not every character's life is ruined by poverty drugs and violence, there are a few middle class characters with their own family issues) so I personally don't think its torture porn, but because the author knows these kids through their pain, that is almost exclusively what we see in this book. The "off-ness" of the book is explained by the author's distance.
Nonetheless, there is a lot of truth here. This is a rare book where 3rd person would not have worked at all. With the bizarre, dated, and at times stereotypical colloqualisms aside, the characters are so vivid that they feel like they're actually telling the audience their private thoughts, and the writing quality is poetic without taking you out of it. The characters are from very diverse walks of life, and all of them are interesting and have something important to say.
October 28, 2018
I loved this book so much, I honestly think its my favorite. I related to the characters so much. I would sit in my room and cry while reading this book. It filled me with so many emotions, I could be leaping throw a field of dandelions at one moment in my head and then preparing myself to jump off an 200 story building the next moment in head. Each character has a lesson for every single teenager in this world, varying in religions, cultures, genders, ages, and family lives. I truly feel as if every single teenager ever should read this book, just to find comfort in their own lives.
December 27, 2011
I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed this book. It's not well-written, most of the story lines feel unfinished, and the ending isn't satisfying, but I couldn't put it down! I would recommend this book to teenagers. If you enjoy the beauty of language in books, this isn't for you. Read this if you love drama.
August 24, 2010
The book was choppy and hard to follow. It left me wondering if today's kids are having to deal with as much drugs, sex, and violence as these characters do.
September 7, 2022
This was just "meh" for me, simply put.
I'm going to start with what I did like and why I think this book has some merit in the YA world. This book is extremely realistic. E.R. Frank has done work as a social worker, and it is definitely apparent. Everything about this book was plausible, and I never had a reality check moment, like I tend to have with some YA books. So, if you're looking for some realistic fiction, this is definitely your go-to book.
I also think that given the format of the book (each section/chapter told from the perspective of a different character), she created some pretty distinct voices. It would be so easy for the characters in this kind of book to become all lumped together, but she did a good job with keeping voices distinguishable.
The overlying point of this novel was definitely cool, and that's why this got 3 stars, instead of 2. I very much liked the fact that as I read this, I felt like almost like a social worker myself. I felt like all of these kids were telling me their stories. It's just a quick flash of time--we don't really get to see what happens to anyone. It's really like these kids were brought in on a particular day and were telling me about what was going on in their lives on that day. We see stories kind of overlap, and characters appear in each other's stories whether they really know each other or not. I'm not sure if any of that made sense unless you've read this.
However, there were a few things that I didn't enjoy. I understand that this is realistic fiction, but this just seemed overdone. I know that everyone has serious issues in life, but to go from chapter to chapter and from suicide to domestic abuse to sexual abuse to cutting to drug abuse to racism and on and on...it's just a bit too heavy for me. I read this for a class, and I spent some time talking about how the serious issues showing up wouldn't be such a problem if we could see the characters develop even just a little bit more. I felt like just as soon as I was beginning to understand a character and empathize with their situation, it was onto the next chapter.
Another big thing for me was that as I was reading, I could put this down and not really have any desire to pick it up again. If someone had stolen it away from me in the middle of me reading it, I wouldn't have really minded. And that's a problem for me. I mean, while I was reading it, it was good and I was interested, but after I put it down, I didn't really want to keep reading. I'm not really sure why, but this one just didn't do it for me.
I'm going to start with what I did like and why I think this book has some merit in the YA world. This book is extremely realistic. E.R. Frank has done work as a social worker, and it is definitely apparent. Everything about this book was plausible, and I never had a reality check moment, like I tend to have with some YA books. So, if you're looking for some realistic fiction, this is definitely your go-to book.
I also think that given the format of the book (each section/chapter told from the perspective of a different character), she created some pretty distinct voices. It would be so easy for the characters in this kind of book to become all lumped together, but she did a good job with keeping voices distinguishable.
The overlying point of this novel was definitely cool, and that's why this got 3 stars, instead of 2. I very much liked the fact that as I read this, I felt like almost like a social worker myself. I felt like all of these kids were telling me their stories. It's just a quick flash of time--we don't really get to see what happens to anyone. It's really like these kids were brought in on a particular day and were telling me about what was going on in their lives on that day. We see stories kind of overlap, and characters appear in each other's stories whether they really know each other or not. I'm not sure if any of that made sense unless you've read this.
However, there were a few things that I didn't enjoy. I understand that this is realistic fiction, but this just seemed overdone. I know that everyone has serious issues in life, but to go from chapter to chapter and from suicide to domestic abuse to sexual abuse to cutting to drug abuse to racism and on and on...it's just a bit too heavy for me. I read this for a class, and I spent some time talking about how the serious issues showing up wouldn't be such a problem if we could see the characters develop even just a little bit more. I felt like just as soon as I was beginning to understand a character and empathize with their situation, it was onto the next chapter.
Another big thing for me was that as I was reading, I could put this down and not really have any desire to pick it up again. If someone had stolen it away from me in the middle of me reading it, I wouldn't have really minded. And that's a problem for me. I mean, while I was reading it, it was good and I was interested, but after I put it down, I didn't really want to keep reading. I'm not really sure why, but this one just didn't do it for me.
April 25, 2020
The book Life is funny is a pretty interesting book with an interesting format. A thing about the book that I liked was the fact that all the little stories were mostly connected, referencing each other even sometimes impacting each other. I think that most of the little stories are pretty interesting, showing what all eleven characters were living through. Though the stories were mostly interesting I feel that a problem is that some of the stories of the characters were kinda unnecessary to include , regardless if they were interesting . An example of this is a character named Sonia,(Spoilers) She is a Muslim who wants to be a “perfect” Muslim girl but is struggling and has fallen in love boy, named Sarim, when she is not supposed to. Eventually Sarim takes his life and she is heartbroken and writes letters to him hoping he can see it. She can’t talk about her feelings to her family because that would be shameful so she secretly goes to the counselor to talk and eventually gets to the point where she no longer needs the counselor, saying she is ready to be a proper Muslim woman. She gets home and finds that her brother discovered her letters she wrote to him and it stops there. Sofia’s story is not continued in any way and she, as far as I recall, is only really mentioned once briefly in a different story. Though she had an interesting story it was not at all needed due to having little to impact on any other character in the book . Another big problem I had with this book is the ending. I felt that it had a very anticlimactic end, kinda like most of the stories, ending abruptly. Overall The characters were interesting, most of the stories good,and though it had a fair share of things I didn't like, this was a pretty good read and I did mostly like it. I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading about connected stories because that is pretty much what this book is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2023
Super engaging and raw. I kind of loved it a little bit.
Life Is Funny by E. R. Frank is about eleven teens and spans seven years. The cover says that it's a novel by E. R. Frank, which is an interesting marketing technique, especially considering that it's a series of interrelated short stories. I'm not saying it's not a novel because it most certainly has a clear beginning, middle, and, end (and I like the linear progression of the story, but that's a discussion for a different bullet point), but, you know, it's really a collection of short stories.
What I Liked
- I love the way the book is set up. Lots of times, interrelated stories connect in obvious ways or just have one connecting element like the same high school or whatever. But in this book, it's the relationships that drive the connections. The kids' lives overlap in seemingly innocuous, but usually heartbreaking ways, and the progression for characters is easily followed even when they kind of drop out of the picture because their stories are over. But that's the thing. Their stories are never over. They continue.
- The breakout quote above highlights one of my favorite things about the book. Frank deftly shows how kids' concerns all run together, from the seemingly inane to the completely, devastatingly serious. At the same time, Frank shows how serious everything is when you're that age. A bathroom fight can lead to a serious stress about friendship, but the real issue is a dark family secret.
I also chose that quote because it hit me in the gut. It made me suck in my breath and reread it several times to make sure I read it right. And while there are other things that happen to the different characters, that was the first moment I knew the book isn't just about how teens see things from different perspectives, but that it's about how they deal with the different levels of pain in their lives.
- I'm making the book sound maudlin, but it's not. There's a lot of humor in this book, and, as tends to happen with YA lit, hopefulness. It's not a bleak read. If anything, it does show that life is funny--both funny ha-ha and funny weird/strange/unpredictable.
- The characters are fantastic, and, like I said, even within the short story format, they are allowed to grow and change. They're also all likable or have something good about them to cling to. Which may be the point Frank, a clinical social worker, may be trying to make.
Since I have no real complaints about the book, here is where I talk instead about the fact that it's one of the top 100 challenged books of the past decade. According to the ALA website, the top three reasons books are challenged are because they are deemed sexually explicit, have offensive language, and are unsuitable to age group. And I gotta say this book has sexually explicit and offensive language. Which, I guess, makes it unsuitable to age group--or at least to middle school students, since this a book that was actually removed from a middle school library because of a sex scene.
I know it is a little crazy to think that teens have sex and/or talk about it using dirty words instead of referring to it as "making love" and such. And it is really, really, REALLY crazy to think that middle schoolers are not familiar with any of these terms or ideas. I mean, I know when I was in middle school, we didn't even know that sex was called anything but "making whoopee" (oh, The Newlywed Game, how sly you were) and that Lucy and Ricky made a baby sleeping in separate twin beds.
(That was sarcasm, by the way.)
I have to say, I do not think this book is appropriate for my sixth grader, and I would tell her as much. What I would not do is tell an entire school full of children, some of whom are probably 14, that they shouldn't read it or have access to it because it has sex in it. Especially if I read the whole book and not just a passage taken out of context and understood that this book may offer hope to a girl who has been molested that she can have a positive sexual experience. Or that I understood this is just two teens' experiences out of many, several of which don't focus on sex, and many of which focus on recovery from trauma.
So what have the children from that school missed out on, seeing that at least one of the challenges on this book was successful? An opportunity to think about what's really going on with the boy or girl in their class and trying to understand that they all have different experiences. But more importantly, an opportunity to know that THEY ARE NOT ALONE. There is someone else out there who feels stupid but isn't, who has messed up parents, who has great friends, who has lost friends, who can find a great boyfriend or girlfriend in spite of his or her other experiences, who doesn't have money but goes to college, who loves his or her parents, who hates his or her parents, who doesn't have parents and on and on.
It's no accident that the book starts with the characters aged eleven and twelve years old.
****
REREAD: OCT 20, 2023
I am reading interlinked short story collections (short story cycles) as part of my sabbatical research.
My review from before still stands. I don't have much to add except that in Frank's updated bio, it says she's a psychotherapist with a specialty in trauma, which makes even more sense for why she wanted to tell the stories she did in the way she did.
I also appreciate that the book starts and ends with kids who are well loved and have relatively healthy/functional families, though they have their own kind of grief. They're nice bookends to the other stories that are more about trauma inflicted by adults or other family members.
So now that's why I'm sitting here, because I have to be alone to try and figure out two things that are getting on my nerves, bad. One of them is what do I do to stay out of fights at least for the next seven years until I'm done with high school because I'm supposed to graduate and my aunt Eva will kill me if I don't, but everybody's always wanting to fight and then you get suspended and kicked out and all that mess. And then the other thing is what do I do if I don't want my brother, Nick, to be touching on my privacy every night and he comes and does it anyway?
Life Is Funny by E. R. Frank is about eleven teens and spans seven years. The cover says that it's a novel by E. R. Frank, which is an interesting marketing technique, especially considering that it's a series of interrelated short stories. I'm not saying it's not a novel because it most certainly has a clear beginning, middle, and, end (and I like the linear progression of the story, but that's a discussion for a different bullet point), but, you know, it's really a collection of short stories.
What I Liked
- I love the way the book is set up. Lots of times, interrelated stories connect in obvious ways or just have one connecting element like the same high school or whatever. But in this book, it's the relationships that drive the connections. The kids' lives overlap in seemingly innocuous, but usually heartbreaking ways, and the progression for characters is easily followed even when they kind of drop out of the picture because their stories are over. But that's the thing. Their stories are never over. They continue.
- The breakout quote above highlights one of my favorite things about the book. Frank deftly shows how kids' concerns all run together, from the seemingly inane to the completely, devastatingly serious. At the same time, Frank shows how serious everything is when you're that age. A bathroom fight can lead to a serious stress about friendship, but the real issue is a dark family secret.
I also chose that quote because it hit me in the gut. It made me suck in my breath and reread it several times to make sure I read it right. And while there are other things that happen to the different characters, that was the first moment I knew the book isn't just about how teens see things from different perspectives, but that it's about how they deal with the different levels of pain in their lives.
- I'm making the book sound maudlin, but it's not. There's a lot of humor in this book, and, as tends to happen with YA lit, hopefulness. It's not a bleak read. If anything, it does show that life is funny--both funny ha-ha and funny weird/strange/unpredictable.
- The characters are fantastic, and, like I said, even within the short story format, they are allowed to grow and change. They're also all likable or have something good about them to cling to. Which may be the point Frank, a clinical social worker, may be trying to make.
Since I have no real complaints about the book, here is where I talk instead about the fact that it's one of the top 100 challenged books of the past decade. According to the ALA website, the top three reasons books are challenged are because they are deemed sexually explicit, have offensive language, and are unsuitable to age group. And I gotta say this book has sexually explicit and offensive language. Which, I guess, makes it unsuitable to age group--or at least to middle school students, since this a book that was actually removed from a middle school library because of a sex scene.
I know it is a little crazy to think that teens have sex and/or talk about it using dirty words instead of referring to it as "making love" and such. And it is really, really, REALLY crazy to think that middle schoolers are not familiar with any of these terms or ideas. I mean, I know when I was in middle school, we didn't even know that sex was called anything but "making whoopee" (oh, The Newlywed Game, how sly you were) and that Lucy and Ricky made a baby sleeping in separate twin beds.
(That was sarcasm, by the way.)
I have to say, I do not think this book is appropriate for my sixth grader, and I would tell her as much. What I would not do is tell an entire school full of children, some of whom are probably 14, that they shouldn't read it or have access to it because it has sex in it. Especially if I read the whole book and not just a passage taken out of context and understood that this book may offer hope to a girl who has been molested that she can have a positive sexual experience. Or that I understood this is just two teens' experiences out of many, several of which don't focus on sex, and many of which focus on recovery from trauma.
So what have the children from that school missed out on, seeing that at least one of the challenges on this book was successful? An opportunity to think about what's really going on with the boy or girl in their class and trying to understand that they all have different experiences. But more importantly, an opportunity to know that THEY ARE NOT ALONE. There is someone else out there who feels stupid but isn't, who has messed up parents, who has great friends, who has lost friends, who can find a great boyfriend or girlfriend in spite of his or her other experiences, who doesn't have money but goes to college, who loves his or her parents, who hates his or her parents, who doesn't have parents and on and on.
It's no accident that the book starts with the characters aged eleven and twelve years old.
****
REREAD: OCT 20, 2023
I am reading interlinked short story collections (short story cycles) as part of my sabbatical research.
My review from before still stands. I don't have much to add except that in Frank's updated bio, it says she's a psychotherapist with a specialty in trauma, which makes even more sense for why she wanted to tell the stories she did in the way she did.
I also appreciate that the book starts and ends with kids who are well loved and have relatively healthy/functional families, though they have their own kind of grief. They're nice bookends to the other stories that are more about trauma inflicted by adults or other family members.
October 21, 2018
Not sure how I felt about this one really. Around page 60, I said "Yeah, I think I'm not going to continue with this one." But then I woke up in the morning wondering what was going to happen for those kids, so I guess, in any case, she got me to care. It's a quick read. I was done in under 24 hours, but that might be part of why I went back to it after giving up. I knew it wasn't a big time investment.
I didn't love it. That said, the storylines in these books are a million miles from my own experience, so it was hard to relate to anything going on. I felt sorry for pretty much all the kids. I didn't really like any of them.
It may just be that I'm *way* outside the target demographic for this book.
I didn't love it. That said, the storylines in these books are a million miles from my own experience, so it was hard to relate to anything going on. I felt sorry for pretty much all the kids. I didn't really like any of them.
It may just be that I'm *way* outside the target demographic for this book.
July 8, 2021
Great story. Really connected with my teenself. I appreciate the way the story was told by giving us years of gaps in time and the author allowed for you to fill in the blanks while allowing you to understand their intentional glazing. Truly has a story that could connect to any teen issue. So many tough challenging things to face as teens. I look forward to revisiting this book and finding what pulls my heart strings each time round.
February 9, 2018
I liked the individual stories in this book - but I didn't like that there was no real wrap-up for any of the characters. The reader was introduced to the character, discovered their conflict in life, and then.... Well, there was no and then.
January 22, 2017
The many stories each have their own complexities and surprises, and they fit together in wholly unexpected ways. I would recommend this for anyone, period.
December 3, 2018
It was a nice peak into the lives of these few teens. While there wasn't a clear beginning, middle and end. It is just a step in the direction of their lives starting to get better
October 18, 2020
Every now and then I think of this book, and I love it
November 23, 2022
Each story is raw and emotional; wish there had been more development and/or connection between all of the characters.
February 3, 2024
One of my favorites
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June 13, 2023i wish i had read this book in middle school
December 6, 2013
Characters:5: The characters were well described in simple terms. in the beginning of the novel, for example China is describing Eric, "I'm guessing he's younger than us, but he's way bigger, and he's real dark, and he doesn't look around or anything. His eyes are set straight ahead, and he walks right by and up to the front-door step and just stands there, waiting"(Frank 3).I thought the description of Eric was exceptional because anyone could understand the way his character is. I did like the characters not only because they were convincing but because it made me picture them in real life. I thought the characters seemed realistic because they are facing problems that are prevalent in our world. On page 23, for example the author put teenage girl drama making the characters seem practical, "The thing is, you're supposed to take your friend's back if they get jumped"(Frank).I think the characters stay true to themselves because they don't drastically change through out the novel.
Setting:3: I think the setting is important because without a setting you would not know what is going on in the novel. I believe setting is also important because it has all the main characters living within blocks of one another without them knowing each other. The time passes very quickly because it goes forward about half a year every chapter. The setting is Brooklyn, New York but the novel also contains of small setting changes. I think a part of the setting does effect the story, for example if it weren't for the day care, Ebony and China wouldn't have met Eric and talked to him, "On Thursday me and Ebony don't hang out together at Grace's first, so we meet up at the day care...Eric's leaning up against the wall. I wave to Keisha and then walk up to stoop to Eric"(Frank 13). I do think the novel could have taken place in another place or time particularly because the setting is not declared that often in the novel also as long as the main characters live near each other.
Plot:4: The story was not told in any order at all. The story was told by eleven different teenagers, each chapter was about a different teenager whose lives drape over each other to various degrees. I did not predict the ending mainly because each chapter was about someone different but the novel did not end as expected, "Why she lie?" Mickey asks Eric. Eric moves into their room, opens the window, and flops back on their bed."Don't worry about it none...Girls is crazy"(Frank 263). The novel is about eleven different teenagers who all experience appalling problems, for example they experience,domestic violence, drug abuse, neglect, teen pregnancy, cutting, poverty or foster care.
Themes:5: The novel contains many themes but the main theme I picked up on quickly is that everyone experiences tragedies, but you can not inhabit them. The theme goes with what Gingerbread said "...like it ought to be plain as a day, Because life is funny..."(Frank 199) Sometimes tragedies can keep us from laughing or enjoying life but like Gingerbread said "Life is Funny."
Personal Response: I loved this book! It was probably one of the most interesting novels I've read in a while. I would recommend it to everyone.It was a very interesting novel because it contained more than one character and you get to see different point of views.
Setting:3: I think the setting is important because without a setting you would not know what is going on in the novel. I believe setting is also important because it has all the main characters living within blocks of one another without them knowing each other. The time passes very quickly because it goes forward about half a year every chapter. The setting is Brooklyn, New York but the novel also contains of small setting changes. I think a part of the setting does effect the story, for example if it weren't for the day care, Ebony and China wouldn't have met Eric and talked to him, "On Thursday me and Ebony don't hang out together at Grace's first, so we meet up at the day care...Eric's leaning up against the wall. I wave to Keisha and then walk up to stoop to Eric"(Frank 13). I do think the novel could have taken place in another place or time particularly because the setting is not declared that often in the novel also as long as the main characters live near each other.
Plot:4: The story was not told in any order at all. The story was told by eleven different teenagers, each chapter was about a different teenager whose lives drape over each other to various degrees. I did not predict the ending mainly because each chapter was about someone different but the novel did not end as expected, "Why she lie?" Mickey asks Eric. Eric moves into their room, opens the window, and flops back on their bed."Don't worry about it none...Girls is crazy"(Frank 263). The novel is about eleven different teenagers who all experience appalling problems, for example they experience,domestic violence, drug abuse, neglect, teen pregnancy, cutting, poverty or foster care.
Themes:5: The novel contains many themes but the main theme I picked up on quickly is that everyone experiences tragedies, but you can not inhabit them. The theme goes with what Gingerbread said "...like it ought to be plain as a day, Because life is funny..."(Frank 199) Sometimes tragedies can keep us from laughing or enjoying life but like Gingerbread said "Life is Funny."
Personal Response: I loved this book! It was probably one of the most interesting novels I've read in a while. I would recommend it to everyone.It was a very interesting novel because it contained more than one character and you get to see different point of views.
April 25, 2018
The first place I ever saw the word "blunt" used for "joint."
September 25, 2013
I rate the characters a 5. There are eleven teenagers throughout this book and it would be difficult to keep track of who is who. But Frank makes it easy by being very detailed. Each character has a distinct voice and personality that makes them stand out."'He's got poetry,' I go, all choky. 'He's got mad poetry.'"(Frank). In this quote, Ebony is talking about her crush named Eric. She is the only person who uses this specific grammer. All of the characters are believable. They each have a different experience with drug abuse,teen pregnancy,cutting, and foster care. They all stay true to themselves. For instance, Mickey is forced to buy drugs for his brother but he never does them. These characters have a rough life and their experiences makes it easy to relate to.
I rate the setting a 3. "Life is Funny" takes place in Brooklyn, New York. The setting isn't very important in this story. The characters live very close to each other, but it could of taken place in any small town with local restaurants and stores. Frank made the story pass on quickly. The book is about the lives of eleven teenagers in a seven year period but each chapter jumps ahead a couple of years."Friday Grace races into the McDonald's right when me and Ebony are ordering."(Frank) The story could take place anywhere as long as the characters live near one another. That is important because they all end up connecting to each other throughout the story.
I give the plot a 5. Frank wrote this book different from any other book. Each chapter focuses on 3-5 characters at a specific time. So, the book can be somewhat confusing. But the different view points added so much interest and thought. I did not predict the ending. Drew's dad constantly beat his mother."My dad's beating the shit out of my mother," (Frank). I either thought she would die or Ebony because she cuts herself and refuses to stop.
The theme would be a 5. "Life Is Funny" contains a lot themes. The one that stood out to me is everybody experiences tragedies, but you can't dwell on them. You have to remember the good times and move past the bad times. The theme has everything to do with the title. “I start laughing. You have to laugh. Life is just funny sometimes. As long as you remember.”(Frank).
Overall, "Life is Funny" is a 5. I absolutely love this book! It was funny,sad,and exciting all at the same time. Frank kept me on my toes, I never wanted to stop reading it. I felt like I was in each characters life, watching and feeling everything they saw and felt. I recommend this book to everyone.It is so real and believable. This book is a must read!
I rate the setting a 3. "Life is Funny" takes place in Brooklyn, New York. The setting isn't very important in this story. The characters live very close to each other, but it could of taken place in any small town with local restaurants and stores. Frank made the story pass on quickly. The book is about the lives of eleven teenagers in a seven year period but each chapter jumps ahead a couple of years."Friday Grace races into the McDonald's right when me and Ebony are ordering."(Frank) The story could take place anywhere as long as the characters live near one another. That is important because they all end up connecting to each other throughout the story.
I give the plot a 5. Frank wrote this book different from any other book. Each chapter focuses on 3-5 characters at a specific time. So, the book can be somewhat confusing. But the different view points added so much interest and thought. I did not predict the ending. Drew's dad constantly beat his mother."My dad's beating the shit out of my mother," (Frank). I either thought she would die or Ebony because she cuts herself and refuses to stop.
The theme would be a 5. "Life Is Funny" contains a lot themes. The one that stood out to me is everybody experiences tragedies, but you can't dwell on them. You have to remember the good times and move past the bad times. The theme has everything to do with the title. “I start laughing. You have to laugh. Life is just funny sometimes. As long as you remember.”(Frank).
Overall, "Life is Funny" is a 5. I absolutely love this book! It was funny,sad,and exciting all at the same time. Frank kept me on my toes, I never wanted to stop reading it. I felt like I was in each characters life, watching and feeling everything they saw and felt. I recommend this book to everyone.It is so real and believable. This book is a must read!
June 3, 2014
This book had seriously surprised me to say the least. I was kind of just looking for a random book to read in the library to read, and when I picked this one (admittedly, due to the title alone) I was intrigued, but for some reason I had the feeling I wouldn't like it. But I figured, what the hey, and decided to try it. And soon, I learned how wrong I was.
This book is certainly not for someone who is looking for a happy tale. It deals with a lot of various problems, some of which include: abusive parents, self-harm, abusive homes, drugs, underage sex, and other such problems.
Now, I for one, am someone who loves characters... and especially a large, colorful cast. And I certainly got it with this book. Every character is different, from their personality to the way they handle problems emotionally, yet the book manages to brilliantly tie them altogether in this story. Each story is connected in some subtle way to each other, and I really enjoyed it. The large cast of characters may confuse some people, but I do think the boy managed to organize itself pretty well.
This book played no favorites to any group of people and it certainly didn't hold back. It was very well-constructed. For example, we got an insight of what it is like for a girl who is struggling with keeping the traditions of her Islamic beliefs when she falls in love with someone. And then it switched off to a pretty Caucasian girl who has to deal with a mother who is an emotional wreck (possibly bipolar?) and has to live in an unstable home. And the chain continued. There were many other things like this.
The author has clearly done her research with everyone's problems in this book and it shows.
I loved watching these kids grow up and wanted to see where they would end up in life.
I would give this five stars, although I will admit the last few chapters had me waning interests. I did not care much for Gingerbread or Keisha's characters and the last chapter felt lacking of the push the others had. (Though I will admit, I loved Eric's chapter).
So all in all, this is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read it!
This book is certainly not for someone who is looking for a happy tale. It deals with a lot of various problems, some of which include: abusive parents, self-harm, abusive homes, drugs, underage sex, and other such problems.
Now, I for one, am someone who loves characters... and especially a large, colorful cast. And I certainly got it with this book. Every character is different, from their personality to the way they handle problems emotionally, yet the book manages to brilliantly tie them altogether in this story. Each story is connected in some subtle way to each other, and I really enjoyed it. The large cast of characters may confuse some people, but I do think the boy managed to organize itself pretty well.
This book played no favorites to any group of people and it certainly didn't hold back. It was very well-constructed. For example, we got an insight of what it is like for a girl who is struggling with keeping the traditions of her Islamic beliefs when she falls in love with someone. And then it switched off to a pretty Caucasian girl who has to deal with a mother who is an emotional wreck (possibly bipolar?) and has to live in an unstable home. And the chain continued. There were many other things like this.
The author has clearly done her research with everyone's problems in this book and it shows.
I loved watching these kids grow up and wanted to see where they would end up in life.
I would give this five stars, although I will admit the last few chapters had me waning interests. I did not care much for Gingerbread or Keisha's characters and the last chapter felt lacking of the push the others had. (Though I will admit, I loved Eric's chapter).
So all in all, this is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read it!
December 22, 2008
"My professor reads essays out loud in class as examples of what we should be considering when we make our Statue of Liberty visit.
"The essays are full of Family and Freedom. Great-grandparents kissing their own tears into theground, imagining streets paved with gold and opportunity. Persecuted and oppressed great-uncles and aunts rejoicing on crowded boat decks, as the sun rises over Liberty's torch. Dreams coming true.
"'Taking the time to think about where we came from and how we fit into our community can be both educational and emotional,' the professor's saying. 'Beginning this journey at a public monument that holds so much meaning for so many can make this one of the most profound educational and emotional experiences you'll have had.'
"The assumption that her assignment will rock our world amazes me. As if our childhoods were some sort of preparation for this other, more valid existence. As if we haven't already learned the most educational and profound lessons just by having lived our lives."
-- from "Year Four: Molly"
"I got a round head, and round eyes, and a round nose and little bitty ears, and sunset skin, and they call me Gingerbread because that's what I look like: a gingerbread cookie man, and I don't care. I got hyper blood and bad concentration and I got to take my riddle-in every day, but I don't care. I got a crackhead mother somewhere on this earth, or maybe dead, but I don't care because I got my real mama and my real daddy since my little gingerbread face came into this place. My mamma is white and my daddy is black, and fools try to make shit out of that, and I don't care."
-- "Year Five: Gingerbread"
"The essays are full of Family and Freedom. Great-grandparents kissing their own tears into theground, imagining streets paved with gold and opportunity. Persecuted and oppressed great-uncles and aunts rejoicing on crowded boat decks, as the sun rises over Liberty's torch. Dreams coming true.
"'Taking the time to think about where we came from and how we fit into our community can be both educational and emotional,' the professor's saying. 'Beginning this journey at a public monument that holds so much meaning for so many can make this one of the most profound educational and emotional experiences you'll have had.'
"The assumption that her assignment will rock our world amazes me. As if our childhoods were some sort of preparation for this other, more valid existence. As if we haven't already learned the most educational and profound lessons just by having lived our lives."
-- from "Year Four: Molly"
"I got a round head, and round eyes, and a round nose and little bitty ears, and sunset skin, and they call me Gingerbread because that's what I look like: a gingerbread cookie man, and I don't care. I got hyper blood and bad concentration and I got to take my riddle-in every day, but I don't care. I got a crackhead mother somewhere on this earth, or maybe dead, but I don't care because I got my real mama and my real daddy since my little gingerbread face came into this place. My mamma is white and my daddy is black, and fools try to make shit out of that, and I don't care."
-- "Year Five: Gingerbread"
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