Customer Reviews

Life is Funny

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I am a professional social worker and I work in NYC schools. This book was masterfully accurate. It was tough and real, and most impressively, full of hope. These characters learn that they can trust themselves, trust eachother and reach for the stars. Everyone should read this book. Everyone will love this book.

I read this book for the second time last night (the first time I read it I was up til 2am) and it made me teary again. The people are completely lifelike, and I feel as if I know them. I would love to see a sequel with these or other kids, written only by E.R. Frank. Read this book, no matter how old you are. I'm bringing this with me when I go back to college, that's all I can say.

(and, of course, being from Montclair makes it all that much cooler)

The voices are powerful and the stories moving. The characters' lives are difficult and sometimes scarred by tragedy, and yet the book as a whole is very uplifting. Knowingly or not, these kids live the beauty beneath the suffering. Their pain is transcended by their love of life and for each other. Eric is the best example of this -- I cannot even think of him without my eyes moistening.

In my mind this book is clearly for an adult audience as well as for young adults. It's the best thing I've read in at least ten years.

My mom bought me this book. Being a 15 year old who doesn't always want to hear what my mother has to say, I didn't want to read it. I picked it up- and I fell in love. Every single page has you feeling a different emotion, every single character leaves a little memory of them you will never forget. This book is so real, so coming-at-you that no one will be able to put it down. For me, this book was my first step to the reality out there, so ate it all up. Actually its hard to tell what ate who; I either ate the book up or it ate me, for I was so absorbed in it I might as well have lived the characters' lives right along side them. This is truly my favorite out of all the many, many, MANY books that i have ever read. Once you pick it up, there is no turning back... and it will change you.

As a 16 yr old who has grown up in the environment that this book takes place, I can honestly say it hits home. The slang is correct and flows naturally instead of sounding forced. The fact that all of the 11 teens lives are in some way interconnected makes this book a fascinating read. It is told from the heart and really captures the true essence of life in the city and how extemely hard it can be. The characters are real and come to life because they have real problems that come right off the page and touch your heart.

I'm surprised that this book hasn't won an award of two. The writer's ear is simply amazing. Accurately capturing the language of a specific generation, at the same time, she makes music. Her characters are not the cliches of so many "ghetto" books and films. They go beyond stereotypes as they make the reader cry for them and laugh out loud. What a wonderful book. How sad that parents will keep it out of their eager reader's young hands because of language that is simply honest. Don't they know their children have heard it all before? When will parents understand that honesty, compassion, and a setting a noble example will do so much more for their children than censoring their reading?

Frank's Life is Funny is well written and certainly represents a particular slice of life in an exact and honest way. As a school librarian, however, I am concerned that many reviewers have recommended this book for grades 7 and up. A parent complained that this book was too mature for her 10th grader, when that is the level at which I would place this book. While it is easy to read, the graphic language and descriptions may be best suited for high school students. I do believe that this book belongs in libraries, but I would caution parents to read the book and open up meaningful dialogs with their children.

Life is Funny is probably the best book for teens on earth. An excellent premire novel from E.R. Frank, Life Is Funny follows eleven teens lives, how each has their own problem, and their own way of resolution. The best stories are those of Gingerbread and Keisha, Eric, Mickey and Linette, Sonia, and Drew. The slang, though fairly dated, rings tough and contemporary, and teen romance is perfectly hit, whether its good or bad. The best thing about Life is Funny is that each story, no matter how serious or tragic, is lined with humor, and the story changes when you switch to a diffrent personality. Evreyone looks on each other thinking their the most troubled, but really they all are

This is a wonderful book. It is the story of 11 Brooklyn teenagers on the brink of adulthood. Each teen has there own short story and they (the short stories) all fit together and let the plot unfold. This book deals with tough issues many teens deal with today (i.e. sex, drugs, abuse, self-mutilation rape ect.) and it shows how these teens face each of these problems. This is I must say one of my all time favorite stories because it shows how life is for a lot of people and how some cope with these situations. I think this book is great for EVERYONE over the age of 11 because of some of the content. One of the best novels I've read this year.

This is my favorite book; and I don't say that lightly. I have read hundreads of books, and this one is one of the best that I have ever read. It is told through the eyes of 11 Brooklyn teens. It sounds like it could get confusing, with all of the different points of view, but it flows really well. During the course of seven years, these teens go to the same middle/high school, and intertwine in and out of each other's lives. You get to know and love each of the characters like they were your best friend. There's Sam and Grace, who were lucky enough to be born beautiful. There's the fierce Eric, whose life is so hard and so realistic that you just want to break down and cry. My favorite part of the book? The language that frank uses. Some examples:
"Someday I'll move to Greenland. My mother's marbles would go well there. And all you'll find is pure, uncluttered peace."
And another:
"Why do you laugh so much?" Keisha asked Gingerbread.
"Because Life is Funny," he responded.
This poingant and moving novel will have you laughing out loud and in a sea of tears by the time you finish it. Although the language can get a bit rough at times (which makes it even more real) I would suggest it to all teens, because each of us can relate to all of the characters in some way.