Emily R. Frank Boeken

From the outside, they're simply a group of urban teenagers. But from the inside, they're some of the most complex people you'll ever meet. There's Eric, fiercely protective of his brother Mickey-but he has a secret that holds together his past and future. Sonia, struggling to live the life of a good Muslim girl in a foreign America. Gingerbread and Keisha, who fall in love despite themselves. Life Is Funny strips away the defenses of one group of teenagers living today, right now-and shows their unbearably real lives."First novelist Frank breaks new ground with a realistic, lyrical novel about eleven teens in Brooklyn now . . . Their talk is painful, rough, sexy, funny, fearful, furious, gentle. Each chapter, each vignette within a chapter, builds to its own climax, and the stories weave together to surprise you." ( Booklist , starred review)"An astounding first effort." ( Kirkus Reviews , pointer review)

A tragic car wreck leads to PTSD and therapeutic salvation in this novel from the author of America, which Kirkus Reviews deemed “a work of sublime humanity.” Anna is involved in a horrific accident one night that leaves her brother’s beautiful and popular girlfriend dead. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, she begins an unusual method of therapy called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Through her therapy, dreams, memories, and experiences, we begin to see, along with Anna, the full picture of her controlling father, her lost relationship with her brother, and her overwhelming guilt about the wreck. With a deep understanding of the minds of teenagers, and a deft hand in translating that to the page, E.R. Frank presents a story with real and challenging characters, beautifully told and filled with haunting images.

Simon is considered one of the coolest teachers at Forest Alternative.

»Tragisch. Komisch. Hoffnungsvoll.« Die Zeit Seinen Vater kennt er nicht, seine Mutter kümmert sich nicht um ihn. Der 15-jährige Amerika hat schon viel durchgemacht, beinahe zu viel: Gewalt, Lügen, Missbrauch. Jetzt, nach seinem Selbstmordversuch, findet er in Dr. B. einen einfühlsamen und geduldigen Therapeuten. Zum ersten Mal in seinem Leben wird Amerika nicht enttäuscht. Er beginnt zu verstehen, dass ihn keine Schuld trifft – und dass das Leben lebenswert sein kann. Zaghaft gewährt er einem anderen den Blick in sein Innerstes und erzählt seine Geschichte. Eine Geschichte voller Tragik, an deren Ende die Hoffnung siegt.