Whittenberg, Allison. Life is Fine. New York: Random House, 2007.
It continually amazes me how many books for teens are written about troubled teens who confide in their English teachers. Almost this convinces me to take up a teaching position again. Almost
Samara is dealing with a lot at home, so it isn't surprising that school isn't a priority for her. The substitute for her English class opens up the world of poetry to her, though, and allows Samara to open up about abuse that she has kept hidden for years. Samara struggles with the unfairness of the world around her as her substitute succumbs to another bout with cancer.
This was an interesting book. Not a happy book, but an interesting one, and a quick read. I am in the midst of a survey of YA literature about child abuse, so this novel fit well into my search. It's not spectacular, and won't be a part of my personal library any time soon, but it was a good read.
Maybe the story line theme of confiding in English teachers is because many of the authors are or were teachers.
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