"Tell those who are cruel to you that in their cruelty, they are the terror. Then inform them that they are forgiven, for such forgiveness may shame some toward kindness." - E.R.Frank

E.R. Frank's debut novel, Life is Funny, was one of my favorite books when I was in middle school. Interweaving the stories of eleven teenagers growing up in New York City, Life is Funny was the first book that I remember independently reading which encompassed many voices all sharing the same struggles to belong at school, in families and at home. The teenagers' stories, all fiction, range in their struggles and scope; serious issues, from sex to race to alcoholism to family violence, are played out as the teenagers attempt to figure out how to grow up. Although some of the wording may now be dated, this book can serve as a good introduction to interweaving narratives, perspective and voice. It definitely is a late middle/early high school read, with clear depictions of sex and violence. Still, it's completely engrossing and will leave a lasting impression on the mature teen reader.