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Life Is Fine
Life is not fine for Samara Tuttle, but she’s coping. Her overworked mother is distant and cold, and her mother’s boyfriend, Q, attacks Samara when she tries to clean up after his lazy, Funyun-loving self. Samara’s a loner. But all of this changes when Mr. Halbrook arrives at school. Samara’s English teacher takes ill, and in steps Mr. Jerome Halbrook, a suitwearing, blue-eyed African American man who uses Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” to inspire a spirited discussion about poetry, love, and truth. Soon Samara is borrowing his collections of poetry, and then she can’t stop thinking about Mr. Halbrook. Soon Samara is confiding in him about her less-than-fine past, and dreaming of a different future. But when Mr. Halbrook disappears–and it appears that he may not be all that he seemed–will she be able to picture a future without him?
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Hardcover edition.
192 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2008
5 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Allison Whittenberg
24 books23 followersAllison Whittenberg is the author of three young adult novels Sweet Thang, Life Is Fine and Hollywood and Maine. She lives in Philadelphia."
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 6, 2017
Personal Response: The person portrayed in this poem appears to be weak, but survives their own mentality. I found the poem to be underwhelming. Reading the poem was not enjoyable.
Plot: A person walks down to a river and tries to think about life. In their inability to think about it, they jump into the river, but the river was cold enough to bring them back out before they could drown. The person then takes an elevator to the thirteenth floor of a building, and thinks of their child. They talk as if they would´ve jumped if it wasn't so high up. They then proclaim that their hollers and cries may be heard, but no matter how hard they have to fight, they will never die.
Characterization:
Main character: A person who has many troubles in life, and constantly questions whether or not they should kill themself. This person is strong however, and denies themself every attempt at suicide.
Recommendations: I would not recommend this poem to anyone. The very basic nature of the poem makes it unappealing, and the way it is written is boring.
Plot: A person walks down to a river and tries to think about life. In their inability to think about it, they jump into the river, but the river was cold enough to bring them back out before they could drown. The person then takes an elevator to the thirteenth floor of a building, and thinks of their child. They talk as if they would´ve jumped if it wasn't so high up. They then proclaim that their hollers and cries may be heard, but no matter how hard they have to fight, they will never die.
Characterization:
Main character: A person who has many troubles in life, and constantly questions whether or not they should kill themself. This person is strong however, and denies themself every attempt at suicide.
Recommendations: I would not recommend this poem to anyone. The very basic nature of the poem makes it unappealing, and the way it is written is boring.
July 8, 2010
I previously gave a rather unsatisfactory review of this book and now I am here to make amends.
It's been awhile. Actually, about three years, now. However, I still remember a bit about this.
There lives a troubled girl named...(sorry I don't remember names). Her step father is abusive and her mother is oblivious to this and doesn't understand her. This girl doesn't have any friends to speak of and she pretty much hates life. And then she gets this teacher (I don't remember his name either). But he takes an interest in her (not like That). He is the English teacher and gives the class poems that this girl finds herself enjoying. On the same token, as her relationship with this teacher grows, this girl finds herself falling in love with him.
Oh no!
I remember really enjoying this when I read it. I think that mostly had to do with the many references to Mr. Langston Hughes and poems (which I love). I remember enjoying the main character even though she was a bit on the whiny, cynical side. It was overall an enjoyable novel.
I do wish more people would have/will read it. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but it's a short read and pretty much harmless.
It's been awhile. Actually, about three years, now. However, I still remember a bit about this.
There lives a troubled girl named...(sorry I don't remember names). Her step father is abusive and her mother is oblivious to this and doesn't understand her. This girl doesn't have any friends to speak of and she pretty much hates life. And then she gets this teacher (I don't remember his name either). But he takes an interest in her (not like That). He is the English teacher and gives the class poems that this girl finds herself enjoying. On the same token, as her relationship with this teacher grows, this girl finds herself falling in love with him.
Oh no!
I remember really enjoying this when I read it. I think that mostly had to do with the many references to Mr. Langston Hughes and poems (which I love). I remember enjoying the main character even though she was a bit on the whiny, cynical side. It was overall an enjoyable novel.
I do wish more people would have/will read it. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but it's a short read and pretty much harmless.
April 7, 2008
This book was about a lot of things for being so short (under 200 pages), but it was mostly about how one substitute teacher opens up Samara's life enough for her to let others get close to her as well (at the beginning of the book her one "friend" is an ape at the zoo, by the end she has a few more). While this book touches on some pretty heavy subjects -- child abuse and cancer, for example -- it doesn't examine any of them with a lot of depth. This might sound like a slam, but it's actually not. Somehow the author managed to keep these subjects brief without feeling as though she skimmed over them; instead, she let them become part of Samara's life but not all of her life. Samara herself is a very compelling narrator and sounds like a real teenager -- there were several places where this book made me laugh out loud. Allison Whittenberg is a fine YA novelist, and I will steal anything else by her that comes across the desk at work.
December 30, 2008
Fifteen year old Samara is coping with her life. Her mother goes from one boyfriend to the next and currently has her useless boy toy, Q, living with them. The house is a dump, Mom is never home and Samara spends most of her free time watching the chimps at the zoo. But that was before she had the most amazing substitue teacher - Mr. Halbrook. Sure, he's old (60+ - practically a senior citizen to Samara), but he's deep and he pays attention to Samara and soon she finds she can't stop thinking about him or the hope he has given her.
I liked this book well enough. It's a super quick read and Samara was a character you could sympathize with. It was refreshing to see a teacher push away a student's romantic interest (not all that common in YA lit), but still try to guide that student's life. You get the sense that Samara will be OK by books end, or at least better off than she was at the beginning.
I liked this book well enough. It's a super quick read and Samara was a character you could sympathize with. It was refreshing to see a teacher push away a student's romantic interest (not all that common in YA lit), but still try to guide that student's life. You get the sense that Samara will be OK by books end, or at least better off than she was at the beginning.
February 17, 2012
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.
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.
August 28, 2008
Whittenberg displays great use of language in this coming of age novel. The ending seemed unnecessarily abrupt, which made it not have the emotional resonance that the author seemed to be aiming for, but a lot of the book was on the abrupt side. Nevertheless, the author communicates a lot of story through description.
August 30, 2015
The writing is pretty, but the book itself just seems to meander without reaching any sorts of conclusions. The protagonist goes through a "life-changing" transformation--or does she? She doesn't appear to choose any other sort of path from the one she was already on. The plot is mediocre at best. A disappointing read.
March 31, 2008
teen samara has it pretty rough growing up in philadelphia, then her life is changed when substitute teacher takes an interest in her and introduces her to poetry. story pretty ordinary, but the writing was definitely above average.
September 24, 2008
A YA book. Short and poignant. The protagonist is a 15-year-old living in Philly.
July 20, 2009
i really liked this book....i was kind of hoping that samar will tell her mom that her new boyfrind is cheating on her. I think i have lerned a lot from this book.
November 21, 2016
It was an ok book, thought it could use a better ending though
September 9, 2016
My first 2014 48 Hour Book Challenge book. Loved the crush on the elderly substitute teacher.
February 13, 2015
It was a great book and i love it.
October 2, 2015
I liked the book because it was so interesting to know her life and how she was. It's crazy how the way you live really affects who you are.
February 1, 2016
powerful look at a single mother/daughter relationship and their choices to survive packed into in a little book
November 14, 2013
Surprisingly excellent
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews