Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Das Glück ist nicht immer gerecht: Roman

Rate this book

Sommer in Südfrankreich


Nach dem Tod ihrer Eltern wollen die 15-jährige Mado und ihre ältere Schwester Patty im Ferienhaus ihrer Eltern in der französischen Ardèche einen Neuanfang wagen. Doch Patty, Vormund ihrer Schwester auf Probe, ist schwanger und bringt nicht nur damit das ganze Rollenmodell ins Wanken. Ein Sommer voller emotionaler Hoch- und Tiefpunkte erwartet die Schwestern. Und am Ende wissen sie: Das Leben lässt sich nicht planen. Es kommt, wie es kommt.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

10 people are currently reading
511 people want to read

About the author

Anne-Laure Bondoux

44 books189 followers
Anne-Laure Bondoux has received numerous literary prizes in her native France. Among her previous books published by Delacorte Press is The Killer’s Tears, which received the prestigious Prix Sorcières in France and was a Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book in the United States.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
98 (17%)
4 stars
173 (30%)
3 stars
182 (32%)
2 stars
79 (14%)
1 star
32 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for Banu.
83 reviews29 followers
February 6, 2021
I don't know how often I have read this book up until now, but what I do know is how much I love it.
It is about a girl - Mado - who is as melancholic and loving as I sometimes am. She goes through a lot - her parents died and her sister is pregnant - but still she doesn't give up. With her thoughts in the clouds and her head on the ground she keeps going, until she finds her love and a somewhat complete life.
Profile Image for Nelya.
14 reviews
March 25, 2025
Je me souviens de très peu de choses mais ce dont je suis sûre c’est que j’avais tout lu en une soirée/nuit et que ça m’avait donné la nausée.
J’avais tellement aimé à l’époque (le livre pas la nausée) que je l’ai lu trois fois 😋 À quand une quatrième 😱🤩

Je sais pas pourquoi y’a des pieds sur la couverture (sorry Coline) mon édition était pas comme ça. Ah non c’est bon on peut changer l’édition 👌🏻
4 reviews
March 19, 2022
The fiction book "Life As It Comes" by Anne-Laure Bondoux is a book about two sisters, Mado and Patty who are very different. Mado and Patty live in Paris, France where they reside in a small apartment. Mado and Patty's parents had just recently died in a car accident on the way to their beloved country home. Mado is the smart one in the family, she is serious and responsible. Patty though, is a carefree person who likes to have a good time. Mado is 15 and Patty is 20. The sisters are on totally different paths until Patty was appointed legal guardian of her sister Mado. Right before Mado and Patty were set to leave for their country house Patty revels to Mado that she is pregnant and keeping the baby. Both Mado and Patty know that this could ruin everything and Mado could be taken away from Patty. This makes their summer vacation a very emotional one. They both must deal with grief over their parents death. Mado falling in love for the first time and she’s taken by surprise when patty’s baby comes early. This book is a 5 stars in my opinion because it is a lovely, sad, hopeful novel about life, loss and family.
There are many reasons why I gave this book a five star. One reason is because of the setting, This book was set mainly in the French countryside in a hamlet where there were not a lot of people around. But also parts of the story was set in Paris and all around Europe. I think that even though a lot of books could also be based where there is a river or a lake this book is different because no one is around you. I think it is much more enjoyable to read because since they are alone they have to do things without anyone else and I think that really adds to the story. Another reason why I gave this book 5 stars is because Mado was still dealing with the loss of her parents so she started to write letters to them about her life. The sibling dynamic in this story was realistic, sometimes authors try to make it so that siblings get along completely or are really alike but I really like how their personalities kind of clash.
In conclusion "Life As It Comes" is very well written and tells the story very well. This book is great for a young adult/ teen audience to read. It is also great for people who love romance novels or for people who like to read about everyday family based challenges.
Profile Image for Colleen.
100 reviews
July 7, 2012
Life as it Comes is a great read to pick up this summer, especially because it centers on the first summer that two sisters spend together after the death of their parents due to a car accident.

Mado is fifteen and Patty is twenty. You would think the opposite was true, though, because Mado is the responsible one and Patty is the reckless one. Mado makes the dinners, makes sure that the bills are paid, and is always doing homework so that she gets good grades. As long as Mado does well in school and makes it look like everything is OK, then the social workers will let Patty keep custody of Mado. Patty, however, is everything but OK. She leaves Mado alone all the time, and it is when Patty gets home from one of these weekends away that she reveals to Mado that she is pregnant.

Patty’s pregnancy could ruin everything, especially because it could mean that she would no longer be able to care for Mado. The sisters don’t know what to do and are afraid of their social workers finding out. So, they continue on as if nothing’s wrong and go ahead with their planned summer vacation at their family home in Southern France. For awhile, their summer is perfect. They even meet two brothers who are vacationing from Amsterdam and have a bit of summer romance. However, as the days grow shorter and autumn approaches, Mado and Patty have to come to terms with Patty’s pregnancy and try to do what’s best for themselves and for the new baby.

As I said, Life as it Comes is the perfect summer read if you want a little bit of drama, a little bit of romance, and a really great story about what it means to be a family after a tragedy.
Profile Image for Clemence.
222 reviews35 followers
January 14, 2018
Lecture très rapide, style d'écriture très fluide. Premier contact avec Anne-Laure Bondoux dont j'entends beaucoup parlé.
Bonne lecture, même si je pense que je l'aurai davantage appréciée quelques années auparavant.
Le personnage de Mado et de Luigi et de Robinson sont attachants, on compatit vite avec Mado..Patty, bon, c'est dur de pardonner aussi vite mais ce livre est plein d'amour et de positivisme malgré tous les malheurs et malgré le deuil.
Profile Image for Clay.
Author 12 books116 followers
June 18, 2008
Three and a half-stars. This French/European teen novel is a real tonic to many plastic teen offerings. After their parents are killed in a car crash, quirky twenty-something and out-of-wedlock-pregnant Patti "takes responsibility" for her far more responsible 15-year-old sister, Mado. Quick read, recommended.
Profile Image for Inka.
158 reviews3 followers
January 26, 2017
Inhalt

Seit dem Tod ihrer Eltern im vergangenen Herbst ist für die Schwestern Mado (15) und Patty (20) nichts mehr wie vorher. Die chaotische Patty ist jetzt Mados offizieller Vormund – auf Probe. Aber dann ist Patty schwanger, die Vormundschaft infrage gestellt, Mado droht das Heim. Was nun? Das wollen Mado und Patty nach dem Sommer entscheiden. Zunächst einmal geht es in das Ferienhaus ihrer Eltern, in die Ardèche. Wider Erwarten wird die Zeit dort wunderbar. Das Wetter ist herrlich und die Schwestern lernen zwei holländische Brüder kennen. Mado verliebt sich in Sander, Patty in Daan. Doch das Glück ist nicht von Dauer. Die Holländer reisen ab. Beide Schwestern sind unendlich traurig, Patty bekommt sogar Fieber und dann setzen plötzlich die Wehen ein ...





Wie hat's mir gefallen
Wow, was für ein Roman, was für ein Auf und Ab. Wenn ihr dieses Jugendbuch lest, werdet ihr es stellenweise lieben. stellenweise hassen, denn es polarisiert stets so intensiv, dass es immer an der Grenze zwischen Weglegen und Weiterlesen wandert. Doch wie ist das möglich? Die 15-jährige Mado lebt nach dem tragischen Tod ihrer Eltern bei Patty, der unzuverlässigen großen Schwester, die sich nur wenig zu kümmern scheint. Schon zu Beginn der Geschichte war ich schockiert, wie scheinbar gefühlskalt beide Schwestern miteinander umgehen und wie innig sie sich zugleich lieben. Sie opfern alles für ein gemeinsames Leben und dennoch können sie es nicht wertschätzen. Schon hier beginnt der Leser sich zu fragen, wo die Reise hingehen soll und was die Autorin verdeutlichen will. Obwohl die scheinbar leichte Handlung nur so dahinfließt, muss hier zwischen den teils harschen Sätzen stets zwischen den Zeilen gelesen werden, denn gerade was hier ungesagt im Raum steht, hallt viel mehr nach als alles, was die beiden Schwestern aussprechen.

Wer zunächst mit einer reinen Lovestory oder einem locker leichten Sommerroman rechnet, wird schnell enttäuscht sein. "Das Glück ist nicht immer gerecht" ist nicht nur ein treffender Romantitel, sondern beschreibt das Leben beider Protagonistinnen. Zu Anfang habe ich mit Mado gelitten, sie verstanden und sie bemitleidet. Und obwohl einige sicher verständnislos den Kopf schütteln werden, aber auch Patty, die teilweise scheinbar kopflos und egoistisch handelt, hat es nicht leicht und ist ein Opfer ihres Umfeldes und ihrer Vergangenheit geworden. Schnell wird klar, dass es hier nicht darum geht einen Schuldigen oder den "bösen" Protagonisten zu suchen, sondern viel mehr das Leben darzustellen. Ungefiltert. Ungeschönt. Knallhart.

Es geht um Liebe. Um das Leben. Um Freundschaft. Auch um Verliebtsein. Aber vor allem um die Familie und was dieses große Wort im Detail und vor allem im Alltag bedeutet. Es geht um Zusammenhalt und um falsche Entscheidungen. Um Reue und Bereuen. Ihr werdet geschockt sein, was die Autorin euch antut und ihr werdet dieses Buch den vielen jungen ungewollt schwangeren Teeniemüttern schenken wollen. Und doch werdet ihr Lernen, dass man Dinge nicht zerreden und zerdenken kann, sondern sie einfach tun muss und dem Leben seinen Lauf lassen muss. Bitte verzagt nicht an dem kurzen Buch, sondern lest es von Anfang bis Ende mit bedacht und lasst es eine Nacht wirken, bevor ihr urteilt oder gar verurteilt. Es ist ehrlich und erschütternd und ich danke der Autorin für so viel Mut, obwohl ich selbst kurz davor war das Buch zu beenden. Ich danke für so wenig Hollywood und so viel Realität.

Wer einen etwas anderen Sommerroman entdecken will und zugleich nicht vor Problemen zurückschreckt, sollte einen Blick wagen. Aber Vorsicht: wer beginnt, muss es bis zum Ende lesen, denn sonst bekommt ihr einen völlig falschen Eindruck!

Cover/Buchgestaltung
Sommerlich, leicht - aber vielleicht nicht ganz passend, obwohl es eine der Schlüsselszenen des Buches zeigt. Es gibt dem Leser zwar den Hinweis, dass es hier nicht um eine Lovestory geht, dennoch stellt man sich zu wenig auf die doch anspruchsvolle Lektüre - eingebettet in einfache Worte - ein.

Für Fans von
* "Fuck you Leben" von N.Pratt
* "Colours of Africa" von Ellen Alpsten

Fazit
Ein (Jugend)Buch über das wahre Leben voll mit ungeschönten Wahrheiten, voll mit Fehlern und voll mit Liebe. Ich war geschockt und fasziniert zugleich, wie ehrlich und drastisch die Autorin Szenen beschreibt, die näher an der Realität nicht sein konnten. Danke für so viel Mut!
5 reviews1 follower
October 27, 2019
The book I chose to read was "Life as it Comes" by Anne- Laure Bondoux. The book is about 15-year-old Mado who just had the tragedy of her parents passing on in a car crash, leaving her carefree, irresponsible, 20-year old sister, Patty, to become her legal guardian. Mado on the other hand is extremely responsible and has amazing grades and is at the top of her class. They were on their vacation home for summer, while Mado was expecting a normal vacation, Patty knew there was a lot in store for the girls for the next few months.
From mind-blowing events to sad tragedies, this book is really worth the read. I only gave it four stars, because the truly surprising part was towards the beginning of the book, which made the rest of the book still mind boggling, but less interesting. Also, it left multiple cliffhangers that I still don’t know if what happened to them, but I want to know. It would be nice to have a second part to answer these questions, but the book was released years ago so I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Another thing I liked about the book was that it had little letters in them about what was happening in Mado’s life. Mado would write these to her parents, but really it was just in a journal that she kept inside her nightstand.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I recommend it to teenagers that love romance books or dramatic books, because this book is just that.
1 review
April 2, 2018
This book is about to sisters who are complete opposites but somehow manage to get along together. You find out early on that their parents had died and that they are living on their own. I liked this style of writing that you see in this book because it is told through the point of view of the younger sister. It really reflects the feelings and emotions of a younger child and how they often feel isolated in a world without their parents. This story also has a lot of plot twists and cliff hangers that I like. You also get attached to the characters in the story which makes you more interested in finishing the story. Personally, i like the younger sister better but you have to read it to figure out which character you like better. You also have to know that the store is translated to English. The characters in the story are from Europe and speak and different language. I thought that was kind of cool how the author did that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kaley.
251 reviews8 followers
October 21, 2017
7/10


I liked it. Though pregnancy stories aren't what I usually reach for, I did appreciate how this one was handled. It had a good sense of family, even when it got completely hectic. The sibling dynamic was realistic; Robinson was absolutely adorable; Mado, I did enjoy hearing from and seeing her view on the situation; and Patty had to grow on me but gradually i was rooting for her..

Only other things I can say is that I like the boys throughout, like Luigi and Sander. The France setting was also cool, and since the novel was originally French, it felt casual.

It was a nice story and it had a good ending. If it interests you I recommend it :)
Profile Image for Zeynep Öziler.
3 reviews1 follower
August 26, 2019
I can’t remember the time I read this book, I think I was 11 or something. This book actually is one of the books that made me like reading books instead of doing meaningless stuff in my daily life so it has more than a special place for me.
Speaking a little bit about the book; I think the writer’s most enchanting skill is to be able to keep your focus 100% on the book and not let you think any other thing while your reading it. Some writers cannot manage this so that their books do not go any further than a regular bookcase item. So I highly suggest this book to the readers especially the young ones :)
Profile Image for clam19.
159 reviews1 follower
September 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3,5-4 Sterne - wie durch ein unheimlicher Zufall, hat das Thema mich mehr oder weniger persönlich zu dem gleichen Zeitpunkt betroffen, als icj blind ein neues Buch gelesen habe. Daher bedeutet es mir auch viel. Es war eine kurze und aufwühlend Geschichte, mit einem besonderen Schreibstil.
Mado (15) fand ich sehr reif für Alter und sie kann auf jeden Fall mehr Verantwortung übernehmen, als ihre große Schwester Patty. Letztere hat mich leider oft genervt und war nicht sehr selbst reflektiert.
Die Geschichte hat mich berührt und bewegt, aber manchmal hat mir der Tiefgang gefehlt
Profile Image for Anne-Sophie.
366 reviews1 follower
October 25, 2020
Passion Young aduly et Anne Laure Bondoux 🙈. Troisième livre de cette autrice en 2 semaines et ma foi, on ne s'en lasse pas.

Cette fois ci, la héroïne a la moitié de mon âge mais fait preuve d'autant de maturité que moi donc ça va, on s'y retrouve. Possible que j'aie versé ma larmichette plusieurs fois, je suis comme ça moi !
Profile Image for Saly Dieye.
5 reviews
June 9, 2021
I just have a weakness for teen-romance books. And it shows. Very easy: dead parents, someone is pregnant and the first love.
But I loved the vibe and I could understand the protagonist so well.
All in all a very short read and a little cheesy, but i loved that!
I loved the Quote that she has always seen black and white and now all the different nuances of grey. I will never forget that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Elisa Vangelisti.
Author 6 books33 followers
March 27, 2018
Leggero e assurdo, ma carino così. La storia tragicomica di due sorelle allo sbando, costrette a prendersi cura di se stesse.
Profile Image for Owen Leosh.
3 reviews
September 7, 2018
I like it, I read it in a day, but it has the adult theme of childbirth so that's cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lou Maix.
354 reviews14 followers
September 9, 2018
C'était doux et dur à la fois. Joli roman jeunesse.
Profile Image for Amy.
390 reviews8 followers
August 20, 2019
Typical....would have disowned Patty though. poison.
817 reviews6 followers
August 6, 2021
Un roman très prenant et émouvant. J'ai beaucoup aimé le personnage de la narratrice et la manière dont les événements s'enchaînaient. Ça reste un livre plein d'espoir même s'il est souvent triste.
Profile Image for Gido.
24 reviews
March 13, 2023
2.5
bit boring, not much humor and not very likeable characters in my opinion
85 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2023
Un libro completamente inutile, non mi ha trasmesso niente.
Profile Image for demi fiore.
158 reviews5 followers
November 9, 2023
*dnf

lol another book I had to read for school I didn’t finish. This book wasn’t to bad. I liked the story. But it is in French. I suck at French.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.