Sometimes Love Isn't Enough

by Lurlene McDaniel

"Junior high will be a blast," promises Andrea Manetti's best friend. But while exciting things are happening at school--new friends, boys, and a chance to star in the musical--Andrea's home life is falling apart. Her parents are always fighting; her mom's new job means Andrea has to help more with the family. And then there's Andrea's brother.

Can Andrea keep her family together--and keep their secrets from getting out? And why does the boy at school who hates her seem to be the only one who understands her?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary, Novels, Realistic Fiction, Romance

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Lurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.


Other places to find her are...
https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
http://www.youtube.com/user/LurleneMc

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book YEARS ago and loved it. But i'll need to read it again soon to refresh my memory.

[Camryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lurlene McDaniel’s Sometimes love isn’t enough is a short, simple story of the struggles in everyday life. Andrea is going to middle school in the fall, but she doesn’t want her family secrets to get out. Her parents are constantly fighting and her brother is mentally retarded. She has to find a way to keep her family’s struggles from ruining middle school.
On Andrea’s first day in middle school, a boy named Tony tries to break her strike. He is constantly getting in her way and talking rudely to her. She hopes that choir will be her escape place, but as luck has it, Tony is in their too. Even though she got the female lead role she isn’t excited because Tony got the male lead role. Which means in the play she has to fall in love with Tony, enjoy being beside him, and even kiss him. While things are hard at school, they are even harder at home. Her parents are yelling even more and are considering getting a divorce. She wonders why here parents can’t stay together if they love each other. Her mom explains how sometimes love isn’t enough to make someone happy. She realizes that it takes time and effort to be happy. What if that is how she could fix things between her and Tony before the play?
My favorite part of the book is the opening night of the show. Even though things aren’t fully fixed, it is the first time Andrea has been happy in a couple of months. Her brother is calm, her parents aren’t arguing, and she realizes that she doesn’t have it half so bad.
One hour and you’ll have this book finished. With only 150 pages, you’ll realize how precious life is and how important it is to not fully rely on love to be happy.

[Rosie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Andrea is entering junior high and is excited about the new things ahead of her. Her excitement is dampened by the constant bickering of her parents who eventually decide to divorce. Andrea is hurt by their decision and at first, thinks she has done something to cause them to divorce. Andrea must learn to adjust to her mom working, coming home to an empty house, and dealing with her dad's new relationship all while balancing school, participating in the school musical, and keeping her parents' divorce and little brother's condition under wraps.

I feel like this book was geared at younger readers, which would explain why some of Andrea's thinking is tween-ish. It didn't really have that complex plot that Lurlene McDaniel's other books have. Still, the emotions Andrea feels about her parents' divorce-hurt, anger, frustration, confusion-are there. Divorce is definitely not easy as Andrea learns. I wouldn't count this one as one of my favorite Lurlene McDaniel books, but I think the middle-school me would have liked it.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found inside our beach house rental. Kitschy old 80's quick read. Funny to see a missing child storyline unfold and wrap up in ten pages.

[Doris Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book

[Carson Gill]

Lurlene Mcdaniel has always been one of my favorite authors, but this was by far my least favorite book of hers I have read. This book is about a junior high-aged girl who is going through the struggles of a broken home. Her parents fight all the time which eventually leads to her dad moving out. She is constantly worrying about people finding out about her family issues. She has a stalker/bully at school who won't leave her alone. She is having to take on motherly roles since her mom went back to work. Her only escapes are her best friend's house and the school musical practices that she is a part of. When the book ends, the reader is left thinking, 'What was the moral/point to this book?' It ended abruptly and left the reader with so many questions. The ending did not sound like an actual closure to a book. This book could have been a lot better had it had a moral and good ending.

[Kailia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting Laulene McDaniel novel and I think that it's written for a younger age group. Andrea is going to junior high so her thinking, to me, was very tweenish. In a way, it fit perfectly with this story line.

I've never dealt with divorce first hand but I got a good sense of what it might do to a young girl, much like Andrea. Andrea was a great character but I couldn't connect with her very much. I think the main reason for this is the fact that 1) she's so young 2)she's dealing with divorce and 3) I didn't think we got to know Andrea all to much.

Honestly, I think this book was rather forced. It ended to soon and everything seemed to be happening at lightening speed. All in all, it was an okay book.

[Morgan Lemke · Rating 5 out of 5]

divorce is hard. read this book if you are having troubles because this really helped me understand some things are for the best when my parents were fighting. it helps explain and girl and boy's frustration when their parents get divorced.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty good book. I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the plot and characters of the story. It was nice and short read. Lurlene McDaniel always does a great job writing books like these.

[Traceylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why

I love this author she is one of my favorite. This is a book about a teenager who parents are getting a divorce while she is going through high school and she has a retarded brother she is protective of.

[Charity Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars as always! Lurlene has ALWAYS been my favorite ever since I was in middle school. Honestly, I’m absolutely in love with how this ended! Not the typical love story, it’s such a great, well written story!

[Jennifer]

Okay, but not wonderful. I read this in about an hour. Not as thought provoking as her others.

[The Third Place A Teen Library]

F McDA

[F. Hanim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't believe that I read this old publishing book.

[Joann Andrea Murillo]

My favorite author

It was a good book. It not like the other books but it was good. I like more about when someone is dying.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Lurlene McDaniel but this is my least favourite that I've read so far.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was ok.The ending was that great but it is a pretty good book,Not my favorite though.