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It's Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini

This book, It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, is a story about a depressed kid named Craig. He's 15 and he lives with his family in Brooklyn. He becomes suidical and checks himself into a psychiatric hospital. There he meets many interesting people who's personalities range from being very friendly to highly delusional. After reading this book I realized how uplifting it was. It gives the reader time to sit back and really evaluate the quality of their lives. It's great read for teens.
-Reviewed by Jackie, grade 9
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Anonymous said…
Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life-- which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He stops eating and he can no longer sleep properly until, one night he almost kills himself. Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital where he befriends a transsexual sex addict, a girl who cut up her own face with scissors, and the self elected President Armelio. There Craig can finally be able to confront the sources of his anxiety.
This is definetly on my top ten books that every teen should read. We all have those times where we feel alone, depressed, and done with everything. This wonderful book shows us that there is more to life, that we will get through this. It is hard, but the stories that you can make out of them are priceless. This story is so realistic and relatable that i have made so many of my friends read, and they all loved it. If you have seen the movie, this is 10x better, if you haven't seen the movie, read this book first, you will never regret it.

Reviewed by Emily S., grade 9
Montrose Crescenta Branch



June 19, 2014 at 2:30 PM
Teen Speak said…
Craig, the teen that the book is all about, really wants to get into a good high school, so he studies all day for several days just to pass the entrance exam. He passes the test easily, because of all of the studying that he had to do, but then his happiness quickly turns into sadness once he realizes that the other students are smarter than him. His depression worsens, and things go downhill from there.

As the title suggests, it is kind of a funny story. The tone is lighthearted and pleasant, while also treating serious topics that are presented in the book seriously. Craig's character is realistic. He makes mistakes, he realizes things. The mental institute also had a great set of characters. The ending was better than I thought it would be, because most books like this end up with the character committing suicide. This did not have that. This book was better than average. It was not major, but simply good.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 8
Grandview Library
June 24, 2014 at 6:58 PM
Teen Speak said…
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini is a book about Craig Gilner. If you were to look at Craig from the outside, he looks like he has everything. He seems to have a great group of friends, great family, and great future ahead of him since he attends an intensely difficult high school; he seems happy and complete. But on the inside it's a completely different story. Craig is depressed, stressed, and alone and he beings contemplating suicide. Before doing anything drastic, he calls the suicide hotline, and decides not to kill himself, but instead admits himself to a psychiatric hospital. There, he goes through the getting healthy process where he makes several friends and learns more about himself.

I read this book after my friend recommended it to me, and after reading it I'm positive that I'll start to encourage others to read it as well. I think Craig's struggles can be felt by others especially for distressed teenagers. The overall message of the book, to seek help when needed, is positive and I think everybody needs to be reminded that it's okay to ask for help. I really like how candid and descriptive the whole book is, it starts on the first page when Craig describes his how he feels when he has to speak and when I read it, I completely understood what he meant. I love how the book teaches you that not everything is what it seems and that everybody should have someone there for them.

Reviewed by Nayri T., Grade 11
Casa Verdugo Library
November 15, 2014 at 5:14 PM
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