It's Kind of a Funny Story

Vizzini, Ned. It's Kind of a Funny Story. Miramax, 2007. Print.


Craig is a smart teen in New York who is accepted into a prestigious high school after acing a citywide exam. The new pressures and unfamiliar environment send him into a cycle of depression that eventually lands him in the psychiatric ward of a hospital. He meets many entertaining patients and becomes very self-aware as the book progresses. His progress and amazing actions are almost unbelievable, but Craig's voice is truly the highlight of the novel. He is perceptive, funny, ironic, and completely immersed in the struggles of being a teenager. Reading about his depression makes it impossible to avoid thinking about others who face the same struggles, which could be very beneficial for teen readers. The book has a good amount of complexity and mature issues for high school students. It was a great read and Vizzini's writing would easily grab the attention of a classroom of readers.