It's Kind of a Funny Story

First of all, I have some acknowledgements to make. Okay, one acknowledgement. I’d like to thank Korianne at Korianne Speaks for the header, which she made for me without me even having to ask for it. And also for telling me where I can find the background. The blog looks so much nicer now. So, THANKS Kori!!!!!

Okay. On with the review. It’s Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini. Again, here’s what Barnes and Noble has to say about it.

Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life-which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job-Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy.

At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping-until, one night, he nearly kills himself. 



Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.

Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness. For a novel about depression, it's definitely a funny story.

One thing that stuck out to me as perfect about this book – specifically, the writing – was the tone. The change in tone throughout the book. The progression of his depression was written to a tee, and exactly how I’d think a character like Craig would be feeling. At the beginning of the book, reading Craig’s thoughts made me feel just how he was describing himself – depressed, no initiative. As the book progressed and Craig became happier, so did I. It’s an amazing thing when a book is able to do that.

This is the kind of book I appreciate more than I enjoy. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it – I did. But I feel like the point of it was for more than just entertainment. It goes deeper than that. It had more of a message, one that’s hard to articulate. It was sort of an example, I guess, of someone learning to appreciate life. And it made me appreciate life more, too. Not in a life-altering-epiphany, I’m-going-to-dye-my-hair-blue-and-march-in-the-streets kind of way. More of a subtle-optimistic-day-to-day sort of way. If that makes any sense.

The story itself? An idea isn’t really all that hard to come by. I mean, look at Harry Potter. A boy learns he’s a wizard and goes to wizard school. When you look at it that way, the idea isn’t all that original. It’s the execution of the idea that really makes it or breaks it. The characters, the descriptions, the details. Those are the things that make a story come alive. I mean, having a genius idea always helps, but it doesn’t necessarily mean anything if the writing is flat and boring. This book? A depressed boy almost commits suicide and then becomes un-depressed. Not very original. But Craig’s voice is so authentic. The characters are so precise and interesting. Every word makes the story come alive.

It’s really a great book, and it’s a great book to be well done. A great story to be well done. Real-world applicable. Make sure to read it when you have a chance. I’m glad I did.

Bibliobibula out.