“It’s so hard to talk when you want to kill yourself.”

From Ned Vizzini’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story.
This story follows young Craig as he battles the pressure of perfection, expectations, and desire in the crazed world that is modern New York City. Like so many countless other teens, Craig believes that his entire future hinges solely on the grades and classes that he conquers on the road to the high school graduation stage; another make-or-break aspect of his future success is what school’s name is printed on the diploma (he attends a school that holds a very powerful impact on a diploma). Things are going okay for Craig at home, at school, and with friends, but nothing is right for him; his parents only want him to succeed, his teachers only want him to excel, and his friends only want him to enjoy every minute of life. All of Craig’s life is soon overshadowed by a crippling desire to end his life, so at the suggestion of a suicide hotline volunteer, he checks himself into a psychiatric hospital. Soon after his arrival (and introduction to several of the other patients), he begins to feel trapped in another place where he doesn’t belong, but he’s stuck there until he meets the end of the minimum suicide watch period. While Craig is mainly surrounded by adults of all walks of life, he is not the only teen in the ward and he soon meets Noelle, a girl who seems to walk the line between liking him and hating him. Family, the medical staff, and friends (both from outside and inside the psych ward) try to help Craig get over his depression. While nobody is able fix Craig the way they want to, Craig spends more time with Noelle and he begins to learn about managing the stresses of his life. Maybe he can even do something to help improve the lives of the other patients in the ward on his way to find a way to “fix” his brain.

After a battle with depression and a subsequent stay in a psychiatric hospital, Ned Vizzini wrote this book which is loosely based on the story of his life. Vizzini weaves a fascinating story that looks mental disorder straight in the face in order to bring both awareness (to those who have no idea what it is) and hope (to those who have no idea what life is like without it). The characters are very believable, to the point that they come across as raw emotions and thoughts. He reactions that each character is solid reactions to pain, concussion, joy, and many other feelings. The stress of seeking success in the modern world is a constant pressure for many and this imperfect world is not user-friendly; this book does not claim to be a solution for all mental disorders, but it does act as an experienced voice in the world of Google-searched answers. The pace carries well throughout the story and the book is enhanced through Vizzini’s writing style. The content is not for everyone and for those unsure if they can handle the content of the story, I would recommend watching the film adaptation first; the characters are portrayed well and the meatier content of the book is introduced smoothly. The author’s life does cast a very somber attitude over the book, but It’s Kind of a Funny Story is definitely an honest, open look at the possibility for finding happiness in life, even if it’s just for a few moments at a time.