It's Kind of a Funny Story | Review

I recently borrowed Ned Vizzini's It's Kind of a Funny Story from a friend and I loved it! Yes, it's another young-adult novel, but a perfectly good read for all ages.

The plot follows the narrator, Craig, who is a depressed teenager who checks himself into a psychiatric hospital after contemplating suicide due to the pressures of his academic high school. He meets a wide range of patients with a variety of ailments with whom he bonds with and from which he learns. Craig spends time with a female patient, Noelle, who has self-inflicted scars on her face as a result of her inability to cope with sexual abuse in her past. Relieved from his school and peer stresses, in the company of his new found friends in the ward, and the support of his family, Craig is able to identify and confront his anxieties and recover.

The novel tracks Craig's progression through his struggles and his ability to work through them with the help of others. He discovers his talents, which are different than his peers' and realizes that there is hope for his future.

I recently saw the movie based on this book, which was also quite good. I am happy to report that the movie closely followed the written story. If you liked the book, check out the movie, too! Also, I have recently learned that the author, Vizzini, has written other novels and am eager to get my hands on them. His style of writing is very conversational and easy to read. I will let you know what I think of his other work(s) if I read them!

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I give this book a rating of 10/10 and here's why:

Text: The language is informal and conversational, which lends itself nicely to the overall feel of the journal-like flow of the book.

Dialogue: Vizzini uses appropriate and up-to-date language, which adds to the readers understanding of the characters.

Plot: Protagonist, Craig, makes a huge shift through the course of the story allowing readers to connect and root for him.
Characters: Almost immediately, I was compelled to cheer for Craig. I believed in him as well as other characters living in the ward.