Teodora's Rating: ★★★★
Review:
Craig Gilner is an ambitious New York City teenager who has big plans about his future. He has managed to get into the prestigious Executive Pre-Professional High School after studying diligently and that's the first step in completing his plan. Overall, Craig is a model teenager that others can admire. Then, one night, he breaks and his life is never quite the same. Suffering through depression, Craig struggles to continue being a model teenager at school, forcing himself to eat food, and becoming obsessed with his condition. After planning to kill himself one night, Craig takes action and gets checked into a mental hospital. With five days to get better will Craig be able to "shift" his brain out of depression? And will he finally learn what it means to live?
It's Kind of a Funny Story is also kind of a realistic story. Craig Gilner suffers through depression just like many other teenagers his age, making the story all the more relatable. Ned Vizzini gives a powerful insight of the daily struggles that one has to go through and tugged at my heart strings. It was quite suprising that Ned Vizzini was facing his own depression like Craig, but unfortunately lost the battle and took his own life. All of the characters presented something new to me (especially those in the mental ward) and there was barely a dull moment. My only issue with It's Kind of a Funny Story was the rushed ending and lasting character development; but overall this is a must read for all teenagers.