It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Ned Vizzini
Disney-Hyperion, 2007
ISBN 9780786851973
Trade Paperback
In It’s Kind of a Funny Story, the reader spends a period of time in a 15-year-old boy’s life.
I found Craig to be a bit of an atypical teen-aged boy, in that he seemed very self-aware and in tune with his emotional and mental states. He has been cognizant of “something” off for most of his life. The “something” spirals out of control after Craig has pushed himself beyond limits to pass a test for entry into an exclusive high school.
It seemed that his knee-jerk reaction was to go to his parents in search of professional help. While I loved that the author showed that a chemical imbalance resulting in depression can most certainly be affected by stress (the two are not mutually exclusive, nor are they “two completely different things” as commonly believed); I felt that Craig’s realization and handling of the situation was unrealistic. I would not expect someone at that age to realize that he needs professional help, go to his parents, and work with multiple doctors to learn to manage the imbalance.
Overall, I liked this book. It was a quick read, and it gave me hope. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe teenagers are more self-aware than I thought.
Reviewed by jv poore, September 2012.
Buried Under Books 