Helpful Score: 3
As a character, Craig falls rather flat for me. The depiction of his depression falls even flatter. We might get a paragraph about his "Cycling" every so often, some parts of his depression that he's named in capital letters so we know it's serious business, but there's really so little insight into it and so little emotional description. I've dealt with depression since I was a teen, and there's so much that goes into it. This book barely scratches the surface, it's just something that's periodically mentioned. If Craig didn't keep saying "I'm depressed, I'm depressed" I wouldn't have guessed it. It reads a lot more like someone talked to a depressed teenager, picked out a few key phrases, and recycled them throughout the book.
So Craig goes into treatment, makes a ton of friends, and in the span of 5 days suddenly GETS everything. And hooks up with a girl in his room. Brilliant.
Beyond that, several characters (including Craig) don't have a very consistent voice throughout the story. The stuff about pot seems like it was thrown in randomly as a way to try to connect to teens. And dude, being depressed does not make you cool. People don't like or connect to you more. You mostly get pity, and people you aren't even that close to letting you know they're "there for you". Yeah, depression's really common in teens. It's not some big bonding experience, and with that teenager mindset it's often a game of "my ish sucks worse than your ish".
The last page was the one I liked. "Live, live, live." There's the message, there's the real hope that comes with actually moving forward in treatment and clinging to life.
So Craig goes into treatment, makes a ton of friends, and in the span of 5 days suddenly GETS everything. And hooks up with a girl in his room. Brilliant.
Beyond that, several characters (including Craig) don't have a very consistent voice throughout the story. The stuff about pot seems like it was thrown in randomly as a way to try to connect to teens. And dude, being depressed does not make you cool. People don't like or connect to you more. You mostly get pity, and people you aren't even that close to letting you know they're "there for you". Yeah, depression's really common in teens. It's not some big bonding experience, and with that teenager mindset it's often a game of "my ish sucks worse than your ish".
The last page was the one I liked. "Live, live, live." There's the message, there's the real hope that comes with actually moving forward in treatment and clinging to life.
Helpful Score: 1
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
Ned Vizzini has a distinct advantage over other authors who write about teen depression, attempted suicide, and the ins and outs of psychiatry--as a teen he was clinically depressed and even spent time in a psychiatric hospital. That experience has allowed Mr. Vizzini to bring to life the kinds of situations that were once largely absent in teen fiction; that of the fact that not all teens are happy, spontaneous, happy-go-lucky youths.
For Craig Gilner, gaining acceptance into the elite Executive Pre-Professional High School in Manhattan is not the end of his problems, but only the beginning. All the studying, the cramming, the all-nighters he pulled to get high marks in his old high school and ace his entrance exam now seem mediocre, at best, at his new school. Craig realizes quite early on that he's not brilliant, he's not at the top of his class--he is, in fact, average. For a guy who worked as hard as Craig did, with such obsessive determination, this is a blow not just to his ego, but to his very soul.
Craig soon finds himself unable to eat, unable to sleep, unable to find joy in just about everything. As he realizes he's clinically depressed, he tells his shrink--excuse me, psychiatrist--that his only joy in life comes from peeing. Yes, peeing. You go in, you get it done, you accomplish what you set out to do, and you're finished. It's pretty sad that going to the bathroom seems to be the highlight of his day (he even manages to stretch each trip out to about five minutes), but it's also the truth.
Dr. Minerva, for $120/hour, is attempting to help Craig figure out exactly why he's depressed and how to overcome it. But Craig no longer thrives on a life of complexity; for him, life is a nightmare. And as his depression leads to thoughts of suicide, he's not even surprised to find that there's an 800 number he can call. And after taking the plunge and calling 1-800-SUICIDE Craig hikes over to the local emergency room at the hospital, where he meets Dr. Mahmoud (who is not a terrorist).
From there, Craig is checked into a psychiatric hospital, and he meets a motley crew of patients who, amazingly enough, become better friends to him than the ones he had before he went in ever were. For Craig, being in the hospital might just save not only his life, but his sanity and his will to keep on keeping on.
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY is a great read. Filled with issues that plague a large number of teens today, the author has managed to take sensitive topics and deal with them in a humorous way that never seems disrespectful. A very enjoyable, thought-provoking read.
Ned Vizzini has a distinct advantage over other authors who write about teen depression, attempted suicide, and the ins and outs of psychiatry--as a teen he was clinically depressed and even spent time in a psychiatric hospital. That experience has allowed Mr. Vizzini to bring to life the kinds of situations that were once largely absent in teen fiction; that of the fact that not all teens are happy, spontaneous, happy-go-lucky youths.
For Craig Gilner, gaining acceptance into the elite Executive Pre-Professional High School in Manhattan is not the end of his problems, but only the beginning. All the studying, the cramming, the all-nighters he pulled to get high marks in his old high school and ace his entrance exam now seem mediocre, at best, at his new school. Craig realizes quite early on that he's not brilliant, he's not at the top of his class--he is, in fact, average. For a guy who worked as hard as Craig did, with such obsessive determination, this is a blow not just to his ego, but to his very soul.
Craig soon finds himself unable to eat, unable to sleep, unable to find joy in just about everything. As he realizes he's clinically depressed, he tells his shrink--excuse me, psychiatrist--that his only joy in life comes from peeing. Yes, peeing. You go in, you get it done, you accomplish what you set out to do, and you're finished. It's pretty sad that going to the bathroom seems to be the highlight of his day (he even manages to stretch each trip out to about five minutes), but it's also the truth.
Dr. Minerva, for $120/hour, is attempting to help Craig figure out exactly why he's depressed and how to overcome it. But Craig no longer thrives on a life of complexity; for him, life is a nightmare. And as his depression leads to thoughts of suicide, he's not even surprised to find that there's an 800 number he can call. And after taking the plunge and calling 1-800-SUICIDE Craig hikes over to the local emergency room at the hospital, where he meets Dr. Mahmoud (who is not a terrorist).
From there, Craig is checked into a psychiatric hospital, and he meets a motley crew of patients who, amazingly enough, become better friends to him than the ones he had before he went in ever were. For Craig, being in the hospital might just save not only his life, but his sanity and his will to keep on keeping on.
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY is a great read. Filled with issues that plague a large number of teens today, the author has managed to take sensitive topics and deal with them in a humorous way that never seems disrespectful. A very enjoyable, thought-provoking read.
Helpful Score: 1
It's a quick read. Draws you in and keeps you there, but not very fast-paced. I mean, he's basically meandering around a mental ward, so yeah, there's a bit of plot and stuff going on around the place but obviously not action-packed every second. Very good and interesting though. I loved the characters. :)
