It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini

It’s kind of a funny story: I saw this book on the YA shelf and decided to give it a whirl. The cover was intriguing—a silhouette of a person with a street map drawn inside of his head.

Okay, there’s nothing funny about this novel. As I’ve said, it is written for young adults, and it is the story of Craig Gilner and his brief stay in a psychiatric hospital. It starts when he is accepted at Manhattan’s exclusive “Executive Pre-Professional High School.” He studied his butt off to get in, and once in, Craig realizes that he is in over his head. Between massive homework and blowing off steam with friends via smoking pot, Craig descends into a nightmare of stress-induced vomiting and constant suicidal thoughts. And, as I’ve already stated, he winds up in a psych hospital for a few days.

The whole thing is just weird. His parents can see that he’s not well, but they really don’t help him. He checks himself into a psych hospital, and they’re not even freaked out. He spends less than a week there and is magically cured, mostly because he goes back on his Zoloft. Ah, the miracle of pharmaceuticals!

I don’t get this book. And I cannot recommend it.

11/21/06