Reviewed by Julian Turner
Ned Vizzini’s semi-coming-of-age novel It’s Kind of a Funny Story revolves around the struggles of Craig Gilner, a teenager whose dream comes true, but it sends him into a depression, the likes of which few have ever experienced.
Set in the bustling, unforgiving New York City of present day, Craig realizes that even in a city of millions, one can feel utterly alone.
The main character of It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Craig Gilner, has wanted nothing more than to get into one of New York City’s most elite high schools, Executive Pre-Professional High School. However, when he gets in, he soon realizes that it is not what it seemed. This sends him into a depression of immense proportions, one that threatens to lead him to suicide if he does not get help. Fortunately, he realizes that he is not in a healthy place and checks himself into the local hospital’s psych ward. Once there he gets all the help he needs and more.
When I picked It’s Kind of a Funny Story off the shelf and read the short summary on the back, I knew that it would be an interesting read. What I did not know was that it would have me reading continuously for three hours, only stopping when my stomach growls got too loud to ignore. The book left me on the edge of my chair, err bed, waiting to read the ending. Once I reached the ending, I realized that reading the novel had changed me just as much as going through the events in it changed the main character.
Julian Turner is a junior in the gifted program at Hahnville High School. He enjoys playing soccer and running track.
Editor’s note: Book reviews are published weekly in agreement with Hahnville High School gifted English teacher Deborah Unger in conjunction with the Brown Foundation Service Learning Program.
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