It's Kind of a Funny Story

I really liked this book. Basically it's about a kid named Craig who is bright an ambitious, works really hard to get into a prestigious private high school, and then finds out that he's quickly gone from being the smartest kid in school to just average. Thrown in with Manhattan's best and brightest Craig quickly starts to cave under the mounting pressure, until he checks himself into the psychiatric ward after nearly committing suicide. Once introduced to the motley crew of patients of "Six North" things get interesting, and that's where what could have been a very depressing read begins to turn into the funny story promised by the title.

The book's plot is simple, and most of the interesting action takes place within Craig's mind, and that's one of the things that makes this book so good. The toughest fights a person ever has are with himself, and once the internal battle is won the external actions are usually pretty easy. The book does a great job of capturing how one can become internally paralyzed by stress and a variety of other factors, and then explores the various external manifestations. The book provides a good look at the psychology of depression, and reveals what a vicious cycle it can be. Yet the book is also hopeful, showing ways in which self-destructive cycles can be effectively managed.

The other characters in the hospital provide good comic relief, but allow for the author (Ned Vizzini) to portray a variety of other mental illnesses in a soft and sympathetic light. In this way the book does a lot to overcome the stigma that's associated with mental illness, psychiatrists, anti-depressants, and so forth. The book also critiques socie
ty's tendency towards overmedication and hypochondria. Once admitted to the hospital Craig finds himself bombarded by phone calls from friends who think they should be taking anti-depressents and checking into the hospital as well. From the perspective of Craig, who has been through the trauma of near-suicide, these friends seem like ridiculous pretenders simply trying to capitalize on the social cachet of mental illness.

Of the various messages in the book, though, my favorite is related to the way in which some people hide their problems. One of the people Craig meets in the hospital is a girl who cut up her face with scissors because she was tired of the social pressure associated with being "hot." When she confides to Craig that she is worried that people will judge her for her scars throughout her life, Craig remarks "Everybody has problems. Some people just hide their crap better than others. But people aren't going to look at you and run away. They're going to look at you and think that they can talk to you, and that you'll understand, and that you're brave, and that you're strong." I firmly believe that everybody on this planet is a little bit screwed up, and that by pretending we aren't we simply perpetuate a lie that places extraordinary pressure on everyone involved. What this book does best is show that people can be messy, complicated, imperfect human beings, and still be great people. The book urges openness and honesty with yourself and those around you, suggesting that it is far better to be true to yourself than to conform to the model society lays out for you. This is a message that I feel would be of benefit to a lot of people, and the book did a great job of getting it across.

Of course no novel is perfect (though The Fault in Our Stars and Dandelion Wine come close), and I do have a couple minor complaints with this novel. The first is a matter of content. Within a hyper-conservative community such as Utah this novel would almost certainly never get taught in the classroom, and many parents would object to their children reading it because of some objectionable content. This is a real shame, because the messages in the book are so important to teens who are finding themselves under increased pressure to have their whole lives mapped out by the time they graduate from high school. My other quibble is more formal. Without giving too much away, I'll just say that a female plays an important part in Craig's recovery. While it would certainly be nice if everyone in the world could find a significant other just after going through a life-altering trial, this is an unrealistic expectation. I feel Craig's recovery would have been more significant, not to mention more real, if he had done it without any help from romantic sources. Still, can't have a young adult novel without romance, so I'll forgive it.

Overall this is a great book. I liked it, and if you can stand some "adult" content, I imagine most people would find it to be a good read.

Score: 9/10
Read this book if: You want to better understand the psychology of clinical depression (and assorted other mental illnesses), or want a reminder of why life is pretty awesome and worth living.
Don't read this book if: You generally don't enjoy young adult literature, or are put off by some coarse language and content.