It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Author: Ned Vizzini
Pages: 646
Lexile: 700
Genre: Young-adult fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars



This book is a great mix of young-adult fiction and comedy, with hints of romance. It takes place in present-day Manhattan. The part of Manhattan that Craig lives in has amazing schools and hospitals around. The protagonist, Craig Gilner, is a depressed teenager. Craig and his best friend, Aaron, both make it into one of Manhattan’s best schools, Executive Pre-Professional High School. Craig starts falling behind as he believes he is not as smart as them. He starts getting lower grades than the other students, which stress him out because he thinks he can’t get a good job unless he’s perfect. Eventually one night Craig almost kills himself, but instead he takes a different route which you will learn about in this book. The theme of the story is no matter how bad things are, they will get better.

The author Ned Vizzini spent 5 days in a mental ward. This book will help people get out of depression or sadness. I loved the hilarious moments in the book. Craig and Bobby were very funny. The one thing I disliked was the long introduction to everything. It took too long to introduce all the characters and explain their stories. Teens who love a good laugh will enjoy reading this book. Also if you are stressed out or depressed, this book can help you get out of it. Finally, I would rate this book 4 stars; it’s a great read for all kinds of different people.

Contributed by Niko Barstow, 8th grader