Book Review by Alyssa Lee

It’s Kind of a Funny Story, a 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini, truly is kind of a funny story - which seems bizarre given that its main topic is depression. It’s narrated by Craig Gilner, a New York City teen who gets into his dream high school but is quickly overwhelmed by the workload and his own feelings of inadequacy. He struggles with eating, sleeping, and stress vomiting until he finally admits, “‘I think I might be, y’know, depressed.’” 

One night, Craig almost commits suicide. He winds up in the ER and then is admitted to a psychiatric hospital (or as Craig says, “Oh my God... the mental ward”) where he meets an eclectic group of individuals and is finally able to begin working through his depression. 

One thing I really appreciate about the story is that it’s written to be meaningful and accessible to everyone, regardless of whether or not they have personal experience with depression. Since feelings of stress and anxiety are universal, it’s very easy to relate to Craig and empathize with the challenges he faces. 

I also enjoyed Vizzini’s unique writing style since it often made me feel like I was inside Craig’s mind. He juxtaposes short, punchy sentences with protracted run-on sentences so that it flows like a stream of consciousness. Furthermore, there is a constant undercurrent of dry humor (e.g. “We stop. Cosmic moment, I guess. Ooooh, is life really a nightmare? We need to spend like ten seconds contemplating that”) that makes the story seem less about struggling with depression and more about finding reasons to live.

On the other hand, as relatable as Craig himself was, there were some aspects of the book I couldn’t personally connect with, such as the lifestyle of the characters (turns out living in New York City is very different from living in Boulder, Colorado). However, I never felt like the disparity kept me from understanding or appreciating the story. 

I think this is a book everyone should read at the appropriate age. It does discuss topics like drugs, alcohol, sex, depression, and suicide, so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone younger than early high school age. However, I believe that this kind of funny story about depression conveys a meaningful message about the (sometimes unconventional) path to discovering what makes life worth living.