It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Vizzini, N. (2007). It's Kind of a Funny Story. New York: Disney-Hyperion. ISBN 078685197X 

 

Plot Summary 

Craig Gilner is a 15-year-old for whom life has become just too stressful.  After studying extensively to be admitted to Executive Pre-Professional High School, he is realizing that he cannot cope with the pressures of the school.  On top of this, he cannot keep his best friend's girlfriend out of his head, no matter how bad that makes him feel.  Craig cannot sleep or eat and is smoking more pot than ever.  When he realizes that he simply feels too overwhelmed, he calls a suicide hotline instead of giving in to an impulse to throw himself off a New York bridge.  In the psychiatric ward, he gets support from his parents and others he would never expect it from.

Critical Evaluation 

The main theme of this book is depression and coping.  Vizzini understands the pressures facing young adults as he writes from a similar experience he had in his life.  Craig is a normal kid, trying to exceed to meet his parents' high expectations, but not really knowing what he wants to do.  He experiences the aimlessness that all teens experience at some point, but the pressure he feels compounds that feeling until an aimlessness is an almost complete lack of desire for him.  The only thing he does covet is Nia, his best friend's girlfriend.  Craig is not portrayed as an unreasonable, or overly emotional teenager, making his story much more believable.

Reader's Annotation 

When things turn out to be too much for 15-year-old Craig, he checks himself into a psychiatric ward not knowing what to expect, but hoping a different Craig would emerge.

Author Information 

Ned Vizzini was born in 1981 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York.  Currently he lives in Los Angeles and is a young adult author who has also written for the television shows Last Resort and Teen Wolf.  Occasionally, he writes essays and criticism that can be found in The New York Times and Salon.  Relating to this novel, Vizzini has traveled to schools and libraries discussing mental health, and how writing and art are outlets available to young adults as this book was inspired by his own self-hospitalization for depression.

Genre 

Fiction, contemporary, comedy

Curriculum Ties 

Reading and Language Arts, Health

Booktalking Ideas 

Speak as Craig building up to the night in which he calls the suicide hotline, describing what is going through his head and the motivation to get help.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

This book ranked a 700L on the Lexile Range.  The 15-year-old protagonist speaks to the younger side of the interest level in this novel, as this novel would be ideal for ages 15-18.

Challenge Issues 

Suicide, language, and sexual issues are all addressed.

If challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly.  Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone.  As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.
 

Reason Selected

I originally saw this film when it came out, not realizing it was a book, and it turned me on to the importance of young adult fiction.

The ALA listed it as a Best Book for Young Adults in 2007.