A review by anjh
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

“So now live for real, Craig. Live. Live. Live. Live.”

this book was good both in the sense that it was gripping and easy to read but also real in the sense that there were real life problems and struggles and these were kind of normalised in a way. 

tw: unalive thoughts, SH, depression
i liked the way the author gave the imagery of “tentacles” and “anchors”, the former being things that get in the way of your life and make you anxious and distressed, and the latter being things that you’re drawn to for happiness and to feel better. 
i also liked the depiction of SI and what it felt like and how easy it is to slip into depression. though i did feel like the way Craig reached out was perhaps made to look “easy” when in reality this can be really hard. 
i did like how diverse the community in the hospital was and how Craig became more open minded after hearing everyone’s stories throughout his stay. 

would recommend if you’re looking for a book with mental illness rep but ofc check the tws first. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings