It's Kinda of a Funny Story, is an comedic book with a dark undertone. The book is about, an Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life - which means getting into the right high school to get into the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He stops eating and sleeping until, one night, he nearly kills himself. Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety. I found Craig's voice to be extremely interesting, because he was able to keep the tone semi-lighthearted in a book about his suffering from severe depression. Ned Vizzini, the author of It's Kinda of a Funny Story, himself has spent some time in a psychiatric hospital, therefore making the story more believable and realistic. Overall I give this book FOUR AND A HALF STARS out of FIVE. If you are looking for a good realistic fiction book for a quick weekend read, I would definitely suggest this.
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