For the longest time, It’s kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini has been by my favourite book.
The plot follows fifteen-year-old Craig and his struggle with succeeding as a teenager,
depression and suicidal thoughts. The story picks up when Craig calls a suicide hotline and
checks himself into a psychiatric hospital where he meets people like him and some of them not
so much. The most interesting part by far has to be the author’s personal experience. Ned
Vizzini spent time in a psychiatric hospital himself before writing this novel. Another great asset
to this book is the relatability as a teen with mental illness. The protagonist clashes with his
family and friends while trying to explain what life is like to him as well as taking prescribed
medication to cope with the side effects of his depression. I believe everyone regardless of age
can relate to something or someone in this book whether it be the battle with mental illness, the
characters, or even the pressure from school. I recommend this book to teens but I can see
adults benefiting from having read this story as it would offer insight to anyone who struggles
with their inner demons - @TheBookNerd of the Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board

While I found it difficult to relate to or empathize with the main character, I am sure many would enjoy this novel. The protagonist, Craig, struggles to get into a competitive academic high school and then finds himself overwhelmed by pressure to succeed. A male protagonist can be hard to find in YA fiction, so some boys may identify with Craig and the challenges he faces.

Well I'll tell you I didn't think this was very funny at all. I get it, it's a story about depression
and it's suppose to have humorous overtones to make it well.. less depressing. But the humor did not float my boat, I thought it was just sad and WAY too long! It took 400 pages to get to the conclusion I got to at page 50. Meh.

Book was meh. 2.5/5. Like most YA stories, it's quirky and tries to get "in with the kids" but really misses a lot. The author writes based on his experience in a psychiatric hospital in 2004 - 2005, but my experiences (I was hospitalized in 2008, 2009, and 2011) were a hell of a lot different, so it seems like a lot of wishful thinking (i.e. you are not allowed to touch other patients contrary to the story, have your door closed, definitely can't smoke in a hospital, etc.).
And like most things -- books may have happy endings but the author himself commit suicide in 2013. Guess that's why I was interested in reading it -- wanted to 'pick his brain' -- but it turned out to be not so interesting. Oh well.

Now this a sad, depressing book, but also very insightful. Craig’s voice clearly states how he’s feeling, why he feels that way, how everyone around him is worried, and how he can’t just snap out of it. As he opens up to those around him, he starts to realize a lot of the people in his life are struggling too. My only complaint about this novel is that it’s a book about a very serious topic, but then somehow becomes a book about getting a girl. At times it reads like an updated version of The Bell Jar, and I mean that in a good way.

I have read what I believe is my first YA novel.
It's Kind of a Funny Story was an easy read. Like 444 pages in 4 days easy. It was entertaining and provided some insight into how one teen viewed being institutionalized. I liked it, but it's not the kind of book I'd like to find myself reading often.
There was so much potential lost here. Wonderful idea. Great characters. Vivid setting. And yet, nothing gelled in the way I have come to expect from great books. It was largely fluff--a straight-forward telling of "my five days in the looney bin and how I got there"
In the complete spectrum of books, four stars is too high for this one. Taking it for what it is, however, and considering its intended audience, I think my rating is appropriate.

This book helped me deal with a dark time in my life. It is very easy to relate to Craig for someone dealing with depression or suicide. It also deals with the stress that school and social life has on young people. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is categorized as youth fiction, but it is suitable to anyone in a tough situation.

It's Kind of a Funny Story is a novel everyone should read. It describes mental illness in a clear, natural voice. Craig never whined; he was completely relatable, and his emotions were so real it was as if they reached out of the novel, grabbed me by my heart, and pulled me in. Because his voice was so true, I spent a day or two in a funk because I felt what he was feeling; so I wouldn't recommend this depressed or mentally ill people unless they're sure that they're in a good place.

Honestly, this book has me so full of emotions that I can barely express. I don't even know what to say. Perhaps I was able to relate to Craig so strongly because I've experienced the exact same high-pressure environment of school and college, but I think that anyone who has ever experienced stress will be able to relate. I love that this novel was about what Craig feels. Although how he feels is affected by other people and outside events, Vizzini never loses focus on Craig's mind, and how this is a story of Craig's journey through illness and recovery.

It's Kind of a Funny Story really moved me, and I highly, highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book. The exposition leading up to Craig’s stay in the hospital is heartfelt and believable. I was a little disappointed with the turn the book took when he enters the psychiatric ward. In the course of about a week, his mental health improves by leaps and bounds and it doesn’t come off nearly as believably as the beginning of the book. That said, it was still entertaining and uplifting.

However my biggest issue with this book is the offensive portrayal of the transgender character. Her role is minor, but even in her short amount of page time she is treated terribly by both the characters and the narrative (she is referred to as “he” and sometimes “it” or “that”) and presented in a way that is outdated for the time this book was written. I mention this not to slander the author but to warn anyone who might be upset by these scenes as I was.

Heartfelt and heartbreaking, a fictionalized account of Ned's stay at a mental hospital while suffering from suicidal thoughts and depression is honest, humorous, and sad all at once. The only problem with this book is it's hard to put down and stop reading.