Review: "It's Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

I have nothiing but praise for this book. Ned Vizzini wrote one of the most relateable characters in YA history. One of my pet peeves about YA is that when ever authors (particularly woman) write from a male perspective it often paints him to be a "manic pixie dream boy" or they don't add to the plot what so ever and pretty much is just there to react to things around them. I think that is because authors try to make their characters appeal to their target audience which is often female. What Ned was able to do was let me relate to a character while consciencely knowing this was a boy. The book starts out with the main character Craig contemplating suicide so he decides to go seek help in a mental ward. Craig's struggle with school, friends, and drugs reminds me acutely of the Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbowsky but this book shines on its own. I recommmend this specifically to teens taking honors or AP classes because I know had I some of the same thoughts Craig had on his way to self- discovery. This book made me laugh and cry and for once I felt that I wasn't so alone. The only "problem" I had with this book is that it took me awhile to get in to it at least in beginning. 4/5 stars.

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