Parents' Guide to

It's Kind of a Funny Story

By Joe Applegate, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Brilliant, edgy story about suicide best for mature teens.

Book Ned Vizzini Coming of Age 2006
It's Kind of a Funny Story Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 13+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Pizza G.
Pizza G. Adult
May 19, 2017
age 13+

Weird, sometimes adult exploration of suicide fine for teens

It's Kind of a Funny Story is an interesting, kind of strange exploration of depression and suicide. Though it's obviously not written for adults, it has some adult content--language includes one or two F-Bombs, "b-tch," etc. The main character frequently thinks about and discusses sex--though most of the references are somewhat obscure--and there's some pretty crude sex talk between teenagers, including discussion of masturbation and genitalia. Kids smoke pot. The book delves into self-harm and hospitalization, so expect some upsetting themes. Other than that, should be fine for teenagers. Overall, though, it isn't very well written. Other titles cover the same themes far better.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Priscilla.Calderon
Priscilla.Calderon Adult
April 7, 2015
age 13+

"... Not for good but for real."

I was going to write a raving literary review but I decided against it. The thing is plain and simple. I love this book. Whether you get in depth or not, it is a great book about a hard subject. It helped me. Not for good, just for real. You don't even have to relate a whole lot, but you will, for this to help you, because you will, at the very least, understand depression a little better. This is a book I will be re-reading. This is a book everyone should read.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Craig Gilner, who loved to doodle as a child, gets serious about preparing for the entrance exam to the prestigious Executive Pre-Professional High School in Manhattan. Opening the fat acceptance envelope is the happiest moment in Craig's young life, and it's downhill from there. Nine months later, unable to compete with his classmates, unable to accept his best friend's relationship with a sexy girlfriend, unable even to hold down his food, 15-year-old Craig rises early one morning with a plan to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. Instead, he walks into the emergency room of a nearby hospital ... and into the adult psychiatric unit, where he faces his anxieties and his art flourishes.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (14):

There are a few cliched characters, such as Craig's adoring younger sibling and bumbling dad, but what sets this book apart is the quality of writing. The pain of having an endless to-do list for school, of trying to keep one step ahead on the good-grades, good-college, good-job track, of trying to please parents who mean well but also keep a sharp eye on their bright child's "amazing journey" -- this is the pain that IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY compellingly describes, and that many kids can relate to.

Craig describes the accessory-heavy style of his dreamgirl classmate this way: "I think her accessories were a courtesy meant to distract from her small, lucrative body and baby-doll face." A parent-free teen party in a Manhattan apartment is rendered in wild, sensational detail, and so is a poker game played by a cast of mentally stricken patients. If your teen is ready for the graphic (but not lewd) descriptions of petting and the pervasive use of drugs, this will be a dazzling read.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about depression. Describe the lowest point in your life. What made it better?

  • What other book about depression or mental illness have you read?

  • Can you relate to feeling pressure to be a high achiever? How do you cope with competitiveness at your school?

Book Details

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