Review:
“Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life-which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job-Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy.
At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig 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, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.
Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness. For a novel about depression, it's definitely a funny story”
I have no idea why I bought this novel… seriously I don’t know, but I’m so glad I did. It starts off as most novels told from a teenager’s point of view, guiding us through the anxieties and insecurities that adapting to a new school can bring. But Craig is special, or so he thought, until he actually gets what he wants, which is enter this ‘elite’ school. We all kind of know that feeling that comes with getting what you’ve been working for for a really long time. First, it’s all bliss, then you don’t know what to do to fill that void. You got what you wanted, now what? In Craig’s case, the WHAT was a school that demanded all his free time and effort. He had just succeeded in getting what he wanted and thought he was the brightest kid ever… but he wasn’t, he was just average and the workload was getting to him.
Everything starts going downhill until one night he calls the suicide hotline. They ask him to go to the nearest hospital to get admitted. Craig thought they’d just keep him for a bit and then he’d go home, but that’s not the case. They admitted him and this is where we get to meet characters that are so different and interesting they’ll keep you glued to this book.
These people teach Craig valuable lessons in life, and make him feel at home with their comments and personalities. His parents come visit and support him throughout the story, which is nice to see.
Overall, this is a very funny story, with characters that will guide you through it and engage you until you couldn’t put the book down even if you wanted to.
Disclaimer: the only things that belong to me are my own opinions, the books and images are owned by their respective authors.
Angela
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