It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini (444Pages)

This is a first read of author Vizzini for me, and it was very interesting. I'm interested in mental health and of course, even more so as it applies to teens. Craig is a bright, ambitious young man who is studying hard to get into this exclusive high School. It's important to him because he feels then he'll be able to get into a really good college. He takes the test and he aces it! Then he finds out that his best friend and best friend's girl friend also got in, with very little to no studying. The school is called Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School. How's that for a name? One night, after attending the school for a while, he feels really depressed.  This feeling doesn't go away. His parents arrange for him to see a psychiatrist, and he does. However, the feelings don't go away. Add to feelings of depression the fact that he can't eat without throwing up. His sister knows things are serious, but his parents are reluctant to admit it. One night, he simply goes out the door of his home and walks a few blocks to the psychiatric hospital and checks himself in. He tells them that he feels like killing himself. There is no room in the adolescent wing, so he is put in with adults. How things turn around for him, how he discovers his niche, how he befriends the others in his unit, and how he meets someone and falls in love is what this story is about. It is a must read. I loved it.