Publisher - Disney Hyperion
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life - which means getting into the right high school to get into the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He 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, 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.
I first heard of Ned Vizzini about 2 weeks before his tragic
death just last year. After watching the movie version of this book just more
than a few times, I decided to look it up online to happily discover that it
was based on Vizzini’s novel. Though it took me a long time to actually get and
then read the book, it had been on my mind for a long time.
Mental health is both an intriguing and familiar subject
matter for me, having suffered with depression myself. However, books about
mental health have always left me feeling disappointed. Not because they were
badly written or because of the dissociation with the characters or anything,
but because they never show an everyday normal view of the person in question.
It’s not easy to write about mental health issues but I think it’s even more
difficult to write a character with mental health issues without having to
de-humanise the character. The character
should be a character, first and foremost. With human issues and feelings. The
mental health issues are second but integrated.
The thing that I enjoyed the most about this book was that
Craig’s problems weren’t judged in any way. So many teenagers out there suffer
with mental health problems brought on by the stresses of school and everyday
life and these should not be minimised or belittled, or compared to bigger
issues. Whatever the reason for mental health problems such as depression –
they are all as important and dangerous as each other. Throughout Craig’s journey in the hospital we
meet a multitude of characters with varying backgrounds, ages, problems, health
issues – and they are all relatable.
Despite the perhaps dark subject matter of the book, there
was a lack of heaviness that is often found in books of a similar subject and
target audience. The read was enjoyable and comical throughout the book. It also
felt like I was discovering a lot about myself as a person and as someone who
has struggled with the effects of depression and anxiety.
I also found it interesting how quickly the characters
involved themselves with each other. Though Craig was only in the hospital for
a short time, he made strong connections
to the other patients. I have seen in a couple of reviews that some people
think this isn’t realistic but in actual fact – it really is. Anyone who has
found themselves in a closed-up situation will more than likely have
experienced this kind of ‘pack’ mentality. A group of people who are all in the
same situation and only have each other for communication and daily living are
more likely to bond quickly and strongly.
Especially when someone is looking for a way to escape and to feel ‘normal’.
It’s not only a way to re-evaluate your place but it acts as a support group. In
order to ‘survive’, you have to make yourself available, approachable and it
again acts as a way to stop the dehumanising that often happens when someone is
labelled with mental health problems.
Of course we have to mention the parallels to Vizzini’s own
life – who struggled with mental health problems severely and eventually took
his own life. Vizzini personally spent some time in a hospitalised setting and
I can really feel that through his writing.
Overall it was an excellent book and I am anxious to read
more of his writing. 5 stars.
