It's kind of a funny story - Ned Vizzini

• Title : 'It's kind of a funny story'
• Author : Ned Vizzini
• Genre : Young Adult
• Length : 444 pages
• ISBN : 978-078685197-3
• Author's website : nedvizzini.com
• It's kind of a funny story movie IMDb

~ Back cover summary ~

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.

~ My Review ~

Craig Gilner's story, at the roots, is something almost everyone can relate to.. Sometimes you work your ass off for something and having achieved that, in the end, feels so ordinary.

It reminds me a bit, of John Green's writing although when the two of them co-wrote 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson' the end result is two distinct wonderful writings. 

~ The Merits ~

It doesn't treat a mental breakdown, the wanting to commit suicide or eating disorders with a surrounded air of stigma. In fact, this book kind of puts it into better light, the fact that everybody is messed up and just deal with things differently. The book is also not overly optimistic, conducting miraculous recoveries overnight and I'm thankful for that, because it makes the end so much more believable.

~ The demerits ~

Both the female leads in this novel, the ones who appear to be whole people, are treated by the protagonist often as just objects of his lust, and not affection. I didn't really get convinced that what he feels for them was more than just attraction, or a crush. Also, sex is hyped, boobs!!!! panties!!!!!

**

Overall, you do connect with the character and you realize that these things happen and it's alright to ask for help.The fact that the author himself has spent 5 days in an adult psychiatric certainly helps and that's what makes Craig's entire experience in the facility extremely believable, sheds a new light on the on-goings, the patients and the care taken and gathers understanding, not plain sympathy. The reactions of all his co-patients as he's leaving are beautifully put, especially Bobby's & Johnny's because that's what makes this book real.

~ Excerpt ~

"I'm not better, you know. The weight hasn't left my head. I feel how easily I could fall back into it, lie down and not eat, waste my time and curse wasting my time, look at my homework and freak out, and chill at Aaron's, look at Nia and be jealous again, take the subway home and hope it has an accident, go and get my bike and head to the Brooklyn bridge. All of that is still there. The only thing is, it's not an option now. It's just ... a possibility, like it's a possibility that I could turn to dust in the next instant and be disseminated throughout the universe as an omniscient consciousness. It's not a very likely possibility."

~ Final Verdict ~

2.5/5

It's not the funny funny, if that's what you're looking for but it makes for an intriguing read, although you might find it a bit too teenish at some points.

(2010 movie trailer)

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Hexagon by Ishaan Lalit

A Thrilling tale about Rahul Oberoi,an art thief whose great achievement was that he had never been caught. All that changed when he along with his girlfriend and partner Ria are apprehended during a heist.They are then taken to a top secret underground government facility where rahul's grandfather worked. In the middle of this facility is an ancient device made of stone adorned with mysterious carvings. It is a gateway to six parallel dimensions and six different earths. they are then embroiled in a war waged by a violent race called the moths and the fate of the six earths depends on the outcome of this war.

 I read Ishaan's first book and I have read it twice since then. It was firsttime some indian author wrote a fantasy/sci-fic book and wrote it so damn well. [ I recommend you to do read that. ]

Hence there was much wait and expectations from Hexagon for me. The story as outlined above is pretty straight and almost expected. Now with such books , it becomes all the more important to make the characters and events memorable. The cause and effect of each character / community should be in a way that one thinks about them days after finishing the book and marvel at the author's thought.

There are indeed some part of the books which are done well. But then there are pages and pages where the characters are so dumb, so unreal. The conversations are just not worth reading line by line. It was like reading subtitles for a non english movie. Rahul is not arrogant , but comes across as stupid and a spoiled brat. Rarely does he think before he says or acts. One doesn't expect the hero of all earths to be a coward but poilte and humble sure can be imagined. 

Ria , his girlfriend ; Khaled and his girl Mia , the Moth emperor , his arrmy head , all of them have their good and bad scenes. Unfortunately for me , the bad ones are far more than the good ones. Also the events are not linked or given a befitting cause or reason .

Only character I liked in the ook is of high priest and their fountain of red liquid.

This is an easy read in the sense you would want to finish it.
But how satisfied you are after this reading experience, I can not comment.

Rating : 2/5