Ned Vizzini's It's Kind of a Funny Story is without a doubt one of the most well-known teen books about mental health. It's the perfect book to introduce people to the struggles of a mental illness, while also getting others to be able to empathize with the main character, Craig. Delving into the hard topic of depression, this book uses the perfect amount of humor to make the reader appreciate Craig and his journey.

Personally, I found myself relating to Craig's thoughts and feelings regarding life and depression. It was very liberating to essentially have my thoughts on paper- like someone knew exactly how my brain worked. This, I believe, is extremely important to struggling teens so they know that they can take the first step towards getting help like Craig did. Books like these bring mental health to light in a way that does not create further stigma. Also, Vizzini had me smiling at the humorous parts that were perfect for young readers. Overall, I would rate this book around a 7/10 because I did like and relate wholly to the main character and the other various side characters had quirks that made the book enjoyable. The reason for the not full 10/10 is due to the sort of cliche ending of Craig seeing the light and getting better. It was a sort of predictable, fast wrap-up but it does leave you satisfied knowing that others struggling can start getting better, too.