Checking In

Outside Reading Blog #2

It's Kind of a Funny Story

By: Ned Vizzini

(p.75-151)

During this part of the book, Craig goes through the toughest time so far. After drinking and smoking at one of Aaron's party him and Aaron walk over to the Brooklyn Bridge which is the midway point between their houses. There Craig really plans to come back that night and commit suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, he finds himself worthless. As he gets home he sleeps with his mom in her bed and says goodnight to his whole family, thinking that it will be the last goodbye, but as Craig is walking out the door he sees one of his moms therapy books. He opens it up and flips to the anxiety management section and calls the suicide hotline. Instead of going to the Brooklyn Bridge he finds himself checking himself into Argenon Hospital, only a few blocks away. He arrives and is relived to be alive, calls his mom and then finds out that the hospital is checking him into a mental ward. Craig's therapist comes to see him and Craig assures her that this is the decision he wants to make, he wants to get better. The part when Craig is standing at the Brooklyn Bridge portrays the life of a lot of depressed teens. Craig didn't tell Aaron that he was depressed, neither his plan, so there was nothing that Aaron could to do help him. The fact that many young adults keep this to themselves is really universal now. Craig is now being submitted into the world of a mental ward, for 5 days. I am really excited to read this part of the book and see how this shift is going to help him.