Notes

Craig is like a lot of teens nowadays. Overly stressed out. He is very smart and has a seemingly bright future ahead of him until he decides that being a teenager is simply too much to handle and he contemplated just how easy it would be to commit suicide. Luckily, instead, he calls a suicide hotline, but then he shocks his family when he checks himself into a mental hospital. Only problem is that the teen ward is closed down so he is forced to live with the adult patients and meets an interesting group of people.


This was a very touching story and one that everyone who has ever had depression can probably relate to even if just a small amount. It's an inspiring story, because it shows that there are ways to get help. The self discovery that Craig goes through is amazing. He learns that no matter how bad you think your life is, there is always someone worse off. Of course we all know that, but we may forget it sometimes, especially when we are at our low points and throwing ourselves pity parties thinking things couldn't be worse.

The characters were all well written, and I really feel the fact that the author had been in a mental hospital before showed through the vivid descriptions of the place and types of people you may see there. I'm not sure why, but I feel like the fact that he is a now successful person and openly admits that he had a stay in a mental hospital makes this book stand out to me in comparison to most other YA books that deal with mental illness. It's one thing to write about these things even having well researched the subject, but it's entirely different writing about them after experiencing them firsthand.

Also, I thought the writing in general was good. I love when an author can write about such a sad subject, but make humor shine throughout. This book is about suicide, but it's not depressing. I laughed a few times as well. The only parts I didn't enjoy were the romantic ones. It seemed totally contrived. The chances of two teens put into an adult ward and falling in love are just so bad.

The best part about this story was Craig's upbringing. This wasn't the typical suicide story where they kid had it rough, and in the end couldn't take it. He had a great family with supportive parents and a beautiful little sister. He was quite privileged, and I'm glad that author was able to show that mental illness does not discriminate. Even the most together person in the world can suddenly become depressed and the stigma attached to mental illness is something that infuriates me.

Even though this book was made into a movie it doesn't seem too popular so maybe I'm in the minority. Maybe it just isn't well marketed. I have no idea, but I would