It’s Kind of a Funny Story, and it truly is. I first read this book during the darkest time of my life, when I needed it most. I still read it, and my love for it and its message never changes. I was in a similar dark space as Craig, the main character. I understood his experience with depression and anxiety, including entering a facility like the one where I was evaluated. I related to the internal isolation from family and friends, the disconnect, and his journey to finding himself and the peace he needed. As Craig found his peace and felt the desire to live, I found mine. Reading it today brings the same emotional and spiritual relief and sense of relatability it did all those years ago. This book saved my life then, and it continues to be the glimmer of light I need now. When I first started collecting books as an adult, this book was the first one I bought. Sometimes, writing what you know is exactly what someone else needs to read. While Ned Vizzini didn’t have the light he needed, he will always be the light that saved me.