"It's terrific: funny, incisive, disarming." NEW YORK MAGAZINE "Insightful and utterly authentic . . . this is an important book." THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life - which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He 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, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety. Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness. "Funny . . . [Vizzini] supplies personal insights and a clever, self-depreciating tone that make the book an entertaining read." THE WASHINGTON POST "A book about depression that's not the least bit depressing." TEEN VOGUE