Craig was suppose to have it all. He has a loving family, and was accepted to a fancy prep school for the highly intelligent. Craig, however, is suffering from depression, and is overwhelmed with stress. He struggles with keeping his grades up, peer pressure, and his love for a girl.  After his long battle with his depression, he plans to commit suicide, but never goes through with it. This gets him checked into a mental ward of a hospital where he meets some interesting people. Many of them have worse problems than Craig. During his time at the hospital he gains new friends, and a new confidence. Craig also discovers what makes him happy, and decides to completely change his life. The book shows a variety of themes such as love, pressure, and stress, but the main theme is to never give up on yourself. Craig learns to seek help, and to not cause himself as much stress.
When Craig is in the mental ward he meets lots of people with different problems, and disorders that cause him to look at the world differently. Craig was always very judgemental of people with disorders. Craig feared what other would think of him if he asked for help, or showed any sign of weakness. These degrading thoughts of himself changed. Here he learned that the people with mental disabilities are not weak, they just need some attention and treatment. He even meets a girl there that he has strong feelings for. This book makes you learn to accept people even if they do have some problems.
I love this book so much, it is a great read for anyone. It takes a sad topic and looks at in positive light. The characters in this book will make you angry, happy, and sad, possibly all in the same chapter. This book is a fast read, and makes you think about what people really feel. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a hard time staying engaged in books. This book has been positively reviewed by The Washington Post, New York Times, and Teen Vogue. Perhaps the best part of the book is that the author wrote this based off of what happened to him when he was a teenager. This book has everything in it from romance, to action, and comedy. It is a great book for both genders and all ages. Personally I want to read this book again just for the fun of it.