Straight to the point, I adored this book. Not sure if this was just a point in time where I needed a book like this or what but I fell in love from the start and finished it in three days. The story is about a teenage boy, Craig, who has always struggled in some way from mild mental quirks (I use the term quirks because "disorders" doesn't seem to be right) and holds a huge penchant for perfection, specifically when it comes to learning and school. After getting into a rather prestigious and difficult Brooklyn school Craig slowly begins to unravel under the pressure and the realization that perfection is not attainable. A series of events leads to his being hospitalized in an adult psychiatric ward of a local Brooklyn hospital, since the teenage one is under renovation, and covers his five days in the hospital.

First thing you should probably know is that this book is based on true events in the life of the author and what he went through, which made the story much more real for me. When I could strongly relate to parts of it I found some comfort in knowing what I am feeling at times isn't so abnormal. The main character, Craig, is incredibly real and likable and portrays the struggles of a teenager (and even the struggles that persist into adulthood) very well. There are so many times where you wish you could just give him a hug and tell him that you understand. I was also easily drawn into many of the other characters in the story, not so much Craig's high school friends but the members of the psychiatric hospital. I even wonder if this was done on purpose because the friends from high school Craig learned he didn't really "know" and the fellow patients were more real and had more of an impact on him. The character development of the patients was also done in a subtle way where is wasn't overly detailed but you still knew and cared about each one of them.

If there was one thing that bothered me a bit in the book it would be Craig's family and their reaction to his situation. I felt they were portrayed in such a relaxed and chill manner that I couldn't help but wonder if that is really how a family would react to their son being put in a psychiatric hospital. But this is such a tiny issue overall, as it was not the main focus of the book.

This is a book that really makes you stop and think about yourself, your life, the lives of those around you, and life overall. It deals with the realization we all have at some point that we will fail at things and that one of the goals in life is finding what you love, that makes you feel good and right (what Craig call an "anchor"), and doing that. The book also shows that every person we encounter in life has so many levels to them and that the most "unstable" people might actually be the ones who can help us the most. Overall I feel like this is an important book for anyone to read, both adults and teenagers, because it can teach everyone something.