It's Kind of a Funny Story characters

Appears from the start

A fifteen-year-old student at Manhattan's highly competitive Executive Pre-Professional High School. After years of treating achievement as his route to security, he finds himself overwhelmed by depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, and difficulty eating. He narrates his effort to understand what is happening to him.

First appears in chapter 2

Craig's charismatic best friend, whose confidence, academic ease, and social success make him both attractive and difficult for Craig to be around. Aaron hosts energetic gatherings and seems to flourish under the pressures that Craig experiences as crushing.

First appears in chapter 3

Aaron's girlfriend and one of Craig's closest friends. Intelligent and attentive, she knows that Craig is struggling and speaks with him more openly than most of their classmates, though Craig's attraction to her complicates the friendship.

First appears in chapter 2

Craig's younger sister. Energetic and observant, she remains part of the ordinary family life Craig has difficulty participating in while depressed and serves as a reminder of his ties beyond school.

First appears in chapter 2

Craig's mother, who responds to his illness with practical concern and steady affection. She supports treatment and tries to help him without pretending that determination alone can end his depression.

First appears in chapter 2

Craig's father, a successful professional who has encouraged Craig's ambitious education. He loves his son but initially belongs to the achievement-oriented world Craig has come to associate with relentless pressure.

First appears in chapter 5

Craig's psychiatrist before his hospitalization. Calm and analytical, she helps him name the demands and thought patterns that feed his depression and stresses that medication and recovery require sustained attention.

First appears in chapter 20

An adult patient on Six North who quickly befriends Craig. Outgoing, protective, and worried about his life after discharge, he helps Craig enter the ward's social world and treats him as useful rather than fragile.

First appears in chapter 23

A teenage patient on Six North who hides facial scars beneath a knit cap. Direct, creative, and unwilling to indulge insincerity, she becomes close to Craig while maintaining clear boundaries about trust and honesty.

First appears in chapter 20

A patient on Six North who rarely leaves his bed or joins the ward's activities. His withdrawal poses a quiet challenge to Craig, who begins looking for ways to make contact without forcing him.

First appears in chapter 22

A member of the Six North staff who leads and supports patients through the ward's routines. Friendly and observant, he encourages Craig's participation in activities and recognizes the importance of Craig's rediscovered interest in drawing.

First appears in chapter 21

An older patient on Six North who speaks and behaves as though he is the President of the United States. His elaborate role is part of the varied community Craig encounters after entering the adult psychiatric ward.