The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

Barry Lyga, Barry Lyga, Barry Lyga. I can't get over how fantastic "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl" is. It's book like these that make me want to speak in hyperbole. "This is the best book ever." "Barry Lyga is a revelation." "This book will make other YA novelists cry, accept defeat, and bow at the feet of Lyga." And as enthusiastic as that stuff seems, and in some ways I do feel that way, it sort of cheapens the book. There's no need to exaggerate when the quality of the book speaks for itself. It's a darn good novel with human characters, sophisticated writing, and a tendency to avoid the cookie cutter structure that most boy-meets-girl books tend to have. Aside from the fact that it's well-written (anyone who checks out Page 1 can see that), I identify with the characters on a personal level. I don't only connect with Fanboy because I was/am a Fanboy who met a Goth Girl (yup), I also identify with all of the supporting cast. Lyga's writing is just so human that even when Fanboy dismisses a character as a waste of life, the character pops out as three dimensional. Everyone is flawed, everyone is real, and everyone is--as cheesy as it might sound--a little bit beautiful. Barry Lyga, along with writers like John Green and Sara Zarr, are transforming YA Literature into one of the strongest genres out there. After reading this book and Lyga's second novel, Boy Toy, it's safe to say that I'm a Lyga fanboy for life. 9/10

It was fun. I'm biased. I'm 28, but I'm a fanboy and a goth girl. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it made me feel good while I was reading it. Great job on your first novel! I look forward to more!

Fanboy and Gothgirl is a book about a teenage boy who is in love with comics, excuse me, i mean "graphic novels." He's an outcast to a lot of kids, and is a punching bag to the rest. To get away from all the madness he has in his life including, being a punching bag, the genius in the school, his pregnet mother, divorced parents, and having a jock as a bestfriend he makes his own graphic novel to show his favorite, not to mention his role model, graphic novel writter. Fanboy meets a girl and they become friends. Fanboy has never really had any friend but his jock friend that usually pays no attention to him, so he's sorta new at the new friend thing. Fanboys' novel is a secret that he hasn't told anyone, but his family, about. He opens up to Gothgirl and tells her about his novel. She ends up helping him with it. Even though they have fights, they still stay close. When Mr. Andree (my english teacher) told my class about this book, I thought that I wouldn't like it, but I took it to read anyways. It was totally different than I had expected and I couldn't put the book down. This book had helped me through my reality by teaching me that just how the way people look or act doesn't mean that you should treat them differently. They are their own character and you can't, and shouldn't, try to change that, or take that from them. I would defiantly recommend this book out to people of all ages that like teenage drama.

I don't write many reviews, but this book deserves a special mention. This was a great book. The comic book reference were well done and meaningful and Lyga does a good job giving the reader the feel of the comics subculture without totally innundating the reader with obscure references. As a high school teacher, I notice that too often kids like the narrator fly under the radar. The resolution is realistic, though being a fairy tale lover, I always want the happy ending. Congratulations Mr.Lyga on writing a book that should be nominated for a Printz award, but probably won't be. Kudos.

Barry Lyga explodes into the teen literature world with his unique debut novel. THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL is a novel about one young man's journey through confidence development. Fanboy, a sophomore in high school, floats through life hoping to remain invisible since he has, more than once, fallen victim to bullies. His life is a lonely life. His parents have been divorced for six years, his mother is remarried and pregnant, visits with his father are becoming less frequent due to his father's increased social life, and he doesn't relate to his stepfather at all. Fanboy has been compiling a list for quite some time. The list includes people that have "pissed" him off for no particular reason. Once you are on the list, you never get off. This includes the jock jerks and girls from the cliques that seem to dismiss him as if he has no business even attending school with them. One bright spot in Fanboy's day is visiting with his friend Cal. Cal is a jock jerk, but also has a passion for comic books, and the two often debate, in depth, about different issues in the comic book universe. The problem with being friends with Cal is, since he is a jock jerk, he doesn't act like much of a friend at school. Fanboy knows to back off when Cal's teammates approach them at school. Most of their conversations take place on the weekends or at night through instant messages. Fanboy's life begins to change when he receives an instant message from an unknown person. Fearing it is another trick to humiliate him, he doesn't respond. After several messages and an email, he learns that it is a girl from his gym class. Kyra has been witnessing his torment the entire year. She has taken pictures of a bully hitting him in the arm while the teachers do nothing. After this initial contact through instant messaging, they agree to meet and Fanboy's life will never be the same. The biggest secret in Fanboy's life, which he hasn't even shared with Cal, is the graphic novel he is creating. Schemata takes up all of his free time and he can't stop himself from sharing it with Kyra. She becomes a huge supporter and inspiration for the graphic novel. Fanboy is planning to attend a comic book convention where Michael Bendis himself is going to be signing autographs. Fanboy intends to show Bendis his work and truly believes it will be the break he needs to get Schemata published. Surprising and disastrous events at the convention lead Fanboy to worry about Kyra's well-being. While things don't work out exactly as he plans, Fanboy realizes confidence is the key to his problems. After many uncharacteristic behaviors, he manages to come to terms with some of the issues in his life and makes plans for the future. He even takes someone off "the list." THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy teenage problem novels. Comic book fans will enjoy the graphic novel references, especially the cameo appearance by Michael