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| image from www.amazon.com |
Summary —
Fanboy’s life is living hell when he gets targeted for bullying by Mitchell Frampton in gym class. While the gym coaches are too busy to notice what’s going on, Mitchell punches Fanboy in the shoulder, repeatedly nailing him in the exact same spot. But someone in the bleachers notices how Fanboy doesn’t even respond. He later receives a chat request from someone with the IM handle of Promethea387 and a strange new friendship sparks with Kyra, aka Goth Girl. Fanboy doesn’t even tell Cal, his only other friend, about Goth Girl or the graphic novel he’s been working on, Schemata. In his mind, his graphic novel is his ticket out of his miserable life. Something about Kyra makes him feel safe enough to share his work-in-progress. He’s hoping to have enough of it ready to show comics creator Brian Michael Bendis at the Comic-Con in the large city an hour’s drive from Brookdale. Kyra becomes his greatest supporter, and even though they have a horrible fight, Kyra still has suggestions for making the graphic novel better. To make things worse, Fanboy and Cal also have a fight when the lacrosse regional championship is scheduled for the same day as the Convention, and Cal cannot understand why it’s so important that they still go to the convention. Fanboy’s plans to go by himself may come to a crashing halt when his pregnant mother schedules a baby shower on the same day as the convention. At the last minute, his step-father Tony offers to drive him into the city, but things with Bendis don’t go well. Kyra manages to meet him at the convention, and she storms at Bendis when she hears that he wouldn’t look at Schemata, making a huge scene. As horrible as they day turns out, Cal and Fanboy patch things up, and Fanboy uncharacteristically accepts an invitation from Cal to go to a party with the rest of the lacrosse team. At the party, he has an opportunity to talk to (and even kiss) the girl of his fantasies, Dina Jurgens. The next day at school Fanboy has plans to get even with his tormentor, Mitchell, and ends up in the principal’s office for his efforts. Fanboy eventually realizes Kyra has stolen his lucky totem, a bullet he carries around in his pocket. Fearing that she may have plans to commit suicide with that bullet, Fanboy tracks down Kyra’s father’s work number and he shares his concern for his friend’s safety. He finds Kyra, and instead of fixing everything, they end up in a fight once more. When he gets home, there is an angry email from Kyra after she found out her father had been contacted. Yet the book ends on an optimistic note, because although he doesn’t know what will happen with Kyra and with Schemata, Fanboy is confident that things will somehow work out for the best.
Lucien’s thoughts —
As an avid comic book reader, I really enjoyed having a novel that took place in the life of a comic book dork. The discussions he has with Cal and with Kyra concerning comic books ring so very true, and it’s obvious Barry Lyga gets that sub-culture. I’m a huge Brian Micheal Bendis fan, so having him show up as a bit character was great. However, you don’t have to be a comics fan to get the sharp and witty writing. The dialogue here is pitch perfect. The scenes with the bullies are typical fare for realistic non-fiction, even though Fanboy manages to get away with things no real person could without facing repercussions at school. His handling of his relationship with Kyra is clumsy and awkward, as you would expect of a teen his age. It’s obvious they both care for each other, and Kyra is too damaged for things to go smoothly. I thought they were both very wonderfully realized characters, even if some of the other characters in the novel are less dynamic than these two.
Librarian’s use —
I think one of the topics that is briefly mentioned in the book is cutting and suicide attempts. The book can be used as an introduction to a very serious discussion on signs to look for in friends who may be considering suicide and how to best provide help. The librarian can come armed with material on suicide prevention hotlines and other resources for teens who are having problems. School counselors can be included in this frank discussion, as they are often better equipped to talk to students about the various options they have at their disposal. I think introducing such a serious topic in the context of a funny book can help lighten the mood and help open up students to the various ways they can help themselves and their friends.
Other reviews —
Engberg, G. (2006). Featured review: Lyga, Barry. The astonishing adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Booklist, 103 (1), 113.
Fifteen-year-old Fanboy is miserable at school, where he is bullied, and at home, with his pregnant mother and her husband, the “step-fascist.” His only relief is the late hours spent creating his own comic book. Then he receives an instant message from Kyra, an enighmatic Goth who seems to be the only witness to the violence he endures, and the two form a cagey, charged friendship…Lyga’s debut novel is a darkly comic, realistic, contemporary story of bullying an a teen’s private escape in artistic pursuits. Fanboy entertains plenty of violent thoughts. He carries a bullet, keeps a tally of his abusers (“The List”), and lashes out with sometimes-cruel remarks, which feel sharply authentic. The insider comics details will slow some readers, and the pen-ended questions about Kyra’s personal story will frustrate others. Yet Fanboy’s whip-smart, often hilarious sarcastic voice skillfully captures a teenager’s growing self-awareness, and adds a fresh, urgent perspective to age-old questions about how young people cope with bullying and their own feelings of helplessness, rage, and being misunderstood as they try to discover themselves.
The astonishing adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. (2006). Kirkus reviews, 74 (19), 1018.
Lyga has crafted credible protagonists in his first work of fiction about two misfit teens who forge a friendship. Donnie (aka Fanboy) is a comic-book aficionado, who lives with his newly remarried, pregnant mother and his "step-fascist." Rule-abiding and honest, Fanboy's goal in life is to meet writer and illustrator Brian Michael Bendis, to show him his own graphic novel. Unfortunately, Fanboy is tormented at school and has fantasies about school massacres; he finds comfort in his talisman, a single bullet. Enter Kyra (aka Goth Girl), who is confused and frustrated with Fanboy as she observes him refusing to stand up for himself. She reaches out to him, and the two quickly establish an uneasy albeit powerful relationship based on their mutual disdain for most of their peers and their love of comics. Although it seems likely that Goth Girl's recklessness and cynicism will have a detrimental effect on Fanboy, he begins to see her as vulnerable, and helping her gives him new purpose. Because it's authentic and well-written, teen readers will appreciate the complexities of these unique characters, and root for them to triumph.
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