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The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl #1)

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl #1)

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The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl #1)

Author(s)

Barry Lyga

Publisher

Houghton Mifflin Co

Genre(s)

General Fiction

Age Range

14+

Release Date

September 06, 2006

ISBN

0618723927

Buy This Book

Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own special hell. The bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboy’s new little brother or sister.

Fanboy, though, has a secret: a graphic novel he’s been working on without telling anyone, a graphic novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and—most important of all—a way out of the crappy little town he lives in and all the people that make it hell for him.

When Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, he finds an outrageous, cynical girl who shares his love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. Fanboy can’t resist someone who actually seems to understand him, and soon he finds himself willing to heed her advice—to ignore or crush anyone who stands in his way.

User reviews

3 reviews

Overall rating

4.8

Plot

4.3(3)

Characters

5.0(1)

Writing Style

5.0(1)

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Comic Books & Goth Meets a new twist on YA Contemp Boy/Girl relationships

May 11, 2012

Overall rating

5.0

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AmaZING. And, GOTH GIRL RISING is even better.

Good Points

When I started reading THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL I loved the premise right away. The title is great, and the characters are well written. The story centers around fanboy (he doesn't become Fanboy until the end), an introvert who is using a dilapidated computer from circa 1970 to create a graphic novel that will afford him a one way ticket out of podunk. He's currently trapped with his prego mother and the man she cheated on his father with, and school sucks a shiny red dodgeball to the shoulder a thousand times in the same spot, literally. Fanboy has to take it, and keep taking it. Unless his graphic novel will be seen by THE MAN: Brian Michael Bendis. If you're not a comic fanboy, you probably don't know him, either. Don't hurt yourself.

When Goth Girl enters fanboy's life and renames him, the result is amazing chemistry than keeps the reader turning pages until the book is over. And then, you'll realize it's a series and move on to GOTH GIRL RISING just as quickly as I did. I literally put one book down and picked the next one up. Goth Girl is strong (on the surface) and a complicated mess of a girl inside. Who isn't complicated when they've got blue black hair and permanent mourning clothes, a street cred you don't want to mess with, drives like that Meatloaf song, and smokes like a housefire?

You wouldn't think there could ever be a couple as different as this, but something about the bizarre combination makes it ASTONISHING. See? He warned you up front.

I love the story within the story framework and the nuances of Goth lingo with Comic Boy Geek Speak. Two disparate languages converging in one beautiful story you'll be glad you read.

G Donald Cribbs Top 500 Reviewer 25 reviews

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Geeky Guy Meets Hard-rocking Goth Girl

June 30, 2009

Overall rating

3.0

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Reader reviewed by Sarah Norton

Fanboy is a nobody. His every bullies target, his mothers having an alien life form and his one and only friend is turning to sports and populartiy. Working on his secret very own graphic novel is his own way out of his personal hell. When Fanboy meets Kyra (Goth Girl) his life is turned upside down. She's outrageous and shares his love for comic books. But Kyra has a few secrets of her own. Will Fanboy follow his dreams or go down the path to his own personal darkness.
This is a great book for anyone with a good sense of humor. Barry Lyga tells the reader how to surive as a high school geek.

Guest #1 Reviewer

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Astonishing

December 02, 2008

Overall rating

5.0

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Reader reviewed by Reader Rabbit 1

Fanboy has:

one friend
his own personal bully (ies)
one hell of a bruise (courtesy of the aforementioned bully)
a love of comics.

He also has The List-a collection of all the people who have pissed him off throughout high school. These are the people that'll he'll remember when he's older, stronger and famous. These are the people that make Fanboy sympathizes the Columbine massacrers. But, he says, clearing things up, "none of these people are worth dying for."

What keeps Fanboy going is his love of comics. And a secret-he's been working on his own comic book. Soon, there's going to be a comic book convention and he'll get to show his comic book to David Bendis, one of his idols.

But, then Kyra (Goth Girl) walks into his life, bringing with her an anti-rules attitude and her very own set of problems.

Fanboy's definitely not your typical main character. He's not particularly likeable. At least, not at first. He seems angry. Resentful. Lonely. And, maybe, a little depressed. But, it later reveals, he's also smart and wonderful with comics-stuff that most people don't necessarily see as such a good thing.

Which is where Kyra comes in. Kyra first "meets" Fanboy when she watches him get punched by someone else. Struck by how he stands there, unflinching and not letting the bully know how much it hurt, Kyra calls him "an Indian warrior". And, soon, Fanboy and Kyra become friends, brought together by mutual hatred of some people at their school and later, a love of comics.

Now, you might think that a book like this might get depressing. But, the author brings out some humour as well.

"Smoke?"

"No thanks."
"Goody- two shoes." She lights up and makes the pack disappear.
"Nothing goody twoshoes about it. I just happen to have an allergic reaction to cancer. Gives me tumours."

Besides Fanboy and Kyra, the other characters are well developed and realistic.I was worried that his stepfather wasn't really going to be fleshed out-but Barry Lyga managed to show us his character as well.

And, of course, you can't review this book without mentioning comic books. Fanboy loves them. Kyra loves them. And, I'm guessing Barry Lyga loves them. But, YOU don't need to like them to read this novel-I can count the number of comic books I've read on the fingers of one hand and still have, uh..all/most of them left over.

All in all, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, was well-done and I desperately want to read the author's other books.

Guest #1 Reviewer