Lyga, Barry. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Boston: Graphia, 2007. Print.
Summary
Donnie is a gifted high-schooler who's having a terrible time of it both at school, where he is relentlessly bullied, and at home, with his pregnant, high-strung mother and "step-fascist." He sees his only out of this miserable life is his graphic novel, Schemata, about a schoolteacher with superpowers. When he befriends, Kyra another loner who dubs him "Fanboy" (and he dubs her "Goth Girl" in return), he finds he might have to be the superhero in real life.
My Impressions
I'll come right out with it and admit this book made me very uneasy at first. When the narrator started fantasizing about taking the school hostage, I was sure the book was headed in a very tragic direction. Instead, the author chose to make it a very emotional and quite entertaining at times story about one teen loner's journey into understanding those around him better. As an author myself, I loved Donnie talking about his own creative process in creating Schemata, and I wish it was real. With bullying tragically making the news once again, this is a timely read for teens and adults about how one person handles it.
What Other Reviewers Said
6-8 9-12 This novel will strike a timely chord with any student who feels bullied or ostracized. 15-year-old Fanboy is a comic book infatuated genius who lives with his divorced and pregnant mother and the “step-fascist.” The only good thing going for him is the graphic novel he is creating. When classmates pick on him for no apparent reason, he creates “The List,” and daydreams of a school shooting. It is not until he meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, that he starts to learn how to act around others. The loneliness and pain are captured so vividly that his daydreams become understandable, which contrasts well to his discovery that he isn’t so hated and that other people have needs, too. Kyra’s intense issues added to the novel, and the lack of bloodshed was a pleasant surprise. It was disappointing to this reviewer when Kyra and Fanboy blackmailed the assistant principal, and “The List” was never addressed. However, the believability of the characters and the topic will
be a sure hit with readers and definitely provide food for thought. Librarians should be aware of strong language. Recommended. - Spencer Korson, Media Specialist, Bullock Creek High School & Middle School, Midland, Michigan (1)
Gr 9 Up -On good days, Fanboy is invisible to the students at his high school. On bad ones, he's a target for bullying and violence. When a classmate is cruel to him, Fanboy adds him to "The List" and moves on. His only real friend, Cal, is a jock who can't be seen with him in public. Their love of comics, though, keeps them close friends outside of school. Reading comics and writing his own graphic novel, Schemata, are the only things that keep him sane. He dreams of showing his work to a famous author at a comic-book convention and being discovered as the next great graphic novelist. When Goth Girl Kyra IMs him with photos of him being beaten up, he's skeptical. Why does she care what happens to him? He learns, though, that she's as much an outsider as he is. The two form a tentative friendship based on hatred of their classmates, particularly jocks, and her interest in Schemata. Fanboy is a rule follower, but Kyra is a rebel with a foul mouth. She teaches him to stand up for himself, and gives him the confidence to do it. Lyga looks at how teens are pushed to their limits by society. Though he toys with such concepts as teen suicide and Columbine-like violence, the novel never turns tragic. His love of comics carries over into all three teen characters, breathing animation into a potentially sad but often funny story. This is a great bridge book for teens who already like graphic novels. By Stephanie L. Petruso, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Odenton, MD (2)
Suggested Activity
Team students up to draw and write a short graphic novel that details what happens next for the characters.
Other Actvities
(1) Korson, Spencer. "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl." Library Media Connection 25.7 (2007): 81. Computer Source. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.
(2) Petruso, Stephanie L. "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl." School Library Journal 52.11 (2006): 141. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment