Module 4 - Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL

Bibliographic Information

•           Lyga, B. (2006). The astonishing adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Summary
Fanboy is the school geek who reads lots of comics (perhaps a substitute for Lyga himself?) who is trying to find where he fits in as his few friends abandon him, his family is broken and angry, and he begins to lose himself in the world of comics.  He believes he is alone when he realizes the dream of every teenage comics fan - he meets a girl who loves comics too, is just as lonely and broken as him but is far rougher around the edges.  There is a lot of language used by Goth Girl, so this book is totally inappropriate for anyone below strong middle school readers and up.  Fanboy has lots of choices to make, for better or worse.

My Impressions
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl got my attention with the cute title.  Sounded like a takeoff on an Indiana Jones movie or something.  The book is by Barry Lyga, whom I have not read anything before.  Lyga read and wrote comics most of his life, and it shows in this book. Like the main character in The Dreamer, Fanboy is another character who lives in a state of altered reality where comics are more appealing to him than real life.  Goth Girl seems to be almost like a comic, since she is so defined that she offends the readers belief that she might actually exist.  She is like a dream/nightmare for him, in that she is his first crush that is real, but is so rough and dark.  Neither one is a good role model for kids, but the story is engaging and enjoyable.

Reviews
Korson, S. (2007). The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. [Review of The astonishing adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, by B. Lyga]. Library Media Connection, 25(7), 81.

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

Library Usage

Finding a usage outside of regular circulation for this book would be a challenge.  The language is so graphic and offensive that reading it aloud is out of the question.  Perhaps it could be selectively used to discuss losing one's self in a story, or even to create a comic that represents a student using an online tool like ComicMaster.org.uk where students can create an appropriate graphic novel with action, text, special effects and music.