Realism, Romance and Censorship

Bibliography
Lyga, Barry. 2007. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Boston: Graphia, Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-618-72392-7






Plot Summary
Fanboy is a fifteen year old comic book geek who is writing his own graphic novel and has only one friend. he meets Goth Girk, Kyra, and the two form a friendship that causes Fanboy to learn about himself and his relationships with his family and peers.

Critical Analysis
This book was a good story about a teenage boy who learns more about himself and his relationships with his family, friends and peers. The title was a bit misleading though. I was expecting crazy adventures that Fanboy and Goth Girl would have not a story about a teenage boy as he struggles with his relationships with family, friends and peers. Despite the misleading title, the story and writing are good. Stephanie L. Petruso writes in her review for School Library Journal that "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." It is a good book to hook fans of graphic novels and help those readers cross that bridge to stories that are told all in text.

The story was published in 2007 and is already a tad bit outdated. Goth Girl has a cell phone that can take pictures and characters communicate electronically but through Instant Message on the computer. Most teenagers today have their own cell phones and communicate via text on phones.

The narrator, Fanboy, is good character with all the thoughts, emotions, fears and anxiety of a teenage boy. Goth Girl was also an interesting character but her character was not as developed and left me wanting to know more about her and what was behind all her words and actions. Barry Lyga did write a book about her, Goth Girl Rising, with Kyra as the narrator, where readers can learn more about Kyra.


Review References
Petrusso, Stephanie L. School Library Journal v52 no11 (Nov. 2006)

Lyga, Barry. 2011 Goth Girl Rising. Boston: Graphia. ISBN 978-0547403083






Bibliography
Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2007. Twisted. New York: Penguin Books.
ISBN 978-0-670-06101-3







Plot Summary
Tyler is a seventeen year old boy who must endure some trials and tribulations during his journey to becoming a man.

Critical Analysis
This is another coming of age novel. Tyler is having problems with his family relationships and relationships with friends and peers. Laurie Halse Anderson gave Tyler a voice that sounds very much like a teenage boy, full of sarcasm and angst. He is an intersting character. He doesn't know what to do or where to go when he is having problems in his life. He has to figure everything out on his own. It is a minor character, who makes a brief appearance that gives Tyler a few words of wisdom that gives him the courage to turns his life around. Tyler finally decides to face his fears and confronts his tormenters in life and alls well and ends well.

While the writing is good, full of methaphors and analogies and a voice that would appeal to most teenage boys, I was expecting a more "twisted" character. The "foul deed" that starts Tyler descent into despair really wasn't that foul in my opinion. I expected something much more sinister, not graffiti. I expected a truly twisted character, not a character experiencing a life of a little bit of bullying and depression. Tyler comes from a two parent, middle class household. Tyler's main problem seems to be that he is in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets blamed for the bad consquences that result from other's poor decisions. The story does delve into typical teenage issues of bullying, underage drinking, internet postings, depression and suicide. It was sad that there was no one in his life that Tyler felt he could talk to about what was going on his life and that he comtemplated suicide. "‘Twisted’ is a story that allows boys their sensitivity. Guys may not admit they need such stories, but they do." John Green wrote in his review for the New York Times. Tyler's story is one that most teenage boys could indentify with because he expresses all those insecurities and angst that they may be feeling but don't know how to express.

Awards
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults
International Reading Association Top Ten of 2007
International Reading Association's Young Adultsí Choices List
New York Times Bestseller List
YALSA Teen Top Ten of 2008
Nominated to 12 state reading award lists

Review References
The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 22 (June 3 2007) p. 35
John Green, reviewer




Bibliography
Peters, Julie Anne. 2004. Luna. NewYork: Little Brown and Compnay.
ISBN 0-316-73369-5






Plot Summary
Regan's brother Liam was born to the wrong gender. Regean is the only one who knows his secret true self, Luna. He wants to transistion from male to female. Liam is ready to reveal his true self to his family and friends.

Critical Analysis
This is a touching story that deals with a very controversial topic, transexuality. The story is told in first person narative through the viewpoint of Regan, Liam/Luna's sister. Regan is dealing with her own insecurities with school and herself plus trying to keep Liam's secret and protect him/her from prejudism and ridicule. Cindy Welch writes in her review for Booklist "Peters isn't putting forward a political agenda here. Rather, she's bringing the circumstances surrounding a difficult situation to light, and her sensitively drawn characters realistically encompass a wide range of reactions"

I like how Peter's used Regan as the narrator to tell Liam/Luna's story. It allows young readers to learn more about transexuality without it hitting full force. Transexuality is a very controversial subject and Peters wrote about with sensitivity and explains the difference between homosexuality and transexuality. The use of flashbacks to describe experiences and explain things gives more depth and understanding of the characters of Regan and Liam/Luna.

This book about a transgender teen was considered groundbreaking for young adult literature. In addition to that, the writing and style are good and gives the reader a view of a tough and sensitive topic and it's effects on an individual and family.




Awards
2004 National Book Award Finalist in Young People’s Literature

2005 Stonewall Honor Book, awarded by the GLBTQ Round Table of the American Library Association

An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults 2005

2005 Colorado Book Award for Young Adult Literature

2005 Lambda Literary Award Finalist

2004 Borders Original Voices Award Finalist

Nominated for the „Buxtehuder Bulle“, a distinguished prize in literature for young people in Germany

Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2004, Books for Great Teens

Michigan Library Association 2005 Thumbs Up! Award Nominee

Rhode Island Teen Book Award 2006 Nominee

Missouri Gateway Book Award 2006 Nominee

Vermont Green Mountain Book Award 2006 Nominee

New York Public Library Books for the Teen-Age List 2005

An Original Voices selection by Borders Books and Music. Original Voices recognizes innovative and ambitious books from new and emerging talents, as well as outstanding works from established authors.

2004 Book Sense Summer Reading List for Teens

An ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

2007 New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee

2007 Best Young Adult Fiction Award from the China Times in Taiwan

2009 Great Stories CLUB, chosen by the American Library Association. The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens and Books) is a reading and discussion program designed to reach underserved and at-risk youth through books that are relevant to their lives.


Review References
Booklist v. 100 no. 21 (July 2004) p. 1834, reviewer Cindy Welch