Customer Reviews

Goth Girl Rising

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Goth Girl is back...and she's not happy. After spending six months in a mental hospital, Kyra (aka Goth Girl) has done a lot of thinking. But when she arrives back home, everything is different --- and not in a good way. Her friend/potential love interest Donnie (aka Fanboy) has gone from a nobody comic nerd to a school celebrity with the publication of his graphic novel Schemata in the school literary magazine. So this is why he was too busy to come see her when she was locked away? Goth Girl is angry. There is only one solution: vengeance.

GOTH GIRL RISING is the sequel to Barry Lyga's debut YA novel, THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL, which was told from the perspective of Fanboy. We're now back in Brookdale, but this time, we're seeing things through Goth Girl's point of view, which is as bumpy as a joyride in one of her stolen cars.

As mentioned, the novel opens with Goth Girl being released from a mental hospital. For those new to the series, she was committed after her father learned of her theft of one Fanboy's bullets. If it weren't for Fanboy and his big mouth, he never would have found out, and she wouldn't have gotten locked up for six whole months. And it's not like she was going to use the bullet...even if it was considered her second suicide attempt.

Now back at school, Kyra feels like nobody missed her, not even Fanboy with his swarm of newfound fans. Plus, her father --- whom she calls Roger --- is even more overprotective than ever. As Kyra attempts to ease back into her world, she acts out in her typical rebellious ways: smoking, cursing, car-thieving, and thwarting any authority figure who comes her way. She even reinvents her entire look, going from all black to all white, which her Goth friends embrace, showing the influence she has on them. She also focuses her hurt and anger by concocting a series of revenge schemes aimed at embarrassing Fanboy.

But the thing is, Fanboy acts nicer than ever. In fact, when he realizes Kyra is back at school, he seems thrilled to see her. So what's a girl to do? Hold on to a grunge and embrace the anger, or succumb to the feelings that tell her maybe she's interested in Fanboy as more than just a friend? But how can she love a person who has hurt her so badly?

Through a series of poems interspersed throughout the book, the reader travels further and further into the mind of Kyra, learning --- and perhaps understanding --- why she does what she does. In these poems, Kyra addresses her mother's lost battle to cancer, bringing us right back to the hospital deathbed and her raw emotional upheaval at that time when she was just 14. The author uses these poems to great effect, truly helping the reader to delve into the mind and soul of this troubled teenaged girl.

While being inside Goth Girl's mind is often unsettling --- at one point she even blames her father for her mother's death --- Lyga does an excellent job of shedding more light on an unforgettable character. She may be one of the most unlikable characters I've read recently, but with his masterful storytelling, Lyga helps reveal the mysteries behind the madness in a very entertaining sequel.

--- Reviewed by Kristi Olson

I have to say Barry Lyga did a fantastic job asking the hard questions especially when it comes to teenage girls and their appearances with out sounding.... well like a guy. This book evolved from his first novel into something, well more. Kyra in the first novel is just two demential, and not in a bad way either. She is always angry and we can't figure out why, I mean we know she's had it rough and is angry but not the actual reason behind her anger. I think her character in the first book needed to be 2D because Fanboy needed a flat place to start from, then to rise above and beyond.

In Goth Girl Rising I expected something a little light like in Fanboy (Fanboy wasn't light it dealt with suicide and bullets right? Wrong it was still a lighter tone, no one actually gets hurt) Here we see Kyra's brain, her inner workings and man does Lyga do an amazing job in showing the disjointed thought patterns of a 16 year old girl who isn't sure if she is depressed, angry, rebellious or just acting out. That's the truth, I read another review where the reviewer was all angry about how Lyga made Kyra depressed and a stereotyped goth.... wow I can only say.... did we read the same book? I think all of us have been depressed at a certain point and can relate, but Kyra was confused not just depressed. She wasn't a goth, she was trying to find herself. Though out the entire book she undergoes radical changes in appearance and thought, do you remember what it was like to be her age? To go through what she's gone through?

I can't imagine disappearing from school for six months and not receiving emails or txts about what's going on in the world, then suddenly being dropped into it and expected to cope. In the novel Kyra does a fantastic job of going down her own path to discover and explore who she is and who she wants to be. All these paths are laid out before her, she could be slutty and looking for attention like her friend Simone, she could look for comfort in the wrong places like Jecca, she could go down the same path as 14 year old Kyra did, or she can make a new one.

Also one last thing, this isn't a feel good self discovery book, it is painful and realistic, so don't expect sugar coated therapy words driveling from her mouth. Excellent story!

Kyra, also known as Goth Girl, has been in a mental institution after a failed suicide attempt. Her mother died of cancer when she was only twelve and her father never got over the loss and it's greatly affected his relationship with his daughter.

She's out now and when she looks up her nerdy boyfriend, she finds out he's popular now and she's pretty upset with him, not only because he's changed and become part of the in crowd she so dislikes, but because he never contacted her when she was locked away. So she decides to ruin his life.

I really liked this book, but I'm hard pressed to say why. It was well written and a good story, but I didn't like the characters very much, especially Kyra. They grated on me. Still, the mark of a good book is one you can't put down and I couldn't put this one down. I didn't like the characters, but I believed in them and that's what counts.

GOTH GIRL RISING

When I was looking around for something to get a while back I came across this book here. The title was interesting and the cover made it look cool so it kinda had my attention. Was I read what it was about I decided it may be something my girl would like so I got it. She read it and liked it but informed me it was sequel to another book. That book was "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl". She of course wants the first one so she can truly understand what is going on in this one. I of course still had to check it out even with out reading the first one.

I don't really know much about the first book but this one picks up some months afterwards. It seems Goth Girl was in a mental hospital and is now being released, but she wants something. That something is to know what is up with Fanboy who did not come to see her. Turns out he is living large amongst the free as he made the comic she helped him with get published and out there. So of course this can not go unpunished in her mind, and off we go. She is angry at the world coming out of that place and lets it be known as we read from her point of view.

There is a lot that happens in this book from plotting on Fanboy who seems like he is still there for her, to rebelling against her overbearing father. She switches up everything about her and is torn between hate and love for certain people. But out of everything I think the most interesting thing is the stuff about her mother. Her mother died of cancer which I can relate to a lot right now. Maybe that is why I seem to connect a little bit with this portion of the book. I lost my mom after she battled against various forms of cancer for 13 years, also happening in Maryland.

This book is still for the teen readers, didn't know that at first but oh well it was a good story. I do in fact recommend this book to all young readers because they will identify with it a lot I am sure. Especially the female readers because of how the story is told, she seemed to enjoy it a lot so that is a plus. I need to go back and read the first one then maybe I can truly enjoy this one. Until then this is a good book that any one who reads it should enjoy.

"It's my life and I'll do what I want. It's my mind and I'll think what I want." -- Eric Burdon with the Animals, 1966

I saw this on the Vine and knew I had to read this, although I have not yet read "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl". Once I read this, I ordered it as well as "Boy Toy" as the main characters get a brief nod in this book. Barry Lyga is an author to watch for!

Kyra, 14 is discovering her identity. Her mother died of lung cancer and her father, unable to handle her anger and aggression and acting out had her committed to a hospital. It is while she was serving time in the hospital that she is branded DCHH by the nurses - Daddy Couldn't Handle Her. Kyra's doctor is a likable character. He is honest with Kyra and makes it plain he does not condone the nurses talking that way about any patient. He acknowledges her anger and that she has good grounds for it.

"Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime/But some day, I'll treat you real fine" seems to be Fanboy's response to Kyra's "Are you gonna cry/When I'm squeezing them dry?
Taking all I can get, no regrets/When I openly lie (ha)!" Indeed, Eric Burdon & the Animals' 1966 classic "It's My Life" could easily be the soundtrack of this book.

Kyra, once released continues her Long & Winding Road to self discovery and self destruction. She is branded a goth by her dress, musical taste and behavior and the friends she has. Simone and Jecca are interesting characters as well. Simone is sexually active and urges Kyra to be as well; Jecca and Kyra kiss passionately, leaving Kyra wondering what her orientation is.

Confused, angry and cutting edge, Kyra gives back as good as she gets. She shaves her head and steals cars. Roger, Kyra's desperate father keeps no sharp objects in the house including razors after Kyra slashed her wrists prior to her hospital admission. Ever resourceful, Kyra buys a razor and shaves her head. Gone are the black clothes, replaced with white to create the "post-goth" look, as she describes herself. Kyra, always in search of individuality resents her two friends joining in on her "post-gothic" look.

Kyra is a fascinating character. She is not afraid to speak her mind, even if the timing is most inopportune and where she stands to lose the most. She tells her English teacher in quite crude terms that she does not want to accept her offer of friendship; she gives the principal a funny, albeit rude nickname and her online chats with her friends are borderline funny. The good thing is that this is a very plausible story with very hard, cutting edge characters.

Fanboy, Kyra's old friend/nemesis has incurred her wrath. Seizing on his penchant for drawing graphic comics, she plots her revenge against him with a razor sharp acuity that is .... painful.

Kyra's biggest problem seems to be failing to tell people why they have angered her. She resents her crowd for not writing to her during her sentence in the hospital and she is furious with her father, whom she calls Roger.

Many adult issues are intertwined throughout this story and Lyga's serious, gritty, cutting edge style is somewhat reminiscent of Chris Crutcher's novels. Both are gifted authors who keep their readers riveted, avidly reading their works to the end. Both give fresh voices to their characters and deal head on with some very serious topics without diminishing the intensity of the feelings by using euphemisms.

While this book is aimed at a slightly older than the middle school crowd, I still think all young adults will enjoy this. Issues such as drug and alcohol use; adult sexuality; death; suicide attempts; hospitalization; theft and raw language are explored in this book. Despite Kyra's gothic bravado, she takes pride in not using the "eff" word, although she is no verbal Puritan. Barring that word, she is not shy about using other expletives and even making explicit demands. This is an excellent book that will speak to anybody who feels Doubt rearing its head, casting doubts about fitting in.

I have to start out by noting that I did not read the first book, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. After finishing Goth Girl Rising, I ordered it.

This is a fascinating book about a girl inadvertantly discovering who she really is, why she's so angry, and what she really wants. Kyra, the Gothgirl of the title, learns a lot about the people around her, and she learns a lot about herself. This is a really interesting book about that process of self-discovery. She really learns the most about herself and others when she is not trying. That's
a big part of the charm of the book.

I'll touch on the plot. Kyra gets out of a mental hospital. She was sent there because 'Daddy Couldn't Handle Her.' She was even labelled with the acronym (DCHH) in the hospital. She is angry about that. She is angry because Daddy (Roger) sent her to the hospital. She is angry at Fanboy because he informed on her, which got her sent to the hospital. She is angry because at many of her friends because they went on while she was away. She is just plain angry at a large number of people. She repeatedly claims that she tells people the blunt harsh truth, and she often does. Ironically, she is not good at telling these people WHY she is angry at them. Particularly, she does not tell Fanboy why she is angry with him.

She hatches an intricate plot 'to destroy' him. Any more than that, and I ruin the plot.

There are many mature issues in this book, and some inappropriate language. ((Ironically, Krya prides herself on not saying the F-word, but uses just about every other term.)) Issues discussed include teen responses to death of parents, use of drugs (particularly marijuana) and alcohol, car theft, underage sex (not described in detail), sexual identity issues, SUICIDE, and children intimating sexual accusations against adults.

Despite all of this, I think that Goth Girl Rising is a good book. It is clearly a book intended for the older "Young Adult" readers. I would want to have 2 copies and read this 'side-by-side' with a teen. I think it's not just a teen girl book. It's a good book for any young person who feels like they're on the outside looking in.

Finally getting around to re-reviewing this book again after Amazon deleted (or did not publish) my original review. Apologies for the lack of in-depth discussion with this one. The original review was much more detailed. Unfortunately, I didn't think to save it somewhere else, thus this exceptionally abbreviated version.

I was hoping to enjoy this book. I went through a Goth period back in the day... but there was little, if anything, that I could relate to with "Goth Girl". Try as I might, I couldn't feel the empathy or sympathy needed to truly get behind the character and get transported into the book. What a heard was a lot of whining. Maybe it's because I'm an "older" reviewer and have accumulated enough life experiences that hers were "meh"... But I don't think that's the case. Being Goth doesn't equate being whiney and anti-social.

Can't back it up. I suggest looking elsewhere for good reads.

This book was a change from what I usually read. It is a study on human psychology, showing how adults and children all make mistakes that are similar and even predictable.

Kyra is junior, likes to dress in all black and was just release for the second time from a mental institution. She is angry at her father for putting her there, angry at Fanboy for calling her father and telling her that she was a "suicide wanabe" and angry at her mother for dying of cancer. Kyra is a scary rebellious girl on the outside and seems to even fool herself into thinking she is strong. Daily fights with her father, wild parties with her two best friends, and stealing cars (since she doesn't have a license) keep her busy and on an emotional roller coaster.

This book is artfully written. I almost stopped reading after the first few chapters, but it was worth it in the end. The story unfolds like a poem, and you begin understanding the characters. Kyra is mean, brash, and lashes out at everyone, but you can't help but love her. I am reluctant to write more as it would spoil the book for readers, but once you get past the cursing, it is a great book

This book was astonishing. really explaining how someone could hate and love at the same time.

Prior to reading this book I had only read short stories by Barry Lyga, yet this book exceeded all expectations. It is incredibly witty, full of surprises and unique tools. I picked up this book because the cover and title attracted my attention. I had read one of Barry's stories in Geektastic and since then I wanted to pursue some more of his writings. I was expecting a story of revenge, anger and destruction. What I got was a story about life, love, loss and change.

Kyra Sellers has just spent six months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit. While she was gone, life seems to have gone on for her friends. But now she is back, back in black, back at school and plotting how to get revenge. Fanboy is going down and so is anybody who gets in her way. If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, then Goth Girl takes that that fury and amps it up.

The writing in this story is incredible. One of my favorite features is Kyra's letters to Neil Gaiman. Interspersed throughout the book are letters from Kyra, written, but without the intention of being sent. This is the story of Kyra's goal of revenge and her self-discovery along the way, so that revenge was amazing to watch. This book was so well written that I have picked up all of Barry's other books and plan on reading them soon.