The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (2006), a work of young adult fiction by Barry Lyga, shares a universe and setting with Lyga’s other novels, with small details looming larger in other stories.

The narrator, on the bus to school, reflects on the current state of his life, his parents divorced, his mother pregnant and married to a man he refers to as his “step-fascist,” and his desire to acquire a rare comic book. His mother refers to him as Donnie, but he hates the name. He has one close friend, a black boy named Cal. Although they initially connected over comic books, Cal has joined the lacrosse team and is drifting away from the interests they share. Donnie carries a bullet with him as a talisman; he finds it comforting and sometimes fantasizes about a school shooting. He also keeps lists in his head of all the people he wishes would leave him alone or go away, which is practically everybody.

At school, he is harassed during gym by a bully, Mitchell Frampton. Mitchell punches Donnie in the same place on his arm every day, creating a permanent bruise. Donnie does nothing to defend himself or to stop the abuse. He sees a glimpse of black and white in the bleachers. At night, Donnie works on his graphic novel, Schemata, his creative outlet and his main hope of escaping his life. He wants to bring it to a local comic convention and show it to his favorite author, Brian Micheal Bendis, in the hope that Bendis will be impressed and offer to help him get it published.

A few days and a few punches later, Donnie gets a text message from Promethea387, asking why he allows Mitchell to keep hitting him. The message includes a photo of Mitchell hitting Donnie and an offer to help if Donnie wants to report the bully. Recognizing the name Promethea from a comic book, Donnie agrees to meet the sender. This turns out to be a Goth girl, dressed in black and wearing white makeup. Kyra is profane and aggressive in her dislike of the school and most of the people there. She calls Donnie Fanboy because she disdains his taste in comic books, but she admires his stoic approach to being bullied. They also bond over a shared fantasy of murdering everyone in school. Kyra drives Fanboy home in a car she says she borrowed from her sister.

The next day, Kyra picks him up in a different car, which she also says she borrowed from her sister. She shows Fanboy the scars from a suicide attempt. Fanboy talks her out of ramming a car with an offensive bumper sticker. The next day, she picks him up in yet another car, and Fanboy tells her about Schemata and his plan to go to the convention on Saturday. Kyra is supportive, but at school, Cal informs Fanboy that the lacrosse team has made the playoffs and he wants Fanboy to come to the game on Saturday, telling him that he can go to another convention. Kyra secretly tells Cal that Fanboy is gay in a ploy to make Cal leave Fanboy alone so they can go to the convention.

Fanboy and Kyra attend the convention, but things do not go as Fanboy had hoped. The autograph line for Brian Michael Bendis is very long, and Fanboy realizes he won’t be able to explain his graphic novel properly. Kyra flashes Bendis, and the convention is a disaster. Kyra’s behavior becomes more alarming to Fanboy, who is falling in love with her. He begins to suspect she might be contemplating another suicide attempt. He discovers that she doesn’t have a sister and has been stealing cars—although she returns them with a full tank of gas when she’s done. When Fanboy realizes Kyra hasn’t come to school, he searches for her frantically, finding out her home phone by pretending he needs his step-father’s number because his mother is giving birth. He and Kyra’s father find Kyra, and Kyra is so upset that Fanboy went to her father, she kicks him in the groin in a rage. Kyra is put into the hospital for treatment.

Cal’s season ends and the two friends reconnect. Knowing that Cal will always have different interests, Fanboy decides he’s okay with that. He begins publishing Schemata in the school newspaper, receiving a good reaction. At home, he sees his stepfather in a different light and asks his mother if he can feel the baby kick in her belly. Admitting that he has a pretty good home life, all things considered, he credits Kyra with helping him find himself.