Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

Title: Boy Toy
Author: Barry Lyga
Year of Publication: 2009
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 416

First Line: -- (Don't have the book on me, sorry!)

Summary: Josh Mendel has a secret. Unfortunately, everyone knows what it is.

Five years ago, Josh’s life changed. Drastically. And everyone in his school, his town—seems like the world—thinks they understand. But they don’t—they can’t. And now, about to graduate from high school, Josh is still trying to sort through the pieces. First there’s Rachel, the girl he thought he’d lost years ago. She’s back, and she’s determined to be part of his life, whether he wants her there or not.Then there are college decisions to make, and the toughest baseball game of his life coming up, and a coach who won’t stop pushing Josh all the way to the brink. And then there’s Eve. Her return brings with it all the memories of Josh’s past. It’s time for Josh to face the truth about what happened.

If only he knew what the truth was . . .

Source: Amazon

Review: Like The Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, Boy Toy handles some tough stuff.  Lyga is a master at writing topics that are difficult in a way that is realistic, but still sensitive.  The way the story is woven keeps the reader interested and, even when the reader knows what's going to happen, they still don't quite believe it.  Lyga's style is easy to read and gives the reader plenty of time to think about what has been written.  His characters are well-rounded and the story is atypical for the specific genre.  This was an excellent book, though I would not recommend it to younger teen readers, as there are some graphic scenes and plenty of obscenities.  For people who are unable to handle child molestation or inappropriate relations, this book is not for you.

Worst part: Something about Josh and Rachel's relationship didn't feel right.

Best part:  Weaving in a scene from TAoFBaGG was really cool.

Grade: A+

Other Books by This Author: The Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, Goth Girl Rising, Hero-Type, Wolverine: Worst Day Ever, Archvillain: The Series, Mangaman

Author's Website: Barry Lyga