Reader Responses

"I really, really enjoyed Barry Lyga's novel, Boy Toy.  I wasn't sure if I was going to when I read the summary, mostly because I wanted to hear more about Kyra and Fanboy.  But I found that this novel surpassed my expectations.  I was once again struck by how well Mr. Lyga creates completely believable teenage characters.  I feel as if I am in my high-school when I read his novels; the characters are people I expect to meet when I round the corner.  Their internal turmoil as well as their external voices are spot-on."
-- Giselle (age 19)

"The mechanics of the novel were perfect. I was expecting Boy Toy to be an easy-reading, typical, young adult novel but I couldn’t have been more wrong. This novel should be read by everyone."
-- Holly (age 16)

"I could not put this book down! The greatest thing about Boy Toy is that it's so much more than just a story of a boy who got molested, it's high-school, relationships, baseball, love, fear, friends, family, inner-turmoil, figuring out life and so much more."
-- Amanda (age 19)

"I loved it!  I could not stop reading it from the first day I picked it up. I stayed up one night straight through the night reading this sucker!  It was that addicting."
--Shawn (age 19)

I recently received some reviews from Gretchen Ipock at Sellers Library in Upper Darby, PA. She had some teens read the book and respond to it. Here are some excerpts, but visit here to read more. And to read Caitlin's complete essay (which is really funny and terrific), click here.

• "Although Boy Toy tackles the very current subject of sexual abuse, it should not be relegated to the pile of teen problem novels."
  --Gretchen (YA librarian)
• "I recommend Boy Toy to anyone who enjoys stories about love and difficult truths. Boy Toy has become one of my all-time favorite books."
  --Alexa (age 15)
• "Overall, it was a very interesting read and shows Barry Lyga’s versatility as a writer."
  --Kara (age 17)
• "Boy Toy was my literary poltergeist for the past few days, and it refused to leave me alone until I sat down for a few hours and finally finished it."
  --Caitlin (age 17)

  "...one of the most challenging pieces of young adult literature that I have read in a long time....  Barry Lyga is one of the better YA authors out there."
--Melissa (read the complete review on her MySpace blog)

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Showing comments 1 to 20 of 29 | Next | Last

1

Boy Toy
By: Shawn on Wed June 20, 2007, 19:40:56

I completely agree! I loved Boy Toy! It was a story that all high schoolers can relate to and Barry did a great job about making the book the character. I could not put the book down and was absolutely absorbed and caught up in it and was amazed at how I saw bits of myself, my friends and even stereotypical male and female behavior in the characters! How he captures teenage characters is genius! You must read Boy Toy!

2

Boy Toy
By: Gage Branda on Wed October 24, 2007, 19:02:16

Boy Toy is an amazing book and will definitely will be kept for future re-reading. I can't wait to read your future books.

3

i luv the book
By: desiree on Sun December 09, 2007, 18:46:30

hey i just finished boy toy an i love it!!!im going tot share it with all my friends please write more books!!!

4

Excellent Writing!
By: Kelsi Conner on Wed January 02, 2008, 04:21:37

As a teen, I found Boy Toy and The Adventures of Fanboy and Gothgirl to be extremely accurate! Other books show the -Watered down- version of High school, Barry did a GREAT job of TELLING IT LIKE IT IS! No, Everyone DOESN'T get along ALL THE TIME. Different Cliques make lower cliques on the food chains lives Hell! Thank you for finally letting the truth out!
P.S. Mister Lyga, I Think you would do an excellent job if you wrote a book about Vampires.
Keep up the good work!
KC

5

feelings
By: disha on Mon January 21, 2008, 22:17:22

as i read boytoy i was so amazed by barry lyga's honest writing. i couldn't stop myself ,it was like god i have to finish this book. i felt really bad for josh. all those years when he thought he was in love by eve; it all came crashing down when he faced his paret's divorce news and the true confession out of eve's mouth. it felt like i could hear his heartbreaking and his overwhelming realization of his physical abuse. thank you for a wonderful book with honest and raw feelings of a complex teenager

6

Boy Toy
By: Seth Dellon on Tue February 12, 2008, 12:32:21

"Boy Toy" moved me. I read a lot of books, and write a lot of reviews, but I haven't been affected by a book like I was by "Boy Toy" in a really long time. I wrote two reviews: http://cbeblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/getting-under-cut-off.html and http://822writingcompany.blogspot.com/2008/02/im-dirty-and-so-is-boy-t oy.html

Thank you for writing this and letting me experience it.

7

Amazing
By: Sian on Tue March 04, 2008, 19:26:46

At first i was a little unsure about if i wanted to read this book because of the title, but I was glad I did. It's a great story of truth and love, and I enjoyed it immensley. thanks for a great book!

8

This Outstanding Book
By: Carli on Fri March 21, 2008, 15:41:58

I can't believe how this book can't be #1 best-seller. I love the idea of normal life, how kids can refer to it as something they might have gone through. It makes me feel that one kid isn't the only one, and that any abuse is wrong. Barry Lyga shows how he really feels about it in this book, and I reccomend it to any teenager.

9

Boy Toy
By: Jonathan on Tue March 25, 2008, 20:06:54

Mr. Lyga has done it again! I picked up his first novel randomly off the shelf, because all the shelves in the Young Adult isles seem to be for girls... but TAoFaGG (long abreviation). I loved it. I found this months later, and saw the author. I picked it up, and I loved it. It's real stuff. It's not "Everything's going to be okay." lies. It's life. And Lyga knows what he does. An amazing author, with two, soon three, amazing books.

10

Boy Toy
By: Justin on Wed April 02, 2008, 15:10:42

Boy Toy was a great book to read and it actually is a wonderful book hat can be created into a movie that a lot of kids my age would love to go see and be able to see what they have missed out on. Barry you did a great job with this book! I wish I could have read the one before this one!

11

Undeescribable!!
By: Jessica on Sun April 06, 2008, 23:28:09

I can't even explain how to describe the book...its just to amazing to describe. I know im young, but books like these that have great suspensions keep drawing me into it. I would recommend this to anyone that loves teen drama. I really hope there is going to be a second novel to go with Boy Toy. Maybe give it a twist and have Josh fall back for Eve? Well, all i can say is this book is undescribable!! And its quick and easy to read you get to drawn into it and cannot stop!!

12

Boy Toy
By: Ashley on Thu September 25, 2008, 14:15:27

this has to be hands down my favorite book, i loved everything about it Lyga painted a picture in my mind with his words i could not put the book down i think there should be no age limit for this book it is a great book everybody should read, male or female
this book i excpected a teenage love story something corney but i was way wrong the book is a re-reading type of book i plan to make it part of my home library. Barry pppppppppppppppllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! write more great books. i can't wait to read ur other one about Kyra and Fanboy i know its going to be good,

13

Boy Toy
By: Chelsea on Sat September 27, 2008, 20:59:55

Im gonna be honest..i got half way through the book and refused to read anymore. Just the vision and thought of a boy that young and his teacher was just to far for me. I think it goes too much into detail for me.

14

Boy Toy
By: Richard Torres on Tue September 30, 2008, 12:38:29

You may have read this soo0o0o0o0o0o many times but Boy Toy was amazing!!! Every gripping detail, I loved it!!!!!!! From the begining I was take'n in by the story line.
Thank you so much for writing this book.
It was truely amazing

15

Excrutiatingly Ravishing
By: Caroline on Wed November 26, 2008, 23:22:06

There are really no words to express how amazing Barry Lyga's words are. He blends the normal bits of life that are glossed over in writing with deeper truths that make most people squimish. The flickers give a slow-dawning horror in the first part of the book before the flashbacks shove the truth in your face. By the end of his encounter with Eve, I completely shared Josh's sentiments: "Oh. My. God."

16

Boy Toy
By: Michael on Wed February 04, 2009, 19:38:46

This book was freakin awesome..... I will tell people to read this book

17

Review
By: Marie on Wed March 18, 2009, 17:16:25

OH MY GOD, i loved this book!
It is painful yet enlighting.
An amazing read!!

18

Review
By: Marie on Wed March 18, 2009, 17:17:03

OH MY GOD, i loved this book!
It is painful yet enlighting.
An amazing read!!

19

Wonderful and Thought Provoking Book
By: Justin B. on Sun May 31, 2009, 21:26:04

Most would greet this novel's subject matter with discernment or with chagrin, rather than read this book. But before judging it harshly, please be aware Barry Lyga handles the issue of sexual abuse with great care. Before delving into the book, I had my own reasons for not reading the novel. Yet some issues such as the sexual abuse of minors is definitely relevant and crucial for a time where sex offenders are prevalent. And where the psychological damage reaped upon the victim can really effect one's life.

Towards the beginning of the book we are thrown into the main character Josh's memory of unintentionally trying to rape his friend, Rachael within a dark closet . From the onset, we become aware of the confusion within Josh's mind surrounding the fragility of one's innocence and how a more mature adult's sexual advances can greatly distort someone's ability to understand the emotional damages which results from uncontentious sexual activity.

After the intense first chapter, the story advances five years to Josh's senior year of high school where he's fighting between trying to get into MIT and accepting the recent release of Eve. The teacher whom had sexually abused him so many years ago. The manner which Barry Lyga progresses the story is definitely a feat to marvel. Instead of introducing memories of Josh's past abruptly. He smoothly transitions between a confrontation between the Rachel on the ball field into the first time he experiences sexual feelings towards his teachers. Whether unconsciously or awaringly, Lyga reflects that Josh never recieves clarity with his thoughts toward sexual intercourse. Within his past, he was blind to the sanctity of the act and later in life, he becomes apprehensive of the possible repercussions which may occur through uncontentious sex.

Lyga never allows the drama to weigh us down and expertdly lightens the mood when appropriate with Zik's puns. Just as with Joss Whedon, Lyga's able to convey the trauma of Josh's psyche and his struggle towards redeeming his past wrongs and healing his fears of sex. The story's truly a gem within the Young Adult section and hopefully the book becomes a staple in middle school, since the issue's as relevant and crucial as it will always be.

20

amazing
By: graceandhearts on Thu July 02, 2009, 17:06:28

I read this book in three days, I actually adored it. It was amazing, I couldnt put it down. I've always wanted to write like that, its so impressive. I loved every page. I normally hate sports, and find it incredibly boring to read. however, the baseball in this book, didn't bore me once. I actually enjoyed it. I honestly think this book should be made into a movie, I know I would see it. So good, one of the best books I've read.

Showing comments 1 to 20 of 29 | Next | Last