Sometimes people say nice things about me. Here’s a sampling.

Kentucky Colonel certificate

Document proclaiming Barry Lyga a Kentucky Colonel

Praise for Bang:

Junior Library Guild medal

A Selection of the Junior Library Guild!

  • An Amazon Pick for Best YA Novel of Spring 2017!
  • The New York Times: “Lyga captures the heartbreak of Sebastian’s Bang hardcoversituation with sensitivity and compassion, exploring how a life can be unfairly defined by just one action, how it’s tragically easy to ignore humanity in favor of a headline, and just what communication, love and sharing the truth can do, especially when it comes to forgiving oneself.”
  • Entertainment Weekly: “Affecting, and unfortunately timely, Bang is a read that’s worth your inevitable heartbreak.”
Praise for Boy Toy:

Winner of the 2007 Cybil Award

50 Best YA logo

One of the 50 Best YA Novels of All Time

  • The New York Times: “…takes one of the more uncomfortable themes of Boy Toy coveryoung adult literature…and pushes it past the genre’s farthest boundaries. This is an upsetting, intense, intricately drawn portrait.”
  • VOYA: “Lyga again skillfully captures the turbulent world of high school…. Kudos for another incredible read.” (starred review)
  • Kirkus: “Deftly weaving together a painful confession and ambiguous ending, Lyga’s dynamic writing style creates an emotionally wrenching and haunting tale.” (starred review)
Praise for I Hunt Killers:

Winner of the Kentucky Bluegrass Award

A Georgia Peach Honor Book

A Bram Stoker Award Nominee

  • VOYA: “Lyga brilliantly combines the feel of a true crime story with I Hunt Killers novel covermystery, adventure, and psychoanalysis in this intense story of a different kind of family bond.” (starred review)
  • Publishers Weekly: ” a taut, gory tale that can easily stand on its own as an adult thriller, with a large group of suspects and plenty of red herrings.” (starred review)
Praise for The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl:
  • USAToday: “While comic fans will appreciate references to Brian MichaelNorth American hardcover Bendis, Alan Moore and the like, others will be transfixed by Lyga’s deadpan yet heartfelt tale of romance and ambition. The book is an entertaining read no matter what age you are, especially if you’re a fan of sarcastic high-school tales and/or comic-book references.”
  • Booklist: “…sharply authentic…” (starred review)
  • Newsday: “Here is a novel that contains both the hopeful resilience of childhood and the shadow of despair. It takes graphic novels seriously as an art form and gives no easy answers. What a find.”