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    The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl: A Novel

    Written by Barry Lyga

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own special hell. The bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboy's new little brother or sister.

    Fanboy, though, has a secret: a graphic novel he's been working on without telling anyone, a graphic novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and-most important of all-a way out of the crappy little town he lives in and away from all the people who make it hell for him. When Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, he finds an outrageous, cynical girl who shares his love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies.

    But Kyra has secrets, too. And they could lead Fanboy to his dreams . . . or down a path into his own darkness.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMar 6, 2007
    ISBN9780739346945
    Unavailable
    The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl: A Novel
    Author

    Barry Lyga

    Barry Lyga is a recovering comic book geek and the author of many books, including The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, Goth Girl Rising, Boy Toy, and Hero-Type for HMH, Wolverine: Worst Day Ever for Marvel Books, and Archvillian for Scholastic. He has also written comic books about everything from sword-wielding nuns to alien revolutionaries. He worked as marketing manager at Diamond Comic Distributers for ten years. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.Visit Barry online at www.barrylyga.com.

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    Reviews for The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

    3.5/5

    409 ratings42 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      The chliche is all in the title, and while you'll find a nothing "new" in this story, what you will find are astonishingly REAL charcters and excellent writing. All the trials and tribulations of high school are present: broken families, moving neighborhoods, social awkwardness, authority issues, self-confidence issues, isolation, "risky" behavior, etc. Its all there. The story is in the first person "Donnie" narrative, so you get into his head quickly and it is a smart working, clear cut mind too; Donnie is very relatable. He is also and egocentric whiner. I've always disliked the "Geek=Wimp" synonym, because its NOT synonymous (there's a whole Geek Spectrum) but what's amazing is this book shows you very clearly how Donnie realizes this and grows into a better person. Some of the end bits were somewhat of a stretch, all super-predictable plot tools, but they are extremely well presented. The ending is satisfying, if rather open, which causees me to suspect a sequel. This is an EXCELLENT young adult novel and will really take those out of the YA age range (13+) back to times or people they remember.
    • 3/5
      I wanted to like this book much more than I did in the end. It sounded really promising: comic book nerd who draws/writes his own graphic novel? Great! Goth girl? Equally great! Amazing adventures? What could be better? But the adventures aren’t very amazing. It’s a coming of age novel, not an adventure novel. It’s a *good* coming of age novel, mind you, but just not what it sounded like on the book jacket. Fanboy (we never learn his name) lives with his pregnant mother and his step-father, whom he has nothing in common with; his bedroom in the basement where he spends most of his time, creating his graphic novel. His only friend is Cal, the teen who proves that one can be a comic book nerd AND a jock- although Fanboy takes Cal’s jock interests as betrayal. He has a crush on a senior girl. His great aim in life is to show his opus to a famous graphic novelist so he can get help getting published. He is laughed at, ignored, and beaten up at school.Then he meets Kyra, AKA Goth Girl, who has big issues of her own. She has taken an interest in him because of his stoicism in the face of physical violence. Then when she sees his graphic work, she realizes how good it is and wants to help him make it better, to help him get it published. But they have a standard romantic comedy relationship- they think they can’t really stand each other and are only together to get something done. That always grates on my nerves- why is it considered adding dramatic tension when characters are oblivious to their own feelings? The author keeps a different kind of tension running through the book with Fanboy’s recurring daydream of the school being shot up, with all his enemies dying. His step father keeps guns in the basement, and Fanboy has a bullet as a talisman that he keeps with him. Will he make his daydream come true, with himself as the gunman? He is, after all, the misunderstood loner. I think that I would have loved this book when I was about 12 or 13, the age it’s really written for. It’s not one of the Young Adult novels that holds up for adults. I did really enjoy parts of it- after all, I *was* a loner nerd who drew comic strips in school. It’s a book about learning life lessons and making allowances for others. It’s finding that people are complex, not caricatures.
    • 2/5
      OK, I did not finish it so my reveiw may be unfair. I did not like the pace nor the characters. I quit.
    • 2/5
      This book was a needle in my side. So, I’m going to be completely honest and straightforward. I hated this book with a passion. The main character was a scraggly 15 year old nerd. Fanboy was creepy, perverted,and a nerd. He pretty much sits in his room in the basement and reads and write comic books. Interesting? Of course it’s not! He has a total of one friend, and angers one, so make that a single friend! He also cries a lot, so he’s not much of a hero. Maybe this book would've been a bit more bearable if the point of the novel was clear. Towards the end, Fanboy does grow up a little and stand up for himself instead of doing everything he’s told, but he still bored me. Did I mention he was creepy? He’s definitely not the type of guy I’d want to be in the same room as. Why? He checks out girls and dreams about them. That definitely gave me the chills. Hopefully I don’t encounter a real life Fanboy. Fortunately, Kyra Sellers made the book at least somewhat worth while. Goth girl was controversial and did what she pleased, though she had a lot of problems of her own. I wouldn't befriend her in real life because she does scare me a little, but it’s interesting to see her point of view on things. Overall I thought that whatever the message this book was trying to convey was unclear, and the characters were a bit weird. Even though I guess there are people like this all around, and it might be interesting insight to what all Fanboys are thinking, I think I might have been better off not knowing.
    • 2/5
      This was an extremely well written book about a boy that believes he is hated by all of his class mates. He is working on a graphic novel in secret, incredibly brilliant but has trouble dealing with the realities of his life. He has one friend, Cal, a black sports star who also doesn't fit in due to the fact that it is a primarily white school. Although they get along well together, Cal's jock status allows him to fit in better with others. Then he meets Kyra, she is a typical Goth girl. She doesn't fit in with anyone either. She sees something in him and encourages him to stand up for himself. This novel is grim but that grimness provides the book with a reality.
    • 4/5
      For everyone who was bullied and belittled, or just felt like they were, this is a good book about dealing with it and moving on. Or just growing up and learning that life isn't fair.
    • 4/5
      I had been getting in a rut with reading and wanted something a little different. I got that with Fan Boy and Goth Girl, a YA romance novel that, despite the gothic female characters, has no supernatural overtones and is a very modern love story that is not soppy.
    • 3/5
      The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl is Barry Lyga's debut novel. Fanboy is a sophomore honor student who is a bit socially awkward. He lives with his mom and her husband whom he refers to as the step fascist. He has few friends and finds solace in reading and working on his graphic novel Schemata. At the beginning of the book I felt bad for Fanboy but as the book progresses I came to realize that this was a whiny and self absorbed character. He constantly complains about how he is treated by others but he doesn't look at how he interacts with others. There was a bit of character growth and the end but he still needs a huge attitude adjustment. I liked the book and thought it was an impressive debut but the main character was a bit too self absorbed for my liking. 3 stars.
    • 2/5
      Yeah it gets two. I almost didn't finish it cause, it was...boring. At least to me. I'm sure a teenage-y, angsty boy/person would get more out of it. Not bad, just not great.
    • 3/5
      This book was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. At the beginning I out and out hated it. The middle, I loved. The end...eh? It was def. creative. And I can actually see myself revisiting it in the future. But the characters were such extremes that I can never saw that I loved this book.

      But I did like it.

      I think.
    • 3/5
      An enjoyable, if kind of annoying, read. You can almost hear the author screaming through the pages "I KNOW A LOT ABOUT COMICS!" Arguably, it's because the main character is working on a graphic novel and has a huge man-crush on Brian Bendis, but it feels like it goes beyond that, with obscure Alan Moore references and name-dropping of other, even-more-indy creators. The story was engrossing and well-written, if a bit typical (smart outcast nerd meets outcast girl; they become friends until he does something that pisses her off greatly), but the name-dropping distracts from the narrative.
    • 5/5
      Lexi DubovickSWAGBook Review1/24/13The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and GothgirlBy: Barry Lyga “The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Gothgirl” by Barry Lyga is a book about comic loving, outcast, loner, Fanboy. He is just trying to make it in high school even though he likes his comic books one thousand times better than any of the people, except for his jock best friend Cal and his secret crush, the ultra popular “goddess” Deena Jurgens. The only thing he has to look forward to each day is his secret comic, “Schmeta” that not even Cal knows about. Unexpectedly, he meets Kyra. She is the classic goth and also can’t stand a single person she knows. She is outrageous, she is not ever afraid to speak her mind, and she is Gothgirl. The two form a unique friendship and begin to get to know each other’s deepest secrets, fears, everything.The story is about their friendship and how they’re making it now that they can help each other through it. This book was not like any other. I am not a loner comic book nerd nor am I a complex loner goth girl who hates everyone she knows, but still it had such a relatable feeling which propelled me to keep reading. I felt connected to the characters as if they were real people. It was as if I was in the mind of Fanboy, looking through his eyes, and feeling what he feels. I loved his personality. Infact, I think the characters were the best part about the book. This is a case where the most important part thing is the characters. If they didn’t use these characters or changed any major details about them, the entire book would need to be changed, but I think the characters and the whole book are amazing the way they are. I would give this book five stars because the characters were incredible, the plot was set up in such a way that everything came together, it was relatable, and I loved every word. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it at first because I thought it would be too much about comics for me but that actually wasn’t the case. I still understood the entire book and made sense of it all. I would recommend it to any teenager looking for a refreshingly unusual story about a lonely high schooler who just wants to get out. It may be a little too mature for anybody not in high school. Maybe you feel the same way as the characters, maybe you just want a good read, but if you get the chance, I would definitely read this book!
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading Fanboy and Goth Girl. Teens have such a hard time finding their identity and a place to fit in. The book really gave insight into the reality so many teens face today...many don't have friends, are bullied, and are just trying to find their place in the world.
    • 3/5
      A story about Fanboy, a smart comic-book geek, whose life will change when Kyra, Goth Girl, invades his solitary existence causing him to divulge secrets, like his comic book that he hasn't even told his friend Cal about, giving him insights to the world of teenage girls and confidence in himself. This book does a great job with the describing the high-school experience from an outcast's point of view and others as he slowly realizes his own misconceptions of other students. Although, the two main characters a bit of stereotype, Fanboy - smart geek, Goth Girl- Angst and destructive; the characters still have some good merits. Funny and sometimes provocative view of being a fifteen year old from a guys perspective.
    • 4/5
      This book deals with the paradigms that plague many in high school: jocks, goths, nerds, etc. And this book helps to dispel some of the standard ideas and stereotypes that come with these titles. Worth the read.
    • 4/5
      This book follows the story of an aspiring comic book artist, Don, whose existence in high school is less than perfect. His one friend, Cal, balances between geeking out with Don over comic books and his love of athletics. Don has a love of comic books and is working on his own comic book on a crappy old Windows machine. He lives with his very pregnant mom and the "Step-Fascist" and does not have much communication with his father. Other than that, his only interactions with his classmates includes his fantasizing about the hot girls. Until a gothic girl named Kira witnesses him getting bullied and takes an interest in him. The book follows the two of them as Fan Boy prepares for an upcoming comic book convention where he hopes to meet a comic book legend, show him the comic he is working on, and expects great things to follow, like leaving his crappy town.The narrator is a bit of a horny teenager, but his voice rings true to those who are a little geeky. He is a bit selfish until the end of the story, and then seems a bit creepy with his obsessive quest to save his friends. Great read for any techy/geeky boy who doesn't read much. Lots of humor and great narration.
    • 4/5
      The chliche is all in the title, and while you'll find a nothing "new" in this story, what you will find are astonishingly REAL charcters and excellent writing. All the trials and tribulations of high school are present: broken families, moving neighborhoods, social awkwardness, authority issues, self-confidence issues, isolation, "risky" behavior, etc. Its all there. The story is in the first person "Donnie" narrative, so you get into his head quickly and it is a smart working, clear cut mind too; Donnie is very relatable. He is also and egocentric whiner. I've always disliked the "Geek=Wimp" synonym, because its NOT synonymous (there's a whole Geek Spectrum) but what's amazing is this book shows you very clearly how Donnie realizes this and grows into a better person. Some of the end bits were somewhat of a stretch, all super-predictable plot tools, but they are extremely well presented. The ending is satisfying, if rather open, which causees me to suspect a sequel. This is an EXCELLENT young adult novel and will really take those out of the YA age range (13+) back to times or people they remember.
    • 3/5
      I wanted to like this book much more than I did in the end. It sounded really promising: comic book nerd who draws/writes his own graphic novel? Great! Goth girl? Equally great! Amazing adventures? What could be better? But the adventures aren’t very amazing. It’s a coming of age novel, not an adventure novel. It’s a *good* coming of age novel, mind you, but just not what it sounded like on the book jacket. Fanboy (we never learn his name) lives with his pregnant mother and his step-father, whom he has nothing in common with; his bedroom in the basement where he spends most of his time, creating his graphic novel. His only friend is Cal, the teen who proves that one can be a comic book nerd AND a jock- although Fanboy takes Cal’s jock interests as betrayal. He has a crush on a senior girl. His great aim in life is to show his opus to a famous graphic novelist so he can get help getting published. He is laughed at, ignored, and beaten up at school.Then he meets Kyra, AKA Goth Girl, who has big issues of her own. She has taken an interest in him because of his stoicism in the face of physical violence. Then when she sees his graphic work, she realizes how good it is and wants to help him make it better, to help him get it published. But they have a standard romantic comedy relationship- they think they can’t really stand each other and are only together to get something done. That always grates on my nerves- why is it considered adding dramatic tension when characters are oblivious to their own feelings? The author keeps a different kind of tension running through the book with Fanboy’s recurring daydream of the school being shot up, with all his enemies dying. His step father keeps guns in the basement, and Fanboy has a bullet as a talisman that he keeps with him. Will he make his daydream come true, with himself as the gunman? He is, after all, the misunderstood loner. I think that I would have loved this book when I was about 12 or 13, the age it’s really written for. It’s not one of the Young Adult novels that holds up for adults. I did really enjoy parts of it- after all, I *was* a loner nerd who drew comic strips in school. It’s a book about learning life lessons and making allowances for others. It’s finding that people are complex, not caricatures.
    • 5/5
      I had put off reading this book for awhile for no particular reason. I'm upset that I did that. I guess I was going through a phase where I didn't want to think about how big of a geek that I am. Anyways, Lyga spins a tale combining the lives of two teenagers. Fanboy is a stereotypical comic book nerd. He has been working on a comic forever and is planning on handing it off to his hero at a comic book convention. Before the convention, he ends up becoming friends with Goth Girl. He is intrigued with her and probably has a bit of a crush. She ends up finding out about his work and finds it very well done. At the convention, the two clash with fanboy's hero and craziness ensues.The relationship between the two characters is nice. They never seem to be overly comfortable with one another, but it is portrayed as a real high school type relationship. In high school, we all found that our friendships and relationship were so deep, but they really weren't. This is a pretty true testament to that, which is a relief compared to other YA books that place so much emphasis on a new relationship that will be happily ever after or a best friend that you have had all of your life. The plot was believable and you are rooting for the comic to take off and Fanboy to get famous. However, this is realistic and you can only imagine what happens. Overall, I would recommend this to older middle school and high school students, especially those that are interested in comics. There are a lot of comic references that I got a kick out of because I was so familiar with them. Perhaps Neil Gaiman should get a cut of the profits because his name appears in the novel so often. What can we ladies say, he's a favorite!
    • 4/5
      I have been wanting to read this book for a while. When I got "Goth Girl Rising" through the Amazon Vine program; I decided that that was the perfect excuse to go ahead and buy this book. It was a very good book. I enjoyed it and had trouble putting it down.Fanboy is having a rough year. His mom is pregnant with his step-dad's kid, his step-dad doesn't understand him, he only has one friend, and everyone at school picks on him. There is one thing that he lives for and that is a graphic novel he is working on called Schemata. He meets Goth Girl, aka Kyra, and in her finds a kindred comic book spirit. Kyra has troubles of her own though.This was a great book. I loved the comic book references. Mainly this book is about finding your place in life and becoming who you want to be, never-mind what the rest of the world thinks about that. This book accurately catches the feelings and troubles of high school; with real characters that you are rooting for and really like. Fanboy challenges the American perception that being smart is uncool and being a hard headed jock is awesome. He also deals with how smart jocks moderate their behavior to fit in with both types of high school crowds.I liked Fanboy and thought he was a believable and interesting character. As Fanboy tries to get his graphic novel noticed you are holding your breath and waiting for what will happen next. Goth girl came off as a bit annoying and brash; but I think that was the point. The plot was well done; my only complaint would be the open ending. I guess the ending was a bit too "real life" for me; that is we don't really know what happens with anything. I am hoping some of that is resolved in "Goth Girl Rising".A great book all around. This should appeal to a large audience; especially young adults or people who want to re-visit high school trauma. Comic book geeks or smart people in general will find a lot to relate with in Fanboy.
    • 4/5
      I have to admit before I picked up The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl I didn't know much about it. In fact I really didn't know much about the author. It wasn't until I went to Book Expo America last May and had the good fortune to go to a part for the book anthology, Geektastic. It was at this party that met Barry Lyga and became interested in his books so shortly after returning home I picked up The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Sadly though my Mt TBR is huge and it wasn't moving up very far so I was very excited when I saw the audio version sitting on the shelf of my local library. I popped in the first disc before leaving the parking and soon found myself taking the long way home.The narrator, Scott Bick, was AMAZING in bringing to life all the characters...and what characters! Fan Boy, or Donny as called by his mom, is this awkward loaner with a huge chip on his shoulder. He assumes no one will like him for him and so he refuses to even try and so then isn't shocked when that is just what happens. In many ways, Donny prefers to exist on the fringes of High School society because then life is easier. As it tends to be easier to hate someone then to like them and there is a lot less chance of getting hurt. So, things are going well for Donny in that aspect until the day he meets Kyra, another soul that exists on the fringes. Together these two form a strange bond over their shared love of comic books, social status, and just general angst at the world around them. They are these two delightfully messed up people that with every page turn (well in my case change of the CD) you just want to know more. You want to know what makes Kyra tick and why Fan Boy has such a chip on his shoulder. Its a powerful story about what it means to be a friends and the treacherous waters known as high school. Lyga has a unique writing style and is a gifted story teller. He doesn't tell light and fluffy stories and he doesn't hold anything. He is one of the few adults that seems to remember what its like to be an awkward teen who doesn't fit into the mainstream waters of high school which just adds layers of realism to the story. He's an author that I'm glad to have met in person and I can't wait to read more by him.
    • 4/5
      Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own special hell. The bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboy’s new little brother or sister.Fanboy, though, has a secret: a graphic novel he’s been working on without telling anyone, a graphic novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and—most important of all—a way out of the crappy little town he lives in and all the people that make it hell for him.When Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, he finds an outrageous, cynical girl who shares his love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. Fanboy can’t resist someone who actually seems to understand him, and soon he finds himself willing to heed her advice—to ignore or crush anyone who stands in his way.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. *Loved*. The nerd references, the understated voice, the slow premise. It had a gritty realism to it that sucked me in from the beginning. It also has the most realistic description of a migraine I've ever read. Having just recovered from one the other week, it struck very, very true to me. read it for the comic book references, read it for the voice. It's fantastic.
    • 4/5
      Interesting book... had a lot to connect too. Not sure if I fully liked the ending, but it was an interesting, highschooly read.
    • 4/5
      I liked this story. It is a little on the hard and edgy side. I would recommend it for 8th and up. Realistic depiction of characters. I also like the way the characters evolve throughout the book, especially Fanboy. I gave the book 4 stars because I still had unresolved questions about goth girl when I was finished with the book.
    • 2/5
      Fanboy, or Don, is a small for his age, too bright for the room sophomore. He is a frequent target of bullies and only has half a friend; a like-minded jock named Cal. He is alienated from his mom, and her husband, the "step-fascist". The only thing that keeps him sane is working on his graphic novel, Schemata, and his plans to show it to his idol, Brian Michael Bendis. When Kyra, a strangely compelling outsider notices him, or rather, notices the abuse he takes daily, the two become prickly friends. United in a love of comics, and distaste for the popular jocks at their school, the two have wildly different styles of coping. Fanboy prefers to blend into the background, to work on his secret project, while Goth Girl wants to confront and destroy those who stand in her way. As Goth Girl's troubled past comes to life, Fanboy must face some unwelcome and unpleasant realities that will change the way he looks at the world.O.K. -- I should like this book. It is made for me. And yet, I don't. I keep comparing it, unfavorably, with King Dork. The two have similar narrators, but Tom from King Dork feels much more fully realized and authentic than Fanboy, who comes across as an annoying little snot. Kyra seems like a cardboard cutout of a "troubled girl" and intriguing sidelines into her back-story lead nowhere.In addition, I think I am suffering from too much knowledge about the topic at hand. I can see someone venerating Alan Moore, as Cal does, but Bendis? Really? It was hard for me to buy. Also, I had a hard time believing that a super-bright kid like Fanboy didn't do any research about how to get published, or portfolio reviews, and pinned his hopes on a signing line. The scene with Fanboy's dream girl, Dina, felt patently unrealistic and the "happy ending" tacked on and forced.
    • 4/5
      No one knows Fanboy is alive, except maybe his one friend Cal. When he is not being ignored by his own family, Fanboy is in his room working on his comic book. Until he meets Goth Girl, she changes everything. Hot one minute, cold the next, Fanboy never knows what to expect. An emotional rollercoster takes the reader through this first love relathionship. Some sexual content but nothing big. Mostly just annoying characters.
    • 3/5
      I read this book after seeing Lyga interviewed about YA fiction that crosses over into adult fiction. After seeing that interview, the book wasn't what I expected, because I really don't see it as a crossover book. It was an enjoyable YA novel, but it was definitely a YA novel with a fairly predictable YA plot.I was disappointed in the treatment of Goth Girl/Kyra. She was an interesting character but her part of the story seemed unfinished. Considering that she has equal billing in the title, I think Lyga could have done her the justice of giving her a voice at the end to explain some of her perspective. As it was, we never quite know what part of Kyra's story was true and what wasn't.
    • 4/5
      Fanboy is lonely. He has no life and only one part-time friend until he meets Kyra (Goth Girl). Fanboy's love of graphic novels has led him to create his own. Using a bullet as his touchstone, Fanboy attempts to keep from drowning in the pressures that he receives from his pregnant mother, somewhat controlling stepfather, and the bullies that torture him on a daily basis.With strong undertones of high school "lists," violence, and suicide, Lyga's novel is one that attempts to explain things from the nerd's POV.POSSIBLE SPOILER: I only gave this title a 3 1/2 for a few different reasons. Primarily, I didn't always appreciate the protagonist. Throughout nearly the entire book, it seemed as if he never really tried to overcome obstacles; instead, he whined about them. On the other hand, many individuals have these character traits at some point in their lives. Also, I had a really hard time understanding the infatuation with Kyra's body parts. While anatomy plays a huge role in the teenage life, and understandably so, I don't understand the role that it played in this book. Lyga really tried to connect this for his readers, but it didn't connect for me.
    • 4/5
      (spoiler)I was so terrified that this was going to end badly - the blurb, the bullet, the list, and the terrorist fantasies all led me to dread a bloody finale. But instead the ending was much more realistic, and wonderful.The three main characters are appealing without being soppy, and I really like the ways things aren't tied up in pretty bows. This is a messy story about messy relationships, and no bows are required.