Boy Toy
by Barry Lyga
reviewed by Ivana Alejo
In Barry Lyga’s fictional novel, Boy Toy, readers are taken on a journey of self-exploration, heartbreak, redemption, and love. It leaves it audience anxious, and hanging on to every word, all while feeling uneasy and disturbed. Lyga chooses to show people the horrors that can come from trusting someone with everything you are, but still finding the wonders and beauty when you do this as well.
From start to end, Boy Toy leaves its audiences ready to dive into the life of young protagonist, Josh Mendel. Josh had a very normal, and very pleasant life up until about the seventh grade when he had a new teacher, who showed a particular interest in him. They began to become closer and closer, until eventually the inevitable happened. Readers are taken through Josh’s five year recovery as he finds his way back to the person he was before. Josh must discover who he is all over again, deal with his insecurities around women, and find a way to be comfortable trusting others. With everything going on in his personal life, you would think that Josh would be struggling in school, or maybe even in after school extracurriculars. Well, think again. Josh hasn’t gotten less than an A grade on any assignment since the sixth grade. “Why?” would be a reasonable question to ask, and the reason is made very clear as the audience gets to know the main character of this book. Lyga allows his followers to explore deep into the mind of Josh, allowing you to feel, think, and ultimately grow with him. The novel Boy Toy, is a poignant book on a subject that is uncomfortable for most to talk about, and that is exactly what is should be. Readers can see how nothing about the “relationship” this book is easy or understandable to anyone, but will still be able to identify with Josh in their own interpretations.
Boy Toy sets it’s consumers up for a whirlwind of emotions. From scared and despondent for what might happen to the characters in the future, to proud and joyful when these giant obstacles are overcome. I would recommend this book to readers who are looking to see someone explore themselves fully and wholeheartedly, and are welcome to being emotionally changed after reading it. This book has truly become one of my favorite reads of all time, especially because it is so relatable, in a completely new and undiscovered way to many people, including myself.
Boy Toy
by Barry Lyga
reviewed by Madeleine Hara
Written by Barry Lyga, the fictitious young adult novel: Boy Toy exposes the most private thoughts of Josh Mendel, a sexually harassed teenage boy, whose life perpetually changes after sexual relations with his seventh-grade history teacher. Lyga writes the non-linear narrative to relate Mendel’s past and present thoughts and feelings, with alternating chapters of his seventh-grade experiences, his current life as an eighteen-year old, and his therapy sessions with his therapist, Dr. Kennedy. Mendel experiences “flickers,” or recollections of his actions with Evelyn Sherman or Eve, the seventh-grade history teacher, and Rachel, the girl he took advantage of at thirteen years old. His support system of his family, friends, teammates, and therapist fails to convince him that the molestation was not “your idea. Your fault” (Lyga 397.) The readers and “everyone in the world knew” (399) that Eve victimized him, but he carries the weight of it for five years, before realizing Eve’s seduction and manipulation.
At the age of thirteen, Mendel learned how to “please a woman” (1.) His teacher’s interest in him as a student, furthers into a horrifying sexual relationship between the two. Shortly after Mendel and Sherman’s relationship immensely advances, Mendel finds himself in a closet with Rachel, his thirteen-year old best friend. Mendel sexually harasses her and she “dashed out of the closet, wailing, and tugging at her skirt and blouse” (11.) For five years he avoids talking or even seeing her, but one day, he runs into her at the local grocery store, “the Narc” (33.) They begin talking and rekindle a relationship of trust, one that continuously helps Mendel as he copes with Sherman’s release from jail. Mendel struggles understanding his friend’s actions and feelings, knowing how to make Rachel happy, excelling at school and baseball, and finding himself. He strives to escape the identity of the molested boy that people “avoid touching” (30,) and create a new name for himself.
I would recommend Boy Toy to teenagers, that are able to handle mature content. When explaining, Mendel and Sherman’s sexual encounters, Lyga does not hold back any details or sweeten anything that happened. Lyga’s brutal honesty increases the intensity and informs the reader of the effectiveness of Sherman’s manipulation. Because of the disturbing topic, and the use of a male victim, very few similar books exist. The first-person perspective allows the reader to see the mind of a boy, who believes he should be blamed for the molestation and that he “ruined your (Sherman) marriage” (396) and “took advantage of you (Sherman)” (396.) The comparison of his thoughts versus what he chooses to tell people creates an atmosphere of loneliness and blindness. Mendel keeps a persona of confidence, but Boy Toy proves that the molestation affects his every move. I recommend this read, that not only keeps the reader on the edge of her seat, but also opens her eyes to the mentality of a victim of molestation.
Boy Toy
by Barry Lyga
reviewed by Dominique Godinez
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga is a riveting, young adult story about the recovery from molestation and everyday highschool life of eighteen year old Joshua Mendel. This fictional story takes place in Brookdale, Maryland, a small town that Josh wants to leave desperately. Josh has the classic things on his mind every high school boy worries about: graduation, girls, sports, but also the baggage and pain that comes from being molested by his seventh grade teacher. Evelyn Sherman, known to Josh as Eve, is his rapist and former teacher who spent months grooming him. Written in first perspective, Josh tells you how he deals with daily issues and all about his “flickers”, flashbacks to time spent with Eve. He seems to be doing just fine in the beginning of the story, but when he hears that Eve is being released from jail his whole life changes again. He struggles with finding closure with what happened with Eve, while balancing a life with his friends, school, and baseball. Daily tasks are disrupted by the paranoia of seeing Eve after her release. When Josh thinks he sees Eve at the store he says, “The past keeps intruding on the present” (page 64). This causes him to have horrible flashbacks that affect his ability to maintain and create relationships. Rachel, a past friend, pops back in his life and after some struggling, they regain a friendship that contributes to Josh’s healing.
This book takes you through his mind, recovery, and feelings ever since he was molested. Josh has spent five years in confusion and denial of what truly happened to him. When the effect of the sexual abuse sets in, Josh realizes, “ I was molested. When I was twelve. And everyone in the world knew it except for me” (page 399). He craves closure, struggles with acceptance, and has to learn to let go of the past to move forward. Rachel, his best friend, and his therapist all make that hard goal of moving on a bit easier for Josh as they help him along his journey.
The author alternates the format of chapters with therapy session recordings, flashbacks to Josh’s vulnerable state with Eve, and his present day reality. The different formats of writing make reading and perceiving Josh’s situation easier. The therapy session recordings offers readers a deeper look into Josh’s emotions and troubles. I thought Boy Toy was incredibly interesting to read because not only did the book express the affects of rape, but it was written from a male perspective. Although it was interesting, the author had Josh play baseball and used many baseball references and rules that not everybody will get. In addition, Lyga wrote many themes and ideas into play that did not all compliment each other. For me, Rachel was a character who helped Josh, but did not always do the right things to him. Overall, reading this book was an experience that left me crying and astounded.
