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Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

Boy Toy

Barry Lyga

HarperCollins · Paperback · January 5, 2009

Josh Mendel has a secret.

Coming of AgeMental Illness for TeensSurviving Sexual Abuse
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Who it’s for
A stark, discussion-friendly read that pairs emotional weight with direct, usable access.
Genres
Surviving Sexual Abuse, Coming of Age, Mental Illness for Teens
Published
HarperCollins, January 5, 2009

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For younger readers: Caprice

For older readers: Mysterious Skin, You Should Be So Lucky

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About this book

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.

Continue reading

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 . . .

Hard Topics

A stark, discussion-friendly read that pairs emotional weight with direct, usable access.

Come here for

  • classroom-ready urgency
  • peer pressure and abuse themes

Expect

  • serious subject matter
  • tight, topic-forward framing

Where it sits

Surviving Sexual Abuse67%
Mental Illness for Teens33%
Coming of Age31%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Romance
  • Surviving Sexual Abuse
  • Baseball & Softball
Authors
Barry Lyga
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
January 5, 2009
Format
Paperback
Reading lane
YA Romance