Review: Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga

So, I went to the library the other day and grabbed a few books. One of them was this book: Goth Girl Rising. It's the sequel to the Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. I haven't read the first but I saw this on the shelf and I've been eyeing the series to read it but never got the chance, so I basically pounced on it even though it is the sequel.
So, some background on the story:
After starting to read this book, I got the idea of three things. One, Kyra has a very destructive life. Two, there's something going on with her feelings for Fanboy. And, three, I should have read the first book. Apparently it's one of those books where it doesn't review that much of the first book, which I sometimes like because I don't have to spend the first half reviewing the first book...but I don't like it when I haven't read the first book. :( I did like the book, however. Even though the writing and sentence structures weren't their best, I loved how Lyga made the characters lovable but hated as well. For example, I love Kyra to death because of how outspoken she is and she truly does have deep feelings and emotions, but I didn't like how she was so rude to the ones she loved and how she didn't watch what she said. She pushed her dad, heer friends, and even Fanboy. And, the choices she made, ugh! It was like nails to a chalkboard, I couldn't stand it!

Time is a funny thing in the hospital. In the mental ward. You lose track of it easily. After six months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit, Kyra Sellers, a.k.a. Goth Girl, is going home. Unfortunately, she's about to find out that while she was away, she lost track of more than time. Kyra is back in black, feeling good, and ready to make up with the only person who's ever appreciated her for who she really is. But then she sees him. Fanboy. Transcended from everything he was into someone she barely recognizes. And the anger and memories come rushing back. There's so much to do to people when you're angry. Kyra's about to get very busy. Amazon

The plot was good, not riveting but good. It was kind of like other teen problems: people change, drugs, sex, etc. I wasn't totally blown away from it. I didn't love how long it took and how the plot was dragged throughout the book and there wasn't any big blowout other than with Kyra and her father and when she was...well, I won't say what happened with Kyra. But, something somewhat big. But, the plot didn't blow me away! Neither did the ending, I actually felt like there should be a third because it was left, so...so OPEN! Ugh, it's was so...I don't know! Everything was left unsaid...or undone! Something had to happen and NOTHING DID! I checked around and so far I've seen that there probably won't be a third from this interview with Amazon that Barry Lyga had:

Q: Are you done with Fanboy and Goth Girl or are there more stories to tell?

A: You know, that's a tough question to answer. When I started thinking about writing Goth Girl Rising, I was nervous because people loved that first book so much--I didn't want to write something that would be a disappointment to them. The sequel had to be a better story than the original, in my mind. That's the standard I hold myself to when writing a follow-up--it has to be better than the original. So, I guess if I came up with a story better than Goth Girl Rising, I would write it. But honestly, I think the end of the sequel is a great place to leave the characters.

So, for those of you like me who are left wondering what will happen between Fanboy (whose now named "Don") and Kyra, I'm sad to say there will be no third book. I think we should all E-mail Mr. Lyga and tell him "MORE!" But, until he decides to do so, we will have to be left with a relationship cliff hanger! UGH!

I give the book a three and half black nail polishes because I DON'T LIKE RELATIONSHIP CLIFF-HANGERS! That's why! :)