Barry Lyga.
Titles I've written about:
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (2006) (I think I need to revisit this one, as I clearly didn't separate my reaction to the narrator from my reaction to the writing. It was six years ago, cut me some slack, eh?):
His mom was crazy, yes, I get that. She was all hormonal and hugely pregnant, so she had a reason, but I understand his pillishness on that front. I also understand his anger towards her and her new husband, the Affair Guy. It all made sense, yet I still found him so unlikeable that I felt almost no sympathy.
Boy Toy (2007):
Josh is believable, likable, complicated and not always right about everything, the pacing is good, the secondary characters (including Eve) are well-drawn, the relationships, history and interactions between the characters are complex, and it's a compelling read. It's also an intense read -- Eve's manipulation of Josh made me feel literally nauseous.
I Hunt Killers (2012):
Beyond Jazz, who's such a fabulous narrator that I'd recommend the book for his voice and characterization alone, everything else here is straight-up, flat-out super. The mystery and investigation, the friendships, the secondary characters, the depiction of media and its view of Jazz as a commodity, the pacing, the atmosphere, everything. There's a wonderful balance between dark humor and actual gravity, between real life and epic drama.