3.5
Fat Kid Rules the World
ByPublisher Description
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book
Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy’s dad thinks Curt’s a drug addict and Troy’s brother thinks Troy’s the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt’s recruited Troy as his new drummer—even though Troy can’t play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy’s own life, forever.
"Troy's voice is candid, irreverent, realistic and humorous. [A] wonderful, engrossing tale."—SLJ
An ALA BBYA
A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
A Booklist Editors' Choice
An SLJ Best Book of the Year
A Miami Herald Best Book of the Year
Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy’s dad thinks Curt’s a drug addict and Troy’s brother thinks Troy’s the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt’s recruited Troy as his new drummer—even though Troy can’t play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy’s own life, forever.
"Troy's voice is candid, irreverent, realistic and humorous. [A] wonderful, engrossing tale."—SLJ
An ALA BBYA
A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
A Booklist Editors' Choice
An SLJ Best Book of the Year
A Miami Herald Best Book of the Year
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesFat Kid Rules the World Reviews
3.5
“i have really mixed feelings about this. i picked up this book because i am a huge matthew lillard fan, and he made his directorial debut by making this story into a film. he’s also the narrator for the audiobook, which i enjoyed; the way he read it was very reminiscent of SLC punk.
i do like the story itself, but it just kills me how troy views himself. i know the world isn’t kind to kids who grow up fat, so maybe this book was trying to depict how that may feel from a teen’s perspective? it was really upsetting.
considering this book is from 2003, you can definitely tell it’s a product of its time. pretty fatphobic in regards to the depictions of troy, which was honestly shocking to see in a YA novel.”
About K. L. Going
K. L. Going lives with her family in the Hudson Valley area of New York State. Since graduating from college she has worked as an adult literacy tutor, a ticket agent for a major airline, a front desk clerk at a resort hotel, and an assistant in a Manhattan literary agency. She has lived in Maine, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and New York. K.L. is the author of many books, including Fat Kid Rules The World, The Liberation of Gabriel King, and Dog in Charge. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World, was a YALSA Michael L. Printz honor book.
Other books by K. L. Going
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