Fat Kid Rules the World

So it's not a stretch to be standing on the wrong side of the yellow line giving serious thought to whether people would laugh if I threw myself in front of the F train. And that's the one thing that can't happen. People can't laugh. Even I deserve a decent suicide.

When Troy Billings meets skinny, semi-homeless, punk rock guitar prodigy Curt MacCrae on the subway platform he's contemplating whether throwing himself in front of a train would constitute a decent suicide. Soon Troy is buying lunch for his quirky, unreliable, dirty would-be savior. With a little lie, or so he thinks, here and there, Troy, the Fat Kid, finds himself being unwittingly propelled way outside his comfort zone and into Curt MacCrae's band. Thus begins Troy's show more journey to discovering that people aren't always what they seem including himself.

In Troy and Curt, Going has created a pair of all-too-human, realistic, and awesome characters. In the first person narration, Troy's voice is totally convincing. The story is full of his self-effacing wit, his considerable doubts and fears, his total befuddlement that this school legend of sorts, has, for some reason, chosen him, the Fat Kid to be his drummer. Troy barely sees himself as person, rather as the Fat Kid, and that someone considers him capable of doing something, anything other than huffing or jiggling or any of the rest of that "Fat Kid" stuff, catches him terribly by surprise.

And Curt. Curt is a brilliantly drawn character as well. Here's a kid that projects this self-assured street smart "I don't care what you think of me" sort of vibe, and yet, through Troy's eyes, despite Troy's total ignorance of it, emerges this scared, vulnerable, homeless kid for whom the only certainties in life are that things won't work out and that people can't be counted on. Troy needs someone to teach him his own worth, and Curt needs someone to be rock steady, and little does either of them know that that's what they need much less if they can be that for each other.

"That moment when you see through all the bullshit?" he says a moment later. "That's what punk music is all about. That's what anything great is all about. We're all just stuffing out faces, no matter what we look like, and people need to figure that out. When you can play that moment, you've got it."

This is a great story. It hooks you from the moment it begins. It's an unabashed look at really real characters. K.L. Going sets such incredible scenes and conveys poweful moments with few words, but not too few, and it all just works, and it definitely sees through all the bullshit.

I laughed, I cried, I loved it. show less

Much more disturbing than I thought it would be, but quite enjoyable. I like that Troy doesn’t miraculously lose weight at the end; he is still the fat kid, but he gets more comfortable in his own skin. Curt doesn’t want to move in with Troy and live happily ever after, but you really respect Troy for taking a stand. The music plot was very well written, and I think punk rock can really be an inspiration for teens. You can see that Curt’s character is very much inspired by Kurt Cobain and his tragic musical genius. Troy’s voice is an enjoyable read, especially his way of creating 3rd person headlines about himself, e.g.. Fat Kid is back in the game.

I recognized in Troy the self-deprecating humor I recognized in myself when I get upset about my weight or my current body image. It was uncomfortable to read sometimes, because his internal voice is so brutally honest with himself.

He tries to understand why everyone is laughing at him - and are they?

I didn't like Curt - but I did love him for giving Troy the courage through an odd friendship to be more than he was. To strive for more and to try to enjoy life. And for opening his eyes to the world - because even though Big T thought he spent all his observing, he really wasn't seeing what was right there in front of himself.

I also have to just Thank the author, K.L. Going, for not making this another story about a kid trying to lose show more weight. I'm so glad Troy didn't suddenly lose all his weight and have a great life and be able to be Curt's friend - all because he was suddenly thin. show less

Troy Billings is an overweight, unhappy seventeen-year-old contemplating suicide when a dirty, skinny stranger distracts him. The teenager identifies himself as Curt MacCrae, a local high school legend and phenomenal musician. Troy is fascinated by Curt’s strange behavior, and drawn to him out of awe for his talent and also because Troy doesn’t have any friends. Curt convinces Troy to join his band, even though he hardly knows how to play the drums. Troy is sure Curt will dump him, but against all odds and in spite of Troy’s urging to the contrary, Curt is determined to be Troy’s friend and teach him to play the drums. But Curt has problems of his own; he is homeless and addicted to drugs. Troy knows he has to do something, or show more Curt will die, but he is afraid he will lose his only friend and the purpose and direction he has found as a member of a punk band.

K.L. Goings does an impressive job of depicting the emotional, physical, and social difficulties of being an overweight teenager. Fat Kid Rules the World is a quick read with a lot of humor that is equally funny and heartbreaking. Overall the theme is a typical one, a teenager trying to find their place and voice, but I enjoyed the change in scenery via punk band instead of through a boyfriend/girlfriend or sports. I also though Going’s treatment of a teenager struggling with addiction was honest, only simplifying the seriousness of the disease just a little. Overall a very enjoyable read. show less

Troy doesn't lose weight! His growth arc is about becoming a musician and learning to take care of his friend and rebuilding his relationship with his dad and brother, and none of that is connected to weight loss! That makes this near-unique in the world of books with fat protagonists, and it's incredibly refreshing.

The world of punk music has a very specific appeal that won't work for everyone. The drugs and language also keep this from being an easy recommendation for a lot of kids. On the other hand, it would make a good book for older reluctant readers. It's well-written in a Perks of Being a Wallflower or Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian sort of way: short, declarative 1st-person without challenging language that show more nevertheless adds up to self-deprecatingly funny heartbreak and triumph. show less

Troy's life is utterly miserable. He weights like a baby elephant, he only owns identical beige pants because they are the only ones he's able to fit into, he doesn't have any friends and his younger brother is aggressively embarrassed by him. It's no wonder he's standing there, infront of the subway tracks, about to jump. All he wants is for life to be over already.

Except that doesn't happen. Instead he is distracted by the dirty homeless man next to him on the platform. A dirty homeless man who turns out to be no other than Curt MacCrae from his school who is just as known for his amazing guitar skills as he is for his habit of disappearing for periods of time. But he's obviously hungry for a return because he insists that Troy joins show more his new band as his drummer; never mind that Troy didn't want to be saved from the train or that he can't play the drums to save his life. How is he possibly going to be good enough to be in the same band as Curt, Lower East Side's own teenage punk rock legend? But at the same time, it's hard to say no to Curt, Lower East Side's own teeenage punk rock legend...

I watched the movie back in the day just after it came out, and I loved it so much. It was funny and heartfelt; and ever since, I've had the book on my reading list. The excitement was real when I got a text message saying my local library had finally bought it and it was ready to be picked up.

And I certainly wasn't disappointed. It is more or less identical to the movie and I fell right back in love with Troy, Curt and their story. It's hard not to, honestly, with Troy's deep craving after a place where he feels like he belongs and Curt's hysterical and tragic chaos. But I equally loved Troy's brother and father and how the story also allows a deeper look into how their lives have changed ever since their mother passed away several years ago. It's a sad story, definitely, but it is also filled with so, so many good moments. I never wanted it to end. show less

Fat Kid started slowly, with a 6'1, 300 pound main character who was so passive and unhappy that I found it hard to root for him, especially when the manipulative rock guitarist Curt appears on the scene. But the short chapters, and clear writing, along with a curiosity about where it was all going to end up, made me stick with it, and I'm so glad I did. Troy (aka the Fat Kid) really comes into his own, proving to himself, and everyone around him, that he can be a punk rocker--a Fat Kid rocker, as losing weight isn't part of his emotional growth. The concert night scenes in The Dump take you right there, so you're rocking and screaming and sweating along with everyone else in the story. And the end is quite touching, pulling everything show more together, and helping all of the characters to stretch to find their best selves after years of not quite reaching. It would be a great book club book, with lots of meaty discussion. show less