Fat Kid Rules the World

Great Book from start to finish

The book is about Troy, "I'm a sweating fat kid standing on the edge of the subway platform staring at the tracks. I'm seventeen years old, weigh 296 pounds, and I'm six foot one. This book isn't something you're going to want to put down after the first 4 pages like all other books. This one will keep you interested from the very start until the end. The dialog they use for each character is just how any teenager would be talking. The descriptions of certain people and places can paint a picture in your head as if you were actually there. It is creative,fun and there is never a dull moment. Troy meets up with a dropout musician from his school name Curt McGrae right before he is about to jump into the oncoming train. Curt saves him and insists on lunch. Troy agrees, and after a very few things occur, Troy ends up in Curt's band! Not knowing how to play the drums and being self conscience about himself how is he going to go on stage and play next to the "famous" musician?! Troy is caught in a lie so far and he can't come to say that he can't play the drums. How will Curt react? What will happen to Troy? Read the book to find out!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wow

I thought that ¿Fat Kid Rules the World¿ was an excellent book overall. Though in many occasions it did us profanity and swearing, I have never read a book that is better about describing someone¿s thoughts. That is why I could not put it down. I expected the book to end much differently then it did, but I was not disappointed. I was even better than I had imagined. This book has many unexpected twists and I recommend it for anyone who likes the books ¿Crank¿, ¿Burned¿, and ¿Glass¿.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

To shimmerkit

I would like to role play with you so can you tell me whats going on...please...thank you

To starkit

Can i join? My name is shimmerkit. My mom abandoned me. Starts to cry. Shes covered from head to toe in scratches and one of her legs looks broken. Theres a huge gash on her shoulder. Normally her pelt would be shimmery silver but its stained red with blood. Her eyes r full of pain. Ps i would ask on the next result but im locked out.

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Troy Billings is seventeen years old. He weighs 296 pounds. He's six foot one. And he has a crew cut. Yeah, that's right, a crew cut. He is a sweating fat kid standing on the edge of the subway platform over the yellow line and looking down.

And, if you think about it right, there's something funny about it, there really is.

At least until Curt MacCrae, the wily blonde ferret of a boy--sometimes student, sometimes dropout, all-the-time legend (and all-the-time homeless) boy/guitar genius, saves Troy's life.

Suddenly, instead of jumping in front of the F train Troy is the new drummer in Curt's band. Even though he can't actually play the drums.

As Troy learns the ins and outs of Punk Rock and being Curt's friend, he also finds that hitting it big as a drummer and in life might have a lot more to do with his attitude than is weight in Fat Kid Rules the World (2004) by K. L. Going.

I didn't realize it until just now when I was writing up the summary part of the review (I write those all myself, did you all know that?), but this is actually one of my favorite books.

It's not easy being the outsider because you can't shop at the same stores as the skinny kids or because you're plain old bigger than everyone else.* It's not easy having a brother who thinks you're a loser or a father who pretty much knows you're a waste of space. Troy has all of those things bringing him down.

He also has the most amazing sense of humor that comes through in every page of the book in his charming narration. Going manages to take a story that could be tragic and make it funny, poignant, hopeful and amazing. It's short enough to dazzle reluctant readers, deep enough to thrill anyone looking for something more "literary." In short, Fat Kid Rules the World is just kind of a great book.

But not everyone thinks so . . . *cue dramatic segue music*

For those of you who might not know, we are smack in the middle of Banned Books Week (September 25 to October 2, 2010). Banned Books Week is an annual thing that ALA has been organizing since 1982. It's a week to raise awareness about books that are challenged in local libraries for reasons ranging from vaguely logical in a skewed-censorship-supporting-way to the completely insane (like this guy who thought Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was pornographic**).

At its core, Banned Books Week is, quite simlpy, about celebrating the freedom to read whatever you want. (Possibly also to read whatever you want without remorse.) Thankfully larger library systems, like the one where I work, don't have a lot of challenges that reach this level. But many libraries do and it's a serious problem because people should be able to make their own decisions about what they read. And it's not just modern books either, many popular classics are banned or challenged all the time.

To celebrate Banned Books Week The Rejectionist and T. H. Mafi have proposed that everyone post a review of their favorite banned book on September 30, so here (obviously) is my review of Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going which was the 58th most banned book of the decade (here's the bonus list for 1990 to 1999) and also one of the sweetest, most optimistic books out there (in a manly, all of the characters are boys, kind of way). Oh and it was a Printz Award honor book in 2004.

fat kid rules the world

Do you like funny, interesting, and entertaining books to read? If thats the case then this is the definite book for you. The main character, Troy Billings, is a seventeen year old kid attending a high school in New York. Troy is two hundred and ninety-six pounds and unfortunately hates his life all around. One day in front of a few train tracks Troy was just about to commit suicide by jumping in front of one the trains. Luckily, there was homeless kid he met named, Curt, who stops him from jumping and taking his own life. Soon after that both Curt and Troy become good friends and even starting a band with each other. This band they start together really comes somewhat popular in there high school and extremely blooms Troy's popularity. While your reading it makes you image a picture in your mind about whats going on in the story. The interpersonal relationship is that I also know an over weight teenager that doesn't appreciate his life. When reading the book if makes you think of a question while your reading. For example "What's going to happen next" or "why did he do that". It's a kind of book that makes you think but at the same time laugh.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book!!

Troy, the main character is an obese seventeen year old who was found by Kurt standing on the edge of subway platform thinking about jumping off into the bus. He thought about who would miss him and how all his fat would splatter onto the subway. Troy thinks about how everybody laughs at all his everything he does. Troy's mother past away when he was little. He has never acted the same since then. His dad is ashamed that his son is obese and his own brother won't even talk to him and is embarrased to be seen with him. Before he goes to jump he hears a voice from a guy named Kurt. Kurt is a legend at Troy's school. Kurt demands lunch for "saving his life and stopping him for jumping into the subway." They begin to be friends and form a band. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys music, or feels different from everybody else and is an outsider. Troy starts his adventure. He becomes a rock star drummer and is noticed more.

Fat Kid Rules the World is a hiarious book. Troy and his daydreams are funny. This is the life of a teenager, the book does use profanity. But all the profanity is used at the right time and K.L. Going does not go overboard with it. This book is interesting and will keep you reading. I highly recommend this book for teenagers and young adults. You will expect the book to be different than it actually is. It has twist and turns and this will have you wanting more books like Fat Kid Rules the World.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

fat kid rules the world

Fat Kid Rules the World is a book that talks about two kids that start a band. These two kids are intending on a bad life till this band comes along. These two kids meet at the subway. Troy is a fat kid that was intending on committing suicide. When in the midst of his suicide Curt, a homeless kid, said hi and introduced himself to Troy. Troy then came down and went to lunch with Curt. Curt wouldn't leave Troy alone so he went home. Troy called for a taxi and Curt hopped into it with him. When they got home Troy's dad basically said get out. So then Curt left. Later that night he came back and snuck in. later in the end they start a band. shayne

Love this book

This Book Is So Funny!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good

A good book with a respectable narrator with a unique voice. Its comical, but also covers some deeper issues. Its not exactly exciting, but its absorbing enough to be interesting. I recommend it.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Bow to the fat kid

Fat Kid Rules the World was written by K.L. Going. She has lived in New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Maine. As a kid she moved frequently and always was the odd man out. She is four feet eleven inches, but was never self conscious about her height, but instead her weight. Going often felt everyone was looking at her as she felt like the fat kid. She still to this day is very insecure with herself and is an exercise fanatic. She works part time at a gym just so she can work out all day long. This possibly explains how she was able to hone in on the character Troy, and give the reader a glimpse of what it is really like to be laughed at because you¿re different. Troy Billings is a lonely kid of seventeen years old standing on the edge of a subway platform thinking if anyone would miss him if he jumped, and how his fat would explode as the train slammed into him. He is morbidly obese at six foot one and around three hundred pounds. Troy¿s mom died when he was little and his life has never been the same. He has a father who is a Marine and is ashamed of the fact that his son is obese and a jock little brother who refuses to be seen with his big brother, let alone talk to him. This is all about to change however. His suicidal thoughts are suddenly disrupted when a voice comes into his head telling him not to jump. At first Troy wonders if he is just hearing things as he looks around and sees everyone who he believes to be secretly staring at him. He then locates the voice coming from a pile of dirt lying in a corner on the subway station floor, his name is Curt. Curt is a star at Troy¿s school or better yet a legend. He is a rock star who left Troy¿s school a few years prior, and there is a myth around the school as to whether a kid could actually be that good on the guitar. Now Curt wants Troy to buy him lunch and the whirl wind of life changing moments begins. Follow Troy in his adventure to become a rock star drummer, and all the things that come with it like trouble, friends, and even girls. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys music, or just likes the warming sensation of a happy story. It is likely that you¿ll read this one from cover to cover without even blinking as Troy and Curt rock your world!
In a brief conclusion this book is for anyone looking for a picker upper with the character Troy who gives you someone to cheer for as he goes from a laughed at fat kid to a rock star with fans roaring for him. I greatly enjoyed Fat Kid Rules the World and I¿m sure you will too!

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

This review is held together with the sweat of a fat kid.

This excellent book,with it's fast pace, catching plot, great music dialog, and believable characters is a wonderful read for a middle or high school boy. It hangs together perfectly, and the pages turn quickly in the eager hands of readers (especially after its been greased with the fat of the main character). It's cast of huffing fat kids, high punk rock stars, stupid jock brothers and strict but sorta nice ex-marine dads brings this book to you with an explosion of incredibly well written words.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com

Troy knows that everyone is watching him. And laughing at him. Of course they are. At seventeen years old and almost 300 pounds, wearing what appears to be the same pair of tan pants daily, every move he makes is laughable. Will he be able to get out of the car? How many burgers will he eat? Even his effort to breathe is laughable as he huffs and puffs his way along.

He worries that he smells. You don¿t understand. It¿s not that he¿s a pig or anything, he just has a hard time fitting in the shower.

Poised over the subway tracks, Troy contemplates whether he can find a form of suicide that will be so serious, so severe, that no one will laugh. Enter Curt. Semi-homeless teen, school dropout, legend at his high school, and uber amazing guitar player, Curt attaches himself to Troy after saving him from the tracks. He¿s an itch that can¿t be scratched, a tick burrowing under the skin. Before Troy realizes it, he¿s agreed to buy Curt dinner and join his band as a drummer, even though he hasn¿t played since seventh grade.

Who is he kidding? He can¿t do this. He sees it in the eyes of his perfect kid brother, Dayle, as well as his military dad, the ¿disappointed dysfunctional parent."

But with Curt¿s help, Troy learns to look past himself. He finds support in unexpected places. But it¿s not until Curt is hospitalized that Troy finally has the guts to really take a risk.

This is a fast-paced book. K. L. Going immerses the reader in the world of punk rock through the eyes of the fat kid who yearns to have people really look at him. She has a great sense of humor that shines with lines of comparison, like when Troy compares himself to Dayle before the big gig. Troy thinks Dayle looks like he¿s ¿ready to win the Super Bowl, while I¿m ready to heave into one." Ms. Going does an amazing job of getting into the psyche of the fat kid. There is a fair amount of rough language, but even so, this book rocks!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazzzzzing

My mom recommended this book to me and I loved it! The characters in the story are very believable and captivating. It¿s not like one of those books were every things perfect and things only get better. This one of those highly intense books were everyone is shown for who the really are. The book made me think about how lucky I have it. If you want to read a highly shocking but oddly heart warming page-turner then this book is definitely for you!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

fat kid rules the world

There aren't many books that show how a fat kid gets to be in a band, but in this book, Troy Billings gets to do this. He meets Curt McCrae, guitar player in Smack Metal Puppets, saves Troy from committing suicide and they become friends and make a band called Rage/tectonic. Curt and Troy practiced every day for a gig at 'The Dump'. Before they actually play they went to one of Smack Metal Puppets shows to show Troy what it will actually be like. If you¿d like to hear the rest of this book you¿ll have to check it out.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fat Kid Rules the World

This is for a ¿Superbad¿ watching, punk rocking, normal teenage boy. The book Fat Kid Rules the World is about an obese boy who defiantly knows it he tries to fit in school and in his family. Troy finds himself struggling to save his friend, Curt, a drug addicted guitarist who supposedly saves Curt¿s life. Together the fat boy and the most popular semi-homeless guitarist come together to make the band Rage/Tonic the book ends in a way you¿ll never suspect. This book is a, ¿A fat-kid Christmas Special¿ that will make you laugh so hard in public you¿ll get embarrassed.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

review

Fat Kid Rules The World A 269 pound high school boy named Troy is standing on the subway platform staring at the trains go by thinking if he should make a choice that will end his life. Then something very strange happens. A teen guitar junkie appears in Troy¿s life, and his name was Curt. See Troy sees everything when he thinks to himself, but he never thinks twice to do something about it. Troy¿s father is rough on him because he doesn¿t have any athletic ability. Like his brother Dayle who has all the talent. Troy¿s mother is dead and his father was an ex military guy. Troy agreed to be the drummer in Curt¿s band when he knew that he was a poser and didn¿t know how to play. Curt has faith in him and Troy doesn¿t really understand why. Troy¿s father supports him so Troy¿s dream may come true. This book is definitely not for any small kids! They curse a lot in this book. I recommend this book to people who like reading about other people¿s lives and their lifelong story and what goes on in their lives. This book was awesome!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

review

This is a story about a teenager named Troy Billings. Troy is not your average kid because at seventeen, he weighs 296 pounds. His obesity almost causes his life because after years of teasing, he makes an attempt to commit suicide. Luckily he is saved by Curt MacCrae, a dropout, homeless, and guitar player. Curt soon becomes Troy¿s best and only friend he has. Together, the two start a rock band and Troy is the drummer, although he doesn¿t know how to play the drums. Troy has faith in himself, along with Curt, but his father does not. Troy¿s father has always been tough on him because he has no athletic ability, and his brother Dayle is very athletic. Soon Troy¿s dad sees how important it is to him, and he supports him through everything he goes through. In my opinion, this was an excellent book. Since there was foul language, and other inappropriate topics such as suicide, this book would not be appropriate for younger kids. I would mostly recommend it to teenagers, because they will be most likely to relate to it because it also talks about how cruel kids can be at school. Overall, I would give this book four stars out of five.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

Fat Kid Rules the World was a great book. So is fat kid Troy going top jump off into an oncoming train? This 17-year-old 300-pound kid has no friends and his family hates him. But then he finds someone named curt a legend at his school known for his ability of playing the guitar. So Troy claims he knows how to play the drums. Then curt asks Troy to join his band. He makes a decision that changes his life forever. Then curt takes him to his first concert troy has no idea what¿s going on so he just joins in with everyone. This book makes a great read and is very addicting so I think you should buy this book today.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fat kid rules the world

I think that Fat Kid Rules the World is a great book. It tells its readers that when you laugh at people it really gets to them and you should help them not make fun of them. I recommend this book for anyone who likes stories that start with a sad statement and ends with suspense. The story is about a fat kid named Troy who wants to be a famous drummer and a man who saves him from killing himself teaches him how to play because in Troy¿s high school that man was a legend for drumming. Also in return troy had to help him get back on his feet clean him up and get him food and a roof over his head. For example he has to get him his life back, and under control of his actions. I understand troys actions I was also bullied by everyone by multiple reasons and I want to become famous to show those kids they should have never made fun of me.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.