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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Going, K. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | YA Fic Going, K. 2003 | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Troy, depressed, suicidal, and weighing nearly 300 pounds, gets a new perspective on life when a homeless teenager, who is a genius on guitar, wants Troy to be the drummer in his rock band.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-The opening lines of this first-person narrative immediately hook readers as they enter the lonely, troubled, self-deprecating world of Troy Billings, a 296-pound 17-year-old who contemplates ending his life by jumping off a New York City subway platform. He is interrupted by Curt MacCrae, a legendary punk-rock guitarist and sometime-student at W. T. Watson High School. When Curt connects with him and "saves his life," Troy is amazed that someone, especially someone as cool as Curt, wants to befriend him. An unlikely, almost symbiotic relationship develops between these two. Curt convinces Troy to be the drummer in his band, even though he hasn't touched the drums since seventh grade. He is flattered by the suggestion and believes that being in the band could be his key to acceptance. Troy's voice is candid, irreverent, realistic, and humorous. He imagines the events of his life in facetious headlines always related to his weight. Curt himself is the product of a dysfunctional family, and he has plenty of problems of his own, including a reliance on drugs. Going has created three-dimensional characters whose behavior rings true. There are many unexpected twists and turns, including the horrifying and hysterically gross depiction of Troy's first gig. Fans of Joyce Carol Oates's Big Mouth & Ugly Girl (HarperCollins, 2002) will love this wonderful, engrossing tale.-Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A fish out of water, 6'1", 300-pound Troy is on the verge of suicide-at least he believes he is-when he is inexplicably rescued by a homeless boy/legendary local punk rock musician. In PW's words, this is "a savvy and fast-paced debut." Ages 12-up. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(High School) Overweight and friendless, high school senior Troy Billings is standing on the edge of the subway tracks contemplating suicide when a dirty and disheveled young man engages him in conversation and prevents him from taking the plunge. He's Curt MacCrae, a legend at Troy's school for being ""the only truly homeless, sometimes student, sometimes dropout, punk rock, artist god among us."" For reasons that Troy does not at first understand, Curt invites him to join his band as a drummer, even though Troy has only minimal experience with music. Both characters are strongly defined. Hyperactive and frustratingly enigmatic, iconoclastic Curt has the soul of an artist, as well as a self-destructive streak fed by incessant pill-popping. Troy's obesity is overstated (references to his sweating and huffing-and-puffing seem to appear on every page), but his emotional neediness is palpable and genuinely moving. As the friendship between the boys develops, Troy explores New York's punk music scene (about to give his debut performance, he throws up on the stage; the audience loves it) and comes to a better understanding of both his brother and (wonderfully portrayed) widowed father. But his emerging sense of self-worth also leads him to make a decision that could destroy his friendship with the increasingly troubled Curt. In this gritty and intense novel--perhaps more of a character study than a plot-driven story--these two disparate and desperate teenagers attempt to save each other and, quite possibly, end up saving themselves as well. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Curt MacCrae, a semi-homeless, blond ferret of a boy and guitar genius, saves big Troy Billings from leaping to a splattering demise in front of the F train. The two boys form an unlikely friendship, each offering what the other needs and, ultimately, saving each other's life. Curt recruits Troy to be the drummer in his band, Rage/Tectonic, and the story gathers momentum as the first gig approaches. The problem is that Troy isn't much of a drummer. It takes lessons from a scarecrow of a guy with a purple Mohawk to get his skills in shape, thus adding another larger-than-life character to the assemblage. Just as Curt saved Troy's life, Troy must find a way to help Curt, who is sick, addicted, and malnourished. Newcomer Going's descriptive writing sometimes goes over the top, but it's also what makes this offering come alive from the very first page. The strong language and themes make this a raw, yet immensely likable tale for older teens. (Fiction. YA) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 8-12. His name is Troy, but to the world--and in his internal dialogues--he is the Fat Kid. Really Fat. Almost 300 pounds of sweating, unhappy insecurity. Then out of a moment of despair comes magic. As Troy considers whether to splatter himself on a subway track, Curt MacCrae, a charismatic punk rocker/homeless kid/dropout, comes along and stops him. For the price of a meal, Curt befriends Troy, and he sees something under all those layers: a potential musician, a friend, and someone with the ability to see through life's bull. First-time novelist Going has put together an amazing assortment of characters. Troy is the ultimate fat kid, the kind whose every move, every thought is predicated on what it is like to wear a coat of blubber. Curt, as thin as Troy is fat, is a combination of Kurt Cobain, Ratso Rizzo, and a fairy godfather. He sprinkles Troy with the dirt and grime of punk rock and brings out the prince hiding inside the weight (to the book's credit, Troy doesn't get any thinner). Equally well drawn are the lesser characters, including Troy's father, a former Marine with an innate sense of what kids need. The narrative could have been tighter in places, but this is an impressive debut that offers hope for all kids--dross transmuted into gold. IleneCooper.