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Fat Kid Rules the World Audiobook
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(3.01) - 3,826 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Troy Billings, at six-foot-one, 296 pounds, is standing at the edge of a subway platform, seriously contemplating suicide, when he meets Curt MacCrae - and emaciated, semi-homeless punk guitar genius who also happens to be a dropout legend at Troy's high school on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. "I saved your life, " Curt tells Troy. "You owe me lunch." But lunch with Curt brings more than he bargained for. Suddenly, Troy finds himself recruited as Curt's drummer for his new band. "We'll be called Rage/Tectonic. Sort of a punk rock, Clash sort of thing," Curt tells him There's only one problem. Troy can't play the drums. Oh yes, and Troy's father thinks Curt's a drug addict. And Troy's brother thinks Troy's a loser But with Curt, anything is possible. "You'll see," says Curt. "We're going to be HUGE." Fortunately, mercurial Curt has an energy, enthusiam, and wisdom that is as irresistible as it is contagious. Before long, Troy is swept up by his desire to be everything Curt belives him to be.
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"Three times I've owned this book, and three times I've read it, recommended it to a student, and had it disappear. It's that kind of book--it grips you. I love Troy's voice, the way his character grows throughout the course of the novel, the way I feel for him and with him. Love this book. "
— Elissa (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A 2004 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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A 2004 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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A 2004 School Library Journal Best Book
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A 2004 Booklist Editors’ Choice
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A 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award: Young Reader's Choice
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Winner of Printz Honors, 2004
Fat Kid Rules the World Listener Reviews
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" not for everyone....it's gritty and real...I'm a fan "
— Tracy, 2/20/2014 -
" I absolutely loathed this book. It has a completely unrealistic view of fat kids based solely off of stereotypes. The kid is only 300 lbs. but can barely walk without feeling like dying? And he's described as being pretty tall, so all in all, he wouldn't be that big, fat-wise. Being a big person myself, I found this distasteful and think that K.L. Going should have done a little more field research before making the easily lovable main character one big fat joke. "
— Brittanie, 12/31/2013 -
" Ok, I only picked this book up because of the title. And man I didn't even expect it to be what it was. Loved it!! "
— Nandar, 12/23/2013 -
" Great young adult story of redemption. Another recommendation from The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian, probably because of how well Going gets inside the head of his Fat Boy and has how he thinks change. "
— Maryann, 10/18/2013 -
" damn fun read. a great coming-of-age story of a kid discovering that his perception of society's perceptions are not necessarily what he perceived. and of finding liberation through punk. one of the favorite books i've read recently. "
— sweet, 10/10/2013 -
" This book shows how fat peopele are not useless they can do alot if they dwell on their dreams. He believed in Curt a simi-homeless and at the end they went far. "
— Bryan, 9/21/2013 -
" A great teen read, about a fat kid who is so self-conscious about his weight that he tried to kill himself. A street-kid saves his life and gets him to see things differently. It's an awesome "be who you are" story. Great for boys. Watch for profanity and drugs. "
— jenny, 9/1/2013 -
" Instant favorite. "
— Josie, 5/26/2013 -
" I thought the beginning of the book was good. It had a lot of details of what the boy, Troy looked like. Overall the book was bad because he wanted to kill himself 24/7. "
— Brian, 1/27/2013 -
" I think this is a great book about a kid who gives up on life, but some how comes out of it by hanging out with a more depressing, more interesting kid. He is fat and sad, but now has a friend. I think people should read this. "
— Blake, 11/16/2012 -
" I'm not really sure why. But I love this book. I find it easy to relate to the main character. This book was a great inspiration to me and my own personal writing. Worth the read. "
— Aaron, 7/6/2012 -
" She does a great job with teen's voices. "
— Vicki, 6/8/2012 -
" this book is good because is it showing me if you really want to become then set your mind to it and not give up easly "
— Samir, 6/7/2012 -
" I'm sorry to say this didn't catch my interest and I had to abandon "
— Carole, 4/19/2011 -
" There were too many bad words.... but I liked the book! "
— Hanny, 4/4/2011 -
" Overweight Troy learns to appreciate his family and loses some of his self-consciousness when he's befriended by a homeless young musician. Realistic language, drug and alcohol use, but recommended as a true picture of urban teenage life. "
— Melissa, 3/28/2011 -
" I can see why this received the Printz--it's a wonderful book. The happy (believably happy) ending is hard-earned. It's also good to see a father portrayed in such a nuanced manner. <br/> <br/>Not to mention that the drums are key and I'm always a sucker for a YA involving drums. "
— Kathy, 3/27/2011 -
" Great young adult story of redemption. Another recommendation from The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian, probably because of how well Going gets inside the head of his Fat Boy and has how he thinks change. "
— Maryann, 3/26/2011 -
" Lots to recommend this, though it sometimes misses. Here's a nice quote: "
— Lisbeth, 3/4/2011 -
" (4.5) I loved how Troy grew more confident over time. And I loved Kurt... I'm such a sucker for characters like that! Brilliant, punk rocking, manipulative, non-trusting characters with bad home lives... <br/>:) "
— KayLee, 3/3/2011 -
" not for everyone....it's gritty and real...I'm a fan<br/> "
— Tracy, 2/24/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book a lot because of the interaction between Troy and his family including Curt. Some of the rock band stuff didn't interest me but other than that it was a pretty good book. <br/> "
— Angela, 2/22/2011
About K. L. Going
K.L. Going is the award-winning author of books for children and teens. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World was a Michael Printz Honor Book, listed with YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults and their Best Books for the Past Decade. Her books have been Scholastic Book Club choices, Junior Library Guild selections, New York Public Library Best Books, and winners of state book awards. Her work has been published in Korea, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the UK, and Fat Kid Rules the World is now a major motion picture. She began her career working at one of the oldest literary agencies in New York City. She used this inner knowledge of publishing to write Writing and Selling the Young Adult Novel, a how-to book for aspiring writers, published by Writer’s Digest. She has also written short stories for several anthologies and currently has multiple picture books under contract. She lives in Glen Spey, New York where she both writes and runs a business critiquing manuscripts. She is also an adoring mom.