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King of the Screwups
Liam Geller is Mr. Popularity. Everybody loves him. He excels at sports; he knows exactly what clothes to wear; he always ends up with the most beautiful girls in school. But he's got an uncanny ability to screw up in the very ways that tick off his father the most.
When Liam finally kicked out of the house, his father's brother takes him in. What could a teenage chick magnet possibly have in common with his gay, glam rocker, DJ uncle who lives in a trailer in upstate New York? A lot more than you'd think. And when Liam attempts to make himself over as a nerd in a desperate attempt to impress his father, it's his "aunt" Pete and the guys in his band who convince Liam there's much more to him than his father will ever see.
When Liam finally kicked out of the house, his father's brother takes him in. What could a teenage chick magnet possibly have in common with his gay, glam rocker, DJ uncle who lives in a trailer in upstate New York? A lot more than you'd think. And when Liam attempts to make himself over as a nerd in a desperate attempt to impress his father, it's his "aunt" Pete and the guys in his band who convince Liam there's much more to him than his father will ever see.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2009
64 people are currently reading
2421 people want to read
About the author
K.L. Going
27 books261 followersK.L. Going is the award winning author of numerous books for children and teens. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World was named a Michael Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association, and was included on YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults list and their list of Best Books for the Past Decade. Her books have been Booksense picks, Scholastic Book Club choices, Junior Library Guild selections, NY Public Library Best Books for the Teenage, and winners of state book awards. They’ve been featured by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Children's Book Council as Best Books of the year. Her work has also been published in Korea, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the UK, and her novel Fat Kid Rules the World is soon to be an independent film!
K.L. 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, NY where she both writes and runs a business critiquing manuscripts. She’s also a mom to the world’s cutest little boy.
To visit KL on-line go to www.klgoing.com, www.facebook.com/klgoing, or at http://twitter.com/#!/KLGoing.
K.L. 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, NY where she both writes and runs a business critiquing manuscripts. She’s also a mom to the world’s cutest little boy.
To visit KL on-line go to www.klgoing.com, www.facebook.com/klgoing, or at http://twitter.com/#!/KLGoing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 365 reviews
October 19, 2019
I can't say the King of Screwups is an important work of teen literature, but it does accurately portray the struggles of finding self-worth.
The story revolves around Liam, who has been kicked out of his house for doing the dirty with a girl in his father's office. Through a series of mishaps, lies, and finagling, Liam ends up living where his father wants him least: a small town trailer home with his gay uncle. Follows is another series of mistakes, mishaps, and screwups where Liam disappoints himself, his uncle, and the girl he’s trying to impress.
I’ll admit, it’s hard to love Liam. The poor guy just can’t do anything right. Sometimes I feel bad and sympathize with his numerous blunders, but mostly I find him annoying. Even his "successes" are experienced as screwups because Liam struggles to communicate with the people he cares about. At one point I secretly hoped the kid would get hit by a bus!
As the climatic conclusion approaches, however, he starts to win you over. Liam is 17, not quite an adult, yet having to make major life decisions that would be challenging for anybody. Following his misadventures is a good way to learn from someone else’s mistakes, while at the same time showing that it is possible to overcome continuous disaster. Despite everything, you can’t help but root for the guy.
The inclusion of many adult topics/situations establishes a refreshingly realistic world which 17-year-olds inhabit. For example, you'll find unabridged descriptions of sex, drugs, drinking, metrosexuality, homosexuality, controversial parenting styles, underage independence, jail time, and several uses of the "F" bomb. As a teen I hated authors who skirted around situations that happen so frequently in the real world. Thankfully, none of that here.
Overall, the writing is breezy and engaging. While it’s not exactly edge-of-seat material, the ‘mystery’ of how Liam will get through his next hurdle proves to be an effective plot device to keep the pages turning. I doubt I’ll ever recommend this book to a friend--unless I make acquaintances with someone as much of a clusterfuck as Liam--but I’m not disappointed I read it.
The story revolves around Liam, who has been kicked out of his house for doing the dirty with a girl in his father's office. Through a series of mishaps, lies, and finagling, Liam ends up living where his father wants him least: a small town trailer home with his gay uncle. Follows is another series of mistakes, mishaps, and screwups where Liam disappoints himself, his uncle, and the girl he’s trying to impress.
I’ll admit, it’s hard to love Liam. The poor guy just can’t do anything right. Sometimes I feel bad and sympathize with his numerous blunders, but mostly I find him annoying. Even his "successes" are experienced as screwups because Liam struggles to communicate with the people he cares about. At one point I secretly hoped the kid would get hit by a bus!
As the climatic conclusion approaches, however, he starts to win you over. Liam is 17, not quite an adult, yet having to make major life decisions that would be challenging for anybody. Following his misadventures is a good way to learn from someone else’s mistakes, while at the same time showing that it is possible to overcome continuous disaster. Despite everything, you can’t help but root for the guy.
The inclusion of many adult topics/situations establishes a refreshingly realistic world which 17-year-olds inhabit. For example, you'll find unabridged descriptions of sex, drugs, drinking, metrosexuality, homosexuality, controversial parenting styles, underage independence, jail time, and several uses of the "F" bomb. As a teen I hated authors who skirted around situations that happen so frequently in the real world. Thankfully, none of that here.
Overall, the writing is breezy and engaging. While it’s not exactly edge-of-seat material, the ‘mystery’ of how Liam will get through his next hurdle proves to be an effective plot device to keep the pages turning. I doubt I’ll ever recommend this book to a friend--unless I make acquaintances with someone as much of a clusterfuck as Liam--but I’m not disappointed I read it.
June 21, 2012
"Everything popular is wrong” so writes Oscar Wilde, and why wouldn’t he? The snarky bastard. He was in a mood, of course. He wanted to be adored, right? Who doesn’t really? Isn’t that the angst of it all? Who hates me? Will I be the freak du jour today? Oh shit, the head cheerleader is talking to me, what the hell?
High school was not the best time for me… believe it or not. I was shy and therefore considered a bitch because I stared at the ground, hiding behind my 7 inch bangs and never making eye contact. I wore black, spoke softly and read a lot of books. I had a group of friends and we were the outcasts, listening to Joy Division and Minor Threat and The Smiths and The Dead Kennedys…our view was skewed, yes.. but after getting spit on at pep rallies or tripped in hallways we needed to be skewed… whatever.. it’s high school.. get over it. (I can say this 25 odd years later but now I have two kids in middle school and my stomach turns every day at the thought of what they have to endure… kids are fucking mean).
This book is no different than other coming of age stories. There is a protagonist who has to find out who he truly wants to be. There are peer pressure issues; there are judgments and misconstrued intentions. Except in this story it’s not Cinderelly getting her slipper on, it’s Charming wanting to be Quasimodo.
Liam is the son of Cindy Crawford and Bill Gates… or the fictionalized versions of them. He lives in Westchester… he looks like his mom… he grew up on Paris runways and New York Fashion weeks… We should hate him, right? He’s beautiful, he’s rich, he’s… beautiful and rich. Um… and popular. Yes, he is popular. But, remember…this book is called King of the Screwups… there’s some meat in here.
Liam considers himself the ultimate fuck up. He can’t say the right thing, he barely squeaks by in his classes, he is constantly finding himself in exactly the wrong spot (like lying on your father’s desk with the president of the national honor society half naked on top of you and being so drunk that you hurl all over his office). Yes, Liam is to blame.. he doesn’t get off that easy… he made these choices… he accepts that he’s a screw up and therefore he feels worthless.
I think that this is where we can all relate. Who doesn’t ever feel worthless? I mean how many of us are THAT well adjusted to say that they have never had that feeling? If you’ve listened to The Smiths, that automatically disqualifies you… put your hand down now.
Liam gets shipped off to live with his cross dressing Auncle Pete in a trailer park in buttfuck county. He feels lucky to be here, this or with his militant grandparents, well.. take the plastic flamingos any day, right? Here he decides that he will not screw up… He will be UNpopular. Yeah, that’s an insult to all us freaks, right? C’mon… like we haven’t already judged this hot, well coiffed rich boy..and now he wants to be LIKE U S? Riiiiight… keep walkin’ boy…
I would have thought that, except this kid is so damn SINCERE. I mean… there are times I just want to slap his perfectly sculpted cheekbones and un-tousle his bronze copper colored hair (yeah, that’s a 50 shades reference right there).
Liam tries so hard to be uncool… he wants to be considered studious and most of all he wants to impress his dad.. which is what the whole gist of this story is… the nature vs nurture argument… Liam is a product of his mother… he gets fashion, he gets how to get your point across by just looking a certain way. His dad thinks he is useless and doesn’t mince words telling him so. As we get to know Liam, we see that everything that drives this poor kid is only to please his bastard of a father.
Been there, tried that. Except, my dad was nowhere near anything that should be impressible. I was a fool and Liam is too. He is scarred by this overwhelming need to be something he’s not. Man, that sucks. I feel for the kid.
“You can’t create love, you just have to take it where you can find it.”
Don’t be a fool, Liam
November 6, 2014
This book’s got pedigree. A starred review from Publishers Weekly promises comedy and a protagonist you’ll feel for. A starred review from School Library Journal praises K.L. Going for “defying stereotypes” and creating “memorable characters.”
(Bonus points to each critic for not calling protagonist Liam Gellar “Holden Caulfield if he’d been written by a woman as a straight guy obsessed with fashion.”)
Four more quoted reviews on the inside cover make this book out to be fresh and innovative, but I felt it primarily tepid, inconsequential and not wholly believable. King of the Screwups has its moments, but it made me wish I’d chosen Fat Kid Rules the World as my first K.L. Going book.
Liam is a cool enough kid, yeah, but the comic hook of this book (which should have been played more as exaggeration and less matter-of-factly) is that Liam is irresistible, gorgeous and hyper-popular. His looks and likability are the only skills he has, aside from screwing up - and, again, Liam’s screwups are fairly commonplace stuff, not done on a grand comic scale.
That’s kind of the point, though - Liam thinks he sucks so bad because his dad thinks he sucks so bad, and treats him like shit, and Liam buys into it. Crappy Dad is the clear-cut bad guy in the book, with zero redeeming features, and Passive Mom is right there in his shadow.
Passive Mom, incidentally, used to be a runway supermodel, which got Liam started with his intense heterosexual love of fashion, but Crappy Dad made her quit. Because he was jealous of her success. Because he’s crappy.
So anyway, Crappy Dad happens upon a drunk Liam messing around with a girl on his (i.e. Crappy Dad’s) office desk, and he declares Liam will be booted from the house. Shipped off to live with his grandparents. Passive Mom secretly has a better idea, though - Liam can go live with Crappy Dad’s brother (disowned by C.D. like a dozen years ago), “Aunt Pete.”
Aunt Pete is gay, lives in a trailer park, is in a glam-rock cover band, deejays overnights at a classic rock station, and is occasionally bold enough to wear a nice dress. Aunt Pete otherwise has zero fashion sense and is a total slob, because K.L. Going likes to defy stereotypes. Because she’s fresh and innovative.
Aunt Pete has a posse that’s calculated to be rag-tag and underdoggy, and their occupations all serve a purpose in the story, like they’re a YA Village People. There’s the English teacher, the cop, and the fashion boutique owner. And these guys, like Liam, are cool enough, but they’re three-star cool. Because they’re stuck in a three-star book.
Liam starts his senior year at this new school with one mission - be uncool, impress the uncool people, and let their superior brain juice drip all over his face so he’ll get good grades via osmosis, and then his dad’ll let him move back home. This strategy includes avoiding all the popular kids, sucking up to the seriously uncool girl who lives in the trailer next door, joining the AV club and wearing Aunt Pete’s horrendous (boy) clothing to school. None of this succeeds in making Liam unpopular, though. Because this book is so damn funny.
In the final paragraph of each review, I often repeat things I already said toward the front of the same review, things like - this book didn’t grab me too well, because its premise and approach had the unsound air of mediocrity, but overall it really wasn’t that bad. Still, I’m now reluctant to read anything else by the same author for a minimum of four months. Setting the timer now.
(Bonus points to each critic for not calling protagonist Liam Gellar “Holden Caulfield if he’d been written by a woman as a straight guy obsessed with fashion.”)
Four more quoted reviews on the inside cover make this book out to be fresh and innovative, but I felt it primarily tepid, inconsequential and not wholly believable. King of the Screwups has its moments, but it made me wish I’d chosen Fat Kid Rules the World as my first K.L. Going book.
Liam is a cool enough kid, yeah, but the comic hook of this book (which should have been played more as exaggeration and less matter-of-factly) is that Liam is irresistible, gorgeous and hyper-popular. His looks and likability are the only skills he has, aside from screwing up - and, again, Liam’s screwups are fairly commonplace stuff, not done on a grand comic scale.
That’s kind of the point, though - Liam thinks he sucks so bad because his dad thinks he sucks so bad, and treats him like shit, and Liam buys into it. Crappy Dad is the clear-cut bad guy in the book, with zero redeeming features, and Passive Mom is right there in his shadow.
Passive Mom, incidentally, used to be a runway supermodel, which got Liam started with his intense heterosexual love of fashion, but Crappy Dad made her quit. Because he was jealous of her success. Because he’s crappy.
So anyway, Crappy Dad happens upon a drunk Liam messing around with a girl on his (i.e. Crappy Dad’s) office desk, and he declares Liam will be booted from the house. Shipped off to live with his grandparents. Passive Mom secretly has a better idea, though - Liam can go live with Crappy Dad’s brother (disowned by C.D. like a dozen years ago), “Aunt Pete.”
Aunt Pete is gay, lives in a trailer park, is in a glam-rock cover band, deejays overnights at a classic rock station, and is occasionally bold enough to wear a nice dress. Aunt Pete otherwise has zero fashion sense and is a total slob, because K.L. Going likes to defy stereotypes. Because she’s fresh and innovative.
Aunt Pete has a posse that’s calculated to be rag-tag and underdoggy, and their occupations all serve a purpose in the story, like they’re a YA Village People. There’s the English teacher, the cop, and the fashion boutique owner. And these guys, like Liam, are cool enough, but they’re three-star cool. Because they’re stuck in a three-star book.
Liam starts his senior year at this new school with one mission - be uncool, impress the uncool people, and let their superior brain juice drip all over his face so he’ll get good grades via osmosis, and then his dad’ll let him move back home. This strategy includes avoiding all the popular kids, sucking up to the seriously uncool girl who lives in the trailer next door, joining the AV club and wearing Aunt Pete’s horrendous (boy) clothing to school. None of this succeeds in making Liam unpopular, though. Because this book is so damn funny.
In the final paragraph of each review, I often repeat things I already said toward the front of the same review, things like - this book didn’t grab me too well, because its premise and approach had the unsound air of mediocrity, but overall it really wasn’t that bad. Still, I’m now reluctant to read anything else by the same author for a minimum of four months. Setting the timer now.
May 25, 2009
Liam Gellar's father is a successful business man and his mother a world-renowned model. Given that combination of genes, Liam should have the world at his feet. And in some areas, he does. When it comes to being popular and well-liked by his peers, he excels. When it comes to his classes, his grades and pleasing his father, well, let's just say he's coming up a bit short. Liam is hard on himself, constantly seeking his father's approval and never quite succeeded. This leads to Liam thinking of himself as a screw-up. It also leads to Liam driving his father crazy and getting kicked out of the house.
Instead of going to live with his strict grandparents, Liam opts to move in with his Uncle Pete, a local DJ with his own glam rock band who is estranged from his father. The estrangement comes from Uncle Pete's lifestyle and an incident years before when Pete embarrassed Liam's father at an important social event.
Liam moves in with Pete, determined to start over and prove himself to be the son his father wants him to be. However, things don't go exactly as planned.
"King of the Screwups" is the story of Liam and his struggle to find out who he is. It's also the story about Liam accepting who he is and realizing that he may never be able to fully please his father--and that's OK. Told in the first-person perspective, K.L. Boing gives us the unique insight into Liam's current situation and offers flashbacks of some of Liam's more memorable incidents growing up. All of this helps make Liam a rich, fascinating character and the world he inhabits is filled with others, including his Uncle Pete and his friends.
Where the novel struggles is in the relationship between Liam and his next door neighbor. Liam struggles to win the approval of the girl next door, who is exactly the kind of kid his father would want. The story has Liam desperately seeking her attention and approval, but it doesn't really examine the relationship much deeper than that and, in the end, it rings a bit hollow. The ending of the story seems a bit forced as well, with several threads coming to a head in a manner that doesn't feel as natural. It almost feels as if they decided it was time to wrap things up in the story instead of allowing the story to continue to unfold at its own natural pace.
In some ways, it opens up things for a potential sequel. I wouldn't mind spending some time with Liam and the rest of the characters from this story.
Instead of going to live with his strict grandparents, Liam opts to move in with his Uncle Pete, a local DJ with his own glam rock band who is estranged from his father. The estrangement comes from Uncle Pete's lifestyle and an incident years before when Pete embarrassed Liam's father at an important social event.
Liam moves in with Pete, determined to start over and prove himself to be the son his father wants him to be. However, things don't go exactly as planned.
"King of the Screwups" is the story of Liam and his struggle to find out who he is. It's also the story about Liam accepting who he is and realizing that he may never be able to fully please his father--and that's OK. Told in the first-person perspective, K.L. Boing gives us the unique insight into Liam's current situation and offers flashbacks of some of Liam's more memorable incidents growing up. All of this helps make Liam a rich, fascinating character and the world he inhabits is filled with others, including his Uncle Pete and his friends.
Where the novel struggles is in the relationship between Liam and his next door neighbor. Liam struggles to win the approval of the girl next door, who is exactly the kind of kid his father would want. The story has Liam desperately seeking her attention and approval, but it doesn't really examine the relationship much deeper than that and, in the end, it rings a bit hollow. The ending of the story seems a bit forced as well, with several threads coming to a head in a manner that doesn't feel as natural. It almost feels as if they decided it was time to wrap things up in the story instead of allowing the story to continue to unfold at its own natural pace.
In some ways, it opens up things for a potential sequel. I wouldn't mind spending some time with Liam and the rest of the characters from this story.
August 4, 2009
This is a unique story, and because of that, Going may have written herself out of an audience.
The protagonist, Liam, is a supermodel in the making. He's drop-dead gorgeous, has inimitable fashion taste, and has a real taste for all things fashionisto. On the other hand, his father is a world-class controlling jerk who sends Liam to live in a trailer park.
The most interesting and well-balanced character in the story is Aunt Pete, a gay, cross-dressing radio DJ who takes Liam in when he's homeless. The least interesting, one-dimensional characters are Liam's parents, who are less characters than walking sketches. Liam and his father pursue their disagreements energetically, but I want the dad to either pull himself together or get a good slap upside the head, and Liam (the one who should provide that slap) doesn't effectively remove himself from the situation. At the end of the story, the family is still in turmoil and Liam's only support system are people he's only known a couple of months.
Those people - Aunt Pete's glam-rock band - are the true high point of the story. Not all of them are gay, not all of them are transvestites, and none of them are ridiculous. They are honest and funny and supportive of both each other and Liam. The time they get in the story is relatively small, but I found myself wondering why Going spent real effort on them, but let Liam's parents drift away.
The issue with audience is this: average boys won't read this because of the number of gay characters and average girls won't read it because they don't identify with the shouting matches the dad provides. There's undoubtedly a group of kids who are interested in seeing gay characters treated as real human beings, but there aren't a lot of those kids around...
The protagonist, Liam, is a supermodel in the making. He's drop-dead gorgeous, has inimitable fashion taste, and has a real taste for all things fashionisto. On the other hand, his father is a world-class controlling jerk who sends Liam to live in a trailer park.
The most interesting and well-balanced character in the story is Aunt Pete, a gay, cross-dressing radio DJ who takes Liam in when he's homeless. The least interesting, one-dimensional characters are Liam's parents, who are less characters than walking sketches. Liam and his father pursue their disagreements energetically, but I want the dad to either pull himself together or get a good slap upside the head, and Liam (the one who should provide that slap) doesn't effectively remove himself from the situation. At the end of the story, the family is still in turmoil and Liam's only support system are people he's only known a couple of months.
Those people - Aunt Pete's glam-rock band - are the true high point of the story. Not all of them are gay, not all of them are transvestites, and none of them are ridiculous. They are honest and funny and supportive of both each other and Liam. The time they get in the story is relatively small, but I found myself wondering why Going spent real effort on them, but let Liam's parents drift away.
The issue with audience is this: average boys won't read this because of the number of gay characters and average girls won't read it because they don't identify with the shouting matches the dad provides. There's undoubtedly a group of kids who are interested in seeing gay characters treated as real human beings, but there aren't a lot of those kids around...
April 22, 2021
What didn't work in this: The ending was way too abrupt.
As for the kids, other then the main guy, don't really feel they're fleshed out enough.
What did work: Pete and the other guys, they were awesome. Every scene with them was just so heart-warming.
Liam, he's a hetro fashionista who's not afraid to show it which is so cool to see and he's so hard on himself though when he really shouldn't because he's actually a great guy.
Liam and his uncle's relationship, he needed that positive parental figure in his life because both his parents are utter shits, especially the father.
When Liam is trying to be unpopular and everything he does makes everyone love him is so amusing, literally he'd try anything and instead of making him unpopular, they did the exact opposite every single time.
As for the kids, other then the main guy, don't really feel they're fleshed out enough.
What did work: Pete and the other guys, they were awesome. Every scene with them was just so heart-warming.
Liam, he's a hetro fashionista who's not afraid to show it which is so cool to see and he's so hard on himself though when he really shouldn't because he's actually a great guy.
Liam and his uncle's relationship, he needed that positive parental figure in his life because both his parents are utter shits, especially the father.
When Liam is trying to be unpopular and everything he does makes everyone love him is so amusing, literally he'd try anything and instead of making him unpopular, they did the exact opposite every single time.
June 2, 2016
The book I read was King of the Screwups by K.L. Going. The novel is about a teenage boy named Liam who always screwed up and tries to make his father proud of him. He gets into some trouble, so he heads to his "Aunt" Pete's trailer to live in and go to school in the city. He make a few new friends, but that's not what he truly want, he want's a proud father. This wasn't the best book I've read, but it's a lot better than most. The beginning is kind of boring, but once you get more into it, I believe it'll hook you to read more. I don't really know what genre this novel belongs with, but there's still a really good story filled with odd characters.
July 1, 2009
Well, "Fat Kid Rules the World" still remains my favorite K.L. Going book thus far, but this one was pretty good. Liam wasn't particularly likable to me, but the premise of his character is pretty amusing: a guy who screws everything up because he's too "perfect." Well, in the social context of high school, at least. He's the heartbreaker, the athlete, the fashionista, the rich boy, the teenage Adonis... Mr. Popularity. But he screws up one time too many for his CEO father and is shipped off to live in a dingy trailer with Aunt Pete, his outcast gay glam-rock DJ uncle. The fact that Liam has to try to be unpopular and studious in his new school (and screws that up miserably, too) in order to please his disappointed father is so laughably ridiculous. He tries wearing crappy clothes, making friends with the nerds, joining AV, etc, and yet the cheerleaders are still fawning over him and the jocks are still saving a space for him at the lunch table.
With a supermodel for a mother, you start thinking that maybe this poor guy is genetically predisposed for this grueling chore of hot babes, friends, parties, etc etc. Oh, the humanity. But surprise! Liam is a decent guy inside who just once wants to do something right in the eyes of his father. He also has a profound love/talent for fashion and style, leading one to believe that there is more in store for him (and not what you'd expect for a straight popular guy) after the glories of high school. Aunt Pete and his motley band of friends are there along the way to help Liam realize that he is not defined by how others define him.
I read a lot of YA fiction, and while I often delight in deserved comeuppance against the Normies and Jocks as a former (present?) nerd, it gets old. And Liam doesn't necessarily deserve it. He's naturally handsome and has great social skills, so he's popular. No mystery there. But we get to see beyond the stereotypes, and we get to see him take the messy, unconventional steps of putting together the pieces of who he really wants to be.
With a supermodel for a mother, you start thinking that maybe this poor guy is genetically predisposed for this grueling chore of hot babes, friends, parties, etc etc. Oh, the humanity. But surprise! Liam is a decent guy inside who just once wants to do something right in the eyes of his father. He also has a profound love/talent for fashion and style, leading one to believe that there is more in store for him (and not what you'd expect for a straight popular guy) after the glories of high school. Aunt Pete and his motley band of friends are there along the way to help Liam realize that he is not defined by how others define him.
I read a lot of YA fiction, and while I often delight in deserved comeuppance against the Normies and Jocks as a former (present?) nerd, it gets old. And Liam doesn't necessarily deserve it. He's naturally handsome and has great social skills, so he's popular. No mystery there. But we get to see beyond the stereotypes, and we get to see him take the messy, unconventional steps of putting together the pieces of who he really wants to be.
November 5, 2013
Liam Geller is the hilarious hero of this story. He stars out the book as a popular kid who has labled himself a screwup, and he thinks he can't do anything right. He get's kicked out of his house to live with his witty gay uncle. While living with his "aunt" Pete he tries to be everything he's not, and comically screws up at being a geek, a problem that, unfortunately, no teen actually haves.
This was a bubbly and a genuinely funny book that had me cackling with joy all through it. Although I found the main character hard to connect to, but the other eccentric characters lit up the story so I wasn't too fed upwith the poor hero.
I give this 5 stars because it was the first book to make me outright laugh through whole chapters. This was truely a witty story of love and family and learning who you are, and it had wonderful character development. It was truely a good book.
This was a bubbly and a genuinely funny book that had me cackling with joy all through it. Although I found the main character hard to connect to, but the other eccentric characters lit up the story so I wasn't too fed upwith the poor hero.
I give this 5 stars because it was the first book to make me outright laugh through whole chapters. This was truely a witty story of love and family and learning who you are, and it had wonderful character development. It was truely a good book.
March 14, 2018
The book The King of the Screw Ups by KL Going is about a boy named Liam Geller who is an athletic, nicely dressed popular guy at school. Everyone at school likes him and he can basically get any girl he wants, but his life at school differs from his personal life at home. When Liam is at home, he tends to screw up many things for his parents and himself. His dad starts to get irritated of Liam and decides to do something very harsh, but you’ll have to read the book to find out.
I think the author did a great job on describing how Liam feels throughout the story and with the dialogue because it feels like a real-life conversation. I enjoyed reading this book because I found it interesting and I probably would recommend it to a friend.
I think the author did a great job on describing how Liam feels throughout the story and with the dialogue because it feels like a real-life conversation. I enjoyed reading this book because I found it interesting and I probably would recommend it to a friend.
November 3, 2018
This book is very funny. It did have some sad moments, but the author overshadows it with some light to make it more upbeat. This book has many different topics that it speaks about, but it overall connects to make a greater message. The message behind the book is what makes me like it so much. I can relate to it and understand it. The story itself wasn’t really relatable only because it was so unique and creative.
The story is basically about this boy, named Liam, always messing up. It transitions between is past self to his present self and how he keeps on repeating the same mistakes without intending to. Liam tries to outgrow his mistakes and learn from them, but he just seems to be unlucky. Not only that but Liam is also a senior in high school which is confused on what he wants to do after he graduates. I feel that instead of doing what he wants to do he tries to impress his role models by following their footsteps instead of figuring out what is right for him. Liam knows deep down what he wants to do and what he loves but he doesn’t believe it’s the right decision.
The story is basically about this boy, named Liam, always messing up. It transitions between is past self to his present self and how he keeps on repeating the same mistakes without intending to. Liam tries to outgrow his mistakes and learn from them, but he just seems to be unlucky. Not only that but Liam is also a senior in high school which is confused on what he wants to do after he graduates. I feel that instead of doing what he wants to do he tries to impress his role models by following their footsteps instead of figuring out what is right for him. Liam knows deep down what he wants to do and what he loves but he doesn’t believe it’s the right decision.
August 13, 2017
4 stars in the young adult genre. Fun and fast read that deal with several of today's teenage issues, but they did seem too exaggerated sometimes.
June 20, 2022
The story itself would have earned 4 stars from me except I felt that some of the language used to address LGBTQ+ issues were outdated and needed a little polishing/updating. For example, the main character of the story is a teenage boy who goes to live with his gay uncle. Said uncle also dresses in drag occasionally, and so the protagonist calls him Aunt Pete. It’s a decent YA read that I feel also would need an accompanying discussion about expectations regarding respectful dialog with and about members of the LGBTQ+ community.
March 5, 2015
Liam Geller was a teenage boy who thought that the only thing he was ever good at ,was screwing things up perfectly. He was never able to accomplish a task without making a complete fool of himself. Liam had quite influential parents and thus he was able to be ranked as one of the most popular kids in his school. He always had the trendiest style and fashion. Liam at a young age sought to impresses his father with his academic performance however his father would tell him that his work was nothing to be proud of. He was quite disappointed at first however his mother consoled him by telling him to stop trying so hard to please his father.
Liam took those words and as he grew, he blew them out of proportion by being completely lackadaisical, carefree and unconcerned about anything that was uplifting. He would drink and party excessively, and this infuriated his father as he exploited the privileges he had. Liam’s father was a very hard worker and he was quite discouraged that his only son refuses to take life more seriously. He has finally had enough of Liam’s nonsense after he comes home to find him drunk and half dressed with a girl in his office. He wanted him out of his house immediately; he made arrangements for him to go live with his grandparents until he finally woke up from his world of fantasy.
Sarah, Liam’s mother knows how much Liam’s grandparents despise her and her son, and makes arrangements for him to stay with his gay uncle Aunt Pete. Peter is the brother of Liam’s father who is condemned by his parents and brother for his lifestyle. After moving in with his uncle, Liam recognizes that as good as he is at screwing up there was something he was even better at. He had brilliant ideas when it came to fashion, he spoke French fluently, he was great at doing makeup and where ever he went people could tell Liam Geller was not an ordinary kid. As much as Peter was ridiculed by his family Liam made him feel accepted. Liam who was most of the time ridiculed by his father who he held in high esteem, was made to feel special by his uncle and his friends. While staying with his uncle he met a young lady who was terrified of popular people, and many of the events they would participate in. Liam really wants to win her over and tried to change his style of dressing and his complete attitude to impress her, and gain her favor. This whole experience made his feel like impressing his father after his multiple screw-ups.
This story was aimed towards young people who feel that there is nothing good that they can accomplish, or they are only good enough for being ignorant and stupid. I have learnt that everyone has a place in society where they belong; that everyone has a specific group they feel comfortable in and we should let anyone make us feel uncomfortable or allow us to change what we believe just to make them happy. As young people we are easily swayed, but once we stand firm in what we believe nothing can move us. Another important lesson brought out in this story is that good opportunities which you are afforded should not be taken for granted and everything which happens in your life should teach us a lesson.
I recommend this book to teenagers who feel trapped in their own selves, so that they may realize that whatever they experience, there are others like themselves and that if they surround themselves with the right people they will recognize their true potential.
Liam took those words and as he grew, he blew them out of proportion by being completely lackadaisical, carefree and unconcerned about anything that was uplifting. He would drink and party excessively, and this infuriated his father as he exploited the privileges he had. Liam’s father was a very hard worker and he was quite discouraged that his only son refuses to take life more seriously. He has finally had enough of Liam’s nonsense after he comes home to find him drunk and half dressed with a girl in his office. He wanted him out of his house immediately; he made arrangements for him to go live with his grandparents until he finally woke up from his world of fantasy.
Sarah, Liam’s mother knows how much Liam’s grandparents despise her and her son, and makes arrangements for him to stay with his gay uncle Aunt Pete. Peter is the brother of Liam’s father who is condemned by his parents and brother for his lifestyle. After moving in with his uncle, Liam recognizes that as good as he is at screwing up there was something he was even better at. He had brilliant ideas when it came to fashion, he spoke French fluently, he was great at doing makeup and where ever he went people could tell Liam Geller was not an ordinary kid. As much as Peter was ridiculed by his family Liam made him feel accepted. Liam who was most of the time ridiculed by his father who he held in high esteem, was made to feel special by his uncle and his friends. While staying with his uncle he met a young lady who was terrified of popular people, and many of the events they would participate in. Liam really wants to win her over and tried to change his style of dressing and his complete attitude to impress her, and gain her favor. This whole experience made his feel like impressing his father after his multiple screw-ups.
This story was aimed towards young people who feel that there is nothing good that they can accomplish, or they are only good enough for being ignorant and stupid. I have learnt that everyone has a place in society where they belong; that everyone has a specific group they feel comfortable in and we should let anyone make us feel uncomfortable or allow us to change what we believe just to make them happy. As young people we are easily swayed, but once we stand firm in what we believe nothing can move us. Another important lesson brought out in this story is that good opportunities which you are afforded should not be taken for granted and everything which happens in your life should teach us a lesson.
I recommend this book to teenagers who feel trapped in their own selves, so that they may realize that whatever they experience, there are others like themselves and that if they surround themselves with the right people they will recognize their true potential.
August 20, 2022
With a rich, important father and a famous supermodel mother, it's no surprise that Liam Geller has been Mr. Popularity for most of his life. The spitting image of his beautiful mother, Liam has wanted to impress his father for years. The problem is that Liam always seems to screw everything up. After seventeen years' worth of warnings about jeopardizing his future and never amounting to anything but the life of the party, Liam has resigned himself to being Mr. Popularity for the the rest of his life. It's not like he has many other options.
That is until Liam screws up for the last time. Thrown out of the house with no place else to go, Liam finds himself living with his father's brother in upstate New York. Living in a trailer with his gay, glam rock playing, DJ "Aunt" Pete was not how Liam planned to start his senior year in high school. Not even a little bit.
The more Liam thinks about his exile, though, the more he realizes this might be his best chance to earn his father's approval. No more popular, athletic, fashion savvy Liam; instead Liam decides to make himself into the studious nerd his father always wanted for a son. The thing of it is, the harder Liam tries to make himself into the ideal son, the worse everything seems to get. Luckily for Liam, family and even father figures come in all shapes and sizes--even a glam rocking uncle no one expected to fit either part.
In 2004 K. L. Going's novel Fat Kid Rules the World (2003) was selected as a Printz Award Honor Book. At first I thought King of the Screwups (2009) was a surprising departure from that novel because it's so funny and because Liam is such a different character from Troy. But now, thinking about the two, I realize they have more in common than I initially realized. Like her earlier novel, King of the Screwups is the story of a boy trying to find himself and connect with a family that keeps him at a remove.
Superficially, Liam seems to lead an ideal life and really have it all--good looks, popularity, money and privilege. Most people would think that would be enough to make a happy life. Going intersperses flashbacks throughout the story to show the chinks in Liam's movie perfect life while also making Liam a highly developed and very well realized character. Liam has spent most of his life being cut down by his father's offhand remarks and watching his mother receive similar treatment while still taking her husband's part in every fight. As the story progresses Liam realizes there is more to life than seeking approval and that, sometimes, you have to screw up before you can really succeed.
Some parts of this story were heartbreaking to read but ultimately King of the Screwups is a funny and uplifting story about family (and fashion) that will appeal to just about everyone. The book cover (designed by Christine Kettner, with a photo by Shani Frymer) is also excellent; simple and classy, it is the perfect embodiment of the story within.
That is until Liam screws up for the last time. Thrown out of the house with no place else to go, Liam finds himself living with his father's brother in upstate New York. Living in a trailer with his gay, glam rock playing, DJ "Aunt" Pete was not how Liam planned to start his senior year in high school. Not even a little bit.
The more Liam thinks about his exile, though, the more he realizes this might be his best chance to earn his father's approval. No more popular, athletic, fashion savvy Liam; instead Liam decides to make himself into the studious nerd his father always wanted for a son. The thing of it is, the harder Liam tries to make himself into the ideal son, the worse everything seems to get. Luckily for Liam, family and even father figures come in all shapes and sizes--even a glam rocking uncle no one expected to fit either part.
In 2004 K. L. Going's novel Fat Kid Rules the World (2003) was selected as a Printz Award Honor Book. At first I thought King of the Screwups (2009) was a surprising departure from that novel because it's so funny and because Liam is such a different character from Troy. But now, thinking about the two, I realize they have more in common than I initially realized. Like her earlier novel, King of the Screwups is the story of a boy trying to find himself and connect with a family that keeps him at a remove.
Superficially, Liam seems to lead an ideal life and really have it all--good looks, popularity, money and privilege. Most people would think that would be enough to make a happy life. Going intersperses flashbacks throughout the story to show the chinks in Liam's movie perfect life while also making Liam a highly developed and very well realized character. Liam has spent most of his life being cut down by his father's offhand remarks and watching his mother receive similar treatment while still taking her husband's part in every fight. As the story progresses Liam realizes there is more to life than seeking approval and that, sometimes, you have to screw up before you can really succeed.
Some parts of this story were heartbreaking to read but ultimately King of the Screwups is a funny and uplifting story about family (and fashion) that will appeal to just about everyone. The book cover (designed by Christine Kettner, with a photo by Shani Frymer) is also excellent; simple and classy, it is the perfect embodiment of the story within.
January 11, 2010
Liam Geller would seem to have everything. His mom used to be a supermodel, but after retiring she now owns a super-successful clothing boutique. His dead is an uber-businessman, raking in millions of dollars. Having what he wants is never a problem ... or so it would seem.
Liam, entering his senior year in high school, has a bit of a reputation of being a party-boy. When his father comes home and catches him with a girl on his father's desk, everything seems to come to a head. Liam's father is done with Liam's messing up and threatens to send his son to live with his grandparents.
Things don't quite work out that way, when Liam's mother helps to arrange for Liam to go live with his Aunt Peter. Yes, that is right Aunt Peter. Peter is Liam's father's brother who is a bit of a black sheep. He is gay and a member of a glam, punk rock band. As a result, Peter has basically been disowned.
Liam finds himself living in a rundown trailer in the countryside. Next door, lives Darleen, a girl who is extremely smart, but not so popular. Liam decides that he really needs her help if he is going to learn not to be a screwup. She can help him get smart and be more like the son his father wants him to be.
Unfortunately, Liam is a bit of a natural when it comes to being popular. Because of his mother's history, everyone, particularly the in-crowd, wants to be his friend. No matter what he does, he seems to just screwup. Sometimes that means doing exactly the right thing to be popular. This leads to Darleen being less than enthused since he seems to annoy and sometimes even mock her.
This books is really about being yourself, and the fact that you are better off if you just do that. Liam doesn't seem able to see his natural skills for various reasons, but when he gets the opportunity to use those talents, he is a success. Unfortunately, he doesn't see it as that way. Darleen, Aunt Pete and his bad, and even Liam's mother are all there for him in important ways.
Pete and his band in particular are a new type of character in teen literature. They are all gay, but they are not glamorous, despite being in a glam band. They are average middle-aged guys, dealing with weight issues and other everyday problems rather than being the cliched fashionistas that made Gay Eye for the Straight Guy so popular.
Liam is a surprisingly likable guy. Like Darleen, the reader could easily dismiss him as the spoiled kid of two rich and famous people, but the story and his actions prove that he is much more than that. The problem is that Liam can't seem to see that himself. He really is more than the King of the Screwups.
Liam, entering his senior year in high school, has a bit of a reputation of being a party-boy. When his father comes home and catches him with a girl on his father's desk, everything seems to come to a head. Liam's father is done with Liam's messing up and threatens to send his son to live with his grandparents.
Things don't quite work out that way, when Liam's mother helps to arrange for Liam to go live with his Aunt Peter. Yes, that is right Aunt Peter. Peter is Liam's father's brother who is a bit of a black sheep. He is gay and a member of a glam, punk rock band. As a result, Peter has basically been disowned.
Liam finds himself living in a rundown trailer in the countryside. Next door, lives Darleen, a girl who is extremely smart, but not so popular. Liam decides that he really needs her help if he is going to learn not to be a screwup. She can help him get smart and be more like the son his father wants him to be.
Unfortunately, Liam is a bit of a natural when it comes to being popular. Because of his mother's history, everyone, particularly the in-crowd, wants to be his friend. No matter what he does, he seems to just screwup. Sometimes that means doing exactly the right thing to be popular. This leads to Darleen being less than enthused since he seems to annoy and sometimes even mock her.
This books is really about being yourself, and the fact that you are better off if you just do that. Liam doesn't seem able to see his natural skills for various reasons, but when he gets the opportunity to use those talents, he is a success. Unfortunately, he doesn't see it as that way. Darleen, Aunt Pete and his bad, and even Liam's mother are all there for him in important ways.
Pete and his band in particular are a new type of character in teen literature. They are all gay, but they are not glamorous, despite being in a glam band. They are average middle-aged guys, dealing with weight issues and other everyday problems rather than being the cliched fashionistas that made Gay Eye for the Straight Guy so popular.
Liam is a surprisingly likable guy. Like Darleen, the reader could easily dismiss him as the spoiled kid of two rich and famous people, but the story and his actions prove that he is much more than that. The problem is that Liam can't seem to see that himself. He really is more than the King of the Screwups.
August 19, 2009
This book had potential to interest - the narrator is a beautiful 17-year-old, aspiring model who, after being kicked out by his disapproving, successful businessman father, ends up living in a trailer in upstate NY with his middle-aged gay, glam-rock uncle. Sounds interesting right? But it isn't. The characters are poorly developed and every situation - the kid's relationship with his father, the parents' relationship, and the tension between the father and uncle - felt cliched. Worst though is the narrator, Liam. Most of his dialogue sounds like Going lifted it right off the cover of fashion magazines; as if she realized she hadn't a clue what this kid would say and then aha! that blurb about highlighting cheekbones or cardiovascular exercise on the cover of Elle - perfect! Plus Going often describes each component of Liam's outfits, both the cool ones and the dweeby ones he spends hours assembling in order to be taken seriously - and she drops brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss like crazy, but then there are just choice pieces from "this hot new Italian designer" which made me suspect that, like me, but, importantly, unlike her narrator, she hasn't a clue about any hot new Italian designers herself. He's just not an interesting or credible character - would any kid dedicate serious time to making himself look like a dork honestly expecting this to be the way to his father's heart?!
June 21, 2010
This book is a great read for a reluctant high-school reader. Here is a kid who has it all -- money (dad is a CEO), looks (he looks just like his mother a famous runway model), popularity (the girls always love him) and he is a great athlete. However he constantly screws up, especially where his father is concerned. After being caught in flagrante delicto by his father, he is thrown out of his house just as senior year is starting. Sent to live with his gay, glam rocker of an uncle in a small town in upstate NY where home is a double wide in a trailer park, Liam starts discovering who he is and what he wants from life.
The book read easily which isn't surprising since Going is a Printz Honor winner. The confrontation between Liam and his dad wasn't as good as the rest of the book which made the ending peter out a bit. What hooked me was the flashback on page five when nine-year-old Liam tells a interviewer on national TV that he wants to be just like his dad, because "even though I don't look like him and I'm no smart like him, he's still my dad.....I know because they got the paternity test and everything. I heard Mom say it to my nana. She said if we hadn't got the paternity test, she never would have believed it."
The book read easily which isn't surprising since Going is a Printz Honor winner. The confrontation between Liam and his dad wasn't as good as the rest of the book which made the ending peter out a bit. What hooked me was the flashback on page five when nine-year-old Liam tells a interviewer on national TV that he wants to be just like his dad, because "even though I don't look like him and I'm no smart like him, he's still my dad.....I know because they got the paternity test and everything. I heard Mom say it to my nana. She said if we hadn't got the paternity test, she never would have believed it."
October 8, 2011
Liam Geller is the only child of a former model and a CEO. The only thing he seems to be good at, in his opinion, is screwing up. Finally his Dad throws him out. Instead of going to his hated grandparents, which his Dad thinks he's doing, he goes to live in a trailer park with his "Aunt" Pete, his Dad's brother.
Aunt Pete is a cross dressing gay glam rocker. Liam's Dad doesn't approve of or speak to Pete. Pete agrees to take Liam in and tells him he needs to figure out what he's going to do. The problem is - no matter how much Liam tries to be unpopular - the more popular he becomes! Except with the girl next door -Darleen. He just wants to be friends with Darleen, he thinks his Dad would approve of the friendship.
With the help of Aunt Pete's friends, an English teacher, police officer and store owner (Pete is a DJ); Liam comes into his own and surprises even himself.
While not the most amazing book I've ever read, it was nice to read a book about a teenage guy who isn't gay but knows all the fashion stuff, who isn't trying to get some girl to sleep with him and who seems to have a lot going on.
Aunt Pete is a cross dressing gay glam rocker. Liam's Dad doesn't approve of or speak to Pete. Pete agrees to take Liam in and tells him he needs to figure out what he's going to do. The problem is - no matter how much Liam tries to be unpopular - the more popular he becomes! Except with the girl next door -Darleen. He just wants to be friends with Darleen, he thinks his Dad would approve of the friendship.
With the help of Aunt Pete's friends, an English teacher, police officer and store owner (Pete is a DJ); Liam comes into his own and surprises even himself.
While not the most amazing book I've ever read, it was nice to read a book about a teenage guy who isn't gay but knows all the fashion stuff, who isn't trying to get some girl to sleep with him and who seems to have a lot going on.
October 20, 2016
I enjoyed reading "King of the Screwups" by K.L. Going. It was about a boy named Liam who is Mr. Popularity but always seems to somehow screw everything up. In the beginning of the book Liam decided to through a party and eventually things started to escalate and Liam's parents found him in his fathers office with a girl. Liam's parents were so mad with his actions and his past actions they made him go to his "uncles" house for his senior year of high school. Except his uncle wasn't his uncle anymore, he was more like his aunt. Liam's "uncle" was a transgender male that everyone in the family hated except Liam and his mother because of his life choice. This is where the actual book begins but I'm not gonna give any spoilers. I would recommend "King of the Screwups" because it's a great book, the situations Liam gets in is very entertaining and the way the author writes kept me hooked the entire time I was reading. I haven't read any other books by K.L. Going but after reading this book I know I would enjoy any of his other books.
March 19, 2009
When Mr. Popularity Liam Geller's type-A dad kicks him out of the house, Liam goes to live with his cross-dressing uncle Pete in a trailer park upstate. As Liam struggles to change, to be unpopular, his uncle battles to help him be true to himself in the face of parental disapproval.
Based on the flap copy, I thought this book would be funny and poignant- a great light read. Though it was in fact funny and poignant, it was also a painfully raw look parental mental abuse at its worst. I was shocked and appalled that Liam's mother stood by as his father attempted to crush every spark of life and humanity from his son, pandering to his egotistical need to recreate his son in his own image.
I read this book from start to finish in one evening- it is just that powerful a novel. This book was moving and raw and at times absurd- just like the life of an average teenager. Highly recommended!
Based on the flap copy, I thought this book would be funny and poignant- a great light read. Though it was in fact funny and poignant, it was also a painfully raw look parental mental abuse at its worst. I was shocked and appalled that Liam's mother stood by as his father attempted to crush every spark of life and humanity from his son, pandering to his egotistical need to recreate his son in his own image.
I read this book from start to finish in one evening- it is just that powerful a novel. This book was moving and raw and at times absurd- just like the life of an average teenager. Highly recommended!
May 11, 2010
Interesting premise: a beautiful boy is popular against his will, is popular despite actively trying not to be, is popular to the point of ridiculousness.
My sympathies only stretch so far, you know? Oh poor little pretty one, everybody wants to be your friend, there there.
Props to Going for
A: Creating a parent who really does NOT have his kids best interests at heart.
B: Creating a straight boy who is very into fashion and passionate about clothing displays.
C: Portraying a gay, middle-aged uncle in a glam rock band wearing sequins and zebra print.
D: Having the pretty popular boy defend his gay glam rock uncle without batting an eye.
Most of this book felt half-baked. Why would being friends with the geeky girl make his a*hole father proud? What about the cheerleader is redeemable? How does his relationship with his uncle grow overnight and out of nothing?
I can't recommend it, but I wouldn't yank it out of your hands, either.
My sympathies only stretch so far, you know? Oh poor little pretty one, everybody wants to be your friend, there there.
Props to Going for
A: Creating a parent who really does NOT have his kids best interests at heart.
B: Creating a straight boy who is very into fashion and passionate about clothing displays.
C: Portraying a gay, middle-aged uncle in a glam rock band wearing sequins and zebra print.
D: Having the pretty popular boy defend his gay glam rock uncle without batting an eye.
Most of this book felt half-baked. Why would being friends with the geeky girl make his a*hole father proud? What about the cheerleader is redeemable? How does his relationship with his uncle grow overnight and out of nothing?
I can't recommend it, but I wouldn't yank it out of your hands, either.
May 27, 2010
Liam is popular. He’s the son of a famous businessman and a supermodel. He’s hot and knows how to dress to make the most of it. And he’s terrible at school. This serves him well among his peers, but his father, businessman that he is, is not impressed. Liam’s father disapproves of nearly everything about Liam. And after one more wild party which violates his father’s desk, Liam is kicked out of the house. He lands in a trailer in a tiny town, living with his father’s estranged brother, who happens to be the cross-dressing lead singer of a glam rock band. He decides that in order to earn back his father’s love, he needs to eschew popularity and become a nerd. Going is, as always, an excellent storyteller. Her characters are multi-layered and real. Her moral is not as predictable as you might expect. An excellent read from an excellent author.
October 12, 2010
Ever since Fat Kid Rules the World I have loved this author for her ability to write real people. Liam's parents are perfect people who have screwed up, a lot, in ways that many parents do. Liam's life shows a reflection of their issues, plus a healthy dose of his own. Even his uncle Pete, the gay, cross-dressing glam rocker, isn't perfect at living up to his own ideal of not compromising who he is for anyone. There are little asides that give us glimpses of other people's screwups that they usually keep hidden--Pete's explanation of why he doesn't live with his boyfriend, Eddie's distance from his own niece who lives in the same small town, Darleen pushing people away because she's afraid to be vulnerable.
And I just have to love Liam reading the lunch menu during announcements and pointedly stating that there is no vegetarian option. Every day.
And I just have to love Liam reading the lunch menu during announcements and pointedly stating that there is no vegetarian option. Every day.
December 5, 2014
King of the Screwups is a very different book from what most of us are used to reading. It has the difficult story of a boy in a bad relationship with his father, with deep undertones of societal discrimination. If you ignore the story (which I wouldn't suggest, it's phenomenal), then you can read in between the lines to find the statements the author is making on discrimination. Uncle Pete is gay, and is hated by his town and most of his family for it. Darleen is a smart woman in a small town of sexists,you can imagine the way she was treated. The author was making a statement about the injustice of the world by making the main character not care about whether or not someone was gay or a woman, a role model for the way we should view others. The story itself is touching and funny, as a popular kid tries to become unpopular, and fails at it.
June 3, 2010
Liam Geller is a very popular teen, but in his father's eyes, he can only do wrong, always screwsup, gets into trouble. Finally, his dad throws him out and he goes to live with his gay uncle. Living in a trailer in a small town is not exactly what Liam had in mind for his senior year - especially after having lived in such glamorous cities as Paris when his mother was at the top of her modeling career. Liam can't quite figure out how to fit in because he really doesn't believe in himself. No wonder, when his father never gave him any kind of love or approval. I let you read the book to see how he survives...
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August 31, 2011This is an easy read. Readers will sympathize with Liam, the main character. He is thrown out of his parent's home because his parents feel that there is nothing more they can do for their son. He refuses to take responsibility for anything in his life. He has no direction and his grades have hit rock bottom. He is taken in by his Glam/Rock gay uncle, Aunt Pete that lives in a trailer. As hard as Liam tries to be unpopular at his new school, he fails. The book moves quickly from one quirky episode to the next.
March 13, 2009
A unique twist on K.L. Going's pitch-perfect teen voice, KING OF THE SCREWUPS features Liam, a fashion-conscious high school boy (and no, he's not gay) who would love to be a model. When he screws up one too many times for his high-powered CEO father, he ends up shipped off to Upstate NY to live with his glam-rock uncle in a trailer park. A funny, poignant, and hopeful read that had me cheering for Liam at the end.
March 29, 2013
This book was so sad. It was so emotionally draining reading the pain Liam experiences. But it's a great story.
January 18, 2015
A very well written story about finding who you are and being true to yourself. Going created a great cast of supporting characters. Aunt Pete was great.
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