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 bea...
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Dec 27, 2011
Carmen
rated it: 
This is a book about a boy named Liam, whom has the best father and mother in the world. Well it is only good in other people's minds and knowing, because they are one of the most famous people. On the other hand, Liam is not as bright as his parents and he always screwup. He is the charming, but yet the kind of guy that plays around too much. He was send away after his father's furious expression after knowing how much wrongs he has done. Liam has to stay with Aunt Pete, which is his uncle, b
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Oct 23, 2011
Wisteriouswoman
rated it: 
It was a fun read so I've bumped it up to five stars. Hardly anything ever makes me laugh and this book has some wonderful tongue in cheek humor that had me laughing out loud! I loved the group of gay guys in the band. So many teens think of gay guys as men with female jobs and characteristics. The book had a more realistic approach showing each band member in a different profession: teacher, police officer, store owner and radio host. The book had a nice way of showing that we can make our own
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Oct 08, 2011
Dawn
rated it: 
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 o More...
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 o More...
Jul 14, 2011
Becky
rated it:
I thought this was a real charmer (sorry, Christiana!). Rich party boy Liam has everything he could want in life, except his father's love and approval. When he screws up one too many times and is kicked out, he gets a second chance from his uncle. "Aunt Pete," as he's known, is a family black sheep (he's gay, still plays in a glam-rock band, and lives in a trailer park), but Liam finds unexpected father figures in Pete and his four friends. Throughout the book, Liam is convinced that
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Jun 23, 2011
Mrs. Foley
rated it:
This is a Gateway book for 2011-2012. I like this author and this book is good, interesting, etc. But, at the end I felt like it was just okay. Some of the characters were fun and well-written, while others felt forced or fake...an example taken to the extreme instead of a real person.
Review from Booklist:
Like her previous novels, including the Printz Honor Book Fat Kid Rules the World (2003), Going's latest is a surprising, memorable story shaped from unlikely character bo More...
Review from Booklist:
Like her previous novels, including the Printz Honor Book Fat Kid Rules the World (2003), Going's latest is a surprising, memorable story shaped from unlikely character bo More...
Mar 30, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
After the dark, intense "After", I needed something light and funny and this book fit the bill.
Liam, self-described "King of the Screw-Ups", is the son of a former model and a highly successful executive. After one too many transgressions, his father kicks him out of the house just before the start of his senior year in H.S. Rather than move in with his super strict grandparents (his dad's idea), he moves in with his trailer-dwelling, cross-dressing DJ/glam rocker More...
Liam, self-described "King of the Screw-Ups", is the son of a former model and a highly successful executive. After one too many transgressions, his father kicks him out of the house just before the start of his senior year in H.S. Rather than move in with his super strict grandparents (his dad's idea), he moves in with his trailer-dwelling, cross-dressing DJ/glam rocker More...
Jan 31, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
We meet 17-yrld Liam Geller drunk, half-passed out on his father's desk with a gorgeous, half naked girl frantically begging his father not to call her parents. This latest in a history of "future risking behavior by Mr. Popularity" as his father intones, gets him kicked out of the mansion and shipped off to live with his long lost "Aunt" Pete. Refreshingly, Liam could care less about his uncle's sexual orientation or glam rock band, and even adjusts well from penthouse to
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Jan 11, 2011
Courtney
rated it:
Liam is a screw-up. At least that's what his dad's been telling him since he was a kid and everything that's happened since seems to confirm it. After a particularly large screw-up, Liam gets sent to live with his uncle Pete, an openly-gay, cross-dressing (occasionally) member of a glam band. Which could not be any further from Liam's privileged upbringing. It's pretty weird at first, but Liam's a likable guy and settles right in. In fact, he starts to think he's a little too likable. He's fitti
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Oct 20, 2010
Doreen
rated it:
Liam has grown up with the critical voice of his dad always harping on his multiple failures, to the point that Liam knows what a screwup he is. He can't do anything right. He makes poor choices. He isn't smart, and his chances for future success at anything are pretty much nil. And the sad thing is, Liam absolutely believes this, and the first words out of his mouth whenever he interacts with his dad are an apology and a promise to try harder. Liam admires his dad, who is a CEO of an important
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Jul 19, 2010
Joanne
rated it:
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 gets 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 More...
When Liam finally gets 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 More...
Jun 21, 2010
Pam
rated it:
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 smal
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Jun 09, 2010
Denise
rated it:
4.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and funny..., May 11, 2009
This review is from: King of the Screwups (Hardcover) YA FICTION
Teens will like this YA novel about a boy who just can't seem to do anything right, even when he's deliberately trying to do things wrong! Liam is cursed with good looks and a great fashion sense. No matter what he does, he is still Mr. Popularity. In disgrace after his father catches him in flagrante delicto in his office, Liam finds himself kicked ou More...
This review is from: King of the Screwups (Hardcover) YA FICTION
Teens will like this YA novel about a boy who just can't seem to do anything right, even when he's deliberately trying to do things wrong! Liam is cursed with good looks and a great fashion sense. No matter what he does, he is still Mr. Popularity. In disgrace after his father catches him in flagrante delicto in his office, Liam finds himself kicked ou More...
Jun 01, 2010
Julia
rated it:
“I would have to say the one thing that I truly excel at is screwing up. I am very, very good at it there are many ways in which I manage to screw up far more than the average person. Whereas most people screw up only once in a while I am very consistent about it and even screw up at screwing up even when I mean to be screwing up.”
That’s the thesis statement Liam writes in a five page essay for his English teacher. (The assignment was “Describe what you’re best at.”) Why didn’t his More...
That’s the thesis statement Liam writes in a five page essay for his English teacher. (The assignment was “Describe what you’re best at.”) Why didn’t his More...
May 21, 2010
Ruhama
rated it:
Liam's mother, Sarah, is a model and famous boutique owner. His father, Allan, is a famous successful financial guy. Liam... well, he's very good at being popular. This often causes family arguments, especially when Liam's father struggles with his son getting bad grades, getting drunk and getting in trouble. Allan finally reaches the breaking point and kicks Liam out of the house, right before Liam's senior year begins. Sarah arranges for Liam to live with his Aunt Pete (named because he's gay)
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Mar 14, 2010
Lauren
rated it:
When I first saw King of The Screwups I was intrigued by not only the title but the premise that sounded quite interesting. Luckily, King of the Screwups was one teen's compelling story that often hit high reality points through the trials and tribulations of being in his own words, The King of Screwups. And while I did enjoy this book (I mean I raced through the whole thing in one sitting, what else could that mean?), it sometimes felt predictable.
The King of the Screwups had quite More...
The King of the Screwups had quite More...
Jan 11, 2010
Aaron
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
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Dec 11, 2009
Claire
rated it: 
Liam is so very much like his mother that his father is completely flummoxed as to what to do with him- He can find nothing to value in his son. Liam figures his father is right, the things he does well don't seem to matter and they come easily to him. Studying on the other hand is a big challenge and failing at that is a big deal for his dad.
When Liam is caught drunk and compromised with a date on his dad's desk (really he was just showing off his dad's awards and honors, he is ver More...
When Liam is caught drunk and compromised with a date on his dad's desk (really he was just showing off his dad's awards and honors, he is ver More...
Sep 20, 2009
TheSaint
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 29, 2009
Rebecca
rated it:
What I loved about this book was that it undermines the pernicious myth that teenagers everywhere seem to have that people who look happy and popular on the outside don't have any problems or aren't suffering on the inside where no one can see. The main character, Liam, is wealthy, popular, and good looking but he has terribly low self-esteem because he is good at things his father doesn't value and not good at the things he does value. When his father kicks him out, his only option is to go li
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Aug 27, 2009
Leigh
rated it: 
From my previous brush with Fat Kid Rules the World I already knew K.L. Going wasn't my favourite young adult writer, but I thought I'd give her another chance when the opportunity came around. I wasn't unexpectedly disappointed, but disappointed nonetheless with the execution of what would have otherwise been a worthwhile premise.
We take Liam, a 17-year-old ripe for redeeming, fill him with dysfunctional relationships and offbeat interests, and put him in a trailer park to deal wit More...
We take Liam, a 17-year-old ripe for redeeming, fill him with dysfunctional relationships and offbeat interests, and put him in a trailer park to deal wit More...
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Aug 03, 2009
Sara
rated it:
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 whe More...
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 whe More...
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Aug 02, 2009
Kelly
rated it:
Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/07/29/review-kin...
Summary: Liam is a high school senior, and everyone loves him. Except his father. Somehow, no matter how hard he tries not to screw up, Liam disappoints his dad. When his dad kicks him out, Liam’s only option is to live with his dad’s cross-dressing brother. Which pisses off his dad even more.
Review: I will definitely be reading more by K.L. Going. (Can you believe I haven’t read Fat Kid Rules the World? YA sacrileg More...
Summary: Liam is a high school senior, and everyone loves him. Except his father. Somehow, no matter how hard he tries not to screw up, Liam disappoints his dad. When his dad kicks him out, Liam’s only option is to live with his dad’s cross-dressing brother. Which pisses off his dad even more.
Review: I will definitely be reading more by K.L. Going. (Can you believe I haven’t read Fat Kid Rules the World? YA sacrileg More...
Nov 15, 2010
Dennis
rated it:
After reading K.L. Going's Fat Kid Rules the World, I just had to pick up another novel by her... and wasn't disappointed!
Liam is basically the home-coming king type of guy every nerd/geek secretly wants to be - popular, good-looking, and lucky with the ladies. Sure he lacks a certain degree of academic aptitude but his social aptitudes come so naturally it's hard not to be jealous (especially when you're me who's the exact opposite of Liam). But not everyone's perfect and as he seeks More...
Liam is basically the home-coming king type of guy every nerd/geek secretly wants to be - popular, good-looking, and lucky with the ladies. Sure he lacks a certain degree of academic aptitude but his social aptitudes come so naturally it's hard not to be jealous (especially when you're me who's the exact opposite of Liam). But not everyone's perfect and as he seeks More...
Nov 30, 2009
Terri
rated it:
K.L Going, author of the award-winning "Fat Kid Rules the World" and "Saint Iggy," is one of my favorite Young Adult authors. She again nails the characterization of the quirky angst-ridden teenage boy through Liam Geller, the main character in "King of the Screwups: A Novel." When Liam is caught drunk and in a compromising position with a girl in his father's office, his father kicks him out of the house. His mother arranges for him to live with his cross-dressing,
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May 04, 2009
Tasha
rated it:
Liam messes up everything that he touches, especially in his father’s eyes. When screws up again, Liam is kicked out of the house. His mother engineers it so that Liam is sent to live with his gay, glam-rocker uncle in a trailer in the middle of nowhere. This is Liam’s chance to be different, be what his father wants, and not mess up. But things aren’t that easy. Liam tries to be unpopular, but can’t seem to manage it. He tries to befriend the next-door neighbor but she dislikes him at fir
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Jul 02, 2009
Gail
rated it:
What is there to say about a book that kept me reading despite the fact that half of its elements do not work? The main character is likable, as are some of the secondary ones. But the father is completely one-dimensional, the mother is stretched too far between super-model, loving mom, and doormat wife, and it is too much to believe that these two would have stayed together for a year, much less 18. On top of that, Going takes Liam's bumbling attempts to be lovable and unpopular to such extreme
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May 25, 2009
Michael
rated it:
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
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May 11, 2010
Nicole
rated it:
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: More...
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: More...
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Sep 16, 2009
Carrie
rated it:
After not living up to his father's expectations one too many times, seventeen year old Liam is kicked out of his house and moves in with his estranged Uncle Pete. Pete lives in a trailer, has a glam rock cover band, and his boyfriend is Liam's English teacher. The premise sounds excellent. The actual novel is just okay.
I like that they play with some gender stereotypes. Liam spent most of his time growing up with his supermodel mother, and is very interested in (and good at) f More...
I like that they play with some gender stereotypes. Liam spent most of his time growing up with his supermodel mother, and is very interested in (and good at) f More...
Sep 15, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
This is a fun, funny and interesting book if a little too trite/predictable at a few points. Let that go and just enjoy and you will be happier. The book is about a beautiful boy (son of a super model) who has pushed his father’s buttons 1 too many times by getting caught totally shitfaced and having sex on his dad’s home office desk. This is actually a pretty funny scene. Anyways, he gets shipped off to his uncle’s house. His uncle is a fantastically portrayed aging queer, glam rocker who makes
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