King of the Screwups [Hardcover]

K. L. Going (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2009

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.

Editorial Reviews

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 bonds. High-school senior Liam is a talented, straight athlete who is as gorgeous as his mother, a former supermodel, and has inherited her interest in clothes: “I love fashion. And girls.” A mediocre student, he constantly disappoints his dad, an angry, sometimes verbally abusive executive who kicks Liam out of the house after one too many perceived transgressions. Against his homophobic dad’s wishes, Liam moves in with his gay, cross-dressing, trailer-dwelling uncle, Aunt Pete. Determined to meet his father’s expectations, Liam joins the AV club at his new school and actively tries to fight his natural status as “Mr. Popularity”; but once again, everything goes awry. Liam’s parents occasionally feel more like caricatures than fully developed characters, but Liam and Aunt Pete are true originals, and Going balances her strong messages of self-discovery and acceptance with compassionate, bittersweet scenes that highlight the soul-sapping futility of trying to please unappeasable adults. Grades 7-12. --Gillian Engberg

Review

"Going's latest (after The Garden of Eve) is full of comic moments featuring "Aunt" Pete's glam-rock band buddies and Liam's relentless blunders, as well as his uncommon fashion expertise ("You're like a fashion Einstein," gushes one of Pete's friends). Readers—screwups or not—will empathize as Liam, utterly likable despite his faults, learns to be himself."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Liam is a multifaceted and resilient character who ultimately learns how to be comfortable in his own skin with the help of his new, makeshift family. Going’s knack for defying stereotypes and creating memorable characters will not disappoint fans of Fat Kid Rules the World (Putnam, 2003) and Saint Iggy (Harcourt, 2006).--School Library Journal, starred review

 

"Going’s latest flows easily with smooth, realistic dialogue and reads like a coming-out story for straight guys. This innovative, out-of-the-box approach juxtaposes stereotypes, received values, parental roles and masculinity in a jarringly fun and approachable manner that marks a triumphant left-turn for the genre. Cloaked as a story of tough love, this is actually a psychological exploration of the impact of parental expectations versus the dreams of their children."--Kirkus

 

"Liam and Aunt Pete are true originals, and Going balances her strong messages of selfdiscovery and acceptance with compassionate, bittersweet scenes that highlight the soul-sapping futility of trying to please unappeasable adults."--Booklist

 

"Going creates an engaging cast of characters . . . Liam is a complex character whose development into a sympathetic, real person is compelling."--VOYA (4Q4P)

 

“After her darker, more enigmatic turn with Saint Iggy . . . Going delivers an involving coming-of-age character study likely to please fans of her Fat Kid Rules the World.”--The Bulletin

 

"Going's writing is smooth and simple."--New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (April 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152062580
• ISBN-13: 978-0152062583
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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 Booksense picks, Scholastic Book Club choices, Junior Library Guild selections, NY Public Library Best Books for the Teenage, 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 will soon be a movie!

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 an adoring mom.

To visit KL on-line go to www.klgoing.com, www.facebook.com/KLGoing, or find her on Twitter!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some gut-wrenching subject matter masked with humor -, May 20, 2009

By 

J.L. Cocca "Bookworm for Life" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: King of the Screwups (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Liam Geller is the son of a successful former model and an uptight CEO. The pressure placed on him to succeed from a very young age, combined with the layers of emotional abuse suffered from the words of his father, results in causing him to believe that he's not good at anything except "screwing up". When a final mistake at home causes his father to kick him out he goes to live with his "Aunt" Pete, a man who's been estranged from his family for years due to his refusal to conform to what had been expected of him.

The story goes on to share Liam's struggle of coming to terms with the fact that his parents aren't perfect and he isn't broken, as they've lead him to believe he is. The humor in this story is all a mask of much deeper issues. It's a rewarding read because of the beautifully constructed main characters. But, there will also be points when you'd like to thorw it across the room because of the anger that the other, minor characters, instill in you as a reader.

K.L. Going does a fantastic job of making you feel like you could be a watcher in this smalltown of Pineville, experiencing the ups and downs of Liam and his uncle as a next-door neighbor really would.

The one thing I would state against this book (and the reason I didn't give it the full 5 stars) is that it's not for middle-schoolers. Sure, there may be some kids mature enough to handle the subject matter at that age, but I feel that the majority of 12-year-olds out there would not be able to grasp the dynamics of this story.

These are hard subjects to handle, even for a high-schooler. But I would definitely advise that the sexual innuendo, language and subtle detailing of emotional abuse would be much better received by a slightly older audience than what the cover of the book recommends.

Other than that, A+.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 12, 2010

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King of the Screwups (Hardcover)

You can't please everybody. I knew that before reading KING OF THE SCREWUPS by K.L Going. Ms.Going, however, is going to please a lot of people with her newest book. I have read her other books and she just has a way of creating an engaging ensemble of characters in each book you read.

I like Liam Geller, the protagonist in this story. He is Mr Popular. You know the type - very good looking, knows how to dress, has his way with the ladies, excels at sports. He is just an average student, though, and this disappoints his father to no end. His father is a CEO of this prestigious company and a member of Mensa, so you can imagine what an embarrassment it must be for him that his son does not take after him. Liam actually takes after his mom, a former runway model. He has a great eye for fashion and this does not sit well with dear old dad. His father absolutely believes that intelligence and discipline is what will get him far in life. Popularity and likeableness in high school will not help in the real world. I beg to differ on that point....

I do not like Allan Geller. Personally, I think he is a horse's ass. The pressure he puts on his son is ridiculous. Working in the school system, I see a lot of fathers like that. Their kids are generally good kids, have potential, but just feel like losers because they are buried under such criticism and feel no love.

This definitely can be considered a coming-of-age story. Liam, throughout this book, discovers who he is and how to make it work. Going seamlessly combines much needed comic moments with some heartbreaking ones. I think the intention of this book was to show that it is okay to not be perfect, but what really came out is how damaging a parent's high and sometimes unrealistic expectations can be on their child.

Now, I am not saying Liam is perfect - he does screw up and does some things that may make parents cringe, but he is not an utter failure at everything. I don't think it was right to get drunk and pretty much have sex on his dad's desk. He was doing what teenagers do, but this last episode was the one that broke the camel's back. This screwup gets him kicked out with a slim chance of ever returning. His father has had enough of him and wants him out of the house.

He has made arrangements for Liam to live with his grandparents, but because they don't care for him too much, Liam makes alternative arrangements to live with his Aunt Pete, which angers his father even more. You see, aunt Pete is a gay glam rock DJ living in a small trailer, not exactly the role model for discipline that his father wants for Liam. It turns out though that "Aunt" Pete and his colorful assortment of friends are better role models for Liam than his dad will ever be by a country mile.

And so begins Liam's new life. Here in Pineville, NY, where nobody knows him, he can reinvent himself. Here he could be a nerd, focus on academics like his father wants, and just become someone that his father is proud of. Once his father sees how much he has changed, he will surely take him back.

The thing is, no matter how hard he tries to be unpopular, people like him anyway. Well, most people like him. The only one that he wants admiration from is a girl that can't stand him - Darleen, the girl next door.

I know as I got further and further into the writing of THE KING OF THE SCREWUPS that I wanted Liam to succeed. I needed Liam to succeed. But Darleen is right when she tells Liam that you can't create love - you have to take it where it happens.....

Reviewed by: coollibrarianchick

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lifestyle Adjustment, May 20, 2009

By 

Rick L. Parrish - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: King of the Screwups (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I read this book because my granddaughter wanted to read it and I had found out that one of the characters that influences the young man concerned in the story is gay. Now don't get all upset! I am not a prejudiced person in any regard, except when it comes to my grand children and then I don't care what you are...I want to KNOW about you.
I came away completely impressed with the author's deft handling of all subject matter. I let her read it and she loved it. I never let her know about my qualms for fear of ruining her read, but I felt like the King of the Screwups for my desire to censor the modern adolescents view of the world as it is in these modern times. I would recommend this book to any youth in high school because it teaches some much needed lessons missing, I think, from far too many kids lives today. My gratitude to K.L. Going.