King Dork

So&based on my personal blog, I read King Dork back in December 2006. And somehow, I havent yet managed to get a review of it up on the YABC site since then. *sigh*. So let me start off this review with what I wrote about it on my blog, since it was my immediate reaction:

I like King Dork. A lot, actually. It's a book that kind of defies description though. I'm not sure how I'm going to review it. It's kind of like...say a parent/author comes proudly wheeling in their newest offspring. "Isn't she a beauty," they gush. And rightly so. But you're looking at this baby and you notice that the poor sucker's head is a little bigger than it should be. Or maybe a little lopsided. And you're thinking, well, everyone thinks their baby is the prettiest baby out there, but that baby...hmmmm but then you look closer and actually, that big head on that baby kind of goes. It's distinctive. Interesting. Perhaps the kind of baby that you'd like to get to know, versus one you'd just kitchey-coo at and forget all about the next day. But this -- this is a baby you won't easily forget. This is a baby with some intriguing stuff rattling around in that big head. You'd just bet on it.

Anyway, I liked it. Good book. I'll put together an actual coherent review for the website instead of that baby drivel.

I really did like the book. Still like it. The fact that I actually wrote about it on my blog means I really liked it (I do so much writing about books for YABC that I dont often mention the books that I read on my personal blogs). So, Im just telling you if you want an interesting book to read and you havent read King Dork yet, then go out and get it.

But I suppose you might want to know something about the plot, eh? Well, heres the nutshell: Tom (aka King Dork and a bunch of other not-very-flattering nicknames) is your typical high school loser. Hes got a non-existent social life, no girlfriend, no athletic ability, and a friend thats his friend mostly because of alphabetical proximity.

His biggest dream is to be in a band (though his progress with this is mostly in the coming up of new band names and album cover art). Then he discovers a book that will change his life: The Catcher in the Rye. It isnt so much the book itself, but the fact that the book was his fathers (who died under mysterious circumstances) and that Tom then discovers a secret code left behind by his father, a mysterious funeral card, and a dry cleaning receipt. He begins to try and unravel the mystery behind his father.

And then theres all the different girl trouble. And is Sam really his friend? Or, more accurately, what is Sam up to and why does it seem to spell out trouble for Tom? Can it all be connected together?

This is a great book for readers aged 14 and up and a good one for both boys and girls. Theres some sex talk (mostly an oral fixation, shall we say) and definitely a lot of rock and roll, but most of all, theres the snarky Tom himself. Trust me, go read this one. Its interesting. Its different. Its good.