Description

A MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR BOOK - A captivating coming-of-age tale that beautifully capture the transformative power of friendship and the raw energy of punk rock.
"Funny and heart-wrenching."--BCCB, starred review
"Amazing."--Booklist, starred review
"Candid, irreverent, realistic, and humorous."--School Library Journal, starred review
Troy Billing is: Seventeen, 290 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off the subway platform in front of an oncoming train.

Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high-school-dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy's dad thinks Curt's a drug addict, and Troy's brother thinks Troy's the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt's recruited Troy as his new drummer--despite the fact that Troy can't play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy's own life, forever.

A Best Book of the Year: Miami Herald, Booklist, and School Library Journal