Voll Danebenein Unmöglicher Roman (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
“What I'm Best At, by Liam Geller. (…) I would have to say that the one thing 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 when I meant to be screwing up” (Going 173). King of the Screwups is about a high school senior, Liam Geller. Liam has spent his whole life in a spot light because of his parents: Allen Geller, award winning business man, and Sarah Geller, world renowned supermodel. He has spent his entire life vying for his fathers approval, yet can never get it. His father constantly reminds him that he isn't good enough to be his son because he screws everything up. Because of this blame, Liam grows up thinking that everything he has ever been criticized on was his fault and he should have done better. After getting caught drunk with a girl, Liam's father kicks him out and buys him a plane ticket to stay with his parents (who also don't like Liam). Instead, Sarah calls Allan's brother Pete, a cross-dressing radio host, to arrange for Liam to stay with him. Rejected by the family, 'Aunt' Pete lives in a trailer park and plays in a rock band with his boyfriend Orlando, Liam's new English teacher, along with other cross-dressers. Now in a new school and living in a less than desirable location, Liam decides he is going to make himself 'unpopular' in order to gain the approval of his father, as well as the strange girl next door, Darleen. Liam is now struggling with gaining the acceptance of those not like him, while also trying to discover who he truly is. King of the Screwups main theme is acceptance. We see Liam learning to accept himself, as well as his uncle, who is polar opposite of himself. We also see Aunt Pete having to accept Liam for who he is, a confused teenager. Liam struggles with wanting his father to see him as a son to be proud of, which is a lost cause. “'And a B,' he adds, ' is nothing to brag about. I always said that no son of mine would end up a B student, but I guess I was wrong. After all, as the whole world knows, we did get a paternity test'” (24). As evident in this quote, Liam's father is not a kind man. However, in King of the Screwups, K.L. Going went a little over the top with the relationship between Liam and his father. Most parents are not as forthwith with their criticism as Allan Geller. Also, most children will not continue to think highly of their parents, as Liam has. Liam often makes excuses for his father's verbal abuse such as,”(...) he doesn't treat me like crap. I behave like crap so he gets frustrated, and I don't blame him because he's given me lots of chances” (190). This novel is nothing extraordinary. It deals with a lot of touchy subjects, and could even be beneficial for someone dealing with a tough relationship with a parent. However, most readers, while feeling sympathetic towards Liam, may not be able to relate with the characters. On a five star scale, I would give King of the Screwups three stars. It's main theme of acceptance may be relatable for some young adult readers, but is slightly over dramatic. This book would not be suitable for young children nor adults, because most of the novel stresses relationships in high school. However, if you don't read the book looking to get a life lesson out of it, it is a good book and is well written overall. I would recommend going into the novel with low expectations, so that you are not disappointed. On another note, K.L. Going's use of humor and spunky situations make this book better than others of its likeliness. King of the Screwups will leave you thinking: Am I truly living up to my potential, or am I only doing what is expected of me? I enjoyed this book overall. It's a story about how the main character Liam who is always trying to impress his dad but screws up things every time. After spending time with his "Aunt" Pete and meeting with Darleen, Liam is able to go after his dream of becoming a designer instead of becoming someone his dad wants him to be. i think this story definitely tells something like, we need to be ourselves and not be affected by others
What do You think about Voll Danebenein Unmöglicher Roman (2010)?
Fantastic read!!!! I loved every character and just every part of this book!
—yandeleyan
Loved it - some mature material but so true to life.
—marcyricci
