I am reading this book and I'm laughing. The 1st person, present tense narrator is great. Troy observes his life in a funny way. No--in a real, truthful way that is so funny. This book flies by. It gets poignant, without getting mushy. I don't know whether to like this character Curt, a homeless teen who befriends Troy and recruits him for his band. Hmm, Curt. He is a musician and a pill addict. Troy, in all his obesity, is pulled along by Curt. Curt awakens something in him; but Curt is a mess, and Troy sees this. Curt is written so well. Often drug-addict characters are sentimentalized for their lost potential, but I'm glad Curt is not. He is just real. He is who he is. Troy has to go through some painful things, but his dad helps him, and he really becomes a drummer. He did it. FAT KID ROCKS.