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