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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

At 296 pounds, Troy Billings is undeniably a fat kid, and an unhappy one. As this story begins, Troy is contemplating suicide as he stands at the edge of a subway platform, wondering if he should jump. This action, like everything he does whether insignificant or momentous, is shaded by Troy’s belief that he is defined by his weight and consequently viewed as a joke. An exception to this rule is demonstrated by punk-rocker extraordinaire Curt MacCrae, a modern legend at Troy’s high school for his skill on the guitar and his defiance of rules and expectations. Curt distracts Troy from his suicidal subway moment and offers him the position of drummer for a new band. Troy hasn’t played the drums since a feeble attempt in junior high, but he grasps Curt’s invitation like a lifeline. The unlikely friendship which develops between the two is as complex as it is true. Along with his musical talent, Curt has monumental problems of his own, ranging from his dysfunctional family, to his current homeless state, to serious drug use. Troy discovers that he is much more than a self-defined “fat kid,” and he is able to reciprocate Curt’s friendship in a significant and thoughtful way with far-reaching implications. Often uproariously funny, this novel for older teenagers is also gritty with strong language and situations. The author provides windows into both Troy and Curt’s worlds, while commendably resisting the temptation to solve Troy’s problems with a convenient weight loss. (Ages 15–18)

CCBC Choices 2004 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2004. Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

November 15, 2004
A fish out of water, 6'1", 300-pound Troy is on the verge of suicide—at least he believes he is—when he is inexplicably rescued by a homeless boy/legendary local punk rock musician. In PW
's words, this is "a savvy and fast-paced debut." Ages 12-up.

From Publisher's Weekly

June 23, 2003
In her savvy and fast-paced debut, Going tells the story of high school senior Troy Billings, 6'1", 300 pounds and completely unhappy. An eternal fish out of water, Troy is on the verge of suicide—at least he believes he is—when he is inexplicably rescued by the dangerously thin Curt MacRae. A homeless boy who constantly pops pills (Tylenol and Imodium, he says), Curt is a legendary local punk rock musician. The unlikeliest of friendships develops, and Curt recruits Troy as the drummer in his new band. Troy, who thinks in headlines (the titular example being one of his more optimistic lines), is a winning narrator, immediately roping us into his sad-sack ennui. But for all his problems—his weight, his relative lack of social skills, a brother and father who don't understand him—there is a sweetness to Troy, which rescues the book from becoming a Prozac nightmare. And Troy's experiences within the band ably mirror his uninvited shove into adulthood. But the most fascinating and compelling character is his father; a widower and a retired marine, he is a man of very few words, but the growth he undergoes in these few pages is remarkable. Going uses a fair amount of explicit language in her dialogue ("No one beats me or fucks me without my permission. Got that?" says Curt) but it lends an air of authenticity to the dealings of two young men—both trapped in their own extremes, both in need of interface with others, both able to clumsily help each other. Ages 14-up.

From AudioFile Magazine

Troy Billings is a 300-pound high school senior contemplating suicide when he meets Curt MacCrae, a homeless teenage musical genius who decides that Troy is just the drummer he's looking for to start a new band. Narrator Matthew Lillard takes cues from the text to create unique voices for all the characters; his voice for Ollie, a punk drummer who is giving Troy lessons, is particularly inspired. Lillard captures Troy's joy in being part of the punk crowd, as well as his confusion over Curt's apparent drug addiction. There are no pat answers, but the listener hears Troy's hope as the last sentence segues into a rocking musical track at his first performance. A fine choice for teens and adults. A.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2004 Newbery Honor Award, Winner of 2004 ALA/ YALSA Recording (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine