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Troy Billings, at
6'1", 296 pounds, is standing at the edge of a subway platform
seriously contemplating suicide when he meets Curt MacCrae, an
emaciated, semi-homeless punk guitar genius who also happens to
be a drop-out legend at Troy's school on the Lower East Side of
Manhattan.
"I saved your life," Curt tells Troy. "You owe me lunch."
Troy can't imagine refusing; after all think of the headline:
Fat Kid Argues with Piece of Twine.
But lunch with Curt brings more than he bargained for. Suddenly,
Troy finds himself recruited as Curt's drummer for his new band.
"We'll be called Rage/Tectonic. Sort of a punk rock, Clash sort
of thing," Curt tells him.
There's only one problem. Troy can't play the drums. Oh yes,
and Troy's father thinks Curt's a drug addict and Troy's brother
thinks Troy's a loser. But with Curt, anything is possible. "You'll
see," says Curt. "We're going to be HUGE." Fortunately, mercurial
Curt has an energy, enthusiasm and wisdom that is as irresistible
as it is contagious. Before long, Troy is swept up by his desire
to be everything Curt believes him to be.
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Praise
for the Audio edition
From AudioFile
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
© AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile,
Portland, Maine
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