This book is so hot right now, I have to hold it with an oven mitt. Everywhere I go I see references to King Dork and how it is the best young adult book written, since, well, ever. Tom Henderson, self-dubbed King Dork, navigates the treacherous waters of the average American high school, trying to avoid beatings by the school bullies and striking Holden Caulfieldesque looks in class to impress the teachers belonging to the Catcher-in-the-Rye cult. Along the way he has his first sexual encounter and delves into the mystery of his father's death. I gotta say, King Dork is a funny book with many, many laugh-out-loud moments. Portman gets so many things right--the transcendence of rock 'n roll, the absurd, irrelevant teacher/administrator, the social hierarchy of the American high school. There is a section of the book about Tom's English class and a unit on vocabulary that so perfectly describes my memories of my 9th grade English class with Mr. S (in all fairness, shouldn't say his name). I swear, Portman must have been in my class.
My only problem with this book is that Tom is a little bit too precocious for a 14-year-old. He is so observant, smart, and witty, but also so unaffected by everything that is happening to him, that he seems more like an adult remembering his own adolescence. For that reason I think it may appeal more to an adult than a teenager. I could be wrong. Kids may love King Dork. But it doesn't really matter. It is a great read for anyone who is looking back (or experiencing) adolescence with confusion, longing, wonder, and cynicism.
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