A mystery-comedy bildungsroman written by singer and guitarist Frank Portman of the band MTX. The debut novel was inspired by Portman’s song of the same name; it follows Tom Henderson, a geeky wannabe punk rocker as he seeks the truth behind the untimely death of his policeman father, the identity of a mysterious girl, and why anyone still reads “Catcher in the Rye”.
I’ve always enjoyed coming of age stories like Stephen Chbosky’s “Perks of Being a Wallflower”, but I especially love “King Dork” because it is playfully absurd with its running gags; the tensions between Tom and his mother’s overgrown hippie boyfriend also named Tom, the different irreverent bands that Tom forms and quickly abandons, and his internal monologue alone are immensely funny. King Dork is a great comedic coming of age story with heart that carries throughout the book. I would recommend “King Dork” for fans of satirical authors like Kurt Vonnegut and unconventional young adult novels.
