King Dork Approximately
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4.6 • 7 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From Frank Portman comes the long-awaited sequel to the beloved cult classic King Dork, of which John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, said, “Basically, if you are a human being with even a vague grasp of the English language, King Dork will rock your world.”
Aside from the stitches and the head wound, Tom Henderson is the same old King Dork. He's still trying to work out who to blame for the new scar on his forehead, the memory loss, and his father's mysterious death. But illicit female hospital visitations, The Catcher in the Rye, and the Hillmont High sex-pocalypse have made him a new man.
What doesn't make you stronger can kill you, though, and tenth grade, act two, promises to be a killer. Tom's down one bloodstained army coat, one Little Big Tom, and two secret semi-imaginary girlfriends. Now his most deeply held beliefs about alphabetical-order friendship, recycling, school spirit, girls, rock and roll, the stitching on jeans, the Catcher Code, and the structure of the universe are about to explode in his face. If only a female robot's notes could solve the world's problems, he'd have a chance. But how likely is that?
King Dork Approximately--it feels like the first time. Like the very first time.
Praise for King Dork Approximately:
“A hilarious peek into the male adolescent mind . . . [and] inside this sarcastic teen is the soul of a poet who makes this comedic tale a refreshingly insightful read.”—VOYA
“Utterly enjoyable, this book’s culture-meets-romantic-confusion focus makes it a teen take on Nick Hornby's High Fidelity.”—Booklist
“Tom’s irreverent voice and sharply observed, deeply funny insights about
public education and the teen social order carry the story.”—Publishers Weekly
“Portman has crafted a perceptive protagonist, whose brilliantly wry observations will keep readers laughing and whose voice is infused with an all-too-believable mix of innocence and cynicism.”—School Library Journal
“King Dork Approximately is a smart and sardonic sequel, a book for all ages."—Largeheartedboy.com
“Whether you're male or female, old or young, these two books will put into words feelings that you've always struggled first to express and then to repress."—Reason.com
“Sarcastic and funny, but it’s also super smart and insightful about the lives of teenagers.”—Bustle.com
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eight years have passed since King Dork appeared, but no time has elapsed as this sequel begins. Tom Henderson resumes his narration where the previous book ended, with his recovery from assault by tuba, a battery that inadvertently resulted in the exposure of a child pornography ring at Hillmont High. The ensuing scandal forces the school to close; in dividing its students between the town's other schools, Tom is split from bandmate and alphabetical-order buddy, Sam Hellerman. This gives Tom a chance to reinvent himself, but he's the same sarcastic, girl-obsessed, wannabe rock guitarist he was during the first semester of his sophomore year. He does make some friends, including his first real girlfriend, Pammelah, and play in the pep band, which requires him to wear a "Badger Power" T-shirt, white pants, and an orange beret to school on game days. This book doesn't have the mysteries that kept the pages turning in the original, but Tom's irreverent voice and sharply observed, deeply funny insights about public education and the teen social order carry the story. Ages 14 up.
Customer Reviews
Fell Short of Original
I would like to thank Delacorte Press & NetGalley for granting me a copy of this e-book to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.
Goodreads Teaser: "From Frank Portman comes the long-awaited sequel to the beloved cult classic King Dork, of which John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, said, “Basically, if you are a human being with even a vague grasp of the English language, King Dork will rock your world.”
Aside from the stitches and the head wound, Tom Henderson is the same old King Dork. He's still trying to work out who to blame for the new scar on his forehead, the memory loss, and his father's mysterious death. But illicit female hospital visitations, The Catcher in the Rye, and the Hillmont High sex-pocalypse have made him a new man.
What doesn't make you stronger can kill you, though, and tenth grade, act two, promises to be a killer. Tom's down one bloodstained army coat, one Little Big Tom, and two secret semi-imaginary girlfriends. Now his most deeply held beliefs about alphabetical-order friendship, recycling, school spirit, girls, rock and roll, the stitching on jeans, the Catcher Code, and the structure of the universe are about to explode in his face. If only a female robot's notes could solve the world's problems, he'd have a chance. But how likely is that?
King Dork Approximately--it feels like the first time. Like the very first time."
Having read King Dork I must admit I was eagerly anticipating more of the same with this sequel. But sadly, for me, this book came off feeling forced. What made the original story charming and quirky felt contrived and overdone in the sequel. That's not to say that there weren't some entertaining parts in the story, just that overall I found this one to lack the magic of the original.
While there were parts that rang true to the characters we'd come to know and love in the first book, they were simply to few and far between. Even the writing felt stilted, which was supremely disappointing. The whole book was a letdown for me.