He is in a Glam rock band and lives in a trailer in a small town. His uncle is, or used to be, a drag queen. But his mom arranges to have Liam sent to his father's brother.

He wants to send Liam to his parents, who treat Liam just as bad as his dad does. After getting in trouble over and over, his father kicks him out. It's amazing that his father loves his mother, but can't love the same things about his son.

His father is constantly disappointed in him, but really, Liam is a lot like his mother. You'd think a former supermodel for a mother and an extremely successful and wealthy CEO for a father would make a kid happy. The main character is Liam, which is a name I really like, yeah, I know, short for William. I really had trouble putting it down at times.

Going delivers an involving coming-of-age character study likely to please fans of her Fat Kid Rules the World.”- The Bulletin 'Going's writing is smooth and simple.This was a pretty good book. Liam is a complex character whose development into a sympathetic, real person is compelling.'-VOYA (4Q4P) “After her darker, more enigmatic turn with Saint Iggy. Cloaked as a story of tough love, this is actually a psychological exploration of the impact of parental expectations versus the dreams of their children.'- Kirkus 'Liam and Aunt Pete are true originals, and Going balances her strong messages of selfdiscovery and acceptance with compassionate, bittersweet scenes that highlight the soul-sapping futility of trying to please unappeasable adults.'- Booklist 'Going creates an engaging cast of characters. This innovative, out-of-the-box approach juxtaposes stereotypes, received values, parental roles and masculinity in a jarringly fun and approachable manner that marks a triumphant left-turn for the genre. Going’s knack for defying stereotypes and creating memorable characters will not disappoint fans of Fat Kid Rules the World (Putnam, 2003) and Saint Iggy (Harcourt, 2006).- School Library Journal, starred review 'Going’s latest flows easily with smooth, realistic dialogue and reads like a coming-out story for straight guys. Readers-screwups or not-will empathize as Liam, utterly likable despite his faults, learns to be himself.'- Publishers Weekly, starred review Liam is a multifaceted and resilient character who ultimately learns how to be comfortable in his own skin with the help of his new, makeshift family. 'Going's latest (after The Garden of Eve) is full of comic moments featuring 'Aunt' Pete's glam-rock band buddies and Liam's relentless blunders, as well as his uncommon fashion expertise ('You're like a fashion Einstein,' gushes one of Pete's friends).

King of the Screwups by K.L. Going