Born to Rock

Gordon Korman can write both dramatic and humorous books with a lot of skill, but this was one of the ones that felt like it should have been funny but wasn't. He also had too little closure for his supporting characters, especially in relation to most of his books. That being said, the overall premise is an interesting one, just not executed to it's full potential here.

This book was a huge let-down compared to the books Korman wrote in the past, such as The Twinkie Squad. I bought the audio book, and I didn't even make it through the first CD.The book begins with the main character letting us know he had to have some kind of [...] exam, and that is supposed to pique our interest so that we'll read the rest of the book to find out why.The plot, if there was one, dragged, and I gave up.

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Great book I read it for school and would recommend it to a advanced audience and some one who loves action

This book is so freaking good. It truly is one of my favorite books. Read it. Right the hell now.

Born to Rock is another very entertaining read focusing on teen male angst from outstanding YA author, Gordon Korman. Gordon Korman creates characters who are original, funny, likeable and authentic. His teens are not stereotypes or one dimensional. This time the protagonist is a normal ambitious student named Leo. Leo worked hard to earn a scholarship to Harvard with perfect grades and a stellar resume. He is president of the Young Republicans (because of a girl, of course) and is a great friend. He naively believed his future was going to be a smooth path maybe even a little dull. Until two events send him spiraling into a huge black hole of despair. Leo is so admirably ethical that he refuses to be coerced into falsely accusing a friend of cheating, so he gets accused instead, costing him his Harvard scholarship. About the same time, straight-laced Leo finds out his Dad is not his bio-dad. His bio-dad is punk rock mega superstar, King Maggot, internationally known for his dastardly lyrics and lifestyle. Leo decides to use one crisis to solve the other -- he will go on tour with his bio-dad, and after they get to know each other, Leo will hit him up for tuition money. Leo's summer of sweat, humiliation and stress while on tour makes for a joyful read.

I was hooked on the unexpected opening page and went on to enjoy the entire book. I got a bang out of the high school senior who think he has it all lined up only to discover his personal history is not all is as he thought. The curve leads him on a journey of discovery and leads us on a hysterical path following him. Recommended.

Gordon Korman, the author of over fifty young adult novels, has written the story of Young Republican Leo Caraway, a high school senior destined for the Ivy League until a battle with a school administrator endangers his scholarship. Leo has none for years that his Dad is not his biological father, but a man named Marion McMurphy. In his senior year, Leo uncovers just who Marion X. McMurphy is--the infamous drug-addled, property-destroying lead single of pioneering punk rock band Purge. Dad McMurphy goes by the pseudonym King Maggot, and his antic have been ingrained in the nation's psyche for the last two decades.With his scholarship withdrawn, Leo sees no option but to abandon his Young Republican ideals and seek out punk rock King Maggot for the tuition dollars. The novel centers on Leo's summer with "bio-Dad," on the tour with Leo working as a newbie roadie.Korman's novel is a beach read, pure and simple. It's a fun, lighthearted read, and the end is the stuff of Cinderella. This isn't award-winning fiction, and any older teen reader could poke a few holes in the plot. The action is clearly aimed toward a middle school audience, despite the fact that the main character is a senior in high school. In this story, grownups did drugs back in the big, bad mid-eighties, but out high school heroes have no interest in breaking the law. We even have a token gay friend to round the character list out. Have fun reading this short and sweet novel!