What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Fat Kid Rules the World features realistic high school situations, including an unpopular boy who's been ostracized for being overweight and a homeless teen who's angered everyone around him because he lies, steals, and takes drugs. There's plenty of swearing ("f--k," "s--t," etc.) and many scenes involving teen drinking and implied drug use, though nobody is actually shown taking drugs. A few scenes include fantasy sequences; some are violent/gory, while others are sexual fantasies involving women in their underwear. One teen character briefly works as a male prostitute; another masturbates to online porn. Despite all of this edgy content, this book-based dramedy is uplifting because it shows how the two characters help each other overcome their respective problems in ways that are both satisfying and believable.
- Families can talk about how Fat Kid Rules the World portrays high school students. Is it believable? Are there realistic consequences for how they act?
- How has Marcus' drinking and drug habit affected the people around him? Why doesn't anybody trust him?
- What brings Troy and Marcus together? What keeps them together? Do you think Marcus is using Troy? Is either of them intended to be a role model?