Books like 'King of the Screwups'
Readers who enjoyed King of the Screwups by K.L. Going also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary comedy realistic coming-of-age lgbtq humor high-school teens family domestic-drama
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Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life (well, almost): He plays drums in the All-Star Jazz Band, has a crush on the hottest girl in school (who doesn’t know he’s alive), frequently finds himself sitting across from his school counselor (who bribes him with candy), and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey (who is cuter than cute)... -
The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsOriginally published in 2008. How do you walk away from love? Katie's bio-mom is fresh out of prison and wants to start a new life with her daughter--in a new town. Katie is forced to walk away from In Between, leaving the family she loves, an endangered town drive-in, and a boyfriend who can't take his eyes off his ex... -
Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFrom hot new talent Jordan Sonnenblick, a "Tuesdays with Morrie" for teens. Coincides with the publication of his new hardcover novel.16-year-old Alex decides to get even. His parents are separated, his father is dating his former third-grade teacher, and being 16 isn't easy, especially when it comes to girls... -
The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLeft quad. Right quad. Lunge. A girls indoor soccer team warms up. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, the team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vim and vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors. A portrait of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals... -
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How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe course of true love never did run smooth. For a girl who shares her name with a princess (a.k.a Aurora from Sleeping Beauty) Aurora Skye’s life seem fathoms away from a fairytale. Sure, she’s landed Hayden Paris, Potential Prince extraordinaire. And she got her wish -- one first kiss with all the knee-trembling, butterfly-inducing gloriousness she’d hoped for... -
You’re the One That I Want by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFreddie has a reputation as a ‘nice guy’ – inoffensive, sweet, kind – and therefore completely un-dateable.As he starts sixth form, Freddie decides that this nice guy isn’t going to finish last any more. No more missing out on parties because he’s got to do his homework. No more saying no when he really wants to say yes... -
Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA novel that will have you laughing out loud one minute, and swooning the next!In the town of Newsands, painfully shy Alex is abandoned by his two best friends for the summer. But he unexpectedly lands a part-time job at Wonderland, a run-down amusement arcade on the seafront, where he gets to know the other teen misfits who work there... -
Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSam Kinnison is a geek, and he’s totally fine with that. He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends, World of Warcraft – and until Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, he doesn’t have to worry about girls. Then Sam meets Camilla. She’s beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his life... -
Totally Joe by James Howe
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJoe Bunch breaks down his life—and his secrets—for a school assignment in this second book of the funny, heartfelt, and beloved Misfits series by Bunnicula author James Howe.What can I say? I’m a total original. Joe may only be twelve-going-on-thirteen, but he’s known who he is from the time he was a little kid tottering around in his mother’s high heels... -
Yoga Pant Nation by Laurie Gelman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the author of Class Mom and You've Been Volunteered comes Yoga Pant Nation--a novel about one mom's challenges through parenting and life, keeping her on her toes and perpetually in yoga pants... -
The Trove of the Passion Room by Marcia Lynn McClure
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSharlamagne Dickens cherished her family, was intrigued by the past, adored antiques, and enjoyed working at the antique store owned by her parents. Her life, like most, had been touched by tragedy and loss, yet she was happy. Though her life was not void of romance, it was void of a certain emotional passion... -
It Came from the Sky by Chelsea Sedoti
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"A page-turner as engrossing as any classic Twilight Zone starring two spirited brothers who run circles around the Hardy Boys." - Ben Philippe, Morris Award-winning author of The Field Guide to the North American TeenagerFrom the author of The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett and As You Wish comes the unforgettable story of the one small town's biggest hoax and the two brothers who started it all... -
Noah Goes Nuclear by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNoah Grimes is back, in a new, original short story!Noah is v excited: his class have been shipped off to a hotel in the Lake District to study a nearby Nuclear Power Station! On arrival, all Noah wants to do is settle in to his crisp hotel sheets and get proper rest, but his conniving secret half-brother Eric Smith has other plans... -
No Talking by Andrew Clements
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 25 ratings"You have the right to remain silent." However... The fifth-grade girls and the fifth-grade boys at Laketon Elementary don't get along very well. But the real problem is that these kids are loud and disorderly. That's why the principal uses her red plastic bullhorn. A lot... -
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Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAfter five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I’m always in the background... But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who’s keen for romance and karaoke... -
The Teenage Dirtbag Years by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, Paul Howard
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSo there I was, roysh, class legend, schools rugby legend, basically all-round legend, when someone decides you can't, like, sit the Leaving Cert four times. Well that put a focking spanner in the works.But joining the goys at college wasn't the mare I thought it would be, basically for, like, three major beer, women and more women... -
PS, I Scored the Bridesmaids by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, Paul Howard
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSo there I was, roysh, twenty-three years of age, still, like, gorgeous and rich, living off my legend as a schools rugby player, scoring the birds, being the man, when all of a sudden, roysh, life becomes a total mare... -
The Order of the Poison Oak by Brent Hartinger
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRussel Middlebrook needs to get away. It's tough being sixteen and out at your high school. So being a summer camp counselor sounds like the perfect solution -- but Russel has no idea how crazy this summer will be. Rowdy ten-year-old burn survivors, Indian legends, moonlit skinny dipping, and passionate summer romance are just the beginning . . -
Beat the Band by Don Calame
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGet ready for riffs on hot girls, health class, and social hell! The outrageously funny boys from Swim the Fly return to rock their sophomore year. In this hilarious sequel to Swim the Fly, told from Coop’s point of view, it’s the beginning of the school year, and the tenth-grade health class must work in pairs on semester-long projects... -
The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLife is looking up for D.J. Schwenk. She’s in eleventh grade, finally. After a rocky summer, she’s reconnecting in a big way with her best friend, Amber. She’s got kind of a thing going with Brian Nelson, who’s cute and popular and smart but seems to like her anyway... -
Wild with Happy by Colman Domingo
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGrief is a funny thing. Gil’s boyfriend has left him, his acting career isn’t exactly taking off, and his mother just passed away. He’s not taking it all very well. But luckily his boisterous Aunt Glo, a sensitive funeral director, and his outrageous best friend may be exactly what he needs... -
The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThey say if you stare at him long enough, you can see what’s written on the wall behind him. They say a lot of things about the Schwa, but one thing’s for sure: no one ever noticed him. Except me. My name is Antsy Bonano—and I can tell you what’s true and what’s not, ’cause I was there. I was the one who realized the Schwa was “functionally invisible” and used him to make some big bucks... -
Swim the Fly by Don Calame
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThree adolescent boys with a single goal: see a reallive naked girl. The result? Razor-sharp, rapid-fi re, and raunchy, of course. And beyond hilarious. Fifteen-year-old Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Coop and Sean, always set themselves a summertime goal... -
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIN MY FAMILY, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are: flaming cheeks, shortness of breath, bulging eyes, and a prolonged illogical outburst... -
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7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen a humiliating picture of Blythe goes viral, she's instantly the target of ridicule at her new school. To salvage her reputation, Blythe teams up with Luke to win the Senior Scramble scavenger hunt. But Luke is an unlikely ally and potentially can't be trusted. Perhaps it's his Shakespearean witticisms that reel Blythe in despite her better judgment . . -
Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom by Susin Nielsen
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsViolet's TV-director dad has traded a job in Vancouver for one in Los Angeles, their run-down house for a sleek ranch-style home complete with a pool, and, worst of all, Violet's mother for a trophy wife, a blonde actress named Jennica. Violet's younger sister reacts by bed-wetting, and her mother ping-pongs from one loser to another, searching for love... -
One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA heartfelt, laugh-out-loud-funny story of romance, family, and self-discovery.Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades... -
The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s true: After 17-year-old Ben’s father announces he’s gay and the family splits apart, Ben does everything he can to tick him off: skip school, smoke pot, skateboard nonstop, get arrested. But he never thinks he’ll end up yanked out of his city life and plunked down into a small Montana town with his dad and Edward, The Boyfriend... -
Slice by Steven Herrick
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA funny, refreshing look at the most awkward time in any young boy’s life from school, girls, and parties to parents, friends, and the dreaded “sex talk”. Darcy Walker is a normal 16-year-old boy but he can handle that. He can even cope with parents, deal with parties, and soldier through the occasional fight... -
Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA tragicomic story of bad dates, bad news, bad performances, and one girl's determination to find the funny in high school from the author of Denton Little's Deathdate .Winnie Friedman has been waiting for the world to catch on to what she already she's hilarious.It might be a long wait, though. After bombing a stand-up set at her own bat mitzvah, Winnie has kept her jokes to herself... -
The Girl Least Likely by Katy Loutzenhiser
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTo All the Boys meets The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (with a dash of Dumplin’) in this funny, romantic, and heartfelt coming of age story about a teen stand-up comic learning how to be her truest self, from the author of If You’re Out There.Gretchen has always been more of a “least likely” than a “most likely” kind of girl... -
Beginner's Luck by Laura Pedersen
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Laura Pedersen delivers . . . Throughout, you can’t help but think how hilarious some of the scenes would play on the big screen.”—The Hartford Courant“There could be no doubt left in anyone’s mind that my life had all the makings of a country-and-western song.”The second of seven children (with another on the way), Hallie Palmer has one to make it to Vegas...Categorized as:
coming-of-age lgbtq humor high-school fiction young-adult womens-fiction contemporary -
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsHomeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie. But when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a school counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school... -
45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHere are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:She is 16.And a size 17.Her perfect mother is a size 6.Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 8 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in two months... -
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Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSHAKESPEARE SHAPIRO HAS ALWAYS hated his name. His parents bestowed it on him as some kind of sick joke when he was born, and his life has gone downhill from there, one embarrassing incident after another... -
My Angelica by Carol Lynch Williams
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFifteen-year-old Sage Oliver is writing a Romance novel-- with a capital R . The book's heroine, Angelica, is Sage's ideal woman-- sensitive, strong, and sexy. There's only one small problem with Sage's novel-- it stinks! Enter George, Sage's would-be boyfriend and unwilling reader of her Angelica stories... -
Squashed by Joan Bauer
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHumor, agriculture and young love all come together in Joan Bauer's first novel, set in rural Iowa. Sixteen-year-old Ellie Morgan's life would be almost perfect if she could just get her potentially prize-winning pumpkin to put on about 200 more pounds—and if she could take off 20 herself...in hopes of attracting Wes, the new boy in town... -
Noah Could Never by Simon James Green
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNoah and Harry have gone from friends to boyfriends, but is Noah ready for the difference?It doesn't help that a group of French exchange students have descended on Little Fobbing - including sexy Pierre Victoire, who seems to have his eye on Harry... -
Famous Last Words by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Rated: 3.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn Famous Last Words by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, sixteen-year-old Samantha D’Angelo has death on the brain. Her summer internship at the local newspaper has her writing obituaries instead of soaking up the sun at the beach... -
Meet The Sennas by Orizuka
Rated: 3.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAku Daza Senna. Anak kedua dari tiga bersaudara. Yang artinya aku anak tengah …. Astaga. Aku menulis apa, sih? Oke, mari coba lagi. Aku Daza Senna. Aku tinggal bersama orang-orang yang sama sekali tak bisa disebut normal. Dan sialnya, orang-orang itu adalah keluargaku. Hmm, ini sudah lebih bagus... -
The Misfits by James Howe
Rated: 3.78 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsKids who get called the worst names oftentimes find each other. That's how it was with us. Skeezie Tookis and Addie Carle and Joe Bunch and me. We call ourselves the Gang of Five, but there are only four of us. We do it to keep people on their toes. Make 'em wonder. Or maybe we do it because we figure that there's one more kid out there who's going to need a gang to be a part of... -
Major Crush by Jennifer Echols
Rated: 3.78 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTired of the beauty-pageant circuit, Virginia Sauter tosses her tiara, pierces her nose, and auditions for the most unlikely of roles — drum major of the high school marching band. Virginia wins, but is forced to share the title with Drew, whose family has held the position for generations. Sure, Drew is hot, but because of his superior attitude, he and Virginia are constantly arguing... -
My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDespite the best of intentions, seventeen-year old, wisecracking Hank Kirby can’t quite seem to catch a break. It’s not that he means to screw things up all the time, it just happens. A lot. Case in point: his attempt to ask out the girl he likes literally goes up in flames when he spells “Prom” in sparklers on her lawn…and nearly burns down her house... -
Absolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere is one thing Steven knows for sure: He's absolutely, positively NOT gay.Steven's a 16-year-old boy with two obsessions: sex and getting his driving license. The problem is, Steven's not thinking girls when he's thinking sex... -
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Whatever by S.J. Goslee
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMike Tate's junior year was going to be awesome. It was all about rocking out with his crappy garage band, drinking cheap beer with his best friends, and hanging out with his girlfriend, Lisa.Then Lisa breaks up with him, and Mike is only a little sad, because they'll stay friends and he never knew what to do with her boobs anyway... -
Boys Don't Knit by T.S. Easton
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter an incident regarding a crossing guard and a bottle of Martini & Rossi (and his friends), 17-year-old worrier Ben Fletcher must develop his sense of social alignment, take up a hobby, and do some community service to avoid any further probation.He takes a knitting class (it was that or his father's mechanic class) with the impression that it's taught by the hot teacher all the boys like... -
Geek High by Piper Banks
Rated: 3.71 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAt this school, everyone's a geek. And Miranda Bloom still can't fit in... Miranda is a math genius with divorced parents, an evil stepmother, and no boyfriend in sight. She can't even fit in with the other geeks at the Nottingham Independent School for high-IQ students, because they actually have useful talents... -
Girl, Nearly 16: Absolute Torture by Sue Limb
Rated: 3.71 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJust when things were going so well. Jess had the perfect summer planned: She and Fred, lounging in the park, gazing into one another's eyes and engaging in witty repartee. It was going to be so romantic... -
All About Mia by Lisa Williamson
Rated: 3.71 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOne family, three sisters.GRACE, the oldest: straight-A student. AUDREY, the youngest: future Olympic swimming champion. And MIA, the mess in the middle. Mia is wild and daring, great with hair and selfies, and the undisputed leader of her friends – not attributes appreciated by her parents or teachers... -
Cubanita by Gaby Triana
Rated: 3.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll Isa wants is to be a regular American teenager, something her Cuban immigrant mother most definitely does not understand. After almost eighteen years of constant debate over everything from birthdays to boys, Isa has had enough. She's counting down the days until she leaves for college—and can get as far away from Miami (North Cuba) as possible...
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