Born to Rock

by Gordon Korman

Leo Caraway, president of the Young Republicans Club and a future Harvard student, has his entire future planned. But Leo is soon thrown for a loop when he discovers that the lead singer of punk rock's most destructive band is his biological father.

Genres: Young Adult, Humor, Fiction, Music, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Contemporary

272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Gordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Reviews

[Jay T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You know what punk is? A bunch of no-talent guys who really, really want to be in a band. Nobody reads music, nobody plays the mandolin, and you're too dumb to write songs about mythology or Middle Earth. So what's your style? Three chords, cranked out fast and loud and distorted because your instruments are crap and you can't play them worth a damn. And you scream your lungs out to cover up the fact that you can't sing. It should suck, but here's the thing- it doesn't."

This book is an amazing book about a young kid who had a full ride scholarship to college, is in the "Young Republicans" club, and is smart, beyond measure. Just one problem, his father, is a 80's punk. And a famous one too. for some one who likes punk-rock or any type of music in general, this is a great book.
It has so many great quotes, that I use in an average day. It's so realistic, that quote above was said by the main character's father. He didn't act like he was amazing, he wasn't a show off, and he wasn't trying hard to be hip. He just had fun, even if it was in an intense, crazy manor. It's down to earth.
It had a major twist, that just made me want to keep reading. It had a great ending, I honestly wish the book was longer. I don't often read books twice. In fact, I practically never do, but I can tell you for sure, I will read this book again.

Enjoy reading!:)
J.T.

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because it is on a list of books as summer reading for my students. I thought with the title and the cover it would be, at the very least, a music lesson of some kind. Not so much.

The protagonist is graduating high school and is a leader in the Young Republicans on his campus. His best friend is a punk rock girl that is his total opposite. But she's all about loving everyone and not judging others, so she defends her Republican friend while he is more of a worm in this regard.

The young man knows his biological father's name, but has never met him and his mother would rather forget the man that fathered her child. Blah, blah, blah. His father is a former legendary punk rock god. And guess what? The band is reforming and touring! And guess what else? The young man is going to be a roadie in an effort to get to know dad!

This isn't a long book, but it felt like work. The characters are stereotypes and some of the side plots are too much. If this focused on the relationship between father and son, it would have been a more compelling story. It veered off into DNA tests, romance of the ugly duckling type, and a womanizing jerk.

The final scene really is out of a movie and wasn't too believable, but after getting through the entire book, I was happy for something exciting to happen.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a really weird experience with this book. You see, I remember reading Korman's books back when I was in grade school, and assumed that he is now getting on in years. So I was intrigued by the book, but also filled with trepidation that it would be full of outdated slang and a sort of "Kids today with their loud music" attitude. On the contrary, I found the book to be absolutely wonderful, showing an obvious love of both rock music and a true insight into the rock music scene. I was amazed that someone of Korman's advancing years could write something like this. A month later I saw a recent picture of Korman, who looks like he's in his early forties, if that. The accompanying interview was about how he had been published at the age of fifteen! So the books that I read back in the day were practically being written by one of my peers! I laughed for hours over my idea that some old fogey had written Born to Rock. So, amusing little anecdote aside, this is a FABULOUS book!

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Born to Rock was an amusing read. The idea of a Harvard bound young Republican from Connecticut on tour as a roadie with a notorious punk band sounds like the set up for a much funnier novel than Born to Rock. Somehow, Korman’s book fell a bit flat in the humor department for me.

I’m not sure teens would find it laugh out loud funny either. Again, I think it is a light, amusing read. Younger teens would probably enjoy reading about Leo’s adventure touring with Purge. While there is sex, drugs and rock and roll, the writing is tame. There is not much bad language and Korman is light on the details of the sex and drugs. Some aspects of the story seemed more appealing to an adult audience. The difficulties of being middle aged and touring were funny, but I’m not sure teens would find them as amusing as I did. My favorite part was when the guitar player Neb Neezer did his “signature scissor-kick, landing on the stage in a full split….He didn’t get up.” Also, the storyline about Max’s divorce seemed too adult with talk of the cost of redoing the kitchen. Though, Llama the poodle did add some funny moments to the story, especially when he conveniently chose to “make a statement on the sidewalk” in front of SOD, the Society of Decency. It was also funny when Llama was about to head into the oven at the Pretzel nightclub.

[Mizuki]

It is a light-hearted story about a Young Republican (OMG these people really exist!) who suddenly found out his biological father is no other than the most infamous bad boy in the punk scene, and how the teenager discovered more about his bio father during dear old dad and his band's tour.

I chose not to rate this book because I only read it very quickly during a train ride and I skimmed plenty of parts. Still the story and the dialogues seem to be a lot of fun. LOL

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as YA books go, Korman is pretty much where it's at. Born to Rock is no exception. He manages to write about punk rock and the 80's without mentioning one curse word. He writes about love, drugs, womanizing, republicans, and crashing through windows on motorcycles and never once goes into any sort of detail that would strike up an image of disgust or have those "right for our kids" groups banging down his door. He is the antithesis of writers who go into too much detail scratching out every single detail no matter how disturbing or disgusting.

Leo, the protagonist, is under the impression that his "bio-dad" is an 80's punk rocker named King Maggot. When he discovers this little nugget of truth he joins the band on a reunion tour as a roadie. What happens from there is varied and exciting, and as I mentioned clean and fun, and Leo is audience to some serious after parties, and other interesting post concert goodies. The important aspect of the story is that everyone has their own history, but that does not necessarily make us like our family. We can strike out on our own and be who we are for real despite what our family is like. Leo finds this and many other things out throughout the book. This is a good, clean, fun read, and will only take a few days. Pick it up to further your world of YA lit and let loose for cripes sake!

[Jenn Mattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister handed me this after I said I had not read it, so I took it on a road trip and read it to Paul and we loved it! It's a blast and I loved the writing. As I always find myself saying - and I'm sure it's annoying! - as someone who has taught high school for 26 years, I know teenagers, and These characters are teenagers - they are illogical and exasperating and also sympathetic and endearing. But I really loved the character of former punk rock bad boy, King Maggot, the most! And I LOVED the ending!

[Trin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo Caraway, Harvard-bound Young Republican, discovers that his biological father is famed punk rocker King Maggot. He ends up going on the road with pop and his band Purge for a summer reunion tour, and wackiness ensues. This is some highly enjoyable wackiness, folks. I had a great time reading this book—though I really do wish the ending had been less rushed.

[Atomicgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally like Korman's books because they're funny quick reads. In this way, Born to Rock is representative of Korman's style.

The book may appeal more to adults who like young adult fiction, rather than teens. Adults may identify with the plastic "posers" and the aging music singer scene.

Still, the book ends positively and there's affection shown to most of the characters.

[Rio · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover to this fun tome grabs your interest right away. An infant with a spiky mohawk, perfectly formed. Is Leo, the Young Republican and Harvard-bound senior, really related to King Maggot, the greatest punk rocker of the 80's? Can Leo see that a childhood friend Melinda, behind the goth get-up and anti-establishment attitude, was perfect for him? Who is his biological father? King Maggot, who in a strange way he wishes it to be, or the unseemly and womanizing Tour manager cousin of the King?

Due to Leo getting caught cheating, threatening his Harvard scholarship, a desire to raise the tuition money and curiosity over his biological dad, he finds himself spending the Summer in the unlikeliest of adventures; rookie roadie for the resurrected career of King Maggot.
Lost luggage, fights, nights in police stations, and babysitting deviant rock-stars mark the life of Leo until everything comes to a halt near the tour's end.

For a brainless bit of fun, and a coming-of-age morality tale of sorts, BTR doesn't disappoint. Check it out today.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book blends two aspects of literature that I find refreshing: young adult lit and rock and roll fiction. The two tend to go hand-in-hand, and this one was no exception. Perhaps because the protagonist isn't a musician himself, or maybe I'm just softening my feelings in general for the genre, but I thought this book was actually pretty well written. There were some plot twists that caught even myself off guard, but for spoilers' sake, I won't get into those. Still, it was a really fun read, it was quick as all hell (I probably got through the nearly three hundred pages in just a few hours, and it was really fulfilling from start to finish. I do find that I have to remind myself from time to time that I am reading YA, and for that reason some of the plotlines and their presentation can feel a bit... "familiar", but that's coming from a self-professed elitist book snob.

Overall, I say give it a shot - it's a fun read that will make you smile, and you'll be entertained from start to finish.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo Caraway has always been aware of a rage within. It comes as no surprise to him when he discovers that his biological father is the front man for a punk rock band. He finds an opportunity to meet his dad at a press conference for the beginning of a "comeback" tour. His dad invites him to join the tour, for the summer, as a roadie. (This is the summer after Leo graduates from high school.) Leo learns about the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and realizes his values are not aligned with it. Paradoxically, he forms a sense of belonging with his dad on the few occasions that his dad truly recognizes him. (It turns out that dad is struggling with this new role of father and trying to do right by it.) This book was a fast and enjoyable read. It was poignant because the themes were the universal human ones of identity and integrity set in an environment that many of us are curious about. Punk rock bands have asked very meaningful and important life and societal questions through their music. How do/did those very same individuals grapple with the microcosm of nuclear family?

[Kate McMurry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific, heartwarming, young adult novel from 2006, with lots of witty humor

When he was 10 years old, Leo Caraway learned, to his shock, that the man he had always thought was his biological father is actually his stepfather, who married Leo's mother when Leo was one year old. Leo saw his birth certificate for the first time because his class was taking a field trip to Canada, and he needed to show it at the border. His birth certificate stated that his biological father is a man named Marion X. McMurphy (MXM). Ever since that time, his mother has refused to tell Leo anything else about MXM, and Leo has, with secret anxiety, felt as if he has a genetic tendency to be wild that he must constantly suppress. He has labeled his presumed dark side, McMurphy.

During his senior year in high school, in pursuit of his goal to lead a carefully controlled, conventional life, Leo becomes president of the Young Republicans Club and is accepted to Harvard, with a full ride from a private scholarship fund. Unfortunately, due to a circumstance that is totally not his fault, Leo is falsely accused of cheating on a test, which causes him to lose his scholarship. He is devastated, because his family absolutely cannot afford the $40,000 a year it would cost for him to go to Harvard. When, not long after this catastrophic event, Leo learns by accident that MXM is the extremely wealthy, former lead singer of Purge, one of the most notorious punk bands in the world, Leo is at first appalled. Until it suddenly occurs to him that MXM never paid any child support, and he might be guilt-tripped into covering Leo's exorbitant Harvard expenses. Leo's opportunity to potentially make this pitch to MXM occurs when he tracks down MXM, and MXM, amazingly, instantly accepts Leo as his son, because Leo has an easily recognizable physical characteristic that runs through the McMurphy lineage. In addition, MXM tells Leo that he and his former bandmates are about to start a reunion tour, and he wants Leo to join the tour as a junior roadie, so that they can have a chance to spend time together and get to know each other.

I love it when Gordon Korman writes comedy, because he does such a great job. I was chuckling all throughout this novel. It offers both clever comedy and multiple heartwarming relationships. I particularly enjoyed the central relationship between Leo and MXM. I also liked the slowburn evolution of his relationship with his lifelong BFF, Melinda, from friends to romance.

There is some lovely LGBTQ representation in this novel in the form of adorable, out-and-proud, 18-year-old Owen. He is initially mainly Melinda's good friend, but he becomes a close friend of Leo as well, across the course of this novel.

A huge percentage of the time in YA novels, the parents are, to my personal irritation, either clueless or cruel. But, refreshingly, that is not the case in this novel. Leo is an only child, whose mother and stepfather love him dearly and treat him well.

Parental advisory: Most of GK's books are G-rated, Middle-Grade novels, but this story is more accurately classified as Young Adult. Leo himself is pretty straightlaced, but while he is working as a roadie on a rock tour, he frequently encounters adult punk musicians engaging in binge drinking, drugs, and promiscuity.

Unlike almost all of this author's novels, this one is not available in audiobook format. In addition, the ebook version is not available for free through either Kindle Unlimited or Hoopla. It is only available in Kindle format for $9.99. Since GK is such a popular author, it is very likely that most libraries will have a paper copy of this novel. But if not, one can order it through interlibrary loan.

Here are some fun facts about this author: Gordon Korman is currently 60 years old as of 2024. He has written 105 books (and counting) over the course of his 46-year career. He began writing at the age of 12, when he created his first book, This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall, as part of a seventh-grade English assignment. It was published in 1978 when he was only 14 years old.

[Zach Steffen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book 4 stars because I enjoyed the book but in my opinion somethings in the book, we're not portrayed correctly or accurately. For me, the book started really slow but that might just be because I was reading this more for the music part then the school part. When they finally started talking about music I was more intrigued. After listening to the main character Leo describe the music I was a bit disappointed. He describing punk rock more like metal, and I know because I listen to both those genres. Leo is also adopted and he finally found out who his real dad is, and he is the lead singer in the world biggest punk rock band. Leo got his application to Harvard taken away so he thought that he could meet his real dad and see if he could get money from him because he was rich. After trying to reach his dad he finally did and his dad thinks he's his kid but they're doing DNA testing to be sure. Leo was then taken on tour with his dad's band while they waited for the DNA. That's all I'm going to tell you so I don't spoil the book. I would recommend this book to anyone that listens to any type of rock or punk music because that pretty much what the story is about.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA, not juvenile.
Just as funny and even more coarse than the Korman I've read so far. More implausible, too. But also heartwarming. Read it as a fantasy so I could suspend disbelief. Quick read... I guess his audience has told him what all the boring stuff is to skip, like for example why this kid was a Young Republican in the first place.

I will continue to read Korman, but I don't think this is the one to recommend to others to start with.

[Chelsea McCrady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! It touched my soul honestly and the ending made me a little emotional! I didn’t exactly know what to expect going in to this book but it was definitely worth it!

[Rory · Rating 4 out of 5]

So. I read my first Gordon Korman book when I was in sixth grade. It was called Who Is Bugs Potter?. (I think that was the title, at least--I'm afraid to look it up and learn I've remembered it wrong because I LOVE this memory.) I got it for free, as part of my school's R.I.F. (Reading is Fun/Fundamental) program. I think I chose it because I thought one of the guys on the cover was cute. (Again--I refuse to look up this cover and be faced with what I thought was cute when I was 11.)

It was SO FUNNY I think I gave myself a temporary hernia laughing. I mean, I was reading by myself, on the schoolbus, and I had tears streaming down my face. I couldn't believe a book could be so funny because, well, that's not what I looked to books for. I expected drama and identity and intrigue and fantasy in my books--not hilarity. But here it was.

I was hooked--I read a LOT of Gordon Korman for a couple of years. This was before the interweb, of course, so I couldn't easily find out anything about the author. (And, really, before the internet--would it even have occurred to me to wonder about the author?) At some point, probably after I stopped reading him--I mean, I had Sweet Valley High to tide me over by the time I was in 8th grade--I learned he had started writing AND BEING PUBLISHED when he was 13. Holy wow. That's talent. He's been prolific as hell, too, but I haven't read anything of his, even in the effort to be a well-read children's librarian. Because I didn't want to ever have to re-evaluate the memory of how much I loved him.

But I've seen "Born To Rock" on a few people's lists and thought maybe it was time to test both Korman's strength as a writer and my own funny bone, 20 years later.

Imagine my relief when this book had me laughing on the El. No tears, not quite, but I was laughing to myself. I love Gordon Korman. I'd recommend this to a reluctant boy reader in a heartbeat.

[Taylor Moffat · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is my very first Gordon Korman book i didn't like it because the book was very repetitive and it had some words i didn't understand and in general boring but the character was funny and the surprise about his dad was the best part for me

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a big turn from a couple chapters in. The main character thinks his life is normal and fine until he finds out his actual father is a rock n roll king. One of the quotes in the book is "McMurphy" which describes Leo's (the main character) inner anger and rage. He does not know where these random outburts come from when he gets too mad. It is later proved that his real father is the rock n roll guy where he got McMurphy from. The author uses a lot of humor in this book which I think is good because it's easy and more fun to read a book that you can relate to by funny remarks the characters make. "I did the scissor kick into the splits all the time back in the day"! Is what one of the band members said after being sent to the hospital for getting injured after doing this move. It made me laugh a little bit because I could clearly picture in my mind this big rock star guitar player thinking he was still 25 when he's nearly 40. The author also uses first person to make the reader more related to Leo as the story goes on, showing that everything that is going on isn't in a different prespective and it's as if it's happening right in front of you. The chapters are evenly spread out with quite a bit of information in each. The chapters start off normally with an exciting combination of words to get the reader more interested in reading on. The words have nice sized spaces to my liking, I don't really favor the scrunched typing and a bunch of words on each page; that's why I really like how this book is printed. The font is a little scruffy looking, as like the title shows, which gives the feeling of the rock band all hardcore and what not.

[Jaemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

eo Caraway considers himself to be at a slight disadvantage. You see, he has a genetic hijacker in his bloodstream–and how can he be held responsible? He knows nothing about the man who contributed half of his DNA, other than his name, which he really only stumbled onto by chance. Until he reads his best friend’s English Term Paper, that is.

After years of unanswered questions from his mother, Leo learns one simple internet search would have given him all he wanted to know. McMurphy, the genetic hijacker, just so happens to be the front man for one of Punk Rock’s all-time beloved bands–Purge. And as fate would have it, right on top of this discovery comes the news that Purge is reuniting for a tour. With his scholarship to Harvard lost to him (and unfairly at that), Leo concludes the only thing to do is find and confront this King Maggot and try to get the money from him.

In an unlikely turn of events, Leo goes from Young Republican (which was actually an unlikely event in itself) to Roadie, landing a summer job with Purge. With his mother in denial, his father having confronted the King to ensure his safety on the trip, and his best friend no longer speaking to him, off he goes.

Along the way, he learns quite a bit, though not all that much about being a Roadie. Nothing turns out at all how he’d imagined, but in the end, it’s actually all for the better.

Very quick and funny read, from the first sentence to the last.

[Frankie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leo Caraway is president of the young republicans club, a great student, and has a scholarship to Harvard. But then he discovers that his biological father is King Maggot, the lead singer of Purge, the greatest punk band in history. He hates punk music, and doesn’t want anything to do with his real father. That is, until he is falsely accused of cheating on a test, and gets his scholarship to Harvard taken away. So then he has to accept a job as a roadie on purge’s summer tour, with hopes that by the end of the summer, he will have gotten to know King Maggot so well that he will pay for his tuition. I thought that Born To Rock was a very well-written book, and that it was also very funny. Gordan Korman does a great job of describing a person so that his characters come to life. I also liked how the book was written. A lot of things happened, it was suspenseful, and it drove you to read until the end. But there are some things that I did not like about this book. The main character, Leo, does a lot at the start of the book and at the end. But towards the middle of the book I found that he doesn’t really accomplish anything. He just sort of sits around and acts pretty normal. There should have been more action. Born to rock is an overall great book. It’s well written, suspenseful, and very, very, funny. I would recommend it to people 13 years and older.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book primarily suffered from poor editing. The story's idea is compelling - young republican finds out he's the son of the baddest of the bad punk legends, King Maggot and is forced to survive a punk rock tour to earn money for a lost Harvard scholarship. But the summary was more flushed out than the actually story. It's seventy meandering pages before the tour begins. The crucial event that causes him to lose his scholarship takes up a mere two sentences. Tell it as background and move on. Then there is the infamous cavity serach - mentioned on page one, several more times throughout the book and anitclimatically occuring in the last 30 pages of the book. Leo says its a defining moment but in terms of the story -- it really isn't. The defining moment was a dog rescue with King himself. Getting the money for Harvard is not even a critical part of the story, more of an impetus for the strange crazy journey but that strange crazy journey itself -- that's a good story.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sweetest, funniest book about a punk rock band you're likely to find. As he's on the verge of high-school graduation and an Ivy League future, Young Republican Leo finds out that his biological father is not the dad he grew up with, but King Maggot, the lead singer of the fictional Greatest Punk Band Ever, Purge. He submits to a DNA test and goes on tour as a roadie with Purge to get to know King.

The problem, as you can guess from the fact that King is old enough to have a college-aged son, is that Purge is not the lean, mean band it was in the 80s. Instead it's composed of herniated, overweight guys who are worried about their divorces while trying to scream and flail on stage like they used to. Leo tries to keep the tour moving while wondering whether to ask King to help finance his college education. Will Leo embrace his Inner Maggot? Maybe. Will King make up for eighteen years of missed parenting opportunities? Maybe. Will you laugh at Gordon Korman's hilarious novel? Oh, yeah.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gordon Korman, author of the hilarious books Son of the Mob and No More Dead Dogs produces yet another side-splitting novel. Born to Rock is the story of a smart boy named Leo. Leo is a founding member of his school's Young Republicans and has been accepted to Harvard with a full scholarship. Leo is accused of cheating on a test and loses his scholarship.

At the same time, his best friend punk rock Melinda tells him all about the reunion of the famous punk band Purge. Purge was considered the rudest band ever during their time and now the middle aged rockers are making a comeback. Leo stumbles on his birth certificate which brings up some questions. Leo discovers that his birth dad is none other than Purge's front man, King Maggot!

Leo finds King Maggot and shares his new-found secret with him. King asks Leo to go on the reunion tour with him as an attempt to get to know each other. Leo looks at this opportunity as a chance to pay for his college.

Watch Leo as he tries to make his own place in the punk rock world among roadies, groupies, poodles, and aging rockers!

[Talia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo is just another Harvard-bound, Young Republican when a bombshell hits him: he is the son of punk legend Marion X. McMurphy, aka King Maggot. When Leo unexpectedly gets his Harvard scholarship taken away from him, he takes the opportunity to contact “bio-Dad” with intentions of getting some money for college. While the DNA test is pending, King invites Leo to come with him on his band’s tour of the US. Between being a roadie, keeping doughnuts away from the band’s drummer, a roommate who hates him, and an incident with a pretzel machine, when the time comes to ask King Maggot for money, what will Leo do?

I really enjoyed listening to this on CD! There are these instrumental “punk/rock” interludes that actually add to the story, instead of being annoying extra noise. This also reminded me of Korman’s earlier work (Bruno & Boots): just a lot of fun, crazy hijincks. While yes, the story is somewhat predictable, I found myself smiling at the end and wishing for an extension of the story.

[Dr. T Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I pulled this title, I thought it was a different book - a nonfiction piece about growing up as a punk rocker. That is not this book (and I can't figure out why I thought it was). Still, this wasn't a bad yarn.

One thing I don't get are the blurbs on the back calling this "laugh-out-loud funny". Although the main character generally maintains positive spirits throughout the book, I didn't find it to be ha-ha funny. I mostly found this story an interesting look at why punk matters so much to some people. I listen to quite a bit of music, but hardcore punk has never really been my bag. But this helps me at least get a better understanding of why it might be so important to some.

The most annoying character in the book reminded me quite a bit of a "friend" from high school, which was a mixed bag of nostalgia and annoyance.

Ultimately, this is a feel-good story of a good kid done wrong, and his somewhat misguided attempt to keep himself on track via a very circuitous route.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Off beat story about a young teen, Leo, who is everything a mother could love.. smart, respectful, a 'Young Replublican', and up for a full ride scholarship to Harvard.
The only strange thing about him is his very close friendship with Melinda. Melinsa is brash, anti-establishment, liberal, goth/punker whoose hero is punk rocker King Maggot.
His life seems to be going along just fine until two major catastrophes happen, he looses his Harvard scholarship when he is falsely accused of cheating, and he finds out that he is probably King Maggot's illegitimate son! Quite a couple of blows for a Young Republiucan.
With his life in disarray, Leo choses to go on tour with the King's band as a roadie in order to get to know him and finds out that people can be a lot different that what you think they are, if you just pay attention.
Hillarious situations and heartfelt lessons.. a VERY good read for young and old!

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo Caraway is not the type of character you'd usually expect to see in a novel for teens. He's a member of the Young Republicans, has earned early admission to Harvard complete with a much-needed scholarship, and has a best friend named Melinda who is a full-on Goth who thinks of punk music like a religion. When Leo agrees to do a favor for Melinda, the result is an accusation of cheating that loses Leo his scholarship and dreams of Harvard. His discovery that his biological father is actually King Maggot, a punk superstar, starts the rest of the unlikely but hysterical plot. Leo is self-confident and genuine, with a sly sense of humor, and the supporting cast of characters is endlessly entertaining. This funny book is never a chore to read, and it has some great things to say about friendship, family, knowing who you are, and accepting others for who they are. Don't let that scare you, though. Mostly it's just really, really funny.

[SBY Youth Services Rencsko · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story the Republican Party meets Punk Rock when a high school senior by the name of Leo discovers that his father is the lead singer of the legendary punk rock band Purge. At first, Leo decides that he wants nothing to do with his biological father…going against everything that is conservative but when he is accused of cheating and his full ride to Harvard is ripped away Leo decides that he should take this biological connection all the way to the bank.

This funny and enlightening tale follows Leo and his biological connection during his final summer before college. During this time Leo decides to become a roadie on his father’s in hope of sparking a connection and possibly some sympathy but soon realizes that he is not going to get as close to his father as he would like since his days and nights are consumed by stage setting, babysitting band mates, and keep rock ego’s in check. If you are looking for a light, fun, and punkish piece then Born to Rock is the perfect pick.

[Lady Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've liked Gordon Korman's writing style for a while now, but I haven't been too impressed with his Young Adult offerings. "Born to Rock" started out rather like "Son of Interflux" for me, but got much, much better! The story follows Leo who after he gets caught suppossedly cheating on a test loses his full scholarship to Harvard. $40, 000 a year is way beyond his parents modest means and he has to come up with some other way to get the money. Enter Marion X McMurphy. McMurphy is the mysterious man listed as Leo's father on his birth certificate, but Leo has never met him. By chance one day as he's checking out his friends blog he comes across that name. Turns out, McMurphy is also known as King Maggot, the front man of the punk band Purge. Leo suddenly has a grand plan to get that tuition money! What he doesn't expect is that one summer spent as a roadie on tour with Purge will earn him a lot more than just 40 grand....