Karl is about to begin his senior year of high school in 1973. His father died when he was in 8th grade, and his mother has become a partying hippie. Karl works numerous jobs, hiding his money around the house so his mother won't take it. He tries to keep the house clean, but with over 20 cats, that is hard. He has been part of a school therapy group since junior high when he brutally killed a classmate's pet rabbit. This group, dubbing itself the "madmen underground", is very close as members help each other with such issues as abuse, alcoholism, neglect and give each other places to stay when they are locked out or just don't want to go home. Karl just wants a "normal" life, so decides not to be a part of the madmen underground group this year, hoping that people at school will see him as part of the "normal" kids. He discovers that is not so easy.
A long book (530 pages), it is a compelling read. We come to really care about Karl, and we want his mother to get her act together so Karl can have a little easier time. I also liked that the kids in the "madmen underground"--while they lived in some really bad situations--did not act like victims. They took some control of their lives.
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