This story was pretty unconventional in terms of “gay” teen stories that are released recently. Let it be known that I love those other stories as well. This story is for those that feel misunderstood and don’t necessarily fit into the stereotypical lgbtq+ community. However, I think that’s the point that’s trying to be made is that you can’t fit a community of people into a neat little box. Wesley (Big Mac) has his own troubles that he is trying to deal with and I appreciate that we get to see those. This is a solid debut by Anthony Nerada and I’m interested to see what is in store next.

The title of this book immediately caught my attention — I have the song stuck in my head just thinking about it — and I love the twist on the song’s premise. While I expected it to be a romcom, it was more heavy and angsty than romantic or comedic. This is a good story about a teen stepping into his authentic self with a few bumps along the way. The resolutions come fairly easily and there’s a happy, hopeful ending.

Let me start off by saying 11-15 year old me would have been obsessed with this book. This was exactly what it was promoted to be, a pop punk inspired YA gay romance. I loved that this book followed a main character that doesn't fit the mold of many other gay teen characters. I like that this book will add some variety to the YA romance space.

Where I felt this book fell flat for me was the pacing and the plot. It felt that the end went by way too quickly. There were too many plot points thrown in at the end to wrap up. I also felt that the plot seemed pretty basic and there were some plot holes at the end that I didn't feel like they resolved.

Overall, I had fun with this one.

Very nearly lost me in the first 10% because Wesley was so OTT belligerent I couldn't sympathize with him even though the narrative is first person, his point of view. Eventually I forced myself to resume reading -- feeling obliged, since this is an ARC -- and as the story progressed, Wes did become bearable.

But: problems.

Some were just irritating, for instance Wes's mother calling him "Stevia" because that's her "way of 'going against the masses.' She’s never been a fan of 'hi, honey' and 'hi, sweetie' moms." Well, which moms are those, and what does Wes's mother have against them, anyway? Did you know it was offensive for a parent to use common affectionate sobriquets when addressing their kid? Right, it was news to me as well.

OK, that's petty, but it's also an instance of the labored way Narada develops Wes's troubled-outsider status. Here's another. His mother's been dating Tad, a widower, for three years. Tad has a five-year-old daughter; he's taking her, Wes's mother, and Wes to see The Nutcracker, and Wes whines about falling asleep during the previous year's production. Fine, he doesn't like ballet (though, honestly, who TF doesn't like The Nutcracker?), but he's attending with a five-year-old who adores it and whom he's known since she was two. An authorial choice looms: Do you make your 17-year-old narrator, who's hostile to his mother's boyfriend, unbend toward a small, enthusiastic child? Or do you make him complain about how she "bounces in her car seat like she’s on her way to freaking Disney World"?

Wes is supposed to be traumatized (backstory: abusive dad), worried about being gay, and quick to anger, so it's fair for him to behave badly; the trouble is, he behaves so badly that he's completely unsympathetic for a good chunk of the book.

I didn't like his eventual boyfriend, Tristan, either, mainly because Narada has him spouting platitudes right and left. Sample: "[T]he next chapter in your life is for you to define, Wes. Whatever you were in high school, whatever mistakes you made, all that goes away.” "Sometimes, there's vulnerability in telling the truth." Basically, Tristan is a self-righteous prig.

The eventual resolution of Wes's problems happens in a rush. His two closest friends, who come off as loud, bigoted dudebros till something like the 85% mark, suddenly turn into Sensitive Young Men Who Talk About Their Feelings. Despite years of being bullied by these guys, the members of the photography club Wes joins make friends with them after ... an apology? That's it? We don't really know, because it happens off page (one of many reasons I think first-person narrative was a mistake here). It turns out that Tad loves Wes even though Wes has been behaving like a jerk toward him for, apparently, the entire three years during which Tad has been dating Wes's mother.

The tl;dr here is that there's way too much emphasis on important life lessons, and not enough on story and character. I'm sorry to be so negative toward a well-intentioned book, but there it is. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I finished this story in two days and it moved me to tears and laughter equally. There is so much heart, humor, and angst in this book. Wes is a punk who also just happens to be gay—not that anyone knows. It's something he keeps from his best friends and his mom. Wes is an angry kid who has a lot of trauma to unpack, and it doesn't help that he's basically failing senior year. But after his mom and her fiance drag Wes along to see the community's production of The Nutcracker, Wes finds himself immediately taken with star dancer Tristan. Tristan is the literal opposite of Wes, and he also happens to be out. As Wes finds himself falling for and pursuing Tristan, and the feelings are reciprocated, he begins to open up and interrogate who he really is outside of the assumptions everyone makes about him. There were so many moments were I found myself laughing out loud because Wes has a biting sense of humor (also, the chapter titles are incredible). There were also many moments where I was moved to tears. I loved the way everything played out: there is resolution without everything being tied up too nicely. The perfect kind of ending. This debut has such a great voice and is a beautiful coming of age story that will resonate with teens and adults alike. I will be eagerly awaiting the author's sophomore novel!

Skater Boy combines a premise we al.l understand from the jump but deftly adds depth and starts subverting it from the jump. We have our bad boy hero, Wesley or "Big Mac", who's being written off as nothing but trouble, but immediately, we understand he has layers and underneath that bad boy behavior is a softness that was a joy to watch unfold as the book moved along and Wes figures out how to heal, how to find direction, how to love and let someone in to love him. I thought his relationship with his mom was so tender! His acceptance of his own queerness and starting to find joy in what that meant for him was a painful journey, but paid off beautifully. I loved seeing Wes juxtaposed with Tristan, a character who is also forging his own path as a black ballerino. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I wanted to scoop up this whole cast of characters and tell them things were going to be ok for them! If you liked The Long Run or you're a sucker for kids finding and following a dream, this is definitely for you!

Wesley ‘Big Mac’ Mackenzie is failing senior year no thanks to his bad boy reputation. He’s angry and would rather be skate boarding than attending class. But then his mom and her boyfriend take him to see the Nutcracker and he meets Tristan Monroe. They’re as opposite as can be, but Wes can’t stop thinking about Tristan.

I really loved this story and how Wes is portrayed through out. So often the mysterious bad boy is the cool one, but this felt like a much more realistic take where it’s not so fun and Wes’s life is actually a mess. But as we come to understand Wes, we realize his life was decided when a long ago teacher made an assumption and rather fight to prove them wrong, Wes just went with it. Now, he’s a little lost and trying to turn himself around while maintaining his friends, not disappointing his mom and impressing Tristan.
Oh, and he’s very much in the closet and it weighs on him a lot, especially given Tristan is out and proud.

Usually I find the characters of contemporary novels feel contrived and the plot is manufactured by the author. I did not feel this way about this book. It felt so realistic. Every thing that happens feels natural because the characters are so well written. Wes was messy but so were the other characters in a way that felt normal. The story has a great ending but not everything was tied up with a neat bow, and I liked it because that’s how life is. It left you with a sense that these characters went on to live their lives and we were given a glimpse of just a short moment.

My only negative was sometimes the scene staging and blocking was confusing.

Overall, this was my top contemporary YA read for 2023. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a good, realistic queer story. And if you're fan of that certain song from 2002 ;)

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC of Skater Boy in exchange for an honest review!

Skater Boy sees angry punk main character Wes fall for ballet dancer Tristan, in a story that is both delightfully queer and earnest. Wes was such a brilliant main character, and one I really connected with. He's a bit of a gremlin but I really empathized with his pain and fear as he dealt with being closeted, his anger issues and repressed childhood trauma.

I think so many of us, whether as teenagers or adults, feel that once we're going down a certain path there's no going back or chance of change and that's something Skater Boy looks at so well. We see clearly how Wes has got to where he is and how he struggles to overcome his past while still staying true to himself.

My favourite aspect of this book was it's portrayal of the issues that teenage boys can face when they don't deal with their emotions in a society that still tells young men "Boys don't cry" and "Toughen up and be a man". Whether it's anger issues, substance abuse or sleeping around because of societal expectations, Wes and his friends deal with series issues but they were all wrote about with great compassion and empathy.

The relationship between Wes and Tristan was undoubtedly very cute, but I wasn't sure if they'd end up together in the end. The relationship's I enjoyed the most were actually the familial and platonic relationships. Whether it was Wes's relationship with his mum, his best friends The Tripod or the new friends he makes in the photography club, these were the bonds that felt the most real and authentic for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC

I thought this book was an absolutely adorable debut, and my Avril Lavigne loving heart went absolutely insane for the plot. You just can't beat a punk sk8er boi and a love interest that does ballet! The romance was sweet, and I appreciated the character growth throughout. Normally I am not a fan of a breakup near the end of the book - I much prefer a slow burn or a relationship evolution where they finally admit they have feelings for each other to a breakup and reconciliation - but I think they make so much more sense in YA than in adult romances. Everything the characters went through felt necessary to their character growth and the overall story. I am so glad I had the chance to read this one!

SKATER BOY by Anthony Nerada is a young adult contemporary novel about a closeted skater punk, Wes, who's grappling with his friends, family, and future. His falling for a ballet dancer, who sees through his facade, ignites the spark of change in him. The premise of the novel is fun and enticing, and it doesn't shy away from the difficult circumstances that brought its protagonist to the dark place from whence he begins the story. While the characters feel alive, some of the plot points and actions require a stretch of the imagination to buy into. And while I appreciate the difficulty and nuance required to craft a believable transformation for Wes, it ends up a bit clunky and hard to swallow. Still, the book is entertaining and heart-warming in many respects, and this debut author is off to a solid start.

Thank you to Netgalley for a chance to read this. I just couldnt get into the book. Not horrible its a nice idea for book but just not for me.

When I saw that the premise of this book was a queer YA take on the “he was a punk, she did ballet” from Avril Lavigne’s Sk8er Boi song I knew I had to read it. The author’s note in the beginning talks about how the author initially intended for the book to be a light-hearted romcom, but the final product ended up being a bit more serious. While there are definitely some fluffy, swoony moments between Wes and Tristan, there’s also a lot of exploration into why Wes is a “bad boy.” Where his anger stemmed from and how he’s afraid to come out to his friends and his mom.

Something that I really appreciated about the book was how much character development there is. Wes in the beginning of the book is very different from Wes at the end of the book, but it always felt like a natural progression. Sometimes it was tough to watch him on his journey because he doesn’t always say or do the right things, but that made it feel so authentic. In addition to the romance and the storylines with his friends and family, I also really enjoyed the plotline of him figuring out what he wants to do with his future after high school.

I do think that because there were so many different storylines with different groups of characters, some aspects of the end of the book felt a little bit rushed. But overall I had a great time reading this book. I definitely recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of queer YA contemporary books.

You can really tell that Anthony Nerada put his heart and soul into this book. I finished this one in a day, and it was just plain GOOD!

Wes is such a sh*t in the beginning of the book, so I immediately loved him. Give me characters that are messy and beautiful and capable of growth and development!! I loved his silly, strong personality and how he worked out issues in his brain. He grew throughout the whole book and even commented on him continuing to mess up but wanting to be a better person. I loved how he cared for his friends and the sweet romance with the boy he least expected was 🤌🏻.

The photoshoot setup on stage!! That first kiss and their talk in the snow!! The aftermath!! The back and forth!! The sweet gestures and infuriating teenage hormones and brains. Gotta love them. The epic grand gesture!!

Also the side characters in this book are great. Loved them all!

I’m so happy I preordered this one. Anthony is an author to watch and I’ll happily read his next book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite 2024 YA ✔️

🛹🛹🛹

When a fellow book lover reaches out and says “Read this” I immediately do! That was the case for this gem 💎! I feel so lucky to have meant these characters…from The Tripod, the parents as well as fellow classmates they stole my heart and I know many others will fall hard for them!

This is a debut that read like my BFFs diary… Anthony Nerada’s words felt very personal which had me a bit emotional at times…which I enjoy. A book about healing, juggling emotions of who you once were and discovering who you want to be. A coming of age that many can relate to. Even as an adult I appreciated all that was shared, an eye opener into a glimpse of adolescence.

The showstopper… The Characters. From bad boy Wes, the friendship dynamics of the tripod, Tristan’s encouragement toward Wes and passion for ballet….and bless it the Parents 🙌🏻 Also how serendipitous I started reading this at the start of Winter Break which is when the books starts. The altered song lyrics as title chapters were nostalgic and had my Spotify on my emo playlist! The few lines in the epilogue were epic!

A strong message that you can stay true to who you are, and still change for yourself.

A true delight to have in the world.

Thank you Soho Teen for the advanced copy!

This is a fun debut from a perspective that you don't often see in teen LGBTQ+ romances. The characters are well thought out and their stories are handled with sensitivity.

This book felt so real to me, the journey of self discovery through out was very powerful and even if I didn't agree with all of the main characters decisions in the end I saw how important it was that he face the choices and consequences he did. I really liked the focus on friendship and support systems explored as a major part of the plot. Not only did we see the main character learn and grow but this theme was also present in the lives of many other characters and that felt really powerful. This was an amazing debut and I look forward to reading more by this author.

4.1

“He was a punk. I did ballet. But together we discovered there’s so much more to us than the labels we give ourselves.”

Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada was a smashing debut that emphasized the importance of creating your own identity and not being afraid to break out of the boxes that society fits you in. The narration was funny and I enjoyed the concept being based on Avril Lavigne’s infamous song, beloved by punks and emos and everyone in between all around the world. I was reminded of two other books I read in the past: Donick Walsh and The Reset Button by Nathaniel Shea (for the reformed bully coming to terms with his sexuality trope) and Social Intercourse by Greg Howard (with the copious amounts of Golden Girls references). Skater Boy felt like a love child that reminded me of some amazing queer debut novels I’d read in the past, despite it releasing in 2024.

This book broke my heart in so many ways, yeah Big Mac/Wes wasn’t the best behaved high schooler, but sometimes when no one believes in you, you stop believing in yourself, how sad it is that because someone put the bad boy level he carried that for so long, and sadly his mom didn’t help much, and then how he tried to fit this image buy when someone showed him it was ok not to be someone different, maybe even better, he finally did, even if reluctantly at the beginning.
I really have a hard time reading books now, I normally prefer audiobooks this book is the first time in a long while that I stayed late to finish it I was so into it. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publishers for granting my wish for Skater Boy.

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and I liked the main character, Wes a lot. I got through it in one sitting. The friendship of The Tripod is what sold this book for me. While toxic to start with these three guys fought through so much to get to a place where they actually communicated with each other and gave each other the love and respect they each deserved. I would have happily read more about these boys.

The only negative I have, which is actually just more of a preference is that I wish there was more detail and more depth. I love a long book and delving deeper into Wes’s life would not have been a hardship for me.

My rating is 3.5 stars, rounded down.

Not a book for me. Firstly, it struck me as being at the lower age limit of YA interest. Then, perfectly readable as the novel is, it didn't strike any new notes. Particularly in the final scenes which read to me like the closing reel of a romantic movie. Nothing wrong with that necessarily, just not what holds my attention.

This affirmation of young, queer love, after the usual amount of grief and angst, may well be what you're after. If so, enjoy. If you're a young queer person living in unsympathetic surroundings, I can see this book's attractions. The messages of acceptance, tolerance, and the importance of giving everyone their chance ring true and need reinforcing in real life.

Anthony Nerada's debut is promising but for me, there's more individuality required.