Teenage Dirtbags by James Acker, the intricate dynamics of love, friendship, and revenge take center stage. Set in a high school environment, the story revolves around Phil Reyno, who is known for his rebellious nature and punk-inspired image. Despite the odds, Phil finds himself in a relationship with the universally adored Cameron Ellis, whose viral coming out video propelled him to internet stardom. On the other end of the spectrum is Jackson Pasternak, a model student, junior class president, and talented rower with Ivy League aspirations. However, Jackson is burdened by a sense of emptiness and yearns for his ex-best friend, Phil, the only person who truly understood him. When Cameron abruptly ends his relationship with Phil, causing significant damage to Phil's already volatile reputation, Phil devises a plan for revenge. He seeks to expose Cameron's true nature as a deceitful individual and enlists Jackson's help. Jackson, driven by his desire for reconnection, agrees to infiltrate Cameron's inner circle and uncover damning secrets. As Phil and Jackson rekindle their friendship and delve deeper into their mission, they begin to question the effectiveness of their plan. Will tearing Cameron down from his pedestal truly solve their own personal dilemmas? This question lingers in the minds of the characters as they navigate the complexities of their intertwined relationships. Acker masterfully captures the essence of teenage angst, portraying the characters in a relatable and authentic manner. The reader is drawn into the emotional turmoil experienced by Phil, Jackson, and even Cameron, as they grapple with their own insecurities, desires, and the consequences of their actions. The exploration of themes such as friendship, loyalty, and the pursuit of identity adds depth to the narrative. Acker skillfully crafts a story that transcends the typical high school drama, delving into the complexities of human emotions and the consequences of impulsive decisions. "Teenage Dirtbags" is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that will resonate with readers of all ages. Acker's ability to capture the intricacies of teenage relationships, coupled with an engaging plot, keeps the reader engrossed from start to finish. It serves as a reminder that sometimes, the path to self-discovery and resolution lies not in seeking revenge, but in embracing forgiveness and finding solace within ourselves. In conclusion, "Teenage Dirtbags" is a compelling tale of love, friendship, and revenge that explores the complexities of teenage life. Acker's poignant storytelling and well-developed characters make this novel a must-read for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant experience.

I liked this book. I don't remember why, but at the beginning I thought it was maybe British, and took place in England. But I realized it was American pretty quickly.

The number one thing I liked about this book was the title. I'm jealous I haven't written a book with that title.

I did feel at times it was a bit over dramatic. Some of the arguments that the main character, Phil, had were over the top. They could have also been shortened and tightened. There was a lot of dialogue lines that were just the other persons name in italics, unnecessary. I'm also unsure why the chapter titles were song titles, since music (specifically 90's music, I think) and cassette tapes weren't a significant part of the plot.

But overall I liked it! I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this e-arc. I loved this book so much, I really enjoyed how well written the characters were.

I really loved this book. I think the characters were really well written. I would recommend this very highly.

This book is a beautiful, chaotic mashup of Do Revenge, 10 Things I Hate About You, Mean Girls, John Tucker Must Die and a sprinkling of Glee...but make it gayer!

A fast-paced teen drama full of DRAMA, plotting, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, witty banter and a bit of requisite pining. Centred around don't-let-me-think-about-my-life-or-I'll-implode Jackson and so-misunderstood-I-don't-even-understand-myself Phil, the once-friends team up to bring down Phil's insufferable ex Cameron, who went viral in a coming out video that also outed Phil.

Shenanigans ensue, lives are lightly ruined and the bad guys get their comeuppance. Easy, predictable, fun.

Less predictable is the deftly woven story of Jacks and Phil's relationship and the differences that tore them apart and bring them together again. I love that James Acker presents us with a different coming out timeline, one that extends beyond the bounds of the book. While there is so much incredible rep in YA these days, it is refreshing to see someone whose identity is not tied up in a bow by the final chapter, where love comes before labels and where two kids are able to just be with each other without everyone loudly speculating. It's just nice.

Jackson is the ultimate "do-gooder": class president, teachers' pet, ivy league-bound. Phil is the resident "bad boy": picking fights, ditching class. You get the picture. What their classmates seem to forget is that Phil and Jackson used to be inseperable best friends. When Phil's social climbing media-hog of a boyfriend uses their relationship to become more popular (and outing Phil in the process) and then dumps him, Jackson steps in to help and their friendship is rekindled.
I'm not exagerating when I say that I stayed up all night to finish this book in one day! It grabbed me right in the feels!!
These characters! They just felt so real! The way they speak to each other, having known each other since childhood, their unabashed love for each other, even when hurt or angry, is apparent in every word.
I'm always a sucker for alternate perspectives in stories, and this one used the unique structure of a mixed tape (where my 80s kids at?) with song titles as chapter titles.
And the story is deep, tackling issues of socioeconomic standing and societial expectations. How children know when the adults in school have already decided who's worth their time and who's a "lost cause." How even the most put-together kids are often struggling to maintain that image in order to mask their anxiety and self-doubt.
It's rare for a book to be both snarky and fun AND endearing and sweet. But you get all that and more with Teenage Dirtbags (plus the added earworm of Wheatus that I've been singing for days).

*****
I received this eARC from @netgalley and publisher Inkyard Press @inkyardpress in exchange for an honest review.

Teenage Dirtbags will be released April 9, 2024.

I really wanted to like this book more. It’s a typical sort of High School aged mess of emotions and events. What didn’t work for me was the main characters. I didn’t like them. Now, whether that’s because they’re not likeable or because I’m not the right audience for the book - I don’t know.

It’s certainly well written. It’s funny and quirky … I just didn’t connect with anyone

I had a strange beginning with this one. At first, I wasn't feeling it. It didn't suck me in right away like The Long Run did, and that upset me because I loved James Acker's previous book, but I gave it a few more chapters and ended up being blown away by how much more I enjoyed it than The Long Run.

The synopsis itself reads almost exactly the same as the movie Do Revenge, which intrigued me initially. There are similarities, but overall this book is really a love letter to the bombastic high school movies of the 90's and early 2000's. There are shades of Cruel Intentions, Mean Girls, Never Been Kissed, it's all there and I loved it.

The characters, and the romance, were both great. I ended up liking Jacks more than Phil, which surprised me, but they're both great and each has their moment to shine. The book is also deeply emotional, which didn't surprise me having read The Long Run previously and James Acker is great at weaving complicated emotions into a story.

Overall, I highly, highly recommend.

If you asked me what this book was about, I definitely wouldn't be able to tell you. I spent hours reading trying to figure it out. All I know is it's a coming of age gay romanceish book. The writing didn't help me process what was going on.

James Acker has done it again. I didn’t think “The Long Run” could be topped but perhaps it has? James Acker has quickly become one of my top go to YA authors, anything he puts down I will pick it up and devour it. His books have a specific type of rawness, straight to the point, in your face realness of how teenagers feel, speak, live and move through their relationships. This book was messy, complex, realistic, lighthearted, emotional, VERY QUEER and just had everything I needed.

I couldn’t put this book down. I laughed, I got angry I had all the emotions, but this book made me laugh so much. The way Phil and Jackson’s relationship was just so raw and beautiful?? They didn’t have everything figured out yet, but that’s okay because they are just teenagers. They made lots of mistakes, got angry, are very flawed but James Acker was able to showcase this in such a way that was human, realistic and they both had so much growth throughout the book. I loved Ronnie, I loved all their friends. I loved the banter between everyone and I loved how queerness was showcased in this book. It was messy but it was real. I loved how diverse this book was too. I also liked how this book covered many intense and important topics while still being lighthearted, but showed the messy and real parts of those important topics. (Please check content warnings before reading)

This book gave me everything I needed and then some. I have so much I could say but I will say James Acker never fails to write such beautiful and real relationships between his two main characters. I fell in love with Phil and Jackson and I could just tell they loved each other so much.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved James Acker’s debut, The Long Run, and when I saw Teenage Dirtbags I knew I had to read it. Set in the same school as The Long Run, this follows school Junior President and all-around favorite, Jackson Pasternak, and Philip Reyno who was outed by his boyfriend the previous winter in a video that went viral. When Cameron breaks up with Philip and spins it to his viewers that Phil did the breakup up, causing serious backlash to the point Phil loses his job, he and Jackson finally reunite to enact revenge on Cameron and his Skwad.

I love that this book explores how coming out is a nuanced complex thing and there’s something very wrong about forcing someone out of the closet before they’re ready. I also love the many ways these characters are messy and imperfect and trying to do their best when society, community, and their own minds make that hard some days. This is also a story of friendship and how that evolves over time and what true friendship looks like.

I really enjoyed the story of Jackson and Phil and really look forward to more books from James Acker; I think he’s got an important voice and important stories to share that allow people to be messy and imperfect, but still find joy and a place to belong.

Sometimes you come across a book that as soon as you start reading, you feel that it has a certain something… something that makes you want to take your time, something that you can FEEL early on will be amazing. That was how I felt starting this book.

With characters that will completely steal your heart, a plot that will have you grabbing for popcorn, and writing that had me in TEARS of laughter, sadness and joy. I fell in love with these characters. I have always gravitated toward the misunderstood, having been one myself growing up (and still as an adult half the time), those who have trouble figuring themselves out, yet try still, so hard.

This is a revenge plot story that holds nothing back! Ex besties, Phil and Jackson, with the help of a very unlikely ally (who was possibly one of my favorite characters EVER), plot to take down the outwardly perfect Cameron after he ruins Phil’s life. They know the truth about Cam. While he personifies a sweet and innocent guy to the world, a select few know how much of a liar he really is and they will stop at nothing to make the rest of the town see it too.

A unique mix of revenge and coming of age gives this book the perfect opportunity to demonstrate growth and understanding of one’s self. And I enjoyed every single minute! This book has the complexities of different social and economic classes trying to exist in the same space, battling homophobia, mental health, manipulation, gaslighting, slurs… but it’s done in a simultaneously unapologetic and compassionate way.

EASILY a favorite of the year!! This book was incredible and I savored it.

every single page of this book was perfect. i don't have a single note. i couldn't get enough.

the premise alone is worth the read. a teen revenge concept is a classic and James uses it to its full potential here. but it’s not just the revenge plot points that make this book so great, it’s how they’re used and what they say about the characters carrying them out.

this book is mean, a little nasty, and completely unapologetic in its worldview. it’s hilarious and perfect and a total banger. it shatters the ideas and exceptions of how queer people should act in public to be “accepted.” it erases the idea that queer people should censor themselves just to make straight people comfortable.

it’s about being loud and proud, but also about being quiet and calm, all depending on how you need to express yourself.

it also features some of the best character work i’ve seen in quite some time. Jackson and Phil are so different, but share many big ideas and emotions together. it’s the kind of pairing that shouldn’t work but it does because of all the layers to these people.

the supporting cast is great too, and even features appearances of some favorites from The Long Run.

i really loved this one. this is something that NEEDS to be on your radar.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Teenage Dirtbags in exchange for an honest review!

I read this book in just under three days and that is only because I had to physically stop to go to work. This is one of those books where I wish I could forget everything I read just so I could go back and read it again for the first time. James Acker has a masterful writing style— his characters are grounded and real, all of them different enough from one another to hold interest and move the story along, while all having the things in common that struggling teenagers often do.

Teenage Dirtbags follows the alternating points of view of Jackson Pasternak, school class president and teen beloved by adults, and his ex-best friend: Philip Reyno, punk-grunge trouble-maker extraordinaire. This alternating point of view will have you kicking your feet, covering your face, giggling, pulling your hair out, screaming your pillow, etc.

There were so many moments in this story where I had to put my kindle down and catch my breath. The plot is fun and engaging— Phil enlists his ex-bestfriend Jackson to get back at the boy who broke his heart for a little bit of online fame. The two gather a medley of other teenage dirtbags (affectionate) in their scheme, and learn a lot of hard lessons along the way. Despite the problems being very grounded in being a teenager, they still felt important enough to our characters that they were important to the reader.

This book was raw, but also funny in a way that had me laughing out loud on the subway. The teens felt real— swearing, vulgar, fooling around, but also nervous about 'real' sex, drinking, smoking, but in a way that both teens and parents will find less than objectionable— James Acker displays the lives of teenage dirtbags in a way that shows us that life isn't over if you're a bit of a dirtbag.

Astounding read. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would.

I received a free advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe it's just his pop culture hot takes and his overall sense of humor, but damn I love the way James Acker writes. This book is even better than his first one, and I thought the mix-tape structure was a cute, if innocuous, way of incorporating even more pop culture influences/themes into the text. Like in his earlier work, Acker's main characters are lovable yet clearly teen-aged, guys trying to find their own ways in the world. And Acker gives depth to his supporting characters, and even to the antagonist's hench-people (my word, but I'm sticking by it, since it sorta gets you there while still staying vague and spoiler-free).

Highly recommend for 16+ in general, and especially for queer kids of all races, genders, shapes, and sizes trying to find their own spaces & voices.


*I posted this on Goodreads

Thank you Inkyard Press and NetGalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This book is so good! Phil is excited to see is boyfriend again after they spent the summer apart. Though his feelings are complicated because his boyfriend also outed him to the school last winter. Jackson misses his ex-friend Phil and would do just about anything to regain that friendship. So when Phil unexpectedly finds himself single and falsely accused of breaking his boyfriends heart, when it was the other way around, he decides to get revenge. This gives Jackson the opportunity to reconnect with Phil. He’ll connect with the Skwad, Phil’s ex and his friends, and together they will tear them apart from the inside. But can the two put their past behind them long enough for it to work? And is getting revenge really worth it? Also what happens when the two’s feelings for each other start to grow? I think what I love so much about this book, as well as James Acker’s other book, is the emotional depth to them. The characters are deep, complicated, dark, and angry. That’s embraced in both Jackson and Phil, though it shows up in different ways. But even with all of that they still find happiness and love! The complex emotions are very relatable! Teenage Dirtbags is deep, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and has the right touch of snarky humor! Highly recommend check this book out as well as James’ other book! Can’t wait to read it again!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Teenage Dirtbags in exchange for an honest review!

Teenage Dirtbags is many things at once:

Vulgar, profane, chaotic, outrageous, and hysterical.

But also … raw, introspective, empathetic, nuanced, and kind-hearted.

I could not put this book down. I loved both Jackson and Phil in equal measure and loved how distinguished each of their POV’s were — completely fleshed out and fully realized characters without the writing styles feeling identical for each of them. Even when they made questionable decisions, I was rooting for our boys – these silly little anti-heroes who wanted (and deserved) some form of karmic justice.

Sabotage, revenge plots, gaslighting — Mean Girls meets John Tucker Must Die (“The Twink Must Die” had me screaming with laughter). Social vigilantism, reputation takedowns, and character assassinations. The book has everything.

When all was said and done, I love that the plot was so multi-faceted. In addition to a revenge scheme, we got a fantastic dose of romance that leaves your heart so full. James Acker is skillful in his writing – often working poetic prose in between rapid-fire vulgarities and f-bombs – and making it work.

When we learn that the titular “teenage dirtbags” are not necessarily our main characters after all – but rather teenagers these days who blindly believe in lies and whatever is said online. A commentary on the casual cruelty and apathy that high schoolers seem to have no short supply of as of late.

Teenage Dirtbags is a love letter to the kids who deserve better. The outcast kids who are inherently good but get judged & shunned because of assumptions and appearances. The kids who are misunderstood because nobody wants to take the time or make the effort of understanding them. Those kids matter, and this book made that point. And it made it eloquently.

An easy 5 out of 5 stars. I will be moving The Long Run higher up on my TBR list, because James Acker is brilliant.

I am so glad I had the chance to read this ahead of its April 2024 release, and will recommend it to anyone who will listen.

Oh, my heart! I don’t know if there are enough words to describe how much I loved this!

Jackson is the school president. A good kid who all the adults trust. Phil is completely the opposite. They were best friends until their differences tore them apart. Then, 8 months ago, Phil was outed to the entire school by his boyfriend, Cam. While most people congratulated and cheered for them, a lot still didn’t. Cam enjoyed the spotlight that came from his speech at the dance, but not once did he think of how Phil would feel about the whole thing.

When Cam breaks up with Phil and tells his followers that Phil broke up with him, a plan of revenge is put into place. Jackson and Phil reunite for the common goal of ruining Cam Ellis. While they’re trying their best to set aside their differences and truly work together, they’re realizing some sparks never die. Can they go back to the friendship they once had? Could they be something more?

This was hilarious, but also emotionally heartfelt. I loved the relationship between Phil and Jackson and I couldn’t get enough of it! There wasn’t a character I hated in this book (besides Cam, of course), but my favorite was probably Veronica. She was sassy and witty, my kind of girl. I really felt for most of these characters and resonated with quite a few as well. This was a perfect queer story with just the right amount of drama. 10 stars! ⭐️

Whew - what an emotional read! I didn't really know what to expect with this one and was surprised to learn how emotional it was. I thought it would be focused more on the breakup/romance, but I like how it added a new spin with throwing an old friendship in there - I'm a fan of this trope! The character voices came through strong in this one, and I plan on looking at Acker's other books...the writing is angry, raw, and real. On top of all of this, I loved the songs for each chapter - I felt like I was opening back up my own angsty teenage years. I recommend picking this one up!

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

Sometimes, rawness is all I need in a book. James Acker’s debut, The Long Run, was moody, dark, but above all raw. His sophomore book, Teenage Dirtbags, has the same rough feeling. And for those who loved The Long Run, Bash and Sandro make an appearance too!
 
After reading James’ author’s note about growing up as a nasty, spiteful dirtbag while feeling not worth the trouble, a brick already settled itself in my stomach. Then I found the table of contents, and my heart jumped up. A dual narrative, multiple flashbacks, chapters like songs on cassette tapes with an A and a B side, and those song titles! From My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, and many more. Intense, unpolished, harsh songs. But also tender, craving, and sweet. I hadn’t even started reading yet and was already in love.

Phil and Jackson (or Philip and Jacks) couldn’t be more different, and still, they were best friends once. Phil, the troublemaker, the punk, the heated one. Jacks, the class president, the worker, the quiet one. I loved both of their voices. Phil’s anger splashed off the pages, and Jacks struggles to be enough were tangible between every sentence.

If you’re just like me and love raw, honest stories that make you feel all the feels, I urge you to pick up this amazing book. And if you’ve read The Long Run and found it too rough, I believe this one is a bit sweeter (but still rough around the edges).