This book was phenomenal. Big Mac is queer and feels he has to hide it from everyone. He is failing school, he has trauma from when he was little, and a chip on his shoulder. Then, he meets Tristan.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this book for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC of Anthony Nerada's Skater Boy. I didn't want this to end. Nerada's character development was perfect and I was instantly attached to Big Mac, Bud, and the Big Cheese. The audio narration was well done and did not distract from this dive into identity, relationships, and navigating through teenaged life's obstacle course. You'll fall in love; you'll get your heart broken; you'll cheer for the hero; you'll feel that teen angst all over again.

Thanks to the Publisher for providing me with an advanced listening copy via NetGalley. Below is my review and my own thoughts about the book.

This was a really surprising read. First of all, it wasn’t on my Radar, and the first time I’ve known about this book was while browsing on NG.
And second, it’s narrated by Michael Crouch, who’s one of my all-time favorite book narrators. He’s always good, but he’s perfect for this book, you can feel the main character’s emotions so clearly, aided by great narration.

Third, the title kind of gives it away, but this could be read as an inspired work that then subverts the famous (but somewhat problematic, if you’ll take a fan’s word) song “Sk8er Boi” by the legend Avril Lavigne. And still, I didn’t realize that until the 12% mark… I’m ashamed of myself.
I’ve gotten to read a few FF works inspired by the song. In that regard, I really enjoyed the build up and resolution of the book- no internalized misogyny here.

This book will get you into the Nutcracker spirit! It’s quite a coincidence, I’ve been wanting to rewatch a production for a while now, so this book was a sign for the world. Unfortunately, there are never any Nutcracker productions happening next to me, but I found some officially taped ones yt.

I got to read quite a lot of YA queer romances lately, much more than usual for me. I can say I’m a bit fatigued of the age-group. It’s gotten to a point that I don’t find them very inspiring, original, or worth for me to read at this time. So, I was a bit hesitant going in. Fortunately, from chapter one this book stood out from the rest. Personal investment or connection to the main character is one of my top requirements for liking/enjoying a book or piece of media- Wes is totally a cinnamon roll in my eyes, and I love him and want to protect them.

I must admit, my heart fluttered a few times- a special feeling I get in my gut when while reading an emotional scene, but only when I’m highly invested in a character’s story. It’s a feat rarely managed these days. I even shed a few tears here and there, hearing about Wes’s struggles, past trauma and dedication for his mother.

On a lighter note, I appreciated the PJO reference, he really is THE MAN.

I’m curious the read any future works by Anthony Nerada.

Overall, highly recommended, 4.25/5 stars.

I loved almost everything about this! There was 1 thing that bothered me and that was never addressed but it wasn’t something that ruined the whole story. Getting to see Wes slowly become a better person and accept the things about himself that he was hiding was beautiful in the most messy way. I loved getting to see his passion for photography and the people he loved and it was super easy to root for him! There’s a lot that I could say about this book but I don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll just say that I definitely recommend it, if you like coming of age stories! ☺️ also the audiobook is narrated by Michael Crouch and I will always recommend anything and everything he narrates! Thanks to NetGalley and the RB Media for the arc!

Skater Boy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful and unique queer YA book that focuses on Wes, the quintessential “bad boy/skater boy” who never intended to be either.

Wes and his mother are still picking up the pieces of their life after they escaped Wes’ abusive cop father. Wes is just trying to get by, working at the local pizza place and graduating high school, with little interest or hope in going to college. Then he meets Tristan, the passionate driven ballet dancer. Meeting him makes Wes bring to ask for more from his friends, his life, and ultimately himself.

The journey Wes goes on through this story is anything but smooth and easy, but it is as beautiful as the photographs he starts to take as he chases his real passions in life and works to redefine himself and what he wants.

I feel like the tropes in this book are so real, but also so rarely seen in queer literature. It’s often seen in MF books as the female lead coming in to change the male lead. In this story, that isn’t Tristan’s role. He is a breath of fresh air for Wes, but he takes no shit from Wes and has no interest in changing him, he just wants him to be happy in whatever way that means for him. The romance does feel YA at times but that is age appropriate for the book and still very meaningful for the story.

Finally, as a 90s kid, I absolutely loved the many song references, from chapter titles to random quotes throughout, there was enough Linkin Park, Simple Plan, Yellowcard and of course Avril Lavigne references to make me happy.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

HE WAS A SKATER BOY, HE SAID SEE YOU LATER BOY, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I loved this book so much! First off, the discussion of healthy masculinity in this book was nuanced, gripping, and all too relatable. Wes is so fully trapped within the self fulfilling prophecy of being the "bad kid" that he has accepted that a troublemaker is all he will ever be. His best friends never talk about the big problems they all face, because guys don't do all that feelings crap, so Wes stays in the closet. After all, punks aren't gay, and he has an image to protect. The growth of every character is believable and beautiful. I felt Skater Boy hit all the beats of a YA romance without being cloyingly sweet, the tribute to Pop Punk endearing, and the conclusion really satisfying. Well done!

He was a punk and he did ballet.

A genuine heartfelt romantic read.

This story follows Wes, a skater punk with a well deserved bad rep, as he navigates his senior year of high school. After being forced to attend the local production of the Nutcracker, Wes can’t seem to keep his mind of the handsome ballet dancer who player THE nutcracker. As Wes and Tristian, said ballet dancer, begin to get to know each other, Wes struggles with how to tell his two best friends that he is gay. The continued secrecy forms a wedge in all of his relationships and he is forced to consider what kind of person he wants to be and what he wants to do in the future.

From the moment I read the dedication I knew this would be a favorite book of mine! The characters were incredibly authentic, teenage angst and all! I really enjoyed the chapter titles and the references to popular rock songs and appreciated the not so subtle Ticketmaster price gouging mention!

It was incredibly satisfying watching each of the characters grow in their own ways and I am impressed with Anthony Nerada’s ability to get so much story and feelings into one book!

I had the opportunity to listen to this as an audiobook and absolutely loved the narration by Michael Crouch. The accent, inflections, and general tone of his voice embodied the characters so well. I highly recommend the audiobook!

I cannot wait for my physical copy for my bookshelf and to see what Nerada writes in the future!!

Initially, I couldn't connect to the main character Wes because he was so aggressive. Sticking out through that beginning section was definitely worth it since the story itself was really enjoyable. I think the biggest issue that I had was how the timeline felt in the book. This book felt like there was no time in between section even though there was and that they love occurred over a winter break. Other than that, this is a really cute book that I wish I had when I was younger.

I really liked this debut novel, Skater Boy! And the audiobook was excellent. Michael Crouch is a fantastic narrator who I have heard before. I really loved the growth of the main character over the course of the book, and the second chance he was given by his community. I appreciated this story also because while being gay was definitely an important issue for Wes, it wasn't his only issue, and that is perhaps a story that needs to be told more often.
There were many social issues addressed in the story - perhaps too many to be adequately dealt with in the scope of one novel, but I am absolutely interested in reading more from this author!
I will highly recommend this to our readers of YA/ LGBTQIA+ fiction!

This book was such an enjoyable read and honestly hard to put down once I started reading it. I shouldn’t be surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it considering the books it’s comped to but I truly didn’t expect and loved so much the depth and heartfelt element of Wes’s story. I’m a big fan of the way that it seeks to dig into and deconstruct what being queer means and what it looks like, while being more broadly about a teenager figuring out where they’re headed in life. In an author’s note, Nerada says this isn’t a coming out story even if it does involve coming out, and I loved how he broadened the story into one about queerness while also being about so many other things. Wes is, in lots of ways, not the typical YA protagonist, but I think that there’s still so much to gain from his story and from a character who is labeled one way but also exists as a whole and passionate human being outside of those labels. SKATER BOY is absolutely worth the read (or listen!)

As for the audiobook specifically, I think Michael Crouch did a fantastic job of embodying Wes’s character while also telling the story at large. The audiobook was virtually unputdownable for me and made 8+ hours of content feel like it flew by (in the best way possible!)

Thank you RB Media and Netgalley for this audiobook, these opinions are my own. Typically with audiobooks I take a little longer to read them because my mind wanders more but I spent my whole day listening to this one! Michael Crouch really put me into Anthony Nerada’s world and brought it to life! It was so fantastic that time just slipped by for me! Wes is seen as the punk kid who’s always in trouble. He doesn’t love the role but it’s what everyone casts him as so he has just come to accept it. He’s also learned to accept that he doesn’t deserve better. Then he attends The Nutcracker Ballet and is captivated by one of the dancers, he’s never see anything like it. Imagine his surprise when his mom’s boyfriend knows one of the dancers and she just happens to be best friends with the guy that Wes couldn’t stop looking at. The only problem is Wes hasn’t told anyone he’s gay, until now he’s never even had a crush on a guy. But Tristan changes everything and Wes finds himself drawn to him. But as he learns more about himself does he fit in with his friends anymore? Can he actually trust Tristan? Can he discover his passion and what he wants to do with his future? A sweet romance that will have you in tears one minute and chuckling the next! Also if you’re a fan of the Golden Girls you’ll find so many references to the show! It’s my comfort show and this book with definitely fit as a comfort book for me! Full of anger/rage, teen angst, sweet moments, and plenty of romance! I highly recommend this one!

If you look up “coming of age story” in the dictionary, I’m pretty sure you’ll find a picture of this book!

The story NAILED the High School experience, and I really enjoyed the authenticity in the author’s writing. Wes felt SO real, and I LOVED his voice. So much discovery went on throughout this book, for both the main and side characters, and I thought the author balanced it all really well.

The narrator, Michael Crouch did a fantastic job bringing Wes’s story to life, and I couldn’t (and didn’t) turn this audiobook off.

I adored this story, and as a millennial who came of age during the 2000s, I loved the nods to the pop-punk music of my tweendom with both the book’s title and all the chapter titles-genius!

This story reminded me so much of James Acker’s “The Long Run”, which is honestly a huge compliment. I loved this story, and I know it’s going to stick with me for a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the Advanced Listening Copy. All opinions are my own.

Everything a queer YA novel should be. Really, really enjoyed this debut novel.

I liked the focus on motherhood and friendship in this book. My favorite part were the pop punk song references as chapter titles.

Even though Wes made me so angry in this book, I understood where he was coming from. Being a queer senior in high school is hard. I completely fell in love with Tristan.

I messaged the author about how much I adored this book. I would be so here for him continuing these character’” stories in the future.

I really enjoy a LGBTQIA+ novel so this was perfect for me, seeing the relationships develop but also breaking the barriers that people set up for us was great to see.

“He was a punk, he did ballet, what more can I say?!”

My bisexual heart & emo soul have been yearning for a book like this. I swear this was written for me.

You all already know I eat anything up that utters even the slightest punk reference or has any YA queer characters in it. Well, I finally found my holy grail. Everything about, “Skater Boy,” is utter perfection.

I was instantaneously captured by the opening. Nerada’s intro had me tearing up. I love when I am reading a book & it makes me smile ear to ear the whole time. This is absolutely a new favorite of mine & it deserves to be on everyone’s shelves.

A few things I loved…
- Chapter titles named after classic emo-punk songs. (I squealed every time!)
- Queer YA character discovering who they are & figuring out what they want to do with their life.
- Very well-balanced character growth.
- The endless music references made me feel connected to & understanding of the MC.
- The writing is beautiful & nostalgic, had me reminiscing about warped tour.
- !!!***That jab that calls out Ticketmaster’s price gouging***!!!

This story has the ability to light the path for more queer-punk stories to be written.

Am I about to go order a personalized signed copy? Yes, yes I am.

🖤🤘🏼🌈LONG LIVE THE EMO-PUNK QUEERS🌈🤘🏼🖤

A major thank you to the author for bringing this story to life & to the publisher for believing in this story. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the Audiobook arc in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars

If you can listen to this audiobook - or even read this title - and NOT hear Avril in the back of your mind the whole time, well, then, we are very different people. The good news is that the ongoing soundtrack did not disturb my enjoyment of this gritty but likeable character's advancement toward adulthood.

Wes, the titular skater boy (or sk8ter boi, to those of us of a certain age and experience), is the typical hard shell protecting a bruised and delicate middle. Though he's a known troublemaker and 1/3 of the needs a better name badly group of ne'er do wells, "the tripod," he came by these antics and associations honestly; he has a terrible, terrible dad. Fortunately, Wes only has to deal with that guy in memories, since his mom extracted both of them from that bad situation years ago.

Wes's current relationships feature prominently in the plot and also solid list of strengths of this book. Wes and his mom are very close, and I really enjoy the way they interact with each other, even when it's over tough moments or conversations. Wes's mom's boyfriend and his daughter are also charming ancillary characters who come up just enough to impact Wes and give readers a sense of his growth. The other two thirds of the tripod are frustrating at times, but there are also some fascinating insights to be had there. Though it's the newest relationship, Wes's recent connection to Tristan is the impetus for much of Wes's struggle and growth here, and it's angsty and overdone and pretty sweet in all the ways that only this age group and their BIG FEELINGS! can achieve. While Wes's sexuality is a major discussion point of the novel, seeing how it does and does not play into these connections is where (for me) the real excitement and innovation happen.

This is one heck of a debut, and I got even more out of this than I expected, including a refreshing twist on the representation. I'm excited to share this one with students and especially to read more from this author.

Absolutely loved this audiobook! Wes story touched me so much it reminded me of myself

It’s a beautiful story of finding yourself and being unapologetically yourself while finding out what it means to be gay and realising there isn’t just a single way to be gay everyone’s journey is different