This is a book that deals with heavy topics for teens and offers a lot of social commentary. The plot is very interesting and you want the Jaelyn (and the community) to succeed. Growing up in a community with a skating rink this book definitely brought up some fun memories for me. This book talks about community building, gentrification, abandonment, and other personal issues. I really enjoyed this book. It is a novel in verse so that may be difficult for some readers, but if you enjoy that, this may be a perfect match.

CW: racism, miscarriage (mentioned, off-page), parental abandonment, police brutality (mentioned)

I would like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a really good debut and I think Vinson has a bright future ahead of her. From the very first page, I could hear Jaelynn's voice as she talks about her love for WestSide Roll and the community she's found there as a result, as well as addressing the ongoing concerns of gentrification in Black neighborhoods. Captivating yet relatable, I feel like a lot of readers can connect with Jaelynn. Vinson's world-building with describing WestSide Roll really help bring this story to life, and she also does a great job with building up the relationship between Jaelynn and Trey.

Now, there were some issues that I had with this book. First, there was a bit too many side characters to keep track of. Between the WestSide Roll regulars and employees as well as people from Jaelynn's community, I had a bit of a hard time remembering who some of these characters were and their relationship to the plot. Secondly, I don't know if Jaelynn's character development was really given the time it needed in this book and it seemed almost rushed through. Finally, the ending didn't necessarily feel complete to me (which I don't know if that was Vinson's intention) and I think she could have done more with wrapping things up in the end.

Regardless, I enjoyed reading this book and you should check this one out if you're looking for a YA novel in verse with strong community themes and excellent world-building.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Under the Neon Lights on June 3, 2025.

This book resonated with me in more ways than one. Firstly, I loved the emphasis on a place representing community and culture. WestSide Roll raised Jaelyn as much as her parents did, and it's the home away from home where she can be herself completely without worrying about anything else in her life. She has memories of her and her best friend, Noe. Her parents meeting there and teaching her how to skate. Her neighbors and community members meeting up for Thursday and Saturday Skate every week. This place is as much a part of Jae as her arms or legs, and that's why it's so devastating to hear that it's going to close down.

And as Jae's losing WestSide Roll, she's also struggling with the relationships she's built there. Her best friend is becoming distant, her dad's trying to get back in touch with her post-divorce, and the cute new boy she (literally) ran into is becoming more than just a crush. I love how seamlessly Arriel Vinson rolls all of these conflicts into one neat, concise, beautiful package via verse. The verse lends a specific voice to Jae and helps us see so much emotion and turmoil through her eyes. We see beautiful celebrations of Black culture, and also the harsh realities of living in a place where the majority of people don't look or sound like you (but want to disrupt your neighborhood).

I devoured this book in one sitting, and I'm sure you will too. It's an insightful look into building community, dealing with gentrification, and finding yourself when all the recognizable parts of you begin to fray. Plus, it's set in my LITERAL hometown (the Plainfield, IN shoutout was crazy) so I recognized several places and situations Jaelyn brought up.

All in all, I'd highly recommend picking up this quick, poignant, powerful coming of age story when it's out in June!

I haven't read many novels in verse before, because I feared they would be difficult to review. But Under the Neon Lights was just perfect and beautifully written. I have recently become obsessed with Broadway musicals and reading this gave me that same feeling of observing actors on stage in a musical, everything was so vividly brought to life and it immersed me in similar lyrical rhythms of the roller skating life.

This was so creative and original for a YA novel, and got at both the hearts of the teen and Black experiences through the lens of a beloved roller skating rink that is shutting down. Against the backdrop of gentrification, Black communities getting shut out of their spaces, and heavy family moments, Black joy poured from the pages. It never felt heavy or traumatic even though it wasn't cozy; it just felt joyful.

Jae learned to skate from her father, from whom she also learned her abandonment issues after her parents got divorced and he wasn't there for her. Skating at the Westside Roll becomes her passion and the only constant in her life as she goes through upheaval in her closest friendship and learns to trust a boy she coaches in skating. She doesn't want a relationship because she's afraid every man will leave like her father did. Then the rink is closing, shattering her one therapeutic outlet.

So she organizes a goodbye party in a viral moment to properly show the rink how much it has meant to her and the skate community.

I didn't know how important roller rinks were to Black culture; in white communities they are being slowly abandoned aside from roller derby. You could really tell their love for skating and I could feel the clink of wheels on wood as they performed tricks and forged love and friendships at a rink where they could be loud and Black.

I loved all the layers of abandonment in this: how gentrification was woven in with the loss of the rink, Jae's daddy issues and her tension with her first romance. I cried when everyone came out to support them at the goodbye party. It was a tender and joyful moment.

A beautiful, heartwarming and moving read. I really want to learn to roller skate now!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4 stars *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
”You can either let everything steal your joy, or realize the only thing in control is your joy.”

i’ve never read an arc before… yet somehow netgalley seemed to know i’d like this one and recommended it to me! this story was so so adorable and i really enjoyed reading it.

being a teen myself (disclaimer: i am very white… definitely not the target audience for this book), jaelyn was unbelievably well written. in some books i read, the main character behaves like an adult and i surprise myself when i remember they’re 16-17. jaelyn, however, acted exactly like a 16 year old should. at least imo 😆 every aspect of her felt so real and raw - her fading friendship with noe, her relationship with trey, her interactions with the adults. not every author can pull off a well-written teen mc but vinson did it well. plus, jaelyn’s personality was so lovely to read about - her undying love for westside roll and the skating community was just beautiful.

one aspect i particularly adored was jaelyn’s relationship with trey. full disclosure, i was motivated to pick this up when i read the description that mentioned these two meeting. lol. once again, not every YA romance feels very… YA? yk? it’s so romanticised to the point you forget teenagers aren’t mature enough to be talking like that. however, vinson does this romance wonderfully. trey and jaelyn were written as two teenagers falling in love - including the arguments, including the learning to trust each other, including the not-so-nice moments that come with teen love. and i was SAT for it.

”Zero dollars and zero cents. Every ride.
How do you profit?
I get your time. I think that’s good enough.”

i will make a BIG WARNING ⚠️ that this book is tagged as poetry for a reason. don’t be like me - read the tags!! that’s the only reason i gave this 4 stars and not 5. i personally didn’t vibe with the poetry style of writing but i’m sure other readers will enjoy this.

quotes *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
”I also love skating alone,
Just me. Eyes closed,
(little) hips swinging,
mouth wide, singing loudly.”

”There was this move you did
at the rink the other night. I liked it.
You were watching me?”

”Would you do it again?
Me and her?
No, a girlfriend in general.
If the other person in the car wanted that.”

”Even when the rink is gone,
we have to keep this going,
‘cause I don’t plan on failing you.”

”They can snatch our neighbourhood,
steal our livelihood,
but they can never
take us away from
each other.”

conclusion *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
if you want an adorable YA romance mixed with a heartwarming story about fighting for what you love, this book is for you. hope you enjoy it as much as i did.

Under the Neon Lights publishes on june 3, 2025. thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.</b>

This book tells a story about friendship, community, love and fighting for something you believe in. But it's also a story about injustice and the unfairness of this world. The characters were well written and I enjoyed the way they interacted with each other! And I loved all the roller skating!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!