Praise for Skater Boy An ABA Kids’ Indie Next Pick for March/April 2024 —The Bay Area Reporter —The News-Gazette Skater Boy is a perceptive, vividly emotional, complicated love story, told with candor and compassion. Can I make it any more obvious that you should drop everything and read it?”—Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Skater Boy k ept me rooting for the disaster boy to find his way.” Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow —Brightly only a story teenagers deserve to read—it’s a story that needed to be told. A story about what it means to to be young and queer in a world where adults may fail you. A story about taking the first steps to overcome the struggles one might be facing. A story about how you owe no one, but yourself, the life you want to live.”—f(r)iction Skater Boy destroys labels and points directly at systemic failings we’ve had a propensity to overlook . . . Nerada’s characters compel the story forward, pushing against the oppressive, frustrating isolation of their respective archetypes and finding themselves wholly realized. Do yourself a favor, get to know the skater boy.”—The Southern Bookseller Review Skater Boy is] about the importance of being yourself, not letting your friend group define you or your future. It's something that a lot of teens can relate to, and it also depicts a lot of healthy romantic relationships.”—The Homestretch, CBC Radio —Forever Young Adult Skater Boy ] is a pop-punk storyline that pushes past the norms of young adult romance and creates a new genre of story.”—Young Entertainment Magazine —Eric Geron, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Tale of Two Princes Skater Boy drew me in from the very first page and was absolutely unputdownable! Not only does Nerada turn stereotypes on their head in his brilliantly nuanced debut, but he does it while writing something universally relatable and utterly charming. Wes Mackenzie puts the oo in swoony!”—Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies Rachael Lippincott, New York Times bestselling author of She Gets the Girl Skater Boy is the beautifully written, poignant story of Wes, an angry, lonely boy struggling to find his place in the world. Anthony Nerada deftly handles Wes’s character arc as he learns to love himself. An impressive debut.” —Liz Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of The Agathas , The Night in Question and The Lucky Ones Skater Boy skillfully highlights that queer kids can't be put into a box! A voice to watch!”—Amber McBride, National Book Award finalist and author of Me (Moth) Skater Boy is spectacularly queer and witty, and I have no doubt Anthony Nerada's debut will become a beloved addition to bookshelves everywhere.” —Robbie Couch, New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow Skater Boy had my heart from the jump!”—Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue Skater Boy delivers one of YA’s all-time angriest! Wes is perfectly imperfect: defensive, emotional, and no, he does not have college figured out yet, thank you. Anthony Nerada is a fresh new voice adding to the much-needed growing wave of ill-behaved queer protagonists. I love love LOVED this one!”—Adam Sass, award-winning author of The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers and Your Lonely Nights Are Over Skater Boy is the nostalgic, opposites-attract gay romance we deserve! A confectionary pop smash that takes inspiration from its namesake, Nerada has crafted a power ballad of a coming out story for the mainstream punk rocker in all of us.”—Steven Salvatore, critically acclaimed author of And They Lived . . . Skater Boy is like a shaken up bottle of teen angst and first love. While examining masculinity and peer pressure, Anthony Nerada captures those complicated feelings of self-discovery and finding your place while providing endless swoons and laughs.”—Robby Weber, author of I Like Me Better —Publishers Weekly —Kirkus Reviews —Booklist
Narrator Michael Crouch emotionally connects to Wes, whose reputation as a bad boy with rowdy friends, terrible grades, and a quick temper is essential to hiding his gay identity. But when Wes is dragged to a ballet performance by his mom and her potential fiancé, he is immediately enamored with Tristan, a dancer. Crouch conveys Wes's frustration with authority figures, along with his passion for photography, building a portrait of a sensitive teen who desperately wants to change how people perceive him. Utilizing a variety of voices, Crouch smoothly differentiates characters. The banter between grumpy Wes and gentle Tristan highlights their differences in personality and enhances their sweet and awkward moments together. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2024 - AudioFile
2023-11-04
When the faculty and students at Stonebridge High take in Wes’ skateboard, leather jacket, and baggy clothes, they see nothing but a lowlife. The guidance counselor nags Wes about college and warns him that if his grades don’t improve, he won’t graduate on time, but as much as Wes can’t stand the idea of repeating his senior year, he also can’t imagine going to college. His single mom, whom he’d do anything to support, and his two best friends, Tony and Brad, are the only people who care about him. During a night out at the ballet, the last place Wes wants to be, his heart stops when Tristan dances onto the stage. As these two opposites attract, Wes confronts his fear of rejection, his past traumas, and his future. This coming-out story surrounds the white protagonist with a racially diverse cast of secondary characters, including his love interest, Tristan, who is Black. Nerada portrays characters with caring complexity, particularly Wes’ mother, and presents readers with multifaceted relationships. While Tristan encourages and challenges Wes, Wes’ character growth is, refreshingly, not dependent on their relationship, and healthy friendships are as central to the story as the boys’ romance.
An endearing and nuanced debut. (Fiction. 14-18)
