Synopses & Reviews
In this YA pop punk debut about queer romance and destroying labels, a teen risks everything to write his own story. Perfect for fans of Sonora Reyes and Adib Khorram.
Stonebridge High's resident bad boy, seventeen-year-old Wesley "Big Mac" Mackenzie, is failing senior year — thanks to his unchecked anger, rowdy friends, and a tendency to ditch his homework for skateboarding and a secret photography habit. So when his mom drags him to a production of The Nutcracker, Wes isn't interested at all... until he sees Tristan Monroe. Mr. Nutcracker himself.
Wes knows he shouldn't like Tristan; after all, he's a ballet dancer, and Wes is as closeted as they come. But when they start spending time together, Wes can't seem to get Tristan out of his head. Driven by a new sense of purpose, Wes begins to think that — despite every authority figure telling him otherwise — maybe he can change for the better and graduate on time.
As a falling out with his friends becomes inevitable, Wes realizes that being himself means taking a stand — if only he can blow up the bad-boy reputation he never wanted in the first place.
From a debut author to watch, Skater Boy delivers a heart-wrenching, validating, and honest story about what it means to be gay in a world where you don't fit in.
Review
“He was a punk (with a secret soft center). 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
Review
“A poignant unraveling of the binds spun by toxic masculinity. Skater Boy kept me rooting for the disaster boy to find his way.” Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling Author of Iron Widow
Review
“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
Review
“In his witty and vulnerable debut, Nerada reminds us that labels are pointless, love is for everyone and that it is a truth universally known that everybody LOVES a 'bad boy' with a skateboard and a heart of gold. Honest, authentic and charming, 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)
Review
“Wes Mackenzie is one of the most authentic and refreshingly angry main characters I’ve read in a long time, and I ate up every word of his journey. 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
Review
“Anthony Nerada shows, with the perfect mix of punks, bros, and ballerinos, that you can't judge a book by its cover, and that sometimes we have to go through the roughest points of our lives to discover truths about ourselves. Skater Boy had my heart from the jump!” Jason June, New York Times bestselling author
Review
“I have a soft spot for angry gays, and 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
About the Author
Anthony Nerada became a writer after his fifth-grade teacher told him it was his destiny. Since then, he’s read too many books (if there even is such a thing) and explored worlds far outside the reaches of his own. He holds a BA in psychology and two diplomas (one in public relations, the other in publishing), which allow him to write the day away while simultaneously psychoanalyzing his friends. Anthony lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Coast Salish Peoples. Skater Boy is his debut novel.