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mriou310's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
graceheartsbooks's review against another edition
4.75
I loved the romance a lot and Wes learning to grapple with his past and the person he wants to become—figuring out who he is and learning that he doesn’t just have to be one thing or be defined by other people’s expectations. This was just such a beautiful and needed book❤️
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, and Car accident
artemas_c's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
luvey_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Racism
imstephtacular's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Deadnaming, Mental illness, Racism, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing
shamelesslyash's review against another edition
2.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Alcohol
azllyz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Car accident
fanboyriot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Car accident
dearhaleynicole's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Also, I would be SO remiss if I didn't mention that I specifically listened to this in audiobook format and WOW! The writing was already great (Go Anthony Nerada!) but then Michael Crouch (the audiobook narrator) just brought Wes' character to life for me! His voice acting in this role probably accounts for a strong portion of why I love Wes so much in this book. He felt so genuine and real to me.
Overall, I'm really happy that this book exists out in the universe and had a great time reading would highly recommend to anyone in the market for a fresh MM YA romance read set in high school or maybe just something to satisfy that urge to go back to an emo version of yourself from high school (if this applies to your experience ofc).
P.S. I believe others have said it in previous reviews, but I couldn't get enough of the chapter titles! They were fantastic and something I looked forward at the start of each chapter 🥹
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review in exchange for an honest review!
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kimschouwenaar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Kicking my feet and squealing in adoration of this book.
This book ticks every single box I look for in an honest coming-of-age and coming out story. Anthony Nerada transforms a misunderstood bully into a believable protagonist and grants this generation with a heartbreaking character arc that I was missing when I was growing up.
Wesley 'Big Mac' Mackenzie is a punk: skateboarding through his high school's halls, failing all his classes and always getting into trouble. That's all people see when they look at him. Inside, however, he is full of anxiety, and pent-up anger no one ever taught him to address makes him terrified he is turning into his father. People expect him to fall into a stereotype and so he does. And honestly, who can blame him?
But the story Nerada wrote is about defying stereotypes and creating your own narrative rather than falling into the one adults write for you. It was heart-wrenching to see Wes struggle with himself, unable to allow anyone entrance into the fortress he'd built to protect himself, agonising to read how he fully believed he was no better than his father (whom you'll have to learn about yourselves because it contains major spoilers).
My own worst enemy is me.
Wes is a teenager through and through, but he is also a senior in high school. With teachers and a guidance counsellor pestering him about grades and college, his first instinct is to ignore them all and close himself off. Gradually, he begins to realise that's not what he wants, which is followed by a convincing coming-of-age story including coming out.
There is romance, but it is not as central to the plot as Wes's story is. That isn't to say that I didn't love it because I certainly did. For me, it simply faded a little into the background compared to everything else Wes was dealing with.
In Skater Boy, Wes defies all stereotypes and I will love him forever for it.
I was a punk, he did ballet.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail