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A review by marmaladereads
Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Wes is an angry, queer garbage fire that you can't help but root for, I loved his transformation throughout the book. Things certainly didn't come easy for him. Growing up with an abusive father and then becoming a stereotypical delinquent, Wes feels like he has to act out just to meet people's negative expectations of him.
When he meets Tristan at a holiday performance of the Nutcracker, Wes instantly develops a massive crush, but Tristan is a goodie two shoes ballerino, and Wes feels like he has to reform his image to be "good enough" for Tristan.
I really loved Wes and his character arc. He's a great unreliable narrator who makes all the wrong choices but doesn't stop trying to do better.
What I hated, however, was the relationship between Wes and Tristan. Tristan is a sweet character but he and Wes don't really work together. Their relationship is on again, off again and is a constant cycle of fighting and then big gestures and love proclamations, I didn't see a lot of tender moments between them that felt healthy and like a solid relationship foundation. If you love an angsty, drama filled romance with a lot of big emotion, you'll probably love this, but for me it felt a bit too unhealthy to be the start of a lasting relationship.
When he meets Tristan at a holiday performance of the Nutcracker, Wes instantly develops a massive crush, but Tristan is a goodie two shoes ballerino, and Wes feels like he has to reform his image to be "good enough" for Tristan.
I really loved Wes and his character arc. He's a great unreliable narrator who makes all the wrong choices but doesn't stop trying to do better.
What I hated, however, was the relationship between Wes and Tristan. Tristan is a sweet character but he and Wes don't really work together. Their relationship is on again, off again and is a constant cycle of fighting and then big gestures and love proclamations, I didn't see a lot of tender moments between them that felt healthy and like a solid relationship foundation. If you love an angsty, drama filled romance with a lot of big emotion, you'll probably love this, but for me it felt a bit too unhealthy to be the start of a lasting relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism