SKATER BOY

Available now anywhere books are sold from Soho Teen!

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.

Praise for SKATER BOY

Kirkus Reviews
Publisher’s Weekly
Booklist
Canadian Review of Materials

“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

“A poignant unraveling of the binds spun by toxic masculinity, Skater Boy kept me constantly rooting for Wes to find his way.” — Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Iron Widow

“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 and I miss him already!” — Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies

“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

“Nerada offers a nuanced and realistic glimpse into the pressure and the chaos and the growing pains of being a teenager, and what can happen when you open up and share your full, true self. A brilliant debut.” — Rachael Lippincott, New York Times Bestselling author of She Gets the Girl 

“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