A review by kittynovaaaa
Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada

4.0

4.1

“He was a punk. I did ballet. But together we discovered there’s so much more to us than the labels we give ourselves.”

Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada was a smashing debut that emphasized the importance of creating your own identity and not being afraid to break out of the boxes that society fits you in. The narration was funny and I enjoyed the concept being based on Avril Lavigne’s infamous song, beloved by punks and emos and everyone in between all around the world. I was reminded of two other books I read in the past: Donick Walsh and The Reset Button by Nathaniel Shea (for the reformed bully coming to terms with his sexuality trope) and Social Intercourse by Greg Howard (with the copious amounts of Golden Girls references). Skater Boy felt like a love child that reminded me of some amazing queer debut novels I’d read in the past, despite it releasing in 2024.