Book: Skater Boy by Mary Catherine Gebhard
Reviewed by Shalaya
Rating: 2/5
I was so hyped up for that book.
The promise of two skaters, a celeb crush, and some light stalking sounded like every fantasy punk skater girl listening to Avril Lavigne back in the 2000s had. It seemed like it would be a book that smelled of asphalt and rubber, with the sounds of wheels on ramps and punk rock music blasting in the background.
It didn’t hit it.
First, the dual timeline had me slightly annoyed, flipping back and forth between past and present until it groaned each time I saw yet another jump into the past. Then the characters. If I didn’t know both characters were in their early 20s, I would have sworn I was reading about high schoolers no older than 18, and that’s pushing it.
The story itself was just angst, miscommunication, secrets, a tiny bit of hope and then more angst, more secrets and everyone sheltering Tweetie so much and infantilising her.
Maybe this book will be better received by a younger audience than me, someone who enjoys the angst, the grovelling, the miscommunication, the yearning and all the drama.