Why read Invisible Boys?

Book cover of Invisible Boys

Book description

An emotional tale of identity, sexuality and suicide derived from personal experience about three teenage boys who struggle to come to terms with their homosexuality in a small Western Australian town. On the surface, nerd Zeke, punk Charlie and footy wannabe Hammer look like they have nothing in common. But…

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Coming of age

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Invisible Boys as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Amra Pajalić

Author

Drawing on his own experiences Sheppard has written about three invisible boys who are dealing with being gay in an unforgiving country town that reminds me of the culture I grew up in with the lack of understanding and support for LGBTQI youth.

This is a page turner that deals with everything real: identity, belonging, family dysfunction, and masculinity. It is a book that will be a beacon of light to young people who are dealing with their own coming out journey, and a handbook to those who are allies and wish to support LGBTQI youth on their journey. It…

From Amra's list on The best own voices young adult fiction that authentically represent marginalised communities.

Tobias Madden

Author

This book is gritty and raw and hard-hitting. It takes an honest (and at times, confronting) look at what it’s like to feel completely isolated because of your sexuality in rural Australia. The characters are vivid and relatable, and their plight is enthralling. The story deals with identity, belonging, toxic masculinity, and the dark side of coming to terms with who you are when the whole world seems like it’s against you. This book is not for the faint-hearted, but it’s brilliant nonetheless.

From Tobias' list on The best books about growing up gay in Australia.