Book Review: Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard

Photo by Juseph Elas

Genre: Contemporary YA/LGBT

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Countries with marriage equality laws on their books can be perceived as progressive; such is the case with Australia. This is why it is a shocker to know the disparity between the cities and rural/regional areas when it comes to access to absolutely anything -- mental health support being one of them.

Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard is a poignant retelling of anxieties, fears, apprehensions, doubts, and ideas of romance in a teenage topography. The juxtaposition of the so-called "first time" and raw vulnerability with coming into terms with one's sexuality capture the right emotions that can run in rapid succession as one goes deeper into the book.

The book starts off with Charlie Roth, a teenage punk known to be the lead guitarist for Geraldton's party-rock band, Acid Rose. For Charlie, one night of cruising is as harmless as his being gay is. But he learns that cruising, as thrilling and intense it can be, can also cost him more than the pleasure he craves. When the cruising blows off, Charlie finds himself at the brink of self-collapse as the whole of Geraldton wakes up to the news of a teenage boy wrecking a family apart when he hooked up with a married man.

Zeke Calogero is the embodiment of a nerd: stellar school records supported by the medals he receives during awards day. But could him keeping his secret a secret be rewarded with a medal? He can't help what he feels and who he is. And when it comes down to the point of no return, just how much can Zeke leave behind in pursuit of freedom, which he envies from Charlie?

Kade Hammersmith is one hot bloke. With eyes on the game and the ultimate prize of being drafted to either the WAFL or AFL, Hammer could not afford any mishap -- certainly not a scandal that could derail his chances of becoming a footy full-forward. A scandal like Charlie Roth. He is a firm believer that he is driven by hormones; that his attraction to flexed biceps is nothing but a phase. But when he finally copped a root and asked a flushed Zeke to flex his biceps while keeping him pinned on his back against his bed, just how far along the phase Hammer thinks he is in?

[Holden Sheppard] tells an emotionally charged story of teenage identity crisis and coming to terms with their sexuality. Invisible Boys is thought-provoking and makes you question just how far moral justifications can go when suicide becomes a commodity; an escape from rejection, prejudice, and pain. It is a window into the side of Australia that rarely makes it to national airwaves. Time and time again, we hear news analysis calling for more support in the mental health department for rural and regional areas. The disparity is harrowing; it puts them milieus away in contrast to their city counterparts.

The book did not oversell the discussion of family values, traditions, and Church dogmas. If for anything, those elements did add depth to the book and made Charlie's, Zeke's, and Hammer's struggles real and palpable. As if the colossal wild-fire issue of Charlie being outed in a rural town like Geraldton, where everyone knows almost everyone, is not enough to make this book relatable and real and so in touch with the current times.

One could not help but relate with Charlie when faced with the blow he's been forced to deal with. One could not help but commend him for his strong determination to keep going despite everything. Not everyone has the same mental stamina. Certainly not everyone as what was exhibited with one character in the book, Matty Jones, who resorted to suicide when the toll of being gay became too heavy to bear.

But for Charlie, he just thinks that he "...was born in the wrong town. Maybe in the wrong country. Definitely the wrong era." His way out is to start anew in a different city -- Perth, maybe, or Sydney. He thinks "...it would be great to just start again, somewhere better, with a different name, and a different face."

This is such a strong soliloquy considering Australia is a progressive country. For one to think of escaping the grips of the old times, laced with stigma and rejection, being in the closet and forever hiding one's identity and be unhappy is torture. It becomes too much to handle that it would be better to escape and be free rather than be tied to heteronormative expectations of society.

All in all, I think Invisible Boys is a social commentary book as much as it is a YA romance novel. It's a call for the Australian Government to actually look deeper into the welfare of every Australian regardless of gender codes and sexual identities. It's a call to widen the scope of support given and be inclusive of rural and regional areas.

I think the ending could have been more solid than how Sheppard chose to end the book but with Zeke and Charlie leaving Gero behind and starting a new one is a good ending, too. It gives hope for new beginnings.