In a small town, everyone thinks they know you: Charlie is a hardcore rocker, who’s not as tough as he looks. Hammer is a footy jock with big AFL dreams, and an even bigger ego. Zeke is a shy over-achiever, never macho enough for his family. But all three boys hide who they really are. When the truth is revealed, will it set them free or blow them apart?

Invisible Boys is a raw, confronting YA novel, tackling homosexuality, masculinity, anger and suicide with a nuanced and unique perspective. Set in regional Western Australia, the novel follows three sixteen-year-old boys in the throes of coming to terms with their homosexuality in a town where it is invisible – and so are they. Invisible Boys depicts the complexities and trauma of rural gay identity with painful honesty, devastating consequence and, ultimately, hope.

How was it?

This book has been on my radar ever since I heard about the TV adaptation, and I’m so glad I decided to read it before diving into the show. Invisible Boys isn’t just a coming-of-age story; it’s a gut-punch of a novel that doesn’t hold back, and honestly, I wasn’t ready for how intense and real it would feel.

Set in a small town in regional Western Australia, the story follows three teenage boys (Charlie, Hammer, and Zeke) each grappling with their identity, particularly their sexuality, in a place where being gay is something people don’t talk about. Or worse, actively silenced.

What hit me the hardest? How brutally honest it is. Some scenes made me physically cringe, not because they were poorly written, but because they felt too real. The homophobia, toxic masculinity, bullying… all of it is unflinching. I found myself thinking, “People can’t really be this awful,” and then remembering that, yeah, they really can.

Despite the heaviness, there’s beauty in the honesty. Holden Sheppard gives each of these boys a voice that feels raw and authentic. I ached for them, rooted for them, and sometimes wanted to shake them when they made messy, human choices. It’s heartbreaking and frustrating, but it’s also important.

I was surprised to see that this book is classified as YA. Not because teens shouldn’t read it (they absolutely should), but because so few books in the category are this brutally honest. This one pulls zero punches. And maybe that’s what makes it matter so much.

The ending didn’t wrap everything up in a bow, and honestly, I didn’t expect it to. Still, I hoped for something a bit more concrete, a little less open-ended. But maybe that’s the point: being a queer teen in a small town doesn’t come with tidy resolutions.

If you’re looking for a story that will shake you a little, sit with you for days, and make you feel deeply for characters who are just trying to survive and be seen, Invisible Boys is that book. It’s messy, painful, human… and worth your time.

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