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Moorestown High
Teenage Dirtbags
From the author of The Long Run comes another unflinchingly raw and boldly hilarious novel about an unlikely group of teens coming together to exact revenge on the person who wronged them. All’s fair in love and revenge…Phil Reyno is a “troublemaker.” With a punk aesthetic and a quick temper, Phil knows that it’s surprising to see him dating universally beloved Cameron Ellis, whose viral coming out video made him an internet darling. Jackson Pasternak is a “good guy.” Junior class president, star rower, and Ivy bound, Jackson is burnt out and misses the only person who ever truly knew him—his ex-best friend, Phil. When Cameron dumps Phil and torpedoes his already-iffy reputation in the process, Phil hatches a plot to expose Cameron as the two-faced liar he truly is. And he finds the perfect weapon in his old pal Jackson, who agrees to infiltrate Cameron’s circle and uncover dirt. But as Phil and Jackson rediscover their friendship—and more—they start to wonder… Will knocking Cameron off his pedestal really solve their problems?
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 9, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
April 10, 2024
Sometimes, rawness is all I need in a book. James Acker’s debut, The Long Run, was moody, dark, but above all raw. His sophomore book, Teenage Dirtbags, has the same rough feeling. And for those who loved The Long Run, Bash and Sandro make an appearance too!
After reading James’ author’s note about growing up as a nasty, spiteful dirtbag while feeling not worth the trouble, a brick already settled itself in my stomach. Then I found the table of contents, and my heart jumped up. A dual narrative, multiple flashbacks, chapters like songs on cassette tapes with an A and a B side, and those song titles! From My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, and many more. Intense, unpolished, harsh songs. But also tender, craving, and sweet. I hadn’t even started reading yet and was already in love.
Phil and Jackson (or Philip and Jacks) couldn’t be more different, and still, they were best friends once. Phil, the troublemaker, the punk, the heated one. Jacks, the class president, the worker, the quiet one. I loved both of their voices. Phil’s anger splashed off the pages, and Jacks struggles to be enough were tangible between every sentence.
If you’re just like me and love raw, honest stories that make you feel all the feels, I urge you to pick up this amazing book. And if you’ve read The Long Run and found it too rough, I believe this one is a bit sweeter (but still rough around the edges).
I received an ARC from Inkyard and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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After reading James’ author’s note about growing up as a nasty, spiteful dirtbag while feeling not worth the trouble, a brick already settled itself in my stomach. Then I found the table of contents, and my heart jumped up. A dual narrative, multiple flashbacks, chapters like songs on cassette tapes with an A and a B side, and those song titles! From My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, and many more. Intense, unpolished, harsh songs. But also tender, craving, and sweet. I hadn’t even started reading yet and was already in love.
Phil and Jackson (or Philip and Jacks) couldn’t be more different, and still, they were best friends once. Phil, the troublemaker, the punk, the heated one. Jacks, the class president, the worker, the quiet one. I loved both of their voices. Phil’s anger splashed off the pages, and Jacks struggles to be enough were tangible between every sentence.
If you’re just like me and love raw, honest stories that make you feel all the feels, I urge you to pick up this amazing book. And if you’ve read The Long Run and found it too rough, I believe this one is a bit sweeter (but still rough around the edges).
I received an ARC from Inkyard and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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April 11, 2024I LOVE The Long Run, and Teenage Dirtbags was my most anticipated release in 2024.
My expectations were high, and going in I was apprehensive. Sorry if my thoughts are now all over the place.
This story is about the same class as TLR, but plays out a year earlier, during junior year. We met Phil, Ronny, Matty and Ant in TLR, and Jackson was mentioned there once; Bash and Sandro appear briefly here (before they even started talking to each other senior year in TLR).
It's difficult for me to express my feelings on this book. I expected a similar raw writing style and a mess of feelings as in TLR, but this book felt totally different from TLR in my opinion. That's obviously not negative, but it threw me a bit. I would have loved to feel more with Phil and Jackson, feel more for them, and I don't know why I couldn't?
The revenge plot is not one I enjoy usually, but here the author eventually chose to show us that revenge isn’t all, and I was very grateful for that. I cannot help feeling sad that I felt kind of detached throughout the whole book, though. And that's the opposite of how I had felt reading TLR. There was happening so much, so many distressing things, to different characters, and I didn't really feel connected.
Central arguments in this book, beside the revenge plot, are class differences (rich/poor), appearances, friendship, being outet by someone, social media and bullying, parental neglection, anger issues.
The author tried in many different ways to show that nobody is just bad, or just mean, that there's always another side to see (Cameron was the exception).
Everybody seemed to struggle and was trying to hang on to whichever scheme or appearances they had maintain to survive high school.
No rating for now, because no rating feels right. I'll reread this sometime in the future and hopefully I'll feel more then (or I'm broken, I don't know).
My expectations were high, and going in I was apprehensive. Sorry if my thoughts are now all over the place.
This story is about the same class as TLR, but plays out a year earlier, during junior year. We met Phil, Ronny, Matty and Ant in TLR, and Jackson was mentioned there once; Bash and Sandro appear briefly here (before they even started talking to each other senior year in TLR).
It's difficult for me to express my feelings on this book. I expected a similar raw writing style and a mess of feelings as in TLR, but this book felt totally different from TLR in my opinion. That's obviously not negative, but it threw me a bit. I would have loved to feel more with Phil and Jackson, feel more for them, and I don't know why I couldn't?
The revenge plot is not one I enjoy usually, but here the author eventually chose to show us that revenge isn’t all, and I was very grateful for that. I cannot help feeling sad that I felt kind of detached throughout the whole book, though. And that's the opposite of how I had felt reading TLR. There was happening so much, so many distressing things, to different characters, and I didn't really feel connected.
Central arguments in this book, beside the revenge plot, are class differences (rich/poor), appearances, friendship, being outet by someone, social media and bullying, parental neglection, anger issues.
The author tried in many different ways to show that nobody is just bad, or just mean, that there's always another side to see (Cameron was the exception).
Everybody seemed to struggle and was trying to hang on to whichever scheme or appearances they had maintain to survive high school.
No rating for now, because no rating feels right. I'll reread this sometime in the future and hopefully I'll feel more then (or I'm broken, I don't know).
April 12, 2024
this quasi-prequel to The Long Run is a tale of comeuppance and revenge against evil exes, of opposites and second chances, and the search to be understood.
while i felt Phil and Jackson’s relationship on its own came up short to the impossibly high bar that Bash and Sandro set (as i’d expected, these two are simply untouchable in my eyes), James Acker’s enduring courage and skill in instilling emotional complexity to his stories earns my deepest respect.
it can be easy to write off the YA genre as silly kids thinking, feeling, and doing silly things. but humans are complex, and age doesn’t - shouldn’t - magically dismiss the very real struggles. the author sees that with 20/20 clarity and has a compelling knack for capturing the nuances, especially the anger (always so much anger), at their most visceral: the ringing falsity of the adage “words will never hurt me.” the desperation to fit in somehow, somewhere, and looking outward for happiness and validation at the expense of our own self-worth. seeing nothing but flaws, the belief that there’s something fundamentally wrong within, and overcompensating to feel worthy and needed, yet resenting the demand.
the ways that inability to reconcile expectation and reality can be a dangerously dissonant powder keg.
in a day and age where kids are forced to grow up faster than they should and people are subject to being put on blast at any moment, i appreciated how these themes were tackled headfirst in the intricate web of relationships weaved within the school and community hierarchy and layered side characters.
that’s where the story really shone. the pacing and peeks into Phil and Jackson’s history, not as much. it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me - there’s so much value in the text beyond in capturing the human experience - but their romance did feel almost secondary.
but if there’s one thing Phil and Jackson depict perfectly, it’s the insatiable curiosity they hold for each other. the need to know every detail, insignificant or not, about their other half.
in the innumerable ways we define love, i think that’s pretty beautiful.
———prerelease thoughts———
i’ve been thinking about James Acker’s sophomore novel almost daily since The Long Run, and while my attempts at getting an ARC have been thwarted three times (yes, i’ve bugged the poor publisher’s approval person endlessly - i’m so sorry 😂), i promise to wait patiently for April!
while i felt Phil and Jackson’s relationship on its own came up short to the impossibly high bar that Bash and Sandro set (as i’d expected, these two are simply untouchable in my eyes), James Acker’s enduring courage and skill in instilling emotional complexity to his stories earns my deepest respect.
it can be easy to write off the YA genre as silly kids thinking, feeling, and doing silly things. but humans are complex, and age doesn’t - shouldn’t - magically dismiss the very real struggles. the author sees that with 20/20 clarity and has a compelling knack for capturing the nuances, especially the anger (always so much anger), at their most visceral: the ringing falsity of the adage “words will never hurt me.” the desperation to fit in somehow, somewhere, and looking outward for happiness and validation at the expense of our own self-worth. seeing nothing but flaws, the belief that there’s something fundamentally wrong within, and overcompensating to feel worthy and needed, yet resenting the demand.
the ways that inability to reconcile expectation and reality can be a dangerously dissonant powder keg.
in a day and age where kids are forced to grow up faster than they should and people are subject to being put on blast at any moment, i appreciated how these themes were tackled headfirst in the intricate web of relationships weaved within the school and community hierarchy and layered side characters.
that’s where the story really shone. the pacing and peeks into Phil and Jackson’s history, not as much. it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me - there’s so much value in the text beyond in capturing the human experience - but their romance did feel almost secondary.
but if there’s one thing Phil and Jackson depict perfectly, it’s the insatiable curiosity they hold for each other. the need to know every detail, insignificant or not, about their other half.
in the innumerable ways we define love, i think that’s pretty beautiful.
———prerelease thoughts———
i’ve been thinking about James Acker’s sophomore novel almost daily since The Long Run, and while my attempts at getting an ARC have been thwarted three times (yes, i’ve bugged the poor publisher’s approval person endlessly - i’m so sorry 😂), i promise to wait patiently for April!
June 27, 2024
3.0 - 3.5 stars
Main story: Revenge
Teenagers full of anger and hatred
Less focus on the romance
Couldn't live up to my expectations after being obsessed with The Long Run. 😔
Main story: Revenge
Teenagers full of anger and hatred
Less focus on the romance
Couldn't live up to my expectations after being obsessed with The Long Run. 😔
July 27, 2024
4 stars. Melding together Mean Girls teenage antics with a writing style that has a knack for exploring the nitty-gritty of queer teenagehood, Teenage Dirtbags is a punk pop song of a book that stars messy queer teens just trying to do their best.
May 1, 2024
How do we survive? Really, how do we endure all the emotional jabs, slashes, and kill shots we hurl at one another in this world? I once described the end of a love in my life as beautifully brutal. Those same words come to mind now thinking about this book. James Acker’s Teenage Dirtbags captures all the joy and pain in our hearts in fucking spectacular fashion.
We return to the halls of Moorestown High, but a whole year before Acker’s first novel, The Long Run. This time out the spotlight lands on Philip (Phil) Reyno and Jackson (Jacks) Pasternak, two former besties who appear to have nothing in common. Jackson is Mr. Class President and Phil is the school’s punk-ass, troublemaker. Reputations are about to get all shook up though! Phil is outed by his boyfriend, Cameron, in a big, public way that sets the school all a’ buzz and the clicking internet all a’ flutter. After surviving that dick punch, Phil gets publicly clobbered again when his boyfriend ends their relationship in a loud, public, hurtful lie.
“How many times can one life be over? In one fucking school year?”
Welcome to the Thunderdome, kids! This is about to get messy. Revenge always is. And Philip wants it. Revenge, revenge, revenge! He even pairs up with someone equally hurt and humiliated--Cameron’s ex-girlfriend, Victoria (Ronny). This badass duo sets out to crush Cameron and his Skwad of friends and they need Jackson’s help to do it.
There is a lot of hate, pain, and ugliness in these pages. On one Dodgeball filled night, the rotten twists and turns almost became too much for me. But then it hit me...isn’t that the point? To show all that nastiness and talk about the pain and consequences. To show that teenagers have to get back up and keep going even after all they do to each other in school, at home, online, and right up in their faces. Rumors, assumptions, insults, fists, abandonment, and more. I wanted to scream and cry right along with them! So, I read on. I read on past the hurt and anger to find strength, hope, and inspiration. That’s what Phil and Jackson find in each other—strength and support.
Mr. Acker does not rush their friendship re-up though, which I appreciated. It was years of silence between Jackson and Phil. It’s going to take a minute before their hearts (and ours) flip for each other again. Readers hear both points of view in clearly and cute-ly identified Jackson and Phil chapters—some chapters reveal history from their childhood friendship. I cannot say I loved Jackson and Phil though. Hell, I can’t say I liked any of these characters. BUT I don’t have to like them to root for them. And I did root for them with all my heart. These characters are some of the most complicated voices I’ve ever come across in young adult literature. Mr. Acker excels at delivering complex characters with huge hearts that stick with me. They’re messy and mean and so full of contradictions and inconsistencies. There’s a lot of that out here in the world and this book discusses that with brutal honesty and love. These lines say it all….
“We need to be good to each other. We can’t let the differences matter. Whatever people might say. We need to stand up for each other.”
Highly recommended.
An extra side note or two or three: I don't think I have any spoilers below, but I'm going to throw up the spoiler curtain just in case. :)
Thank you, Mr. Acker. I already can’t wait for your next book.
May 5, 2024
There was the smallest feeling of disappointment for the first half of the book. But that was probably because my expectations were a mile high after The long run.
The second half of the book made up for the slight disappointment, I finally seemed to connect and understand Phil and Jackson. I closed this book with a satisfied feeling.
But it’s not The Long Run. And if that book was a full 5 stars rating for me, then this just can’t. And because of that first half, 4 stars it is.
Now I can’t stop thinking I should do a re-read of The Long Run.
The second half of the book made up for the slight disappointment, I finally seemed to connect and understand Phil and Jackson. I closed this book with a satisfied feeling.
But it’s not The Long Run. And if that book was a full 5 stars rating for me, then this just can’t. And because of that first half, 4 stars it is.
Now I can’t stop thinking I should do a re-read of The Long Run.
October 17, 2023
James Acker has done it again. I didn’t think “The Long Run” could be topped but perhaps it has? James Acker has quickly become one of my top go to YA authors, anything he puts down I will pick it up and devour it. His books have a specific type of rawness, straight to the point, in your face realness of how teenagers feel, speak, live and move through their relationships. This book was messy, complex, realistic, lighthearted, emotional, VERY QUEER and just had everything I needed.
I couldn’t put this book down. I laughed, I got angry I had all the emotions, but this book made me laugh so much. The way Phil and Jackson’s relationship was just so raw and beautiful?? They didn’t have everything figured out yet, but that’s okay because they are just teenagers. They made lots of mistakes, got angry, are very flawed but James Acker was able to showcase this in such a way that was human, realistic and they both had so much growth throughout the book. I loved Ronnie, I loved all their friends. I loved the banter between everyone and I loved how queerness was showcased in this book. It was messy but it was real. I loved how diverse this book was too. I also liked how this book covered many intense and important topics while still being lighthearted, but showed the messy and real parts of those important topics. (Please check content warnings before reading)
This book gave me everything I needed and then some. I have so much I could say but I will say James Acker never fails to write such beautiful and real relationships between his two main characters. I fell in love with Phil and Jackson and I could just tell they loved each other so much.
Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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April 2, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
An expected 1000/10 book. James Acker is one of my favorite authors ever now. And thanks James for letting me talk your ear off about how much I loved the book!!
Phil is messy and I loved him to pieces. He’s a boy who’s hurt and thinks nobody understands him. Expect his best friend Jackson. Until Jackson doesn’t. The fall out that they have is monumental. Now they aren’t speaking. Jackson sees Phil kissing a boy. A boy who has a girlfriend. After a very public outing that gets blasted all over, Phil and Cameron are the world’s it couple. Until they aren’t. And things just get worse and worse.
James’s storytelling is amazing. I fell in love with the writing and humor. So much of it had me gasping and laughing so hard. I actually FELT the audacity these people had. And I loved loved so much that we get some characters from The Long Run that come back and visit for a little while. My sweet babies aren’t gone yet! This is such a wild high school I would not want to be in tbh.
Jackson is almost as messy as Phil but he’s better as keeping it inside. He has the perfect good boy shield where he can be class president, so sports, be in the play, and be nice to everyone. He doesn’t have to call people names and steal public property and get in fights with girls in the hallway like Phil does. Speaking of, I loved Ronny too. The comeback she and Phil had was so extreme and I’m here for it. Their friendship was so nice. She seemed exactly like Phil in the way she was hurting and didn’t know how to express it. Matty and Ant were just bullies and I wasn’t very happy to see Matty come back from The Long Run. At least we know how his friendship with Bash ends.
This is a story about hurt and longing. About best friends who are more than best friends and they didn’t know what to do with all those feelings. About revenge and getting back at people who hurt us. Cam was a literal demon and I wanted to punch him through my screen. The story ended on such a pleasant note just like The Long Run. Full of promise and hope and boys who should be allowed to be best friends and be in love. Y’all need to read this if you want a good contemporary YA full of heart and a good amount of rage.
An expected 1000/10 book. James Acker is one of my favorite authors ever now. And thanks James for letting me talk your ear off about how much I loved the book!!
Phil is messy and I loved him to pieces. He’s a boy who’s hurt and thinks nobody understands him. Expect his best friend Jackson. Until Jackson doesn’t. The fall out that they have is monumental. Now they aren’t speaking. Jackson sees Phil kissing a boy. A boy who has a girlfriend. After a very public outing that gets blasted all over, Phil and Cameron are the world’s it couple. Until they aren’t. And things just get worse and worse.
James’s storytelling is amazing. I fell in love with the writing and humor. So much of it had me gasping and laughing so hard. I actually FELT the audacity these people had. And I loved loved so much that we get some characters from The Long Run that come back and visit for a little while. My sweet babies aren’t gone yet! This is such a wild high school I would not want to be in tbh.
Jackson is almost as messy as Phil but he’s better as keeping it inside. He has the perfect good boy shield where he can be class president, so sports, be in the play, and be nice to everyone. He doesn’t have to call people names and steal public property and get in fights with girls in the hallway like Phil does. Speaking of, I loved Ronny too. The comeback she and Phil had was so extreme and I’m here for it. Their friendship was so nice. She seemed exactly like Phil in the way she was hurting and didn’t know how to express it. Matty and Ant were just bullies and I wasn’t very happy to see Matty come back from The Long Run. At least we know how his friendship with Bash ends.
This is a story about hurt and longing. About best friends who are more than best friends and they didn’t know what to do with all those feelings. About revenge and getting back at people who hurt us. Cam was a literal demon and I wanted to punch him through my screen. The story ended on such a pleasant note just like The Long Run. Full of promise and hope and boys who should be allowed to be best friends and be in love. Y’all need to read this if you want a good contemporary YA full of heart and a good amount of rage.
April 24, 2024
I'm going to be honest, I once again did not read any summaries so I had no idea what to expect going into this book. I was not ready for this brutally and unflinching raw story. But holy freaking hell it was so so good.
This book follows two teenage boys while they go through a pretty brutal year of high school. There are some flashbacks to their friendship they had when they were younger but now theyre enemies. Jackson is the school president and everyone loves him except for his ex-best friend Phil. Phil is resident bad boy is constantly getting shit from students and teachers alike. His seemingly perfect gay boyfriend Cameron outed him and everyone wishes Phil could just be a little bit more like Cameron without seeing the facade that Cameron is.
When Cameron dumps Phil but makes a vlog saying Phil dumped him, Phil, Jackson, and Cameron's ex-girlfriend Veronica, all band together to get their own revenge.
This book is freaking good. It really tackles a lot of high school clicks and what it's like to be out and the stereotypes and expectations that people in society have for queer people.
The adults in this book made me absolutely furious. The guidance counselor... oh freaking hell, she deserves to have the worst days ever for forever.
I think one of my favorite parts of this book was the tenderness towards coming out that both Phil and Jackson have. They both realize that coming out with something that people should be able to do in their own time and when they're ready and the fact that Phil had his coming out taken away from him is really horrendous. I really appreciated that Jackson is allowed to go at his own pace and just figure out for himself when he's ready. Also, Ronnie is super badass and I want to be friends with her.
This book follows two teenage boys while they go through a pretty brutal year of high school. There are some flashbacks to their friendship they had when they were younger but now theyre enemies. Jackson is the school president and everyone loves him except for his ex-best friend Phil. Phil is resident bad boy is constantly getting shit from students and teachers alike. His seemingly perfect gay boyfriend Cameron outed him and everyone wishes Phil could just be a little bit more like Cameron without seeing the facade that Cameron is.
When Cameron dumps Phil but makes a vlog saying Phil dumped him, Phil, Jackson, and Cameron's ex-girlfriend Veronica, all band together to get their own revenge.
This book is freaking good. It really tackles a lot of high school clicks and what it's like to be out and the stereotypes and expectations that people in society have for queer people.
The adults in this book made me absolutely furious. The guidance counselor... oh freaking hell, she deserves to have the worst days ever for forever.
I think one of my favorite parts of this book was the tenderness towards coming out that both Phil and Jackson have. They both realize that coming out with something that people should be able to do in their own time and when they're ready and the fact that Phil had his coming out taken away from him is really horrendous. I really appreciated that Jackson is allowed to go at his own pace and just figure out for himself when he's ready. Also, Ronnie is super badass and I want to be friends with her.
April 10, 2024
If Mean Girls and Gossip Girl had a queer baby it would be this book!
Teenage Dirtbags tackles a lot of difficult themes, such as forced outing and bullying, but it never felt too dark or depressing. The main characters aren't perfect, but they recognize their mistakes and try to do the right thing in the end.
I really loved the dynamic between Jackson, Phil and Veronica. Their relationships are kind of complicated, but it was super rewarding to watch them grow closer towards friendship (and in some cases maybe more).
I enjoyed the whole best friends-to-lovers arc. Jackson was such an amazing guy and I've grown to like Phil as well, even though he got on my nerves at times.
There was a scene towards the middle of the book that made me laugh out loud!
Some other scenes dragged on a little too long for my taste, though.
If you're looking for a queer YA story with a good amount of drama and intrigue, this book is for you.
Thanks a lot to Inkyard Press and Edelweiss for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Teenage Dirtbags tackles a lot of difficult themes, such as forced outing and bullying, but it never felt too dark or depressing. The main characters aren't perfect, but they recognize their mistakes and try to do the right thing in the end.
I really loved the dynamic between Jackson, Phil and Veronica. Their relationships are kind of complicated, but it was super rewarding to watch them grow closer towards friendship (and in some cases maybe more).
I enjoyed the whole best friends-to-lovers arc. Jackson was such an amazing guy and I've grown to like Phil as well, even though he got on my nerves at times.
There was a scene towards the middle of the book that made me laugh out loud!
Some other scenes dragged on a little too long for my taste, though.
If you're looking for a queer YA story with a good amount of drama and intrigue, this book is for you.
Thanks a lot to Inkyard Press and Edelweiss for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review!
April 30, 2024
i loved the mean girls energy Jackson, Phil, and Veronica were giving off. Cameron had it coming. did Brynn and August make up (for real, i think i missed that part). Jackson and Phil were compelling characters. is it just me or does anyone else want Matty's story? the romance was … there. when compared to the long run, idkkkkkkk. Bashsandro have Jacksonphil beat.
tbh, it was just great to be back at moorestown high school. in conclusion, james, my good sir … another one please ❤️🥹
April 15, 2024
Ok, I need y’all to hear me out on this one. I know everyone’s vibing with the currently trending covers that have illustrated characters on them. I really like them too. But you’d be doing yourself such a disservice if you sleep on Teenage Dirtbags. The unconventional and raw cover perfectly encapsulates this incredible sophomore novel from author James Acker.
Teenage Dirtbags is a dual POV, queer, YA story featuring Jackson and Phil. It’s set in the same universe as The Long Run, but during junior year (the year prior to Bash and Dro’s story).
Jackson is perfection personified. President of Student Council and multiple school clubs, Ivy League bound, and #1 teacher’s pet. Phil is a fuck up. A loner with absent parents and school detention on the regular. These two couldn’t be more opposite, and yet they used to be best friends. That is, until their differences got in the way and they stopped speaking.
But when Phil gets outed and gaslit into a relationship with the pathologically charming Cameron, the wall he built around his heart begins to crumble. He thinks he’s finally found the connection and love he’s been craving. And then Cameron shows his true, narcissistic colors. In a state of post-break up sadness, Phil comes face-to-face with Cam’s ex, Veronica (Ronny). The two form an unlikely friendship, and start to formulate a Mean Girls-esque plan to get back at Cam. But they’ll need Jackson’s help.
If there’s one thing you should know about me and YA, it’s that I love YA that tackles real issues. Yes, teenagers are young. But that doesn’t mean they’re not experiencing real world shit. And this author always uses his writing to expertly explore that. This book tackled tough topics like homophobia and parental neglect while also highlighting things like queer love and compassion.
Ultimately, Teenage Dirtbags is a story about two people finding their way back to one another. At times, that journey is raw, messy, and lonely. But the journey also leads to bigger feelings of comfort and self-acceptance.
In conclusion: Ronny for President.
Teenage Dirtbags is a dual POV, queer, YA story featuring Jackson and Phil. It’s set in the same universe as The Long Run, but during junior year (the year prior to Bash and Dro’s story).
Jackson is perfection personified. President of Student Council and multiple school clubs, Ivy League bound, and #1 teacher’s pet. Phil is a fuck up. A loner with absent parents and school detention on the regular. These two couldn’t be more opposite, and yet they used to be best friends. That is, until their differences got in the way and they stopped speaking.
But when Phil gets outed and gaslit into a relationship with the pathologically charming Cameron, the wall he built around his heart begins to crumble. He thinks he’s finally found the connection and love he’s been craving. And then Cameron shows his true, narcissistic colors. In a state of post-break up sadness, Phil comes face-to-face with Cam’s ex, Veronica (Ronny). The two form an unlikely friendship, and start to formulate a Mean Girls-esque plan to get back at Cam. But they’ll need Jackson’s help.
If there’s one thing you should know about me and YA, it’s that I love YA that tackles real issues. Yes, teenagers are young. But that doesn’t mean they’re not experiencing real world shit. And this author always uses his writing to expertly explore that. This book tackled tough topics like homophobia and parental neglect while also highlighting things like queer love and compassion.
Ultimately, Teenage Dirtbags is a story about two people finding their way back to one another. At times, that journey is raw, messy, and lonely. But the journey also leads to bigger feelings of comfort and self-acceptance.
In conclusion: Ronny for President.
April 9, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
This book is just plain fun. Yes, there are many predictable moments — especially if you’ve seen teen shows and movies like Mean Girls, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Carrie — but that adds to the charm. Especially since every action taken by every character, be they the villains or the heroes of the book, comes with consequences. Grand declarations and great acts of public cruelty are met with actual, realistic repercussions, and I love it.
The pace is a bit fast, months of prep or work are skipped past so the story can get to the action scenes, and the action scenes walk that fine line between being too Hollywood and fake and being just realistic enough, while still being cheesy fun. All in all, I had a great time reading this book, and if you like revenge dramas and romances, this is the book for you.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
This book is just plain fun. Yes, there are many predictable moments — especially if you’ve seen teen shows and movies like Mean Girls, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Carrie — but that adds to the charm. Especially since every action taken by every character, be they the villains or the heroes of the book, comes with consequences. Grand declarations and great acts of public cruelty are met with actual, realistic repercussions, and I love it.
The pace is a bit fast, months of prep or work are skipped past so the story can get to the action scenes, and the action scenes walk that fine line between being too Hollywood and fake and being just realistic enough, while still being cheesy fun. All in all, I had a great time reading this book, and if you like revenge dramas and romances, this is the book for you.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
April 14, 2024
4.5 - Thank you so much to @james_um_acker, @epicreads, @inkyardpress, and @storygramtours for the copy of the book & having me on this tour!!
This book is OUT NOW.
Content Warnings for Storygraph:
If you have not read James Acker’s debut - GO DO IT NOW.
It was one of my favorite books of 2023 and such a refreshing YA that is laugh out loud funny. And this one was just has refreshing & realistic. This did not make me belly laugh and pull at my heartstrings as much as the debut but it still was a fun read!
Throughout the book we see Phil and Jackson's friendship before, how it ended and see how they reenter in each other lives and the aftermath. They had such a love for one another before they could even label it as such and it just developed more.
Where I thought James really shined is the confusing, complicated feelings of being a teenager and figuring out themselves. And also how the process for coming out is never linear. Some are ready young and some will never be able to. There was a moment towards the end where Jackson says "I don't know why I can't say it. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. I have...I have such a good life. I have such nice parents. I know they love me. I know they'd love me no matter what. I know they probably know." and it just had hit me in the feels.
There were a lot of characters in this so that made it sometimes confusing as I occasionally would switch between the reading with my eyes and ears. I love that we got more of Ronny in this one as I do remember her from the first book. She is such a spitfire! And we even got a brief appearance by the lovable Sandro Miceli.
James just has this way of writing characters that give you such realistic characters and how complex teens and their feelings are. He writes about the pressures of being a teenager, how desperately you want to belong & be loved and the difficulties of family life. I also love that he continued the dual, 1st person POV in this book. I felt that the chapters were just the right amount length. I also love how he broke the book up into different sides of the mixtape and each POV had different songs (all gems).
I paired my reading with the audio (thank you hoopla!) and I adored the narrators Max Meyers and Lee Osorio. They also narrated Acker's debut and it makes me want to go back and reread via audio because I enjoyed them so much!
I pretty much will read whatever James write so I am looking forward to this next YA (though I am craving to see what he can do in the new adult/adult space).
If you are looking for a cast of characters centered around friendship & ultimate revenge against an ex - check this out!
This book is OUT NOW.
Content Warnings for Storygraph:
If you have not read James Acker’s debut - GO DO IT NOW.
It was one of my favorite books of 2023 and such a refreshing YA that is laugh out loud funny. And this one was just has refreshing & realistic. This did not make me belly laugh and pull at my heartstrings as much as the debut but it still was a fun read!
Throughout the book we see Phil and Jackson's friendship before, how it ended and see how they reenter in each other lives and the aftermath. They had such a love for one another before they could even label it as such and it just developed more.
Where I thought James really shined is the confusing, complicated feelings of being a teenager and figuring out themselves. And also how the process for coming out is never linear. Some are ready young and some will never be able to. There was a moment towards the end where Jackson says "I don't know why I can't say it. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. I have...I have such a good life. I have such nice parents. I know they love me. I know they'd love me no matter what. I know they probably know." and it just had hit me in the feels.
There were a lot of characters in this so that made it sometimes confusing as I occasionally would switch between the reading with my eyes and ears. I love that we got more of Ronny in this one as I do remember her from the first book. She is such a spitfire! And we even got a brief appearance by the lovable Sandro Miceli.
James just has this way of writing characters that give you such realistic characters and how complex teens and their feelings are. He writes about the pressures of being a teenager, how desperately you want to belong & be loved and the difficulties of family life. I also love that he continued the dual, 1st person POV in this book. I felt that the chapters were just the right amount length. I also love how he broke the book up into different sides of the mixtape and each POV had different songs (all gems).
I paired my reading with the audio (thank you hoopla!) and I adored the narrators Max Meyers and Lee Osorio. They also narrated Acker's debut and it makes me want to go back and reread via audio because I enjoyed them so much!
I pretty much will read whatever James write so I am looking forward to this next YA (though I am craving to see what he can do in the new adult/adult space).
If you are looking for a cast of characters centered around friendship & ultimate revenge against an ex - check this out!
September 21, 2023
Thank you Inkyard Press and NetGalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This book is so good! Phil is excited to see is boyfriend again after they spent the summer apart. Though his feelings are complicated because his boyfriend also outed him to the school last winter. Jackson misses his ex-friend Phil and would do just about anything to regain that friendship. So when Phil unexpectedly finds himself single and falsely accused of breaking his boyfriends heart, when it was the other way around, he decides to get revenge. This gives Jackson the opportunity to reconnect with Phil. He’ll connect with the Skwad, Phil’s ex and his friends, and together they will tear them apart from the inside. But can the two put their past behind them long enough for it to work? And is getting revenge really worth it? Also what happens when the two’s feelings for each other start to grow? I think what I love so much about this book, as well as James Acker’s other book, is the emotional depth to them. The characters are deep, complicated, dark, and angry. That’s embraced in both Jackson and Phil, though it shows up in different ways. But even with all of that they still find happiness and love! The complex emotions are very relatable! Teenage Dirtbags is deep, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and has the right touch of snarky humor! Highly recommend check this book out as well as James’ other book! Can’t wait to read it again!
February 19, 2024
James Acker’s writing really works for me. I flew through this book in a single day because I was so invested in the characters and the plot. I have such an appreciation for queer YA books with messy characters and plots that aren’t concerned with “good” representation. It makes the books feel so real and raw as opposed to shiny stories devoid of any real conflict or emotion. The story in Teenage Dirtbags follows Phil and Jackson, two ex-best friends who team up to get revenge on Phil’s ex-boyfriend Cameron. Will Phil and Jackson be able to mend their friendship in the process? And what happened to tear them apart in the first place?
AAAHHHH!! This was so excellent. Phil and Jackson are both fully formed characters with their own unique voices. The book is a dual POV story, but I never got confused about which POV a certain chapter was in, which can happen with other books where the characters all sound the same. I loved seeing how they slowly started to spend more time together and open up about their lives. Nothing brings people together quite like trying to get revenge on an awful ex!
Outside of Phil and Jackson there’s a great range of supporting characters. From friends also helping with the revenge, to Cameron and his group who also need to be taken down, and people that readers will recognize from James Acker’s first book, The Long Run! Sandro and Bash are side characters here, so it’s really fun to see them again. This book actually takes place the year before The Long Run so reading it won’t spoil what happens if you haven’t already read it. (Though I HIGHLY recommend checking it out because it rules. And you’ll get to fully appreciate the fun crossovers with the characters.)
I can’t recommend this enough for people who are fans of fun, messy, and queer YA contemporaries. Sure, the characters don’t always do or say the “right” things, but that’s what makes the book feel so genuine.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
AAAHHHH!! This was so excellent. Phil and Jackson are both fully formed characters with their own unique voices. The book is a dual POV story, but I never got confused about which POV a certain chapter was in, which can happen with other books where the characters all sound the same. I loved seeing how they slowly started to spend more time together and open up about their lives. Nothing brings people together quite like trying to get revenge on an awful ex!
Outside of Phil and Jackson there’s a great range of supporting characters. From friends also helping with the revenge, to Cameron and his group who also need to be taken down, and people that readers will recognize from James Acker’s first book, The Long Run! Sandro and Bash are side characters here, so it’s really fun to see them again. This book actually takes place the year before The Long Run so reading it won’t spoil what happens if you haven’t already read it. (Though I HIGHLY recommend checking it out because it rules. And you’ll get to fully appreciate the fun crossovers with the characters.)
I can’t recommend this enough for people who are fans of fun, messy, and queer YA contemporaries. Sure, the characters don’t always do or say the “right” things, but that’s what makes the book feel so genuine.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2023
If you asked me what this book was about, I definitely wouldn't be able to tell you. I spent hours reading trying to figure it out. All I know is it's a coming of age gay romanceish book. The writing didn't help me process what was going on.
September 16, 2023
Wow, what an emotionally charged read! I went into this book with no clear expectations, and it took me by surprise with its depth of emotion. While I initially thought it would primarily delve into the breakup and romance aspects, I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of an old friendship, a trope I'm quite fond of. The characters in the story were incredibly well-defined, their voices resonating strongly throughout the narrative. I'm definitely planning to explore more of Acker's works; their writing is undeniably passionate, unfiltered, and authentic. Additionally, the inclusion of songs for each chapter was a nostalgic touch that transported me back to my own angsty teenage years. I wholeheartedly recommend picking up this book!
April 23, 2024
This has cemented James Acker as one of my favorite authors. I was blown away by The Long Run, and this was just as outstanding. The pacing was unusual and so completely perfect for me as a reader.
I’m sad it’s over. I don’t want to leave any of these characters. I can’t wait to read whatever this author writes next.
I’m sad it’s over. I don’t want to leave any of these characters. I can’t wait to read whatever this author writes next.
May 13, 2024
This was more of a 4 in actuality, but I loved it. I love how angry it was. Lots of YA books have characters that get angry, but these kids were living in anger, and it was cathartic to read. I know I definitely felt angry and sad quite a bit as a teenager, and can even feel that way now, so exploring it in this book, in such a way I could relate to, was something I could, and did, greatly benefit from.
April 17, 2024
4.5 stars
this book delivers what it promises, messy teens, friendship, some love on the side, good stuff all around 💖 the author also somehow managed to avoid almost all of the typical tropes that i despise in this kind of setting, so kudos for that 🤓
this book delivers what it promises, messy teens, friendship, some love on the side, good stuff all around 💖 the author also somehow managed to avoid almost all of the typical tropes that i despise in this kind of setting, so kudos for that 🤓
May 23, 2024
I had high hopes for this after enjoying Acker's first book, but I just ended up not liking it at all. The grit and grime that Acker clearly sees as his shtick felt so forced -- he's kind of obsessed with being gross which I get! Teenage boys are gross! But it never feels ~authentic or maybe it's so authentic that it crosses into feeling phony, like the Tiffany Problem of being obsessed with your intestines or something -- and neither of the leads were as compelling as they were so clearly meant to be.
The writing was wildly repetitive in a way I don't remember The Long Run being, the villain(s) feel like caricatures with no basis in reality, like un-killable horror movie bad guys except gay and mean, everyone is so insanely dramatic it's almost unbearable, and by the end I don't really understand why any of these kids are interested in each other as people at all.
Characters kept saying things like, "We're in New Jersey," whenever someone was surprised by homophobia in what, I assume, is supposed to be a contemporary story and it was kind of baffling to me? The way and frequency and volume with which these queer kids are treated by the homophobic dickheads around them are like, what I got hit with in high school in the early 2000s. Is Jersey in some kind of time warp I'm unaware of? Are we just supposed to know that it's, what? Like, the most homophobic place on the eastern seaboard?
Also, the writing felt so juvenile on a technical level, mix of all caps, italics, and bold was so bad -- coming from someone whose Livejournal interests used to include 'the difference between bold, italics, and caps in textually rendered dialogue' -- and while I know a sixteen year old boy probably would think of it as 'cum,' as the author, you get to decide the grammar of the book and it seems crazy to me to kneecap your story by making it so sloppy and embarrassing. The characters are already embarrassing, teenagers are inherently embarrassing, they don't need the author's help, you know?
I will, however, be thinking about, "I don't miss my baby teeth," for a long time even though I thought it lost its punch when it came back around.
Anyway, most of all this made me grateful I'm old. I'm glad it's better for kids and that even in our political hellscape, things seem to continue to improve in many ways, but frankly I'm glad I grew up when we were all considered depraved faggots and dykes and all the other queer kids were your allies, if not your friends, even if you thought the way they were queer sucked or whatever because everyone hated us the same anyway.
The writing was wildly repetitive in a way I don't remember The Long Run being, the villain(s) feel like caricatures with no basis in reality, like un-killable horror movie bad guys except gay and mean, everyone is so insanely dramatic it's almost unbearable, and by the end I don't really understand why any of these kids are interested in each other as people at all.
Characters kept saying things like, "We're in New Jersey," whenever someone was surprised by homophobia in what, I assume, is supposed to be a contemporary story and it was kind of baffling to me? The way and frequency and volume with which these queer kids are treated by the homophobic dickheads around them are like, what I got hit with in high school in the early 2000s. Is Jersey in some kind of time warp I'm unaware of? Are we just supposed to know that it's, what? Like, the most homophobic place on the eastern seaboard?
Also, the writing felt so juvenile on a technical level, mix of all caps, italics, and bold was so bad -- coming from someone whose Livejournal interests used to include 'the difference between bold, italics, and caps in textually rendered dialogue' -- and while I know a sixteen year old boy probably would think of it as 'cum,' as the author, you get to decide the grammar of the book and it seems crazy to me to kneecap your story by making it so sloppy and embarrassing. The characters are already embarrassing, teenagers are inherently embarrassing, they don't need the author's help, you know?
I will, however, be thinking about, "I don't miss my baby teeth," for a long time even though I thought it lost its punch when it came back around.
Anyway, most of all this made me grateful I'm old. I'm glad it's better for kids and that even in our political hellscape, things seem to continue to improve in many ways, but frankly I'm glad I grew up when we were all considered depraved faggots and dykes and all the other queer kids were your allies, if not your friends, even if you thought the way they were queer sucked or whatever because everyone hated us the same anyway.
July 29, 2024
I had so many bad thing to say about this book.
- The editing was clunky, there was random dialogue written in italics. sometimes it'll be whispers, sometimes shouting, sometimes it'll switch between italics and not randomly in the same conversation, i found it distracting.
- the writing was introspective and whimsical but it had trouble focusing on the thoughts it was thoughtful about and points evaporated before you get something substantial out of it, but then
- the messages were delivered very heavy handedly.
- I don't think Phil is a very redeemable character. I dont think "wanting to be heard" is an excuse for being erratic and mean to people that try, and i think Jackson had genuine problems with identity and anxiety that would have been fun to read more about but they were brushed aside so the book can excuse Phil being a dick.
Overall i did not like this, it felt amateurish and treated its audience as stupid at times, the messages that it tried to convey, in my opinion, were the wrong message and none of the characters were likeable or explored enough to be understood at least.
!!! But then i read the first book in this universe "The Long Run" and it genuinely feels like a different author! Everything this book did wrong that one did right. This is just a speculative opinion but i believe this is the real debut work it was just pushed aside for the more compelling story of the first one and then reworked a little and published after the success of that one.
Anyhow 😉
I dont liked this one, but would recommend "the Long Run" to anyone who is curious and would keep an eye for next releases from this author in the future.
- The editing was clunky, there was random dialogue written in italics. sometimes it'll be whispers, sometimes shouting, sometimes it'll switch between italics and not randomly in the same conversation, i found it distracting.
- the writing was introspective and whimsical but it had trouble focusing on the thoughts it was thoughtful about and points evaporated before you get something substantial out of it, but then
- the messages were delivered very heavy handedly.
- I don't think Phil is a very redeemable character. I dont think "wanting to be heard" is an excuse for being erratic and mean to people that try, and i think Jackson had genuine problems with identity and anxiety that would have been fun to read more about but they were brushed aside so the book can excuse Phil being a dick.
Overall i did not like this, it felt amateurish and treated its audience as stupid at times, the messages that it tried to convey, in my opinion, were the wrong message and none of the characters were likeable or explored enough to be understood at least.
!!! But then i read the first book in this universe "The Long Run" and it genuinely feels like a different author! Everything this book did wrong that one did right. This is just a speculative opinion but i believe this is the real debut work it was just pushed aside for the more compelling story of the first one and then reworked a little and published after the success of that one.
Anyhow 😉
I dont liked this one, but would recommend "the Long Run" to anyone who is curious and would keep an eye for next releases from this author in the future.
January 31, 2024
Teenage Dirtbags is a surprisingly beautiful story of friendship and love, with a dash of gay Mean Girls plotting!
While Phil is angry and reckless with a proclivity for the word ‘faggot’, you can’t help but relate to him, understand him, and come to love him. At the start of this story, we meet Phil who is in love with his boyfriend, Cameron Ellis. However, Cameron is not the nice guy, boy next door, that he portrays at school and on social media. He ruins Phil’s life, twice. Phil, desperate to get revenge on his lying ex-boyfriend, enlist the help of his Ex’s ex-girlfriend, Ronnie, and his former best friend, Jackson. The three plot to take down not only Cameron but his whole friend group, the Skwad. Their scheming brings them together in unexpected ways and teaches them all valuable lessons, hard as they may be to learn.
I really enjoyed The Long Run, so much so that I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy a story where we never really got to see Bash and Sandro together HOWEVER I was drawn in to this book very quickly and hooked! You get to know the history and the depth of characters you didn’t know you needed more of from The Long Run. I loved learning about the start of Phil and Ronnie’s friendship and the complex history Phil has with his sexuality and romantic relationships. This is such a brutally honest portrayal of high school that is so well written that you walk away with hope for each of the characters. James Acker does a wonderful job showing the complexities of class differences between friends, classmates, and within a community.
While Phil is angry and reckless with a proclivity for the word ‘faggot’, you can’t help but relate to him, understand him, and come to love him. At the start of this story, we meet Phil who is in love with his boyfriend, Cameron Ellis. However, Cameron is not the nice guy, boy next door, that he portrays at school and on social media. He ruins Phil’s life, twice. Phil, desperate to get revenge on his lying ex-boyfriend, enlist the help of his Ex’s ex-girlfriend, Ronnie, and his former best friend, Jackson. The three plot to take down not only Cameron but his whole friend group, the Skwad. Their scheming brings them together in unexpected ways and teaches them all valuable lessons, hard as they may be to learn.
I really enjoyed The Long Run, so much so that I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy a story where we never really got to see Bash and Sandro together HOWEVER I was drawn in to this book very quickly and hooked! You get to know the history and the depth of characters you didn’t know you needed more of from The Long Run. I loved learning about the start of Phil and Ronnie’s friendship and the complex history Phil has with his sexuality and romantic relationships. This is such a brutally honest portrayal of high school that is so well written that you walk away with hope for each of the characters. James Acker does a wonderful job showing the complexities of class differences between friends, classmates, and within a community.
April 1, 2024
There were things I really enjoyed about this book and then there were things that just didn’t really hit the way they were maybe supposed to. I LOVED the slight Mean Girls vibes revenge that Jackson, Phil and Ronny enacted on Cameron and his Skwad (yes, that’s how they spelled it). Theo absolute chaos that ensues was so satisfying to watch, especially for Cameron who made my blood boil pretty much from the first page I met him. I also really loved Jackson and his journey to figuring out who he is vs who other people need/want him to be. I thought he was written so well. Phil was also written very well and while I didn’t relate to him like I did with Jackson, I thought his character journey was pretty excellent too. My biggest issues were the pacing and the sometimes vagueness of the writing. It wasn’t a slow paced book necessarily, but it does take a while for things to really get going while also hinting at things about Jackson and Phil’s relationship in the past. We do find out what happened to derail their friendship, but it felt like there were a lot of hints during past POVs that never came to fruition. Overall, I do think it’s an important book about friendships, toxic relationships and realizing you are worth the trouble, no matter what.
CW: homophobia, bullying, mentions of self harm, mental illness, fat phobia, toxic friendships
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
CW: homophobia, bullying, mentions of self harm, mental illness, fat phobia, toxic friendships
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2024
It has a lot of the same ingredients as The Long Run (which I loved) but in slightly wonky proportions. For instance, the supporting characters tended to feel a little cartoonish and the plotting felt a little off, like certain key elements were being shuffled off the page for reasons I couldn’t discern and leaving me slightly confused about what was going on. And I don’t claim to be an expert on modern teenagers, but a lot of the social media stuff felt like it really wouldn’t happen that way. Also I don’t get the music motif, it doesn’t really seem to gel with anything else. But I really liked the angle this book has on who the villain is, and about a third of the way through when the plot clicked more into place, I started vibing with it more.
Where Acker really excels is character study, though, and this has two great leads that you can really sink your teeth into. Also I cried a couple times, which is always a sign I’m connecting well, so I can’t ignore that!
Where Acker really excels is character study, though, and this has two great leads that you can really sink your teeth into. Also I cried a couple times, which is always a sign I’m connecting well, so I can’t ignore that!
June 3, 2024
I put this novel down somewhere between the 80 to 85% mark, and picked up another one less tangled with fewer teenage histrionics and not as well written.
Second novels can be a tough sled, especially if the first one is as good as The Long Run. When I finished that one, I had to reread it, right away. But this one was a rougher slog, though I'm glad I eventually finished it. Teenage Dirtbags could have, should have, been shorter. Still . . .
I already know I'll be reading Mr. Acker's third novel . . . and most likely his fourth . . . and his fifth.
I'm in it for the long run.
Second novels can be a tough sled, especially if the first one is as good as The Long Run. When I finished that one, I had to reread it, right away. But this one was a rougher slog, though I'm glad I eventually finished it. Teenage Dirtbags could have, should have, been shorter. Still . . .
I already know I'll be reading Mr. Acker's third novel . . . and most likely his fourth . . . and his fifth.
I'm in it for the long run.
April 29, 2024
Another exuberant ripcord pull from James Acker, delivering queer teen drama with all the blunt edges on display to be honored and enjoyed, not polished away.
This take on the high school revenge story is unusually structured, but in a way that draws you further in rather than leaving you wondering what's happening. But you do have to ride along for quite a while to understand what's really at stake; it's worth the trip. And in a story that deals at least somewhat with questions of queer representation, I loved the spectrum of imperfect heroes, queeros, and villains. I especially appreciated how social media did and did not function in the story, and its implications/questions into the kinds of platforms and personality types it can foster that are by no means ubiquitously for good.
The story is ethically messy in a way that feels truthful, not careless. And while there's much less focus on relational and emotional sparks/attraction than in "The Long Run," and most of what's there is recounted rather than depicted, there's the still the same exploding amp feedback of real hearts, real bodies, and real personalities that seem to be signature Acker.
Hoping there might be even more from Moorestown High in the works.
(And as far as I could discern, I think this is set before "The Long Run" and in ways that don't require but do reward a previous reading of that novel when picking up this one.)
This take on the high school revenge story is unusually structured, but in a way that draws you further in rather than leaving you wondering what's happening. But you do have to ride along for quite a while to understand what's really at stake; it's worth the trip. And in a story that deals at least somewhat with questions of queer representation, I loved the spectrum of imperfect heroes, queeros, and villains. I especially appreciated how social media did and did not function in the story, and its implications/questions into the kinds of platforms and personality types it can foster that are by no means ubiquitously for good.
The story is ethically messy in a way that feels truthful, not careless. And while there's much less focus on relational and emotional sparks/attraction than in "The Long Run," and most of what's there is recounted rather than depicted, there's the still the same exploding amp feedback of real hearts, real bodies, and real personalities that seem to be signature Acker.
Hoping there might be even more from Moorestown High in the works.
(And as far as I could discern, I think this is set before "The Long Run" and in ways that don't require but do reward a previous reading of that novel when picking up this one.)
August 6, 2024
I would probably give this book closer to a 3.5/5 stars ⭐️ since it did keep me engaged for the most part. I liked the Mean Girls vibe this revenge plot had, at least in the beginning. As the story continues, that plan becomes less important. Which is fine, I actually kind of liked that our characters grew from that experience and they weren’t just cookie cutter archetypes. Cameron was a convincing and calculating antagonist. I immediately didn’t like him from the first interaction. My critiques for this book? Mainly that there were times I was confused by what was happening or I felt the pacing was off. I’m also not a fan of a lot of drama, especially when it’s back to back situations. But these are high schoolers soooo I can’t really fault the book too much for having that. One thing that confused me was the music motif with the chapters. I was expecting cassette tapes to somehow play a role in this, despite the modern technology everyone uses. But I didn’t see any mention, unless I missed it 😅
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