Overview

"""With a dispassionate but tender eye, Thompson captures the ache, fizz, yearning and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys--and of adolescence itself, observed and remembered."" --Michael Chabon What makes a good father, and what makes one a failure? Does less-is-more parenting inspire independence and strength, or does it encourage defiance and trouble? Kickflip Boys is the story of a father's struggle to understand his willful skateboarder sons, challengers of authority and convention, to accept his role as a vulnerable ""skate dad,"" and to confront his fears that the boys are destined for an unconventional and potentially fraught future. With searing honesty, Neal Thompson traces his sons' progression through all the stages of skateboarding: splurging on skate shoes and boards, having run-ins with security guards, skipping classes and defying teachers, painting graffiti, drinking and smoking, and more. As the story veers from funny to treacherous and back, from skateparks to the streets, Thompson must confront his complicity and fallibility. He also reflects on his upbringing in rural New Jersey, and his own adventures with skateboards, drugs, danger, and defiance. A story of thrill-seeking teens, of hope and love, freedom and failure, Kickflip Boys reveals a sport and a community that have become a refuge for adolescent boys who don't fit in. Ultimately, it's the survival story of a loving modern American family, of acceptance, forgiveness, and letting go."

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9781538519493

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Reviews

An honest account of raising creative, rebellious boys who happen to love skateboarding. Having been through the fire of raising a few free-thinking boys myself, I found Kickflip Boys to be fun, moving, raw, and relatable. -- Tony Hawk Thompson's prose sings. I laughed out loud and cried all the way through. The voice is brave, funny, and fiercely honest. -- Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars A highly candid memoir of parenthood that often fascinates and occasionally frustrates as the author tries to come to terms with the causes that have produced these particular effects. -- Kirkus Reviews From the obstacles unique to skaters, like the mountains of shoes they discard seemingly within moments of their purchase, to the more universal trials faced by teenagers and their parents, Thompson displays both pointed humor and heartfelt reflection. -- Booklist Heartfelt and blunt...This memoir will provide humor and comfort for parents figuring out their kids-and themselves. -- Publishers Weekly Thompson captures the ache, fizz, yearning, and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys. -- Michael Chabon, New York Times bestselling author

A highly candid memoir of parenthood that often fascinates and occasionally frustrates as the author tries to come to terms with the causes that have produced these particular effects. -- Kirkus Reviews An honest account of raising creative, rebellious boys who happen to love skateboarding. Having been through the fire of raising a few free-thinking boys myself, I found Kickflip Boys to be fun, moving, raw, and relatable. -- Tony Hawk From the obstacles unique to skaters, like the mountains of shoes they discard seemingly within moments of their purchase, to the more universal trials faced by teenagers and their parents, Thompson displays both pointed humor and heartfelt reflection. -- Booklist Heartfelt and blunt...This memoir will provide humor and comfort for parents figuring out their kids-and themselves. -- Publishers Weekly Thompson captures the ache, fizz, yearning, and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys. -- Michael Chabon, New York Times bestselling author Thompson's prose sings. I laughed out loud and cried all the way through. The voice is brave, funny, and fiercely honest. -- Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars

Author Information

Neal Thompson is a journalist and author of four critically acclaimed books, including A Curious Man and Driving with the Devil. Thompson's writing has appeared in Esquire, Outside, and Men's Health, among other publications. He lives in Seattle with his family. Joe Knezevich is an audiobook narrator and award-winning actor. He earned a BFA in acting from Florida State University and studied in London. In addition to his work on the stage, he has appeared in many roles on the small screen and in film, including in The Change Up, Parental Guidance, 42, The Last of Robin Hood, and Allegiant.

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