Yeah the Boys

‘a cracker’ —The Australian

A bold, propulsive novel about male friendship and masculinity, set in the world of Holden Sheppard's bestselling debut Invisible Boys.

Seven years after escaping their rural hometown, the boys – Charlie, Zeke and Hammer – are back, though not as we left them.

Charlie's fighting spirit has faded as he's struggled to make it as a punk musician in Perth. The opening of a new gay bar by Curtis and Ahmed, an older gay couple who have become Charlie's mentors, offers him a different way to make his mark – but the bar's opponents have other ideas.

Zeke is lost. He knows what he stands against – the closeted life and conventional success his strict Italian parents demanded of him – but doesn't know what he stands for. He surprises himself by joining a gay footy team: is it the mistake his friends think it is, or will playing footy finally give him what he's always wanted?

Hammer has it all – fame and fortune as a star football player – or so he thinks. He's still closeted, and can't stand the AFL stuffing diversity initiatives like Pride Round down everyone's throats, especially his. But when he opens his mouth, he ignites a furore that throws all the boys' lives into chaos.

Unapologetic and unforgettable, this is the story of three boys finding their way back to each other, and finding their own ways to become men.

PRAISE FOR YEAH THE BOYS:

'A triumph of a novel.Yeah the Boys is Holden Sheppard at the height of his powers. This is consummate, gripping storytelling, and not a book for the faint-hearted. It will grab you by the shoulders with its massive hairy grip and shake out any preconceptions you might have about being gay, masculine, bogan and Western Australian. But you won't forget these characters long after the last page, because you cannot help but love their vulnerability and gutsiness.' – Alice Pung

'Yeah the Boys is everything we have come to expect from a Holden Sheppard novel – and more. It is raw, honest and utterly compelling. This is a writer at the top of his game.' – Mark Smith, author of Three Boys Gone

'Bold, brash, ballsy. Holden delivers Aussie suburban gaydom in all its messy glory. Charlie, Zeke and Hammer are flawed and imperfect, and a long way off of having it all figured out – and that's exactly why you'll love them. A wild, eye-opening ride.' – Allayne Webster, author of Selfie

'This is Holden Sheppard at his absolute best. What a story! Raw but endearing, in-your-face but gentle, lustful but deep. It's an extraordinary balancing act beautifully pulled off. This book is endearing, sexy and incredibly heartfelt. No-one writes like Holden does. He vividly captures the beautiful chaos of life in an utterly captivating way. This book is unputdownable. A rip-roaring page-turner with zero filler. Yew! The boys are back, baby!' – Shannon Molloy, author of Fourteen

'A shout in the night and a shot in the arm of a book. Energetic and messy, as vital as it is difficult, Yeah The Boys faces the complexities of modern gay life with an ache and an upturned chin. These boys aren't invisible anymore as Sheppard delivers another reverent depiction of gay culture, masculinity and the men that boys become, warts and all.' – James Acker, author of the Stonewall Honor Book The Long Run