Flippin' Skaters by Teresa Richards -- Review

About the Book

They say it’s best to be yourself. Debatable.

Sixteen-year-old Aspen’s unruly red hair is the only thing wild about her, and she’s regularly overshadowed by both her roller-derby-star sister, and her cheer-captain bestie. But the spotlight hits her hard when questionable pictures show up online, leading to a string of vicious rumors that get her kicked off the cheerleading squad and abandoned by her friends.

Aspen copes by crafting a secret skating persona—complete with a mask—and straps on some roller outriding rumors, making new friends, and falling on her butt (a lot ) while learning roller-skating gymnastics. After a local skate-off takes her viral again, resulting in a sponsorship, sudden YouTube success, and a skateboarder boyfriend, she considers ditching the mask. But skating is her escape and the bullies still prowl—she can’t risk the fragile peace she’s found, even though her double-life is slowly ripping her heart in two.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

About the Author

Teresa Richards writes speculative and contemporary YA fiction, but loves anything that can be given a unique twist. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, got a degree in Speech Pathology from Brigham Young University, then moved to the east coast and lived outside New York City for fourteen years. Life has thrown her some surprising twists, and now she's settled in Kentucky with her husband and five kids. She divides her time between her own kids, the kids she puts braces on, and her fictional kids.  

Teresa's debut novel, Emerald Bound, was an editor’s pick and book of the month at Long and Short Reviews (LASR). The sequel, Topaz Reign, received a starred Best Book distinction from LASR, in addition to being book of the month. Teresa’s first YA contemporary, The Windfall App, received a five-star Top Pick distinction from Night Owl Reviews. Teresa is a member of SCBWI and The Storymakers Guild, and serves as a Query Kombat judge. She’s been a panelist at both SOKY and NKYA bookfests, and has taught writing workshops to elementary through high school kids. She started a Read Local program for her region, and loves connecting with young writers.

Teresa is represented by Kelly Van Sant of KT Literary.  You can connect with her on twitter @BYUtm33,  Facebook  @AuthorTeresaRichards, and Instagram @authorteresarichards. 

Reveiw

A cute story about a teen learning to find her place within her family dynamics, as well as at school among friends.  Another strong theme in the story is about bullying and how that affects one’s own feelings and confidence, as well as relationships with others.  This book is filled with the realistic struggles of life and the lessons we learn from our own mistakes and the mistakes of others.  It’s written in a fun and captivating way with being a skater girl a central part of the story.  This is a fantastic book for any teen that wants to feel like they are not alone in the crazy highschool drama. 

Genre: young adult, contemporary, bullying
Publisher: Evernight Teen 
Publication date: May 26, 2023
Number of pages: 315

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.