{"title":"Holden Sheppard","description":"\u003cp\u003eHolden Sheppard's works delve into the complexities of youth and identity, offering compelling stories that resonate with readers of young adult and general fiction. His narratives often explore themes of belonging, self-discovery, and the challenges faced during adolescence and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExpect powerful character-driven stories that blend emotional depth with authentic voices. Whether tackling poignant moments or everyday struggles, Sheppard's books invite reflection and empathy through richly drawn characters and engaging plots.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"invisible-boys-by-holden-sheppard-9781760994716","title":"Invisible Boys","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn emotional tale of identity, sexuality and suicide derived from personal experience about three teenage boys who struggle to come to terms with their homosexuality in a small Western Australian town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the surface, nerd Zeke, punk Charlie and footy wannabe Hammer look like they have nothing in common. But scratch that surface and you'd find three boys in the throes of coming to terms with their homosexuality in a town where it is invisible. \u003cem\u003eInvisible Boys\u003c\/em\u003e is a raw, confronting YA novel that explores the complexities and trauma of rural gay identity with painful honesty, devastating consequences and, ultimately, hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46421545451756,"sku":"9781760994716","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781760994716.jpg?v=1746581846"},{"product_id":"invisible-boys-by-holden-sheppard-9781925815566","title":"Invisible Boys","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn emotional tale of identity, sexuality and suicide derived from personal experience about three teenage boys who struggle to come to terms with their homosexuality in a small Western Australian town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the surface, nerd Zeke, punk Charlie and footy wannabe Hammer look like they have nothing in common. But scratch that surface and you'd find three boys in the throes of coming to terms with their homosexuality in a town where it is invisible. \u003cem\u003eInvisible Boys\u003c\/em\u003e is a raw, confronting YA novel that explores the complexities and trauma of rural gay identity with painful honesty, devastating consequences and, ultimately, hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46514828837100,"sku":"9781925815566","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/18480993482873.jpg?v=1748893066"},{"product_id":"the-brink-by-holden-sheppard-9781922458643","title":"The Brink","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA group of school-leavers: free at last, ready to party, expectations high.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA remote island on the Western Australian coast wasn’t exactly the plan, but they’re not going to let that hold them back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLeonardo, geeky, asthmatic, shy, and prone to anxiety, has landed with them. He’s terrified—he’s definitely not part of this cool gang. Super high-achiever Kaiya is trying to forget her frustration with her drug-addicted sister as well as dealing with pressure from the popular girls to lose her virginity. Mason, footy jock with the physique to match, is coming to terms with his secret desire for his best mate, Jared. And Jared wants a week off from his relationship with Val so he can have sex with as many girls as possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut the party takes a dangerous turn when Val is drugged and a man is later found dead on the beach. Blame, fear, mistrust, coverups, power plays and dark secrets tear the group apart and expose the deadly tensions beneath the surface. And each teen is forced to confront demons that will lead them either to devastating tragedy or transformative triumph.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhoever survives the week will never be the same again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Brink\u003c\/i\u003e is a raw, powerful novel that pulls no punches in its authentic exploration of masculinity, sexuality, mental health, drug and alcohol use, relationships, and sex. Holden Sheppard takes the teenage experience to the next level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46552537432300,"sku":"9781922458643","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/12997553482872.jpg?v=1750050857"},{"product_id":"yeah-the-boys-by-holden-sheppard-9781923390164","title":"Yeah the Boys","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA bold, propulsive novel about male friendship and masculinity, set in the world of Holden Sheppard's bestselling debut \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eInvisible Boys.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeven years after escaping their rural hometown, the boys – Charlie, Zeke and Hammer – are back, though not as we left them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCharlie\u003c\/b\u003e'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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eZeke\u003c\/b\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003efor\u003c\/i\u003e. 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?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHammer\u003c\/b\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnapologetic and unforgettable, this is the story of three boys finding their way back to each other, and finding their own ways to become men.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Distribution and Logistics Company (TDLC)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47289320079596,"sku":"9781923390164","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/51c238ae1ac0f1b8c6ad54329972588e.jpg?v=1770629074"},{"product_id":"king-of-dirt-by-holden-sheppard-9781763516595","title":"King of Dirt","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA gritty and heartfelt gay coming-of-age story from the author of the bestselling \u003ci\u003eInvisible Boys\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eKing of Dirt\u003c\/i\u003e introduces us to Giacomo Brolo, aka Jack, who is a mess. He works piecemeal construction gigs in remote WA, drinks himself to oblivion and is estranged from his family and friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut then Jack returns to his hometown of Geraldton for a family wedding. He hasn’t been back since he fled at the age of eighteen, and his past soon catches up with him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTurns out Jack’s deeply conservative Italian family would prefer he remained in the closet. Then he finds out he may have conceived a son with his teenage girlfriend, and now Jack needs to convince her and her new husband that he’s fit to be a father figure. And whatever happened to Xavier, the former schoolmate who Jack was in love with and whose rejection spurred him to leave Geraldton in the first place?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIs Jack doomed to live a dead-end life – or can he open himself up to the possibility of love, found family and connection?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47316000211180,"sku":"9781763516595","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24467103482815.jpg?v=1771361348"},{"product_id":"invisible-boys-by-holden-sheppard-9781760998004","title":"Invisible Boys","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe award-winning, bestselling novel, now a Stan Original series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 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 hide who they really are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the truth is revealed, will it set them free or blow them apart?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233128198380,"sku":"9781760998004","price":40.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781760998004-invisible-boys-1.gif?v=1787726663"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/holden-sheppard.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}