Invisible Boys

In 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. When the truth is revealed, will it set them free or blow them apart? PRAISE FOR THE BOOK ‘This manuscript has tremendous energy and authenticity, as it explores what it is like to grow up gay in an insular regional community. Invisible Boys is a valuable contribution to the growing voices of younger LGBTIQA+ people.’ City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award judges’ report ‘Sheppard pulls no punches in this story, challenging expectations and taking the reader on a dark journey through each boy’s life, with only a sliver of light at the end providing hope for a brighter future. This book feels somewhat unmoored from time, with a raw edginess … which brings to mind books like Puberty Blues and the work of Tim Winton.’ Junior Books + Publishing ‘Invisible Boys is full of genuine, authentic voices … This is an important book for all young people, as it shows one size does not fit all. There is no right way to be gay, or to be anything else, for that matter.’ Magpies ‘The book is immediately engaging and engrossing, exploring the lives of three diverse male teenagers dealing with their homosexuality … [Invisible Boys] is distinctively Western Australian with a well-constructed and truly surprising climax. Sheppard will win himself a vast number of fans with this impressive debut.’ DNA magazine ‘… this debut novel is one of those books that only comes around once in a generation … to think that a whole new generation of young queer readers will have the opportunity to see themselves in this book: that’s a powerful thought.’ Out in Perth ‘Invisible Boys is a highly character-driven story, so it’s only natural that the characters in the novel are well crafted … As the synopsis likely suggests, the novel has a direct, central theme about the struggles of homosexuality in intolerant circumstances. It’s not pleasant to read about, but it’s an important perspective on privilege.’ ReadPlus ‘This is a confronting and challenging story which describes the pain of growing up gay in a small, conservative small-town community … Sheppard has given us a brave book which deserves attention.’ Good Reading magazine ‘… throughout, Sheppard writes with unflinching honesty and an eye for authentic detail. It all makes for an impressive debut that’s thoroughly deserving of the accolades it has received.’ The Weekend West ‘The characters leap off the page, warts and all, and Sheppard writes with complexity and realism about sexual discovery, family and social rejection, coming of age (and coming out).’ The Saturday Age ‘… written with authenticity and sincerity, unflinching and unabashed Australian young adult literature at its finest. Simply brilliant.’ Diva Booknerd ‘This is a tight and well-written novel full of emotion and energy … this book should be stocked in multiples in both adult and YA sections.’ Reading Time ‘Invisible Boys is a fresh perspective on Australian teen life that still has an age-less quality about the story.’ Underground Writers ‘Arriving two years after the referendum for marriage equality, Invisible Boys is a timely novel. Sheppard expands our understanding of homosexuality from the point of view of adults to consider what it means to be a young guy who realises he is gay.’ Westerly ‘Nobody is perfect, nobody is off the hook and nobody will ever be the same again after the explosive events that take place in this book. This is a raw, sometimes confronting story that is best suited to readers aged 15+.’ Angela Crocombe, Chair of the Readings Young Adult Book Prize judging panel ‘Holden Sheppard’s Invisible Boys — lately in the news for its TV adaptation on Stan — is an imperfect but extremely entertaining novel that deserves its success. I argue that it is a canonically important work of Australian gay literature, a monument of eroticised and anxious masculinity belonging to a legacy including titles such as Christos Tsiolkas’ Loaded and Barracuda, or Tim Winton’s Breath.’ Overland Holden Sheppard Holden Sheppard was born and bred in Geraldton, Western Australia. His debut novel, Invisible Boys, won multiple awards, including the 2019 WA Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer and the 2018 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award. Invisible Boys has been adapted for television as a Stan Original Series. Holden’s second novel The Brink won the 2024 Ena Noel Award and the 2023 Indie Book Awards YA Category Prize. Holden’s books have been shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the South Australian Literary Awards, and Invisible Boys was named a CBCA Notable Book. Holden’s 2025 novel King of Dirt is his third book. He has received grant funding from the Minderoo Foundation and the WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries to write a forthcoming fourth novel, which is a sequel to Invisible Boys. Holden’s writing has been widely published in books, journals and the media. He served as Deputy Chair of Writing WA from 2019 – 2023, and is an Adjunct Creative Fellow at Edith Cowan University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours. He featured in the 2022 “Bogans” episode of the ABC television series You Can’t Ask That. When he’s not writing or reading, Holden can be found working out at the gym, playing video games or watching footy. He lives in Perth’s far north with his husband and his V8 ute. Holden Sheppard was born and bred in Geraldton, Western Australia. His debut novel, Invisible Boys, won multiple awards, including the 2019 WA Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer and the 2018 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award. Invisible Boys has been adapted for television as a Stan Original Series. Holden’s second novel The Brink won the 2024 Ena Noel Award and the 2023 Indie Book Awards YA Category Prize. Holden’s books have been shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the South Australian Literary Awards, and Invisible Boys was named a CBCA Notable Book. Holden’s 2025 novel King of Dirt is his third book. He has received grant funding from the Minderoo Foundation and the WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries to write a forthcoming fourth novel, which is a sequel to Invisible Boys. Holden’s writing has been widely published in books, journals and the media. He served as Deputy Chair of Writing WA from 2019 – 2023, and is an Adjunct Creative Fellow at Edith Cowan University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours. He featured in the 2022 “Bogans” episode of the ABC television series You Can’t Ask That. When he’s not writing or reading, Holden can be found working out at the gym, playing video games or watching footy. He lives in Perth’s far north with his husband and his V8 ute.