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MWSA Review
The Irish Skateboard Club is a perfectly charming coming-of-age novel that takes traditional young adult themes and reworks them to reflect the challenges of 21st century “teendom.” The hero is an undersized, adopted, extremely intelligent, well educated, multilingual skateboarder from Bolivia, who is growing up in New Mexico and finishing high school in Ireland. He meets a beautiful Irish lassie with similar interests—and the story revolves around their budding romance. There are bad guys and good guys and a mystery to solve. Of course, surly Irish boys challenge Michael to a skateboarding dual…which was pretty dad-gummed cool if you ask me. The kids go through physical, moral, intellectual, and romantic ups and downs. Given that this tale was written by experienced author and pilot, Brinn Colenda, The Irish Skateboard Club is a great read—whether you are a sulky adolescent skateboarder or septuagenarian skateboarder-wanna-be like me.
Review by Joyce K Faulkner (June 2021)
Author's Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Michael Callahan has no idea who he is—born in Bolivia and adopted as a baby by an over-achieving Irish-American family in New Mexico where neighbors think he’s Hispanic or Native American.
Desperate to lock in a self-identity, he enrolls in a prestigious Irish high school for a semester where his skateboarding skills help make friends and catch the eye of the feisty and fascinating Ciara Harrington.
Together they discover Russian Red Mafiya members trafficking young girls through Ireland. Unable to convince Irish and American authorities of the trafficking, Michael, Ciara, and their skateboard friends are faced with a dangerous choice—pursue the murderous Russians and save the girls or simply ride away to save themselves.
ISBN/ASIN:1647461790, 978-1647461799, B08DR5C1MR
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Young Adult (fiction or non-fiction)
Number of Pages: 278