Angst. Awkwardness. Artistry. Adventure. Welcome to the wonder years.

Lonely Boy, a debut YA novel by Matt Geiler, is a vivid coming-of-age story of resilience, first love, family secrets, and self-discovery.

Indie pop sensation Frederick Julius is an intensely private person. But while promoting his latest album on the Power & Pop podcast, he reveals secrets from the pivotal two weeks that inspired it.

Fall 1987 - 13 year-old Freddy lives with his mother, father, and younger brother in the country outside a small Nebraskan town. Summer is ending and middle school looms large. When girls from the neighboring town of Eagle invite him to a party, his creative inner life becomes saturated with sound and color. But even as Freddy's artistic talent begins to flourish under the guidance of an encouraging art teacher, a storm of uncertainty rises at home.

Can Freddy navigate his new middle school, find friends, and make his mark?

Can he learn the mysteries of the Eagle Girls without being sidelined?

And can he stand strong as his father's escalating fury endangers those he loves most?

If you like resilient and steadfast heroes, the awkward blush of first kisses, pop music, and a hearty dash of 1980s nostalgia, you'll love Matt Geiler's vivid and heart-wrenching young adult fiction, Lonely Boy.