Yeah the Boys

‘A triumph of a novel.Yeah the Boys is Holden Sheppard at the height of his powers. This is consummate, gripping storytelling, and not a book for the faint-hearted. It will grab you by the shoulders with its massive hairy grip and shake out any preconceptions you might have about being gay, masculine, bogan and Western Australian. But you won’t forget these characters long after the last page, because you cannot help but love their vulnerability and gutsiness.’ – Alice Pung

‘Yeah the Boys is everything we have come to expect from a Holden Sheppard novel – and more. It is raw, honest and utterly compelling. This is a writer at the top of his game.’ – Mark Smith, author of Three Boys Gone

‘Bold, brash, ballsy. Holden delivers Aussie suburban gaydom in all its messy glory. Charlie, Zeke and Hammer are flawed and imperfect, and a long way off of having it all figured out – and that’s exactly why you’ll love them. A wild, eye-opening ride.’ – Allayne Webster, author of Selfie

‘This is Holden Sheppard at his absolute best. What a story! Raw but endearing, in-your-face but gentle, lustful but deep. It’s an extraordinary balancing act beautifully pulled off. This book is endearing, sexy and incredibly heartfelt. No-one writes like Holden does. He vividly captures the beautiful chaos of life in an utterly captivating way. This book is unputdownable. A rip-roaring page-turner with zero filler. Yew! The boys are back, baby!’ – Shannon Molloy, author of Fourteen

‘A shout in the night and a shot in the arm of a book. Energetic and messy, as vital as it is difficult, Yeah The Boys faces the complexities of modern gay life with an ache and an upturned chin. These boys aren’t invisible anymore as Sheppard delivers another reverent depiction of gay culture, masculinity and the men that boys become, warts and all.’ – James Acker, author of the Stonewall Honor Book The Long Run

Holden Sheppard is an award-winning author born in Geraldton, Western Australia. His debut 2019 novel, Invisible Boys, was an Australian bestseller and has become a modern gay classic. It won multiple accolades, including the WA Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer and the Hungerford Award, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, and in 2025 was adapted for screen as a ten-episode television series on Stan Australia. Holden’s 2022 novel The Brink won both the YA category at the Indie Book Awards and the Ena Noel Award, while his 2025 novel King of Dirt garnered widespread critical acclaim. His new release Yeah the Boys is the much-anticipated follow-up to Invisible Boys. Holden is a gym rat, a supporter of the Collingwood Football Club, and was featured in the ‘Bogans’ episode of hit TV series You Can’t Ask That. He now lives in Perth’s far north, with his husband and his V8 ute.