Kickflip Boys audiobook

Really enjoyed Kickflip Boys. The story of two parents dealing with their sons' skateboarding obsession, and then watching on the sidelines as the kids' embrace the subculture and wage war with all authority. Will their lives be ruined forever or will they turn it around? It’s very touching and beautiful, made me cry in spots. A remarkable achievement for many reasons. The thing I wasn’t expecting? It was very suspenseful, with me wondering how it will all turn out, and then rushing back to my e-reader to read more. It could not have been easy weaving in all the different strands, past and present, and make it all seem fresh, new, different, every single time.

The guy is a talented writer and had me scared for my freedom loving teens to come. It gave me lots to think about. I’d like a where are they now in 5 or 6 years so I can see if I can really put stock in the ending . But I’m ok with something hopeful for now.

I should probably save a rating of 4 for other books, and always feel I should go back and change ratings, but too much work.This was on new shelf at library, and since I like well written memoirs, I grabbed it, expecially because Michael Chabon said something positive on the cover.I have no sons, no grandsons. I don't know any skaters, altho I observe them around town. I think it's a mervelous form of transportation.I skateboarded once, when I was in my late 30s, and wanted to skate on an old curvy road in the mountains to look down at the river below. It was very foolish, dangerous. And thrilling. I had no idea how to control the board, how to slow down or stop. When the road got too steep going downhill I crashed on the far side of the road and scraped my skin badly. I of course had nohelmet, and not very protective clothing.I have nothing in common with the parents and do not know people like them. I liked their lifestyle the best when they moved to the country. I am fascinated by big cities, and have visited Seattle a few times, and Portland.Seems like the parents did everything possible to satisfy their boys' obsession with skating.Over and over and over again, against their better judgment. Ditto with attempting to be strict, establishing rules that were constantly broken.It's like the boys were possessed. The dad was also obsessed with his constant snooping. Seek and ye shall find.Had the parents called a halt on the skateboarding early on, what choices remained? I have no idea. I'm glad the boys loved each other, and their folks, and could express it easily..

I listened to the book on Audible. Thompson details the struggle of raising two sons to be independent and think for themselves without destroying their futures. As a parent, this is one of my larger struggles—how much freedom to give kids, how much to trust them, how hard to come down on them when they mess up. My own sons are just entering the teen years, and I read this book for an idea of what might be down the road. Like whenever we look at most parents, some of the narrator's decisions were things I could see myself doing, and other times I was completely on the other side. The story is told in an engaging manner and held my attention throughout the whole thing—no baggy middle here. I liked how the narrator reflected on his own childhood—both the mistakes and the times things looked out of control but turned out ok. His unflinching honesty was refreshing and really established the narrator as likeable and reliable. The ending to me felt rushed. I actually relistened to it, because when the book ended I was like—wait, what? Did I miss a chapter? I was totally invested in the story, and wish Thompson had taken a little bit longer to flesh out the conclusion.

** spoiler alert ** A well-written and honest portrayal of fatherhood, this book still left me unsettled. Spoiler alert, the rowdy teen skaters end up ok. I couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened to young girls, or teenagers of color if they had lived these experiences. Would a black teen caught trespassing on government property, with spray paint on his hands, drunk, acting belligerent to EIGHT police officers in the middle of the night be simply sent home with Daddy? Why do we protect white males and allow them to make stupid juvenile mistakes? Why do we prosecute kids of color for way less?By the way, if you want to see the boys on YouTube, find the author’s channel “Sk8 the St8s”. The videos have been up for 8 years with only a few dozen views. I was the first Like on one.

Could not put it down. Wasn’t just Thompson’s great writing style. It was the way he writes about our similar doubts, our concerns, and our fears about our approach to fatherhood, to parenthood. I say “ours” because the realities of fatherhood and parenthood now are too often shared. And what plays out in the media about absentee fathers, toxic masculinity, and so on are addressed head on but in genuine, vulnerable language. Highly recommended for dads, parents, educators, pastors, counselors, and so on.

Thompson captures the heart of celebrating life on the edge as a father of two skater boys and as an open-minded person.From start to finish, i was on the ride of my life and recommend that anyone read this regardless if you are a parent or not.My favorite quote comes from page 7:"Namely, skating is hard, it takes a lot of practice, it requires patience, persistence, self-reliance, and guts. With no rules, skaters had to be creative, innovative, and imaginative."

One of the best books I’ve ever read. All kids are individuals and the skater world illustrated by the author’s poignant account of raising his sons reflects this brilliantly.

Outstanding. Couldn’t put it down. Loved it.

This is a 5 star book for me, as I’m trying to raise a 5 year old who potentially has some of the same wild impulses that the author’s children have and I have the exact same insecurities about parenting that he does. Plus it’s all about skateboarding and being a nonconformist, which I know a little something about. Some of the commentary about the weak spots school systems have for dealing with adolescent boys with ADHD/autism etc are spot on, and I work in a school with boys like that for a living. Occasionally the author gets a little too caught up in his own insecurities and rambles a little bit, which is the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars overall. But, I would still recommend this book, especially if you are a parent, and especially if you are a parent of boys.