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Brown Boy Nowhere

by Sheeryl Lim

Subject
Diversity & Multicultural
Age
Teen
Format
Hardcover
Pages
334
Publisher
Skyscape
Size
13.2 cm × 21.2 cm
ISBN
9781542027762

Welcome to Nowhere, kid. Life starts here.

What’s the problem? Sixteen-year-old Filipino American Angelo Rivera will tell you flat out. Life sucks. He’s been uprooted from his San Diego home to a boring landlocked town in the middle of nowhere. Behind him, ocean waves, his girlfriend, and the biggest skateboarding competition on the California coast. Ahead, flipping burgers at his parents’ new diner and, as the only Asian in his all-white school, being trolled as “brown boy” by small-minded, thick-necked jocks.

Resigned to being an outcast, Angelo isn’t alone. Kirsten, a crushable ex-cheerleader and graffiti artist, and Larry, a self-proclaimed invisible band geek, recognize a fellow outsider. Soon enough, Angelo finds himself the leader of their group of misfits. They may be low on the high school food chain, but they’re determined to hold their own.

Between shifts at the diner, dodging bullies, and wishing for home, Angelo discovers this might not be nowhere after all. Sharing it can turn it into somewhere in a heartbeat.

About the author

Sheeryl Lim considers herself a bookworm since birth and boasts an unending TBR pile. If she isn’t writing, she’s eating popcorn or playing with her rescue dogs, Roscoe and Nollie. Raised in San Diego, California, the Filipino American author currently resides on the East Coast with her husband and fur babies. For more information, visit www.sheeryllim.com.

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What reviewers said

“Lim’s straightforward narrative follows Angelo on his journey through friendship, love, and acclimating to a new home. For anyone who has felt unjustly uprooted, Angelo’s story can provide comforting reassurance that one can re-create home and community wherever they are…A light read that celebrates inclusion.”
Kirkus Reviews
“The novel adeptly addresses themes of bullying, fitting in, and standing up to aggressors…the story’s message is still well presented. A worthy purchase for any library.”
School Library Journal
“A cool read and a welcome addition to the growing collection of Filipino American young adult literature.”
Booklist
Brown Boy Nowhere was a unique and fun novel to read…this story addresses family dynamics, multicultural understandings between different races and ethnicities, and more mature topics such as racism, xenophobia, and much more. You also witness the understanding and middle ground between those characters that are outsiders and those doing everything they can to fit in. As for ethnic and cultural diversity, and characters addressing both serious and not so serious issues, this a book you don’t want to miss out on this summer!”
The Nerd Daily
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© 2026 Peekabooks Inc. All Rights Reserved.