Just finished this arc, and it was wonderful!! Beautiful story in verse that follows a teen girl who loses things in life, falls in love, and finds new hope. The characters were so complex and felt like real people. I loved the nostalgic roller rink vibes! I will definitely recommend this book!!

Thank you to Penguin Teen and PRH Audio for the complimentary digital and audio copies, though I’m sure I’ll be adding the hardcover to my shelves soon!

If you’ve never laced up a pair of skates before, you’ll be itching to feel the wind in your hair after reading Under the Neon Lights by Arriel Vinson!

This inspirational and heartfelt debut explores themes like gentrification, community, and—of course—falling in love. Since the story centers around Jaelyn’s favorite place, Westside Roll, it makes perfect sense that her journey is told through verse. The format translates beautifully in both the print and audio versions, making the narrative feel like a song you could roll to all night long. Angel Pean brings extra sparkle to the audiobook—despite being the sole narrator, listeners will swear there’s a full cast, thanks to her distinct portrayals of each character in Jae’s life.

Vinson introduces difficult topics that may be new to young adult readers in a way that feels thoughtful and mature. There are no magical fixes here, which I deeply appreciate. This is a book that deserves a spot in every library so it can reach the hands of young bookworms.

If you’re looking for a younger romance that also addresses issues our schools and government often overlook, be sure to pick up a copy of Under the Neon Lights today!

WOW! To say this is Arriel's first book. I was truly blown away!! I'm loved the novel in verse are one of my favorite books to read. I love the storyline of the community and how strong they chose to be when it came to trying to keep a staple in the neighborhood. I truly feel like this book needs to be in a creative writing class or English for sure. Great debut and I will be getting this book on my shelf. The only thing is I wish it was a little bit shorter.

Under the Neon Lights by Arriel Vinson is a YA standalone novel in verse and was so freaking good. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I was pleasantly surprised.

This was my first time reading an entire novel in verse. It was interesting to see how a full story could unfold through poetry. It’s not like the kids books that have poems throughout that connect together with a singular theme or something. It is a story. It kind of reminded me of how the play For Colored Girls progresses with the use of poetry to express more. I can see how it could be similar to a musical which uses the music to tell more of the story. Anyway, I really enjoyed this and I would recommend it to everyone who wants to try something new, have some skating nostalgia, and revisit that first love experience or visit for the first time. There’s so much to get from this book and it’s so freaking cute.

I promise, you will get so much more from this story than you could’ve imagined. The freedom you get from doing something you love and just being in the moment is at the root of this story. Ready to dive back into your peace and balanced sense of self? Take a leap and skate along with Jaelyn.

This is great for readers 15 and up. I’d highly recommend adding it to the school reading list to study in class. It’s such an interesting piece of writing and deserves to be taught. Enjoy!

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Under the Neon Lights from Arriel Vinson via NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this debut, coming of age novel. I have never really read any books written in verses but I loved this and flew through it. It almost felt like reading a movie/play script. It flowed very well and though it was a very quick read I felt there was a lot of character development and backstory on many characters.

I wanted to love this but after a while I just wasnt feeling Jaelyn or the writing style 😅
As a typical teen her problems seemed the end of the world, and thats fine except when you make everything about you. She felt her friend was pulling away and felt everyone disappointed HER but she was equally a bad friend, not noticing what others felt or were going through.
I had thought the book would be more about skating, and while Jaelyn did try to save a skating rink she loved the story it self had little to do with actual skating and more with her emotions surrounding boys, her father and her friends.
It was okay, but not my cup of tea.

Jaelyn’s favorite place is WestSide Roll, a neighborhood roller rink where she can block out her troubles and loose herself in the music. When she is skating she doesn’t have to think about how distant her best friend is lately, how her estranged father is trying to come back into her life or how her neighborhood is rapidly changing due to gentrification.
And then there is Trey, the boy she met at WestSide Roll. As their new relationship grows, she has to decide if she can learn to trust again and open her heart up to love.

I really enjoyed this novel-in-verse. Being at the roller rink with Jae took me back to my childhood in the 80's. The budding romance between Jae and Trey is slow moving and sweet as Jae tries to decide if she should risk opening her heart. The gentrification part of the story told showing the heartache a community goes through during the changes. This was well written.
I will definitely be purchasing this one for my High School Library.

Some language, parental abandonment, racism, divorce, gentrification, miscarriage (mentioned)

I haven't read a novel written in verse in a long time, but I liked this one! Under the Neon Lights follows 16-year-old Jaelyn, who is experiencing her first love, changes in her friendships, and dealing with the loss of her neighborhood skate rink throughout her summer vacation.

I appreciated how this book touched on the real-life effects of gentrification. The poetry in this book really made certain points in this book hit even harder. The skate rink was central to this book, and I loved the sense of community it created. Overall, this was a good debut, and glad I took the time to read it. Read this book if you enjoy:

-Poetry and novels written in verse
-Coming of age stories
-Stories about third places

A reflective novel in verse, about neighborhoods of color dealing with gentrification. It also addresses the loss of third spaces for communities, and made me wish I could go roller skating again. But also at the end of the day, your heart feels like a tulip trying to grow in a parking lot for Jaelyn. Because you want her to succeed, to trust in love, to feel welcome by the world.

I'm such a sucker for this sort of poetry book for teens! I love coming of age, prose poem-y collections like this. I definitely think we'll end up purchasing it.

I loved Under the Neon Lights Arriel Vinson.
A wonderful young adult debut novel in verse.
The plot was great, the characters were engaging.
And writing is freaking amazing!

I stumbled across this on NetGalley and I was immediately intrigued by the cover and premise. I’m so glad I read this, as it’s a beautifully told debut.

💜 What I liked about it 💜

🛼 This is a verse novel that's lyrically exquisite
🛼 I'm not a skater myself, but I'm drawn to stories with this theme and I absolutely loved the focus around the roller rink and the skater community
🛼 There's a lot of focus on gentrification eroding the culture and livelihoods of the Black community, forcing them out of jobs and their homes. As a result, Jaelyn and her friends are having to fight to retain their identity and carve out a new place for them in the community
🛼 It's about finding - and fighting for - your community, even though it's been snatched away
🛼 I adored Jaelyn and Trey together - their relationship was lovely to watch unfold

✨️ What to expect ✨️

✒️ YA verse novel
🤝 Focus on the importance of community
🖤 Young Black love
🤔 Themes of identity and self-worth
🛼 Roller rink setting

'Under the Neon Lights' reads like a poetic love letter to Black joy, change, and community. This is a lyrical coming-of-age novel in verse that truly expresses the heart of Black adolescence, first love, and the bittersweet reality of the changes we go through. Set against the pulse of the community pillar WestSide Roll—an Indianapolis roller rink that feels just as alive as its characters—this story follows sixteen-year-old Jaelyn as she navigates love, loss, and self-discovery.

At the rink, Jae can escape. She can lose herself in the music, the movement, and the warmth of her stable community. But as gentrification threatens her safe haven and her estranged father tries to re-enter her life, she must learn to hold onto what matters while embracing the changes she can’t control. Through tender moments with her romantic interest Trey, the boy who sees her in a way she struggles to see herself, and the painful unraveling of a friendship that once felt unbreakable with Noe, Jae’s journey contains both heartache and happiness.

For readers who have ever had a place that felt like home, Under the Neon Lights is a nostalgic and emotionally rich read. Vinson’s verse is intimate and perfectly captures the ache of growing up while celebrating the deep bonds of family, friendship, and Black community spaces. A stunning debut that reminds us that joy, even in the midst of grief, is a resistance of its own.

Under the Neon Lights was a wonderful Young Adult novel in verse.

I loved the characters! Jaelyn was so fun to follow. She was a real teenager with real problems who has to figure out how to work around her ever changing life. I loved seeing her relationships change with her parents, Trey and Noelle. Jae has to work through a lot of different things in the span of the book. But I felt like the flow of the story was very well done. We work through multiple conflicts throughout the story and we focus on different aspects while going through the larger story of losing WestSide Roll.

I have not read very many books that focus on gentrification and micro-aggressions. This book handled all of these topics with grace and at a level that is understandable by all ages.

I love novels in verse. I think they bring a unique aspect to the book that you cannot get with a traditionally written novel. I think Arriel Vinson does a great job of the breakdown of the book with the poetry throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P Putnam’s Son Books for Young Readers for an eARC of this book!

Searing debut about a teen who finds solace in her local rollerskating rink. On the hard wood of WestSide Roll, with the lights dancing and the music pumping, Jaelyn can set aside the pain of her neighborhood being gentrified, her best friend pulling away, her dad resurfacing after disappearing for a while. There's a charming new boy in town whose attentions are nearly impossible to resist. Just when Jaelyn opens her heart a tiny bit, news that the roller rink will be closing hits her hard. Where is she supposed to find solace now?

It's one thing to read about gentrification, racial micro-aggressions and a community of folks being pushed out. It's another to be placed into the heart and bones of someone who's experiencing it from the inside. Under the Neon Lights is a revolution of feeling, frustration and the sheer will of overcoming injustices to the heart.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

Usually, I know how romance books end, especially when it comes to YA. For this one, I wasn’t sure, but I had the best time regardless.

I have to point out how much I adored the format and flow. The author conveyed strong emotions, vivid imagery, and unbreakable bonds as well as any fully fleshed narrative novel. This was all poetry and lyric, and I couldn’t put it down. Every relationship was given the same amount of passion, whether familial, friendship, or romantic. Whatever these last few YA books have been doing to me, I’m not mad at it. I’ve been feeling things so deeply lately, and this one had me crying a little bit. The emphasis on community and importance of third places got me in the soul. Seeing the FMC navigate all these changes out of her control and growing despite uncertainty… It showed so much strength and resilience. A reminder that although change can be devastating and scary, you can’t stay stagnant. Latch on to the good things and people who’ll move forward with you.

Don’t even get me started on Jaelynn and Trey. It’s been a while since a couple made me swoon from start to finish, and I’ve been reading a lot of romance lately. Their connection in particular was heartwarming and melt-worthy. Vinson creating that kind of bone-deep romance in the form this book took made me love the story even more. A physical copy will be bought and loved on.

This was my first time reading a novel in verse. When I first started reading this arc I thought something was wrong with the font. After a few chapters, I got use to the format and loved the story. It has me wanting to buy a pair of skates again! It gave Cascade vibes in ATL and reminded me of usher skating during his concerts.

The verse format introduced a lyrical quality that enhances the emotional depth, allowing readers to be immersed in the experience of first love with Trey and Jaelyn as well as the lows of impending loss as gentrification threatens to close the rink. It always sucks when a place you love to hang out at closes down due to changes within the neighborhood. They don’t understand how that can be a safe haven for certain cultures. Some times is can do more harm than good. This book definitely showed how it impacted the community.

Under The Neon Lights detailed a sense of community, a connection to black culture, and Jaelyn’s personal challenges, including a strained friendship and an absent father who decides to come back around as she got older. If you grew up skating or having your birthday parties at skating rinks you’ll relate to this book heavily! Let me go get a pair of skates and get back to it!

I loved the nostalgia, the way the author built a strong sense of place, and the message about gentrification. Fantastic.

Under the Neon Lights is a YA debut novel by Arriel Vinson written in verse. Jaelyn goes to the skating rink every Saturday night. She has the time of her life there every week. All her problems are nonexistent when she’s skating around her favorite rink, Westside Roll. She even meets a boy there that she really likes and really likes her. Everything is looking up until her best friend seems to be distant, the neighborhood experiences changes by developers and her home every Saturday night, Westside Rink, announces it will be closing. It feels like her world is crumbling. This story really captured the feeling of being a teenager and how scary and daunting changes can be. It’s a coming of age novel that had me reminiscing about being a teenager at the skating rink. The verse format was new to me but I really enjoyed it. Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC.

The way I wanna grab some skates and head out to the nearest rink is nasty work! 😂 But, friend, you did that! Under the Neon Lights by @arriwrites was everything I expected and more. The way she highlights the importance of third spaces and the harm caused by gentrification to community traditions and culture is evident and impactful with every page turned. My love for R&B kept me fully engaged; any time a song was mentioned, I found myself singing the lyrics. But the romance between Jaelyn and Trey had me rooting for them the moment Trey ran into her at the rink. Trey, in my opinion, is like many young Black boys navigating the fallout of trusting someone they shouldn’t and the loss of community that some face due to these fallout. I enjoyed seeing Trey find his community in Jaelyn’s life and with the community at the rink. I also appreciated the commentary around friendship and how often we get jealous when our best friend finds new friends, even when it doesn’t mean that we are losing each other. We just can’t always be everything to each other. Different life problems call for different friends. Thank you to  Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.