Michael Harmon's Under The Bridge offers plenty more than skateboarding. It's a story about broken families, friendships, teen angst, and drugs. It's told from the perspective of a likable hothead named Tate Brooks, who attempts to look out for his younger brother, Indy, after a family fight goes too far. 

Tate always wants to do the right thing but tends to lean on physical rage as a solution to almost every problem, a temper picked up from his father. When his younger brother chooses the wrong path, slipping deeper into the local drug scene and tossed out of the house, Tate tries to patch up the damage in a family still reeling from the loss of one son. 

While the skatepark primarily serves as a refuge from high school and the dingier, dangerous areas of Spokane, it plays a supporting role and offers the brothers one of several paths to redemption. The story is fast-paced and somewhat gritty, tempered only because the kids keep it grounded with sensibility and smarts.

The quick read was intensely enjoyable, especially in the build to the climax. I would have rated it five stars if the story had wrapped up so nicely. It's almost too perfect, spoiling the rest of the book's unpredictability. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys teen/young adult protagonist novels now and again.