Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Anything But Fine

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden

9 reviews

gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was a wonderful book to read. I loved the characters, the journey and how it ended; although I was concerned it was going to go another way so I'm happy it ended how it did.
I thought it was really well paced and hit on a lot of topics that people can feel and go through no matter their age, I believe the author after finishing the book wondered if he just wrote about his situation, because of that I think a lot of people can take something away from this.

A small thing but, I am so happy with how the father was written in this story. A lot of books like to make parents unapproachable or useless when I was a teen but in recent years parents in books have been written so much better.

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r_a's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

“The second it happens, I know my life is over. I feel the bones break. I literally hear them crack into pieces. As soon as my body hits the floor, my whole world falls apart. My future collapses - dream by dream, goal by goal - right before my eyes. One missed step and it's all over. It’s as simple as that. One missed step.”

I had so much fun with this book! And I may have also shed a tear or two…

When I first read the plot to Anything But Fine, I instantly thought Billy Elliot. I love both the film and musical adaptation of Billy Elliot and was really keen to start reading this book.

Another reason that it piqued my interest was the fact that its author, Tobias Madden, is Australian, and the story is set in Australia. I found it incredibly refreshing to delve into a work by an Australian author that didn't rely on the tropes of idyllic coastal towns or fantasy realms, which have dominated much of my reading. While I love C.S. Pacat and James Islington, who are both primarily fantasy writers, it was exciting to discover a new Aussie author who offered a different perspective.

One aspect of this book that I absolutely adored was its distinctly Australian flavour. The story is set in the city-country town of Ballarat, located in the state of Victoria. Having visited Ballarat numerous times myself, since my sister lived there for almost five years, I found it delightful to be able to envision the exact locations mentioned in the book. I love how Madden chose to set the story in his hometown, as it provides reader with a new perspective on Australian culture and lifestyle.

The Aussie slang featured in the book was an absolute delight. For the first time in a while, I felt a sense of familiarity while reading a novel, as I could instantly comprehend the colloquial language. As someone who frequently reads works by American authors or books published in the United States, it can be tiresome to constantly search up places or terminologies mentioned in the story. However, with this book, I was thrilled to read without interruption, without needing to constantly Google. Though I can see how some foreign readers may find certain terms or expressions confusing if they haven't visited or researched Australia previously. Some of these slang/places include: Woolies, Grill’d, Coles, Salvo’s and bogan (and Ocean Grove and Lorne are places along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria [P.S. Lorne is beautiful]).

“And without ballet, without [my friends], without my non-existent chances with Jordan… What the hell do I have?”

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of this book, there were certain aspects that didn't fully resonate with me. Primarily, I found that the relationship between Luca and Jordan fell a bit short.

I found myself deeply invested in Luca's character. When he suffered his injury, I empathised with him and appreciated witnessing his journey of self-discovery outside of ballet dancing. Admittedly, like any teenager, he does make some missteps, but that's what makes him an authentic and relatable character. He's flawed in his ability to empathise and communicate at times, yet he's remarkably compassionate and creates a safe space for his friends. Luca is struggling not only to understand his own identity but also to navigate his relationships with his friends, father, and acceptance. His multifaceted nature is what made him so genuine and relatable to me.

While I enjoyed Jordan's character, I must admit that I found him a tad underwhelming. Though I appreciated him as a love interest for Luca, my attachment to him was mostly through Luca's eyes. While there were certainly cute and sweet moments between the two, I found them too infrequent to establish a deep connection to Jordan's character. With a few extra pages, Madden may have been able to further develop their bond, as I was hoping.

Overall, this book was a delightful, wholesome and fast-paced read. I adored the protagonist's perspective and the vivid setting, and the inclusion of Australian slang was a charming touch. However, while the romance between the characters was enjoyable, I personally desired more depth and development. Nevertheless, for anyone interested in reading stories and authors within the LGBTQIA+ community, this book would bring you joy and entertainment.

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dlrosebyh's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Luca is prepared for his Australian Ballet School audition. One misstep is all it takes to dash his hopes… a broken foot, too. Jordan is Luca's new school's stunning rowing star and captain. Although everyone claims that he is straight, Luca isn't so sure… Luca begins to question, "Who is he without ballet?" as their strange friendship gets deeper. And is he putting himself on the hook for yet another breakup?

This one will appeal to you if you liked Heartstopper and The Passing Playbook. We watch as Luca's career comes to an end due to a fractured foot. And if you turned Charlie and Nick's narrative into prose, it reminded me so much of Heartstopper. Having saying that, I truly enjoyed the book. I only gave it 3.5 stars because I wanted to see more of Lucas' mother. That was really dismissed. When it comes to writing from the perspective of a teenager, Tobias Madden is exceptional.

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pey333's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thank you to Netgalley and Recorded Books for an ALC of this book.

When Luca has an accident that ruins his future career as a ballerina, he is forced to change schools and feels like he's starting his life over. Along comes Jordan, the pretty (probably straight) face that Luca is able to pin his hopes on.

I really liked this book. Luca and Jordan's relationship very much gave me Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper vibes. Luca's journey is very interesting. He is not a super likable character, but he does experience a lot of character growth and develops into more of his own person throughout the book. The discussion of what it means to lose your perceived future is really good, and I also liked the discussions around coming out.

I really liked the narration in this and definitely recommend the audio! Luca's new friend Amina is truly the MVP of this book!

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snowydaze's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I received a copy of the Audiobook Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden

from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed listening to this book for the most part. However, at times I found Luca to get a little annoying, mostly due to how repetitive he seemed to get throughout the book. Furthermore, I found the solutions to some of the relationship problems that came up through the book to be a tad wrong or resulting in glazing over the problem or miscommunication that occurred. I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if they communicated a bit more about their problems.

On the other hand, I did like how varying Matthew Backer’s narration was, as he truly embodied the characters throughout the story. Additionally, most of the characters seemed to grow a bit throughout the novel. With that being said, there was a diverse cast of characters, I would however, suggest looking up trigger warnings before reading this book.

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bookstarbri's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book really had me immediately at ballet, but actually reading it was a remarkable experience. I think what was most beautiful was the progression of Luca. His character growth wasn't linear and there were moments he'd take a step forward only to be knocked back three more. It was authentic and wondrous to see him go through such a life-changing event and still manage to find himself at the end, while still growing into someone else.

The other characters were great too. Jordan is absolutely adorable (even though I wanted to shake both him and Luca many times). Amina is a textbook perfect best friend that I think deserves everything in the world. She was the perfect person for Luca to have during such a terrible time. I'm also always happy to see good parents in YA books and Luca's dad didn't disappoint. I thought he was such a unique figure. I've also never read a father/son relationship quite as beautiful as Luca's and his dad's and it was such a nice surprise to see their relationship grow the way it did.

This book is character driven, so the plot is more focused around events. I often read character-driven novels and they get a little slow at times for my taste, but Anything But Fine avoids that. It's a fast-paced read that does a lot in its pages. I think I wish the last 25ish pages went a little *too* fast and it would've been nice to slow it down some and linger with Luca a bit longer after he resolved some of his challenges.

I also DESPERATELY wanted a scene where Luca danced one more time (maybe even for Jordan or his dad), but these are minor complaints that are probably just me wanting to spend more time with these characters!

Such a lovely read that has become a quick favorite!

Thank you to Tobias Madden, Page Street Kids, and NetGalley for providing a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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jamese99's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

This book makes my heart swell.

Growing up a gay, lonely, confused kid in Australia is rough and this book brought back all those memories from my own high school experience. This book captivates that experience so well.

Luca is a young, proud gay kid living his dream dancing ballet with his friends and the whole world ahead of him. Breaking his foot crushes his spirits, makes him change school and make him feel isolated and vulnerable. His battle with overcoming the obstacles that makes him want to scream into the universe that life isn’t fair is so beautifully written from the initial pain, to the deep sorrow and eventual triumph.

Anything But Fine follows very typical LGBTQIA+ YA tropes, from the close minded school bully, to closeted love interest who isn’t your typical gay kid and the struggles of being raised by a single parent. What Tobias Madden has done so brilliantly here is modernise those tropes, bringing multidimensional characters from all walks of life & complex character arcs.

This book is perhaps one of the first in a long time to bring me to tears. I cried not just because of the beautiful writing but because I know that any young kid who reads this book and doesn’t understand who they are yet can find comfort and optimism and hope in these very pages.

An easy fast paced read, Anything But Fine is definitely one of the best Australian written YA books I have read in a very very long time.

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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Rep: white gay male MC with a broken foot/crutches, bisexual/questioning Japanese-Aussie male love interest, Indonesian Muslim female side character.

CWs: Abandonment of friends, alcohol consumption, bullying, death of parent (happened in past), hate crime, homophobia/homomisia, homophobic slurs, islamophobia/islamomisia, outing, racism, toxic friendship.

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