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melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, and Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content, Medical content, and Hate crime
snowydaze's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Bullying, Outing, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Homophobia, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Medical content, and Racism
dobbsthedog's review against another edition
4.0
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
I really enjoyed this book! It had a great, diverse cast of characters, and it felt like the main side characters were really well developed. As frustrating as I occasionally found the MC, Luca, I still really liked him and the frustrations definitely comes from him having a bit of a life crisis.
Luca is a ballet dancer, hoping to attend the Australia Ballet School, but a misstep has him tumbling down a flight of stairs, horribly fracturing his foot. This isn’t a spoiler, it happens in the first chapter. I really enjoyed reading about a male ballet dancer, as there aren’t even that many books about any ballet dancers. I did ballet for a number of years as a kid and again as an adult, and I do love it. I think my appreciation has grown now that I’m older, I didn’t love it as a kid.
So, this fractured foot hugely impacts on Luca’s life, as he’s been doing ballet since he was 3 years old (now 16). Because of it he loses friends, makes new friends, meets a cute boy at the occupational therapists office, and has to make some tough decisions and realizations about where his life is going to go if he can’t dance professionally.
I listened to the audio of this and really enjoyed the narrator, I think he did a great job. I’ve hardly listened to any audiobooks narrated with Australian accents, so this was a nice change. There was an author Q&A at the end, with the narrator, and hearing the narrator’s natural/normal voice, really showed how much range he has, as I don’t think that any of the book was narrated with his natural/normal voice.
Very good book, excellent debut, definitely recommend, especially if you enjoy ballet.
I really enjoyed this book! It had a great, diverse cast of characters, and it felt like the main side characters were really well developed. As frustrating as I occasionally found the MC, Luca, I still really liked him and the frustrations definitely comes from him having a bit of a life crisis.
Luca is a ballet dancer, hoping to attend the Australia Ballet School, but a misstep has him tumbling down a flight of stairs, horribly fracturing his foot. This isn’t a spoiler, it happens in the first chapter. I really enjoyed reading about a male ballet dancer, as there aren’t even that many books about any ballet dancers. I did ballet for a number of years as a kid and again as an adult, and I do love it. I think my appreciation has grown now that I’m older, I didn’t love it as a kid.
So, this fractured foot hugely impacts on Luca’s life, as he’s been doing ballet since he was 3 years old (now 16). Because of it he loses friends, makes new friends, meets a cute boy at the occupational therapists office, and has to make some tough decisions and realizations about where his life is going to go if he can’t dance professionally.
I listened to the audio of this and really enjoyed the narrator, I think he did a great job. I’ve hardly listened to any audiobooks narrated with Australian accents, so this was a nice change. There was an author Q&A at the end, with the narrator, and hearing the narrator’s natural/normal voice, really showed how much range he has, as I don’t think that any of the book was narrated with his natural/normal voice.
Very good book, excellent debut, definitely recommend, especially if you enjoy ballet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Islamophobia
tiredcath's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pretty Good.
There's a whole lot that I liked about Anything But Fine. A ballet dancer suffering from an identity crisis after a career fatal injury that also forces him to lose everything- that premise alone is so intriguing. A huge theme of friendships and acceptance. But there was a lot I wish was different.
I expected the central aspect of it was identity and recovery after discovering Luca couldn't do the thing he wanted to do his entire life. There are moments it's touched on but not enough. I expected this to be about Luca and ballet with a romance b-plot- it very much isn't that. I didn't care for the romance. Luca and Jordan had decent chemistry as friends but they as a couple did not work for me. Their relationship didn't have a natural flow to me.
Too much of the plot relied on the romance aspect, too much on the romance relied on Luca's attraction. I really hate how much Luca was seeing Jordan cry and thinking about how great his arms look. Are you kidding? I wanted to see more of Luca outside of Jordan. Especially with Luca's relationship with his father.
I saw a lot of potential storylines this could've gone. Mostly, I wished for more introspection, more connection to family, and reevaluation. Prepare for more of openly gay character gets into a "relationship" with closeted character- a trope I'm somewhat done it as it always ends the same.
Still, I did love Luca's and Amina's friendship. I really loved Luca's dad, I wish we had more time with him and explored their relationship a lot better. It's a nice read if you want something easy. There are homophobic moments thrown around, and racism against Muslims as well.
About the audio: Matthew Backer has good inflection in his voice and good comedic timing. He gives every character a realistic voice. There are some bits you can tell were rerecorded as they didn't match the same pitch as the previous sentence which was a bit jarring to listen to.
All in all, decent good, could've been spectacular if the author's priorities were different. Or maybe I just expected a different book entirely.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this audiobook book in exchange for my honest review.
There's a whole lot that I liked about Anything But Fine. A ballet dancer suffering from an identity crisis after a career fatal injury that also forces him to lose everything- that premise alone is so intriguing. A huge theme of friendships and acceptance. But there was a lot I wish was different.
I expected the central aspect of it was identity and recovery after discovering Luca couldn't do the thing he wanted to do his entire life. There are moments it's touched on but not enough. I expected this to be about Luca and ballet with a romance b-plot- it very much isn't that. I didn't care for the romance. Luca and Jordan had decent chemistry as friends but they as a couple did not work for me. Their relationship didn't have a natural flow to me.
Too much of the plot relied on the romance aspect, too much on the romance relied on Luca's attraction.
I saw a lot of potential storylines this could've gone. Mostly, I wished for more introspection, more connection to family, and reevaluation. Prepare for more of openly gay character gets into a "relationship" with closeted character- a trope I'm somewhat done it as it always ends the same.
Still, I did love Luca's and Amina's friendship. I really loved Luca's dad, I wish we had more time with him and explored their relationship a lot better. It's a nice read if you want something easy. There are homophobic moments thrown around, and racism against Muslims as well.
About the audio: Matthew Backer has good inflection in his voice and good comedic timing. He gives every character a realistic voice. There are some bits you can tell were rerecorded as they didn't match the same pitch as the previous sentence which was a bit jarring to listen to.
All in all, decent good, could've been spectacular if the author's priorities were different. Or maybe I just expected a different book entirely.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this audiobook book in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Islamophobia
m_riaelle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
My expressions while listening to this were hilarious. Did I smile repeatedly? Yes. Did I laugh? Yes. Did I gasp? Yes. Did I gasp and laugh altogether? Yes. Did I feel secondhand embarrassment? Also yes. Did I bump my knees so hard on my mini table that it has scraped? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes, worth as 'tights.' Did I just find myself another favourite Achillean book? Yes. Was it sad? There are parts it is, especially when you relate to it. Do I recommend this? 100%
I can't help but see Luca as Alex from Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. The difference is Alex would have said those flirty, sexual 'passion' that's going on in Luca's mind that had me laughing and gasping altogether without any hesitance and shame. XD
I was waiting for Luca's ex-friends to have character development, but there are really some friends you have to let go of and aren't worth it. I wasn't disappointed that it's not shown or what happened. I'm satisfied that only one of them can grow and be ready to show that to Luca and be friends with him and Amina because she was the only one who really cared from the bottom of her heart.
I love how transferring to another school made Luca at least has a distraction from a single miss-step that happened. It didn't end there because every choice made has consequences. It seems as though he kept falling and never got back on his feet until he took action to do so.
The narrator's way of voicing out the story is outstanding. The way it's narrated made me more entertained, which I'm looking for in audiobooks, and Anything But Fine is done right! I commend Matthew Backer!
TW: De*th of Parent, Grief, H*moph*bia, H*moph*bic Slurs, Anxiety, Racism, Racial Slurs, Islam*ph*bia, Outing, T*xic Friendship, H*te Crime, and Sexu*l Content (search it up for more specifics or correct TW as mine is what I thought is TW while I read it)
I can't help but see Luca as Alex from Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. The difference is Alex would have said those flirty, sexual 'passion' that's going on in Luca's mind that had me laughing and gasping altogether without any hesitance and shame. XD
I was waiting for Luca's ex-friends to have character development, but there are really some friends you have to let go of and aren't worth it. I wasn't disappointed that it's not shown or what happened. I'm satisfied that only one of them can grow and be ready to show that to Luca and be friends with him and Amina because she was the only one who really cared from the bottom of her heart.
I love how transferring to another school made Luca at least has a distraction from a single miss-step that happened. It didn't end there because every choice made has consequences. It seems as though he kept falling and never got back on his feet until he took action to do so.
The narrator's way of voicing out the story is outstanding. The way it's narrated made me more entertained, which I'm looking for in audiobooks, and Anything But Fine is done right! I commend Matthew Backer!
TW: De*th of Parent, Grief, H*moph*bia, H*moph*bic Slurs, Anxiety, Racism, Racial Slurs, Islam*ph*bia, Outing, T*xic Friendship, H*te Crime, and Sexu*l Content (search it up for more specifics or correct TW as mine is what I thought is TW while I read it)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Racism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, and Hate crime
Moderate: Islamophobia and Death of parent
Minor: Grief and Sexual content
booksmoviesandstories's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Homophobia, Biphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Outing
ceedy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Racism, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual content
bookstarbri's review against another edition
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!
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.
Thank you to Tobias Madden, Page Street Kids, and NetGalley for providing a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Islamophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Hate crime
CW for death of a parent. The death doesn't take place in the book and we never meet the parent, but the main character does reflect on the parent at various times throughoutdhwani's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Islamophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Toxic friendship
jamese99's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Bullying, Islamophobia, Racism, Outing, and Racial slurs