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A review by jamese99
Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden
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