The first time I saw the cover for KIND OF SORT OF FINE by Spencer Hall, I was like: I'm not sure what's going on here, but I want to find out! Even so, I still really had no clue why they were running across a roof based on the book description, which talks about seniors Hayley and Lewis getting partnered up for a project in TV production class. Now that I do know why they're running across a roof with that other person's foot going off the image and spray paint cans flying everywhere, well, I don't want to spoil anything. You really should read this book yourself!

What I will say is that this book has so many fantastic layers to it. Hayley is dealing with the aftermath of an anxiety attack that left her parked in a busy intersection until she had to be pulled from her car by police--and it was filmed by half the school. Lewis is stuck in the default of making jokes anytime things get serious, including with his friend Rebecca, who he's crushed on forever. Both individually and together, Hayley and Lewis start to figure some things out about themselves and who they want to be going forward. Along the way, their project helps them understand that there is more to everyone's story than what you see on the surface.

This book tackles some serious issues but also had me laughing out loud and took my by surprise when it twisted in directions I didn't expect. Such a great read!

High school seniors Hayley and Lewis both have their reasons for wanting to change the way others perceive them. Lewis has always affectionately been referred to as 'big man,' content to be the funny sidekick... not the leading man. Hayley was labeled 'the messed up girl' after a very public breakdown, and wants to prove that she's more than the way others see her. Paired together for a TV production class, Hayley and Lewis decide to produce a series of documentaries illustrating that EVERY person is much more than the stories other people tell about them. Camilla isn’t just a tennis player, for example... she's also an artist. Rohan isn’t just smart.... he's also a laser tag god. Spencer Hall's KIND OF SORT OF FINE is absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious, but it's also an incredibly touching story about the power of friendship and the importance of not letting others define you. As the mama of a graduating senior, I cried my way through the last twenty pages. It's a story about... people's stories... the fact that each of us has one, and each of us has the opportunity to add new plot twists and characters along the way. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

I'm going to be honest, I'm a sucker for a coming of age novel. There's something about high school experiences that make me feel nostalgic and powerful, so I was very excited to read this book. It was everything I wanted and expected from a coming-of-age story, and I loved that.

Kind of Sort of Fine explores the way we present ourselves to the world, and how that is not a person's only self. That is such an empowering message to read in high school. No one is just the person they present at the surface. This message doesn't just come from our narrators either. It comes from every facet of the novel. It's in every fiber of the story. But it's a lighthearted easy read. So many coming-of-age slip into darker material as they start to deal with these topics, but this book remains lighthearted and fun from beginning to end.

I loved our two narrators. Their voices were so unique and they were such sweet kids. I wanted to be friends with Lewis and his little trio, and I loved Haley. I love how distinct these characters feel, and they feel very real and dynamic. Their growth and struggles are very important. Every character was so fun to be around and they felt so real. They resonated really strongly with me as they reminded me of my friends.

This story felt so cinematic. Maybe it was the backdrop of the documentary project. Maybe it was the way Lewis is obsessed with 80s movies and imagines he's in one. But it truly felt like I was watching a Netflix original coming-of-age movie as I was reading this book.

I loved the backdrop of the TV Production class. It made me nostalgic for my own hours spent in the drama and choir rooms at my own high school.

The only thing I didn't really like about this book was that it jumped over some events to keep the length down. We went from end of Winter Break to first day back in a page flip. I just think there could be more explored in those moments where we sped through time. And some of the documentary shootings as well, we were just told they happened instead of there with the characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and it kept me excited to come back for more!

Disclaimer: I will be covering this for Pop-Culturalist.com!!

I adored Hayley and Lewis’s story!! I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations but it did so I highly recommend it.

The book follows two point-of-views: Hayley and Lewis. Both are very different students and have different things that interest them. I am glad I had the chance to read this one as both of the main characters really resonated with me when it came to my time in high school and even now as an adult.

Hayley is an A student who took harder classes and played Tennis for an extracurricular activity until it all became too much and she had a breakdown in front of her school.

Lewis is the guy that sits in the background but cracks jokes about his weight before anyone gets the chance to. He slides through high school on C’s but enjoys his TV production class.

They both come together when they are paired in the TV production and life becomes a bit different, especially for Lewis.

When it came to Hayley, I may not have been as outgoing when it came to classwork but I did push myself to get good grades. Everything she was going through led to a breakdown and even though I never had one in front of a lot of people, I understand where she is coming from. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and one day it may just make us crack. I did like seeing how she coped with that situation, sometimes she didn’t always make the best choices, but it also showed her going to a therapist which can be stigmatized.

Lewis was also easy to understand because I’ve been there, and still am, as the larger one. It sucks a lot. I never got bullied in school like he did for that particular reason but even just small comments from family can be enough to just not make you feel important. Even while losing weight he didn’t have much support but still stuck to it. I appreciated seeing him still thriving and trying to be better even when it was hard.

There were some great moments between them when it came to their TV production project. I also had a lot of laughs at other moments in the book and even if some of the jokes weren’t my taste (although they would be for teens) I liked the comedic relief to take away from the harder topics at hand.

The plot does have a bit of romance but it is very minor. I’m actually glad for this as it left more time for them to grow and it didn’t push the, “you need to be in a relationship to be fixed”. Everything had it’s timing.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read.

Told from Hayley and Lewis’ POV, we find the two are stuck together in a high school TV production class when Hayley is told she needs to take a break from her schedule especially after she has a meltdown in the middle of town and is found just sitting in her car. This meltdown follows Hayley in school and she’s sick of it. As she and Lewis hit it off, they find they like doing their video bits for the class. As time passes more challenging situations force Hayley to realize she can handle the pressure and that it’s okay to be vulnerable. She wants to rebuild her reputation and let people know there is more to her than her meltdown. Can she do it? Great book.