This story about a young gay teenager navigating loss, self-discovery, and relationships is a heartfelt winner. Luca's journey is a bit messy and bittersweet, but in a really wonderful way. I inaccurately expected more dancing and less high school drama, but enjoyed myself anyway - mostly because the characterization is so well-written. Luca isn't always a good friend, and often makes poor decisions. This is, after all, a story about a teenager navigating life. Everything Luca feels and does is genuine and I couldn't help loving him in spite of his flaws. Normally teenage behavior annoys me, but this gentle writing had me empathizing with Luca even while dreading some of his choices.
The major concern I had was with the relationship between Luca and Jordan. While their situation may not be unusual, it didn't seem healthy for two teens at such different places in their journeys to be together. Neither was comfortable compromising, and neither should have needed to. The only reason they were able to work things out is because one person's choice was forcefully removed. Not every first love is meant to be or good for the people involved.
Matthew Backer does a fantastic job with the audiobook narration. The only thing I could have done without is the sound effects added to dialogue of people on the other end of phone calls - as the only audio effect used in the entire production, it felt unnecessary and distracting.
Have I mentioned how much I love Aussie slang? I'm happy to share the recent additions to my vocabulary for anyone who says you don't learn things by reading fiction.
Anything But Fine is a lovely addition to the YA coming of age collection!

Rep: gay mc, bi/questioning Japanese Australian li, Indonesian Muslim hijabi sc, sapphic sc

This was a pretty cute book. Luca is already out and proud, so it’s not a coming out story. Jordan, the love interest, is closeted and trying to figure out his sexuality though.

Amina is best girl. Literally the most precious and pure character. Right from the beginning, when she first meets Luca, she’s super kind and caring. She’s his only friend at his new school and helps him with all his classes and is always there for him.

Jordan is one of the nice jocks. His jock friends don’t deserve him. He’s way too good for them. I kept wondering why he was friends with those assholes. He should have told off the main jock (I forget his name) so long ago. He was terrible. Super homophobic, racist and islamaphobic. He finally did stand up to him eventually, but man, it shouldn’t have taken him so long. But anyway, Jordan was adorable and I wish he spent more time with Luca and Amina.

Luca had a great relationship with his dad. He’s super supportive of Luca and you can tell he cares about him a lot and just wants the best for him.

Luca is flawed and makes a lot of mistakes. But he is going through a lot and is a teenager, so that’s to be expected.

The narrator did a great job. I really liked his voice. They did a thing with the audio where when a character was on the phone or someone’s voice was muffled, they actually muffled the audio too. That was a cool thing that I’ve never seen before.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.

I've been really looking forward to this Australian queer YA romance between Luca, a ballet dancer and his bisexual crush Jordan and it exceeded all expectations!

Luca meets Jordan in the physical therapists office after having a terrible accident that ends his dreams of professional ballet. The two develop a secret romance as Jordan is newly exploring his sexuality and the possibility he's bisexual but as a popular jock at school is very nervous about coming out to his parents and friends. Whereas Luca is openly gay with a supportive father but has to learn how to be patient with Jordan as his first boyfriend.

Not only was the romance between Luca and Jordan super sweet, Luca also has such strong relationships with his single father and his new Muslim friend Amina. I loved how Luca grew closer to both his dad and Amina and learned to be a better friend.

Great on audio narrated by Matthew Backer, with an author interview between the Tobias and Matthew included at the end. This debut coming of age queer love story was truly beautiful. Full of heart, humor and so many tender moments I can't recommend it enough. Much thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for my advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First off, it's important to say that I really loved this book and I had a great time listening to it. The narration was top notch (love the parts where the voice is changed when people are on the phone) and the humour was right up my alley. I strongly identified with Luca, especially at the beginning; I too was a ballet dancer who had to stop when I was 16 due to a knee injury. I wasn't out at school like Luca was, but I did endure bullying as he did. I loved most of the characters and am desperate to know more about then, so would love a sequel!

I loved 95% of the story, but I felt that same of it was just slightly unsatisfying. I was very angry with Jordan and the things that he said to Luca at the OT and I don't feel like he apologised. And he wasn't the one to approach Luca at the end. Additionally, nothing that happened was Luca's fault, including the phone call and yet people were angry with him and his internal monologue also blamed himself. All of his actions were entirely understandable and he really needed some slack from everyone in his life.

I think I'm picking at the story only because I cared so much about the characters. The writing was superb and I'll certainly be picking up anything that this author writes in future.

Got an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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: Death of Parent, Grief, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Anxiety, Racism, Racial Slurs, Islamophobia, Outing, Toxic Friendship, Hate Crime, and Sexual Content (search it up for more specifics or correct TW as mine is what I thought is TW while I read it)

"And obviously I'm dead." -From Anything But Fine

4.5 stars

There are a lot of content warnings, so know that going in.

This is everything you need in a coming-of-age gay ballet dancer drama. The only thing that made it more perfect was the audio, which fit the narrator to an exact science. The supporting character Amina was amazing and added to the fully fleshed out background Luca is immersed in. The only thing that annoyed me was Luca deserved so much more than Jordan. He had a little character arc towards the end, but it was really frustrating having to have Luca deal with Jordan's insecurities.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Anything But Fine was honestly EVERYTHING I needed when I picked it up. I devoured this book in one sitting which is something I really never do. It's so strange sometimes, the way that I love books in general so much but then pick up an Australian YA and it immediately feels like I've come home. Our main character, Luca, is special in a way that is completely out of this world. His voice is so real and unique, I knew who he was instantly. His journey through seeing his dreams of being a professional ballet dancer shatter, moving schools and navigating friendships and relationships is something that I could read over and over. Luca's friendship with Amina is something I cherished. I loved how well she was written, that her ethnicity and faith was treated by Tobias Madden with such care and that her interests involved teaching, studying, and One Direction. I would like to dedicate a specific shout out to the term 'old-mate Styles' in reference to the one-and-only Harry Styles. Thank you, Luca, I will never call him anything but this ever again.

Update:
I have also received and listened to the audiobook ARC of the US release thanks to NetGalley!

I was so excited to experience this wonderful book in a new format and the narrator, Matthew Backer, absolutely nailed Luca’s voice! Listening to Luca’s story was so lively and I enjoyed every minute of it. I feel like I connected to Luca’s struggles with letting his dreams go even more and his feelings towards his friends truly hit home when I heard it all out loud. Kudos to both Tobias and Matthew for bringing such a beautiful and, at times, hilarious story into my life.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden. This queen YA Romance was absolutely enthralling. Kudos to the author and narrator, this was delightful!

5 stars

This is such a great debut, and while it's a solid dance novel, it's also SO much more!

The m.c., Luca, is 16 and a rising star ballet star at his performing arts high school when readers meet him. He's a favorite for potential acceptance into a company, and by all accounts, he has a promising career in dance lined up for his entire future (so, like, 30 in dance years). This is why it is particularly shocking that this all falls away early in the novel...pun intended. Fortunately, Luca has an incredibly supportive father (a widower) who is there to boost him when he begins to make realizations about how different his future may be from what he expected. Luca also has to grapple with other related changes in environment, people, and ability, and these all shift his circumstances and mentality dramatically. What he encounters would be a lot for anyone, and any person with a soul will ache for him even more because of how much loss and change he experiences at such a young age.

On the upside, one stable part of Luca's identity is his awareness and acceptance of his sexuality. I LOVE this part of the novel. This character has a supportive family but through changes in environment, he is able to reflect when and where he is accepted. Though other characters do explore their struggles with this part of their identity, Luca never does. He is not a victim, and he is not figuring out this part of himself; he knows. Of course, novels that include the finding yourself/understanding your sexuality/coming of age component are an essential part of the YA world, but it was utterly refreshing to read a kid who is messed up and questioning everything about himself EXCEPT for his sexuality. One reason I know I'll be recommending this one to students for a long time is because of this feature and how dramatically it differs from so many similar books for this audience.

Through this novel, readers get to see a flawed but likeable main character who is struggling with an incredible obstacle. In the process, he explores his friendships, his priorities, his romantic options, and his family connections, and this all happens with the added - but not constant stereotyping - of the dance school background.

Readers who are able to access the audio version of this text absolutely should. For me, the fabulous narrator added even more texture to Luca and his journey.

I'll be looking for more from Madden and excitedly recommending this one to my students in the meantime.