Marco has pushed himself all of his life to be the best, and is ready to study biomedicine. But when the day comes to leave, he can’t do it. Unhappy when his parents plan a new future for him, just days before his 18th birthday, Marco seizes an opportunity his grandmother arranges and goes to live on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean which his estranged uncle works on.

Trying to change himself up, he commits to doing things that his prior self would consider to be “wrong.”

Marco is all over the place in this book. I found his adventure on the ship to be a nice, fresh setting.

Marco definitely chooses several wrong answers and struggles to see why they are wrong, causing fractures in his oldest friendship.

Can he get himself back on track?

This book is well written and captivating. Sometimes you want to reach through the pages, grab Marco, and yell what are you doing?!?! Yet, you can’t help but sympathize with his situation, his family issues, and his struggle to “fix” himself.

I think you’ll enjoy this one.

A coming of age story with humor, wit, anxiety, romance, family drama, and friendship. This was such a beautifully told story. Marco is supposed to be going to university, but when he begins to have panic attacks, his grandmother suggests he go on a cruise ship with his estranged Uncle for some needed relaxation. His best friend joins him and encourages him to talk to his crush. What follows is a bit of romance, a lot of self discovery, some family drama and secrets, a test of friendship, and a look at anxiety.
I think many queer/gay people will find aspects of this story relatable. There was great conversation about coming out, generational differences in attitudes towards being gay, secrecy and the damage family members can inflict on gay psyches. This followed a YA character but it had a lot of “grown up” conversations. The main character was flawed and had some growing up to do, but was endearing and I found myself rooting for him, his growth, and his family. 4.25

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start off by saying, as a Hunter I was really hoping for a different Hunter in this book lol, but the character was well written. I loved this story, it had me laughing and crying and wishing to be in Italy sitting in a lemon tree grove. The end of this book had me crying my eyes out so warning there for those who read.

Marco does not have anxiety, he can't right? It was just a blip. When Marco has a panic attack before moving to begin his journey to become a surgeon he feels lost. His parents make him defer a year and sent to his uncle he has never met on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean he tries to find himself once more.

Marco had so much personality and Madden wrote anxiety and queer self-discovery so well in this story. The panic of leaving on your own for the first time not knowing what will happen is a huge fear for so many that it was great to see that representation.

I would love to read more from Tobias Madden now and will have to look into that. This is the perfect summer book in my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, Tobias Madden and Penguin Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read all of Tobias Madden’s books and think this one is his best so far. It reminded me of Phil Stamper’s Golden Boys. Wrong Answers Only and Golden Boys are both about boys on the cusp of adulthood who close a chapter and start a new one.

Mario has it all. He was a golden boy at high school who has never failed in his life. Until he’s almost leaving for university. Then Marco freezes, having multiple panic attacks, blibs, as he calls them.

Instead of going to university, Marco takes a gap year and leaves for Europe to live on a cruise ship his estranged uncle is working on. To find answers.

Marco always wants answers to his questions, but what if you can’t find them? Or can only find the wrong ones? This is what Wrong Answers Only is about.

As always, Tobias’ writing is breezy and vivid, and this story is easily readable despite the tougher topics. Like I said, it felt like Golden Boys. Don’t expect a romance because this isn’t one. It’s a story of finding yourself, a story about family relationships and friendship. I liked Marco’s friendship with CeCe, and I loved Renzo, but I disliked Hunter from the start. Oliver though, I wanted to know better (and somehow wanted Marco and Oliver to get together).

If you liked Golden Boys or Phil Stamper’s writing overall, I highly recommend this book. But also if you have a soft spot for stories about finding yourself, family, and friends.