Anything But Fine

Written by Tobias Madden

Narrated by Matthew Backer

All it takes is one missed step for your life to change forever

Luca Mason knows exactly who he is and what he wants: In six months, he’s going to be accepted into the Australian Ballet School, leave his fancy private high school, and live his life as a star of the stage—at least that’s the plan until he falls
down a flight of stairs and breaks his foot in a way he can never recover from.With his dancing dreams dead on their feet, Luca loses his performing arts scholarship and transfers to the local public school, leaving behind all his ballet friends and his whole future on stage.

The only bright side is that he strikes up unlikely friendships with the nicest (and nerdiest) girl at his new school, Amina Ahmad, and the gorgeous, popular, and (reportedly) straight school captain, Jordan Tanaka-Jones.

As Luca’s bond with Jordan grows stronger, he starts to wonder: Who is he without ballet? And is he setting himself up for another heartbreak?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705034828

Reviews for Anything But Fine

[Wendoline Mercado Rojano · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I would say that, overall, it is an entertaining book, but I would classify most of the interpersonal relationships in it as "not very positive". I think most characters lack empathy and are self-centered even if they aren't downright awful. And the main character has what I consider to be some major lapses in judgement, so that certainly cut back my enjoyment a bit. But overall it wasn't a bad book...

[drronmccoy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gosh! What a pure joy it was to listen to this book! An authentic story that flows so freely, with a diverse range of voices and characters which mines the complexities and joys of teenage queer relationships. I loved the main character, and their worldview. The exploration of grief was sharply observed, as was the main character’s journey of adjusting to a new life. Loss is something often explored in books about older people, but we often forget that young people can experience tremendous grief at a time when just starting to come to grips with adult thinking and emotions. I really enjoyed some of the differences in this book that set it apart from similar books. For example, there is an exploration of social inequity in terms of money and education; and also the difference between rural/regional stories and those of major cities. Quite often, stories like this seem to be oblivious about the impact of these factors, but this story weaves it seamlessly through the whole narrative. In addition, being set in Ballarat was very nostalgic for me as I had to work there for a few months once. If anyone outside of Australia is reading this review, take my word for it – the author has totally nailed the setting! However, you don’t need to understand the city to enjoy the setting. The narrator has really brought the whole story to life – it’s an incredibly entertaining listen! Some of the moments were laugh out loud much, and I’m still thinking of the party invitation library, when I almost had tears of laughter when I heard that voice! Optimistic, sexy and fun, despite all the challenges, I really hope young queer people get to hear or read this, as I’m sure it will change many lives. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book.