Anything But Fine

A heartfelt and hilarious Australian YA debut from a rising star. Luca is ready to audition for the Australian Ballet School. All it takes to crush his dreams is one missed step . . . and a broken foot. Jordan is the gorgeous rowing star and school captain of Luca’s new school. Everyone says he’s straight – but Luca’s not so sure . . . As their unlikely bond grows stronger, Luca starts to wonder- who is he without ballet? And is he setting himself up for another heartbreak? ‘Anything But Fine is everything wonderful I love in a book- characters so real they breathe, a rollercoaster of a story that made me laugh, cry, and swoon, and vivid, gorgeous writing. Brilliant.’ JENNIFER NIVEN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places ‘In Anything But Fine, Tobias Madden delivers a stirring meditation on identity and grief. Sweet, warm and thoroughly delightful, it will quickly dance its way into your heart.’ KRYSTAL SUTHERLAND, bestselling author of Our Chemical Hearts ‘Anything But Fine is a gorgeous story about love, loss, friendship and hope – and about finding your true self after your one and only dream shatters into a thousand pieces.’ FLEUR FERRIS, bestselling author of Risk

Originally from Ballarat, Tobias worked for ten years as a performer, touring Australia and New Zealand with musicals such as Mary Poppins, CATS, and Guys and Dolls. He now resides in New York City with his husband, Daniel, and their Cavoodle, Ollie. In 2019, Tobias edited and published Underdog- #LoveOzYA Short Stories and co-wrote the cabaret show Siblingship. His debut novel, Anything But Fine, was awarded the Australian Association of Family Therapy’s Book Award for Older Readers, was shortlisted for ABIA Book of the Year for Older Readers, was named one of Better Reading’s Top 50 Kids Books, and was included on Bank Street College of Education’s list of Best Children’s Books of the Year (US). Tobias is a passionate member of the #LoveOzYA and LGBTQ+ communities, and he currently works full-time in book marketing.