Definitely a little too angsty for me but it definitely captured the mind and processing of a damaged teenager. I would probably just describe this book as "okay" because it just didn't do a lot for me but it also didn't bore me to death.

I thank Netgalley and the author for providing me a digital ARC of this novel.

Trigger warnings: drug and alcohol abuse, body dysmorphia, family problems, possible/mention of suicide.

Actual rate: 3.50 stars
I don't really have much to say about this novel. I think it hit the mark that the premise hinted to, and the message it wanted to send reached me.
I think that this is one of those "it's not you, it's me" cases: my only issue with this novel is that when I read it I couldn't help but notice it was written by an adult. Don't take this the wrong way, as I said before the book does it job well, the intention behind the novel is undoubtedly a good one, but the way the characters talked and the overall writing style of Katie's chapters felt a bit too childish, more suited to a 14yo girl than a 18yo one. Also I wouldn't have minded if her personality and personal reasons were deepened a bit more.
One thing that distinguished the novel and made it run very smoothly, though, was the format: the story is mostly narrated through police reports, texts and interviews, which create a good imagine of who Anna was and what other people thought about her, then there were a few diary snippets which gave us an idea of what Anna was dealing with instead. The external vs personal contast, mixed with the light format in which the story takes place, made the heavy content in the novel easily readable. So if you are looking content about the importance of mental health in teenagehood this novel might help you.

This book was actually pretty enjoyable. It wasn't a genre I normally read, it bordered mystery, which I normally avoid. I'm not sure why, because I still really enjoyed this, and will probably go back and reread it.

Blurb
Six years ago, Anna Williams—straight-A student and all-around golden child—vanished.

Ever since, her sister Katie has drifted through life, wracked with grief and anger. But when her own future reaches a breaking point, Katie takes the disappearance into her own hands.


I think the format of this was a unique way to explore the mystery of Anna's disappearance. We didn't really get much from Katie's perspective, most of the book was documents from the police file. This was really a great way to go about it, because I felt like I really got to know Anna, so I was more invested in finding her.

I also really liked how every interview and journal entry gave us a different side of Anna. We saw the way her sister viewed her, how her family viewed her, and how her separate friend groups viewed her. I felt like it was a great way to introduce us to her life, and it really tackled the issue of how well people can hide their true feelings.

As someone who has never suffered from mental illness, or been close to anyone who has, I can't speak for how well it was handled in this book. From the best of what I know, it was written well. I appreciated how there was no concrete answer, no real reason why Anna disappeared, it was a combination of all factors.

The ending of this was actually pretty surprising, it broke pretty far from the format of normal mystery books. As we got closer to it, I was sort of expecting it, but I was hoping it may end different. Even though it didn't end the way I was expecting, I found it to be a super fulfilling ending. I love how Katie confronted her grief on her own terms, and learned to deal with it. I really liked this book!

Thanks to AmyLea Murphy and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Fine is a nice read for its targeted audience and has enough to make you keep page turning however fans of Sadie etc might find it doesn’t pack the same punch they are looking for . I felt the ending was also a bit misleading but overall it’s a nice little read for over the weekend and I look forward to seeing more from AmyLea Murphy .

I felt a bit mislead by the ending, but I guess that was to be expected for how the story needed to play out. I enjoyed how the texts and format of the files were included as it made it feel more authentic. While I'm not the target demographic for this novel, I felt that the author did a good job of voicing the emotions that come with being a teenager.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.