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Fine
Six years ago, Anna Williams-straight-A student, cheerleader, and all-around golden child-vanished.
Ever since, her younger sister, Katie, has drifted through life, wracked with guilt, grief, and anger over Anna's unsolved disappearance. But when her own future reaches a breaking point, Katie takes the investigation into her own hands. She searches for answers in her sister's missing person's file and discovers that some questions aren't so easily answered.
Through police memos, interrogations, and excerpts from Anna's diary, Katie breaks down the carefully crafted façade Anna left behind and uncovers the dark truths of her life in the months before she vanished.
For readers of Courney Summers and Sarah Dessen, Fine is an unsettling, surprising, and ultimately hopeful mystery that will break your heart and put it back together again.
Ever since, her younger sister, Katie, has drifted through life, wracked with guilt, grief, and anger over Anna's unsolved disappearance. But when her own future reaches a breaking point, Katie takes the investigation into her own hands. She searches for answers in her sister's missing person's file and discovers that some questions aren't so easily answered.
Through police memos, interrogations, and excerpts from Anna's diary, Katie breaks down the carefully crafted façade Anna left behind and uncovers the dark truths of her life in the months before she vanished.
For readers of Courney Summers and Sarah Dessen, Fine is an unsettling, surprising, and ultimately hopeful mystery that will break your heart and put it back together again.
372 pages, Paperback
Published November 17, 2020
153 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 30, 2020
"We act like everything is fine because it is expected, it is preferable, and it is easier. For everyone."
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Six years ago, Katie's older sister disappeared without a trace. Katie can't fathom why Anna would have a reason to run, and hates the thought of something horrible having happened to her.
It feels like forever since that day, and the mystery of Anna's disappearance was never solved.
Katie wants the truth, and decides the best way to find it will be looking through her sister's case file.
~★~
From the beginning, I was really interested in the premise of this book. I was looking forward to uncovering the mystery of Anna, as well as how her sister was managing her absence. While this was partially delivered, I feel I didn't get to know Katie well enough, and instead learned mostly about Anna from reading her case files.
AmyLea Murphy's writing made for a quick and easy time reading. While it didn't stand out much from other contemporaries, I can't complain about it. I did like the formatting of journal entries and audio transcriptions as a method of piecing together Anna's character.
While Fine wasn't necessarily outstanding, nor did it bring anything new to the table, I did find myself engaged in the story and curious as to how things would play out. There are definitely people who will enjoy this one!
Thank you to Netgalley for the E-arc!
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Six years ago, Katie's older sister disappeared without a trace. Katie can't fathom why Anna would have a reason to run, and hates the thought of something horrible having happened to her.
It feels like forever since that day, and the mystery of Anna's disappearance was never solved.
Katie wants the truth, and decides the best way to find it will be looking through her sister's case file.
~★~
From the beginning, I was really interested in the premise of this book. I was looking forward to uncovering the mystery of Anna, as well as how her sister was managing her absence. While this was partially delivered, I feel I didn't get to know Katie well enough, and instead learned mostly about Anna from reading her case files.
AmyLea Murphy's writing made for a quick and easy time reading. While it didn't stand out much from other contemporaries, I can't complain about it. I did like the formatting of journal entries and audio transcriptions as a method of piecing together Anna's character.
While Fine wasn't necessarily outstanding, nor did it bring anything new to the table, I did find myself engaged in the story and curious as to how things would play out. There are definitely people who will enjoy this one!
Thank you to Netgalley for the E-arc!
January 21, 2021
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I definitely am not a member of the target demographic for this book. Hell, I wouldn’t even consider this a YA novel. The story was super intriguing to start, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hold my attention. Told in the voice of teen Katie Williams, Murphy takes us through the actual case files and recordings from when Katie’s sister, Anna, went missing. Katie is desperate for answers as to where Anna went and whether she is still alive.
Where the plot falls off is the book’s ending. It turns out that Anna was found dead due to drowning, and suicide is suspected. I find it incredibly hard to believe that 12-year-old Katie could have avoided all newspaper articles, television news reports, social media postings, and murmurs from classmates surrounding Anna’s disappearance. You’re telling me that Katie’s parents purposely kept this piece of information from her for years? She is a grown ass adult now... why make her go through the entire case file? Maybe I would have appreciated this is middle school or something. I just didn’t buy that crap “discovery.”
I definitely am not a member of the target demographic for this book. Hell, I wouldn’t even consider this a YA novel. The story was super intriguing to start, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hold my attention. Told in the voice of teen Katie Williams, Murphy takes us through the actual case files and recordings from when Katie’s sister, Anna, went missing. Katie is desperate for answers as to where Anna went and whether she is still alive.
Where the plot falls off is the book’s ending. It turns out that Anna was found dead due to drowning, and suicide is suspected. I find it incredibly hard to believe that 12-year-old Katie could have avoided all newspaper articles, television news reports, social media postings, and murmurs from classmates surrounding Anna’s disappearance. You’re telling me that Katie’s parents purposely kept this piece of information from her for years? She is a grown ass adult now... why make her go through the entire case file? Maybe I would have appreciated this is middle school or something. I just didn’t buy that crap “discovery.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2020
When Katie was young her older sister disappeared and now that she’s 18 she connects with the investigating officer to read the police file. I can totally believe at 12 she wouldn’t have known what questions to ask or even to understand everything going on. I really liked the unique format of telling the story of Anna’s disappearance through police interviews, emails, texts, diary entries etc. I just wanted some more depth than the cliches all the characters appeared to be. I also felt let down by the end of the police investigation and I wanted to know more, It wasn’t so much a mystery as there wasn’t any real resolution.
October 23, 2020
↠ 2.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review. A contemporary mystery that ended up being entirely not so. After the unsolved disappearance of her sister Anna six years ago, Katie Williams reopens the investigation herself and attempts to solve the mystery of her disappearance once and for all. What results is a deep dive into her sisters innermost thoughts, police interviews, and her missing persons file, as she grapples with what truly happened all those years ago.
I for one love a good mystery, put it together with a complicated sisterly relationship and this seemed like the perfect contemporary for me. The writing style and overarching themes were excellent, and one of the first things that stood out to me in the reading process, but that is unfortunately all I liked about this book. My main issue with this as a whole, is that it seemed to focus more on a character study of Anna, then the overall mystery and Katie as a person. From the synopsis, there definitely seemed to be an emphasis of Katie having the prominent role in investigating the past in order to solve the mystery, and her life in the years after. I was practically begging for more scenes focused on the present day narrative and how Katie developed in response to what she was learning. The mystery aspect and transitions into important texts and interviews, were necessary given that Katie was trying to solve what happened to her sister. With response to the ending, however, the amount of time spent showing the interviews and documents should have been cut by half. The revelation that the mystery was actually why Anna had run away, and not where she was, should have led to an even focus on Anna and Katie respectively. Given that so much of the book consisted of research into the investigation, I was expecting there to be more. The ending really fell flat after the build up from the beginning of the book. This is not to say that the themes explored weren't important, but if you go into this expecting a mystery and an exploration of a complicated family relationship, you won't be getting it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review. A contemporary mystery that ended up being entirely not so. After the unsolved disappearance of her sister Anna six years ago, Katie Williams reopens the investigation herself and attempts to solve the mystery of her disappearance once and for all. What results is a deep dive into her sisters innermost thoughts, police interviews, and her missing persons file, as she grapples with what truly happened all those years ago.
I for one love a good mystery, put it together with a complicated sisterly relationship and this seemed like the perfect contemporary for me. The writing style and overarching themes were excellent, and one of the first things that stood out to me in the reading process, but that is unfortunately all I liked about this book. My main issue with this as a whole, is that it seemed to focus more on a character study of Anna, then the overall mystery and Katie as a person. From the synopsis, there definitely seemed to be an emphasis of Katie having the prominent role in investigating the past in order to solve the mystery, and her life in the years after. I was practically begging for more scenes focused on the present day narrative and how Katie developed in response to what she was learning. The mystery aspect and transitions into important texts and interviews, were necessary given that Katie was trying to solve what happened to her sister. With response to the ending, however, the amount of time spent showing the interviews and documents should have been cut by half. The revelation that the mystery was actually why Anna had run away, and not where she was, should have led to an even focus on Anna and Katie respectively. Given that so much of the book consisted of research into the investigation, I was expecting there to be more. The ending really fell flat after the build up from the beginning of the book. This is not to say that the themes explored weren't important, but if you go into this expecting a mystery and an exploration of a complicated family relationship, you won't be getting it.
November 26, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Fine tells the story about a girl named Katie whose sister dissapears under strange circunstances after a normal school day. After six years, Katie and her family still struggle with this traumatic event in their life and in order to leave it all behind and find some peace, Katie decides to go to the police station and read the whole Anna's file to find out the truth about her.
This sounds cool right? When I first saw it I thought I would read an intriguin YA Mystery but no. This was the first thing I didn't like about the book. It is supposed to be a book about a "mysterious dissapereance" but instead is a whole teen drama that talks about bullying and mental health and drug abuse. Even if I like to read about that and as a medical student I really aware of that issues, it was done poorly. The whole book felt like a boring essay about bullying and it didn't add anything new to these topic. I think the author try too hard to leave a message and did some pretentious writing that didn't serve her first purpose which was writing a nice book.
I apreciate though her hability to use such a diverse writing resources such as interviews, e-mails, text messages and diary's entries.
The characters were one dimensional and just fit the YA stereotype. And I won't spend my precious time talking about the love interest (Can you guess if it was well done? Well, NOT. BC IT WAS INSTA-LOVE AS HELL).
The resolution of the plot make me felt like an idiot. Wait, not me. The whole felt pointless. (If you read it, I believe you felt it too).
I think that maybe this genre isn't for me anymore. My 15 year-old-self would have liked it more for sure. So don't feel dissapointed if you want to read it because it may surprise you! The writing was nice and it talks about pretty serious themes although it could have been excecuted better.
Fine tells the story about a girl named Katie whose sister dissapears under strange circunstances after a normal school day. After six years, Katie and her family still struggle with this traumatic event in their life and in order to leave it all behind and find some peace, Katie decides to go to the police station and read the whole Anna's file to find out the truth about her.
This sounds cool right? When I first saw it I thought I would read an intriguin YA Mystery but no. This was the first thing I didn't like about the book. It is supposed to be a book about a "mysterious dissapereance" but instead is a whole teen drama that talks about bullying and mental health and drug abuse. Even if I like to read about that and as a medical student I really aware of that issues, it was done poorly. The whole book felt like a boring essay about bullying and it didn't add anything new to these topic. I think the author try too hard to leave a message and did some pretentious writing that didn't serve her first purpose which was writing a nice book.
I apreciate though her hability to use such a diverse writing resources such as interviews, e-mails, text messages and diary's entries.
The characters were one dimensional and just fit the YA stereotype. And I won't spend my precious time talking about the love interest (Can you guess if it was well done? Well, NOT. BC IT WAS INSTA-LOVE AS HELL).
The resolution of the plot make me felt like an idiot. Wait, not me. The whole felt pointless. (If you read it, I believe you felt it too).
I think that maybe this genre isn't for me anymore. My 15 year-old-self would have liked it more for sure. So don't feel dissapointed if you want to read it because it may surprise you! The writing was nice and it talks about pretty serious themes although it could have been excecuted better.
March 25, 2021
I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, with thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.
This book begins with Katie getting fired from her job at a smoothie bar on what would have been her sister's birthday. Anna, her sister, went missing 6 years ago and Katie just hasn't been the same since, not only did she lose her best friend, she lost her motivation and fell off the wagon and had a dysfunctional relationship with her family. Katie's parents act as if she doesn't exist, opting to just not talk about things but this is stifling Katie. When she contacts the detective who investigated her sister's case, she is allowed to read the case notes hoping to find out what happened truly. She discovers more about her sister than she ever knew and finds out more about her family than she ever wanted to. Can Katie find herself while she's trying to find the truth?
This book sounded so up my street originally. I love unsolved mysteries and I love YA thrillers. The way this book was formatted went between the modern-day, interviews, diary entries from Anna and so on. The format I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters, however, I did not. Katie was tolerable at most, having moments of being extremely likeable and other moments being completely detestable. I found Jack to be a very weird character too, he apparently knew Anna better than anyone, her lifelong best friend and there he is immediately flirting with her kid sister who was 4-6 years younger than him? Weird seeing as she wasn't long 18 and had just finished school but alas. There were no stand out characters in this book. Not even Anna seemed overly likeable, wrapped up in her own undiagnosed mental health conditions.
But the sticking point with this book and one I will not recover from is that you get no answers. The mystery remains a mystery. The book is written as if Anna could still be alive almost, except for the fact her parents and family have given up hope but I don't feel like it's properly discussed that they had found her body. But you never find out what happened to her in the 10 days she was missing. Was everyone involved? Were all the suspects actually guilty? Who knows, not me, and that annoys me more than the unlikeable characters. If the conclusion was even breathtaking, I could forgive it but it just ended with Katie having closure and patching things up with her mum.
This book begins with Katie getting fired from her job at a smoothie bar on what would have been her sister's birthday. Anna, her sister, went missing 6 years ago and Katie just hasn't been the same since, not only did she lose her best friend, she lost her motivation and fell off the wagon and had a dysfunctional relationship with her family. Katie's parents act as if she doesn't exist, opting to just not talk about things but this is stifling Katie. When she contacts the detective who investigated her sister's case, she is allowed to read the case notes hoping to find out what happened truly. She discovers more about her sister than she ever knew and finds out more about her family than she ever wanted to. Can Katie find herself while she's trying to find the truth?
This book sounded so up my street originally. I love unsolved mysteries and I love YA thrillers. The way this book was formatted went between the modern-day, interviews, diary entries from Anna and so on. The format I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters, however, I did not. Katie was tolerable at most, having moments of being extremely likeable and other moments being completely detestable. I found Jack to be a very weird character too, he apparently knew Anna better than anyone, her lifelong best friend and there he is immediately flirting with her kid sister who was 4-6 years younger than him? Weird seeing as she wasn't long 18 and had just finished school but alas. There were no stand out characters in this book. Not even Anna seemed overly likeable, wrapped up in her own undiagnosed mental health conditions.
But the sticking point with this book and one I will not recover from is that you get no answers. The mystery remains a mystery. The book is written as if Anna could still be alive almost, except for the fact her parents and family have given up hope but I don't feel like it's properly discussed that they had found her body. But you never find out what happened to her in the 10 days she was missing. Was everyone involved? Were all the suspects actually guilty? Who knows, not me, and that annoys me more than the unlikeable characters. If the conclusion was even breathtaking, I could forgive it but it just ended with Katie having closure and patching things up with her mum.
September 21, 2020
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
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
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
October 7, 2020
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Fine in exchange for an honest review.
Fine was fine conceptually, in practice it just wasn't enough. Following our personalityless protagonist Katie as she looks back on the disappearance of her sister Anna 6 years prior, Fine is a mixed medium 'mystery' that turns out to be a lot less mystery, a lot more character study. This book doesn't have much in the way of plot which is fine because I'm pretty sure its supposed to serve mostly as a study of Anna and the teen experience as a whole, but neither Anna or Katie felt like actual teenagers so as a commentary, it fell really short. There's a semblance of being a teenager, but its all overblown to the point of it really sounding like an adult talking about their fears of what teenagers are doing instead of what teens are actually doing. Anna, Katie, and their friends also all speak and process events and relationships as if they were a lot younger than their actual ages which heightens the divide between them and actual teens.
I normally like mixed medium, but it didn't work here. This book uses a lot of records of interviews done in the investigation of Anna's disappearance to introduce characters and plot elements, but it always felt a lot more like the author outlining plot points than actual interview transcripts (for example, the transcript includes details like dramatic sighs that I highly doubt appear in actual police transcripts. Keep in mind I read an early copy so that specific example may change). Whenever we read a transcript I found it impossible to forget that I was reading a book someone had written and it made it even harder to see anyone as actual characters.
Fine was fine conceptually, in practice it just wasn't enough. Following our personalityless protagonist Katie as she looks back on the disappearance of her sister Anna 6 years prior, Fine is a mixed medium 'mystery' that turns out to be a lot less mystery, a lot more character study. This book doesn't have much in the way of plot which is fine because I'm pretty sure its supposed to serve mostly as a study of Anna and the teen experience as a whole, but neither Anna or Katie felt like actual teenagers so as a commentary, it fell really short. There's a semblance of being a teenager, but its all overblown to the point of it really sounding like an adult talking about their fears of what teenagers are doing instead of what teens are actually doing. Anna, Katie, and their friends also all speak and process events and relationships as if they were a lot younger than their actual ages which heightens the divide between them and actual teens.
I normally like mixed medium, but it didn't work here. This book uses a lot of records of interviews done in the investigation of Anna's disappearance to introduce characters and plot elements, but it always felt a lot more like the author outlining plot points than actual interview transcripts (for example, the transcript includes details like dramatic sighs that I highly doubt appear in actual police transcripts. Keep in mind I read an early copy so that specific example may change). Whenever we read a transcript I found it impossible to forget that I was reading a book someone had written and it made it even harder to see anyone as actual characters.
January 11, 2021
2.5 stars
This had a great, interesting premise but I found it to be a bit lacking in terms of the mystery and plot. It was still a solid and fast-paced read regardless.
Fine was more of a character study of Anna rather than the actual solving of her disappearance. I wanted more of the mystery aspect to it. The plot also felt a bit forced and initially, I did not understand why Katie decided to look into Anna’s case 6 years after her disappearance. That happened out of the blue.
I liked the mixed-media format. It made the story so much more engaging. However, the constant use of the interviews and documents detracted me from learning about Katie, the protagonist. I never really got to learn what she was like as a person. Additionally, I felt that the romance was underdeveloped and forced. I didn’t mind it but it was so unnecessary.
In terms of the ending, it was a bit underwhelming because I expected a huge reveal but it went the opposite direction. I expected a lot more because of the huge build-up we were getting from the rest of the story. It just fell flat because the anticipation of reading the mystery did not equate to the payoff.
The overarching themes were really important and I applaud Murphy for handling them really well. Unfortunately, this book could be a lot better and had so much potential. It was well-written and intriguing regardless.
Thank you to AmyLea Murphy and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This had a great, interesting premise but I found it to be a bit lacking in terms of the mystery and plot. It was still a solid and fast-paced read regardless.
Fine was more of a character study of Anna rather than the actual solving of her disappearance. I wanted more of the mystery aspect to it. The plot also felt a bit forced and initially, I did not understand why Katie decided to look into Anna’s case 6 years after her disappearance. That happened out of the blue.
I liked the mixed-media format. It made the story so much more engaging. However, the constant use of the interviews and documents detracted me from learning about Katie, the protagonist. I never really got to learn what she was like as a person. Additionally, I felt that the romance was underdeveloped and forced. I didn’t mind it but it was so unnecessary.
In terms of the ending, it was a bit underwhelming because I expected a huge reveal but it went the opposite direction. I expected a lot more because of the huge build-up we were getting from the rest of the story. It just fell flat because the anticipation of reading the mystery did not equate to the payoff.
The overarching themes were really important and I applaud Murphy for handling them really well. Unfortunately, this book could be a lot better and had so much potential. It was well-written and intriguing regardless.
Thank you to AmyLea Murphy and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2021
[Disclaimer: e-ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
I liked the premises of this story and I enjoyed the mix of mystery and more general contemporary story we saw here.
I also liked seeing a character who has finished high school and is just really unsure what to do with their life next - highly relatable content :D
Overall my feelings on this were quite mixed - it really felt like the author was trying something different here with the way she told this story, which I really appreciate. I also really enjoyed the sister relationship we see portrayed. The main issue that I had with this book was honestly just the ending, I found it incredibly unsatisfying and honestly it pissed me off a little - I had so many unanswered questions.
If you enjoy your mysteries with a quite contemporary edge and don't mind being left with questions at the end of the story then this one is worth checking out.
Please check out my BookTube Channel for more bookish content.
I liked the premises of this story and I enjoyed the mix of mystery and more general contemporary story we saw here.
I also liked seeing a character who has finished high school and is just really unsure what to do with their life next - highly relatable content :D
Overall my feelings on this were quite mixed - it really felt like the author was trying something different here with the way she told this story, which I really appreciate. I also really enjoyed the sister relationship we see portrayed. The main issue that I had with this book was honestly just the ending, I found it incredibly unsatisfying and honestly it pissed me off a little - I had so many unanswered questions.
If you enjoy your mysteries with a quite contemporary edge and don't mind being left with questions at the end of the story then this one is worth checking out.
Please check out my BookTube Channel for more bookish content.
September 27, 2020
It was my first YA novel that I would have given all the 5 stars to but there were so many pertinent incomplete bits that made it fall short of a great read. It breaks my heart to say I give it just 3 stars, it had the potential to be a knock your socks of kind of a book.
If you liked 13 Reasons Why, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and the trope of a missing sister and all the proceedings that happen to decrypt the how and why and what in the disappearance and the fragile mindset of adolescents and teenagers , you should read this book.
Teenagers are the most misunderstood people , they are treated like children and expected to act like adults. Its mind numbingly befuddling and complicated being teenagers. The story starts off by Katie Williams an 18 year old who terribly misses her elder sister, her everything who mysteriously disappeared 6 years ago without any trace. Katie hasn't been able to make peace with it and now that she is not just a flimsy 12 year old kid but an 18 year old she decides to dive deep and find the real truth about her beloved sister, ANNA WILLIAMS.
Anna is a high power, straight As, high achiever, dutiful daughter, doting and very loving dream sister one could have. She is IMPECCABLE on the outside, being what is expected of her as a young woman. She feels putting her needs is being a LOSER or a weak person and shies away from being herself and always puts the "I AM FINE" act always for everyone. But deep down, she is into smithereens, shattered, broken, coming apart. She writes her true feelings in a diary.
What I liked:
- Fast paced, relatable, articulate
- The book is filled with diary page entires, emails, real SMS texts, flyers, police reports so it gives a very authentic reading experience. Loved it!
- The love and relationship between the sisters is adorable and sweet. Likeable main characters.
What I didnt like:
It breaks my heart when I love a book this much and it has these low blows and unanswered subplots in there.
- Why did Anna start hating her dad suddenly and go from being a daddy's girl to just literally banging and bruising her head after a phone conversation with him? WHY? That was never addressed in the entire story, not even in the end.
- The end was rushed and seemed anti climatic. An epilogue would be good.
I would love to read more of her books as I liked it nonetheless. Its a decent read.
Its easier to say "I AM FINE", when people ask. "HOW ARE YOU", because they don't really care and don't want to be troubled by someone's dirty laundry. Thats the harsh truth. So you just tell them whats easier and what they WANT TO HEAR which is FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
If you liked 13 Reasons Why, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and the trope of a missing sister and all the proceedings that happen to decrypt the how and why and what in the disappearance and the fragile mindset of adolescents and teenagers , you should read this book.
Teenagers are the most misunderstood people , they are treated like children and expected to act like adults. Its mind numbingly befuddling and complicated being teenagers. The story starts off by Katie Williams an 18 year old who terribly misses her elder sister, her everything who mysteriously disappeared 6 years ago without any trace. Katie hasn't been able to make peace with it and now that she is not just a flimsy 12 year old kid but an 18 year old she decides to dive deep and find the real truth about her beloved sister, ANNA WILLIAMS.
Anna is a high power, straight As, high achiever, dutiful daughter, doting and very loving dream sister one could have. She is IMPECCABLE on the outside, being what is expected of her as a young woman. She feels putting her needs is being a LOSER or a weak person and shies away from being herself and always puts the "I AM FINE" act always for everyone. But deep down, she is into smithereens, shattered, broken, coming apart. She writes her true feelings in a diary.
What I liked:
- Fast paced, relatable, articulate
- The book is filled with diary page entires, emails, real SMS texts, flyers, police reports so it gives a very authentic reading experience. Loved it!
- The love and relationship between the sisters is adorable and sweet. Likeable main characters.
What I didnt like:
It breaks my heart when I love a book this much and it has these low blows and unanswered subplots in there.
- Why did Anna start hating her dad suddenly and go from being a daddy's girl to just literally banging and bruising her head after a phone conversation with him? WHY? That was never addressed in the entire story, not even in the end.
- The end was rushed and seemed anti climatic. An epilogue would be good.
I would love to read more of her books as I liked it nonetheless. Its a decent read.
Its easier to say "I AM FINE", when people ask. "HOW ARE YOU", because they don't really care and don't want to be troubled by someone's dirty laundry. Thats the harsh truth. So you just tell them whats easier and what they WANT TO HEAR which is FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
March 16, 2021
Netgalley Arc.
This book was recommended for fans of Sadie by Courtney Summers and was the whole reason I picked up this book; I adored Sadie, the narrative and the split format of podcast and Sadie's perspective, and I understand why Fine is likened to Sadie due to there being excerpt from a case file throughout the story.
This whole narrative hinges on Katie whose sister, Anna, disappeared six years earlier. and her case was never sold. We follow Katie as she begins 'investigating' her sisters disappearance. However, everything kind of falls into Katie's lap and she is just reading from the casefile and we get to see snippets of her reactions to the file.
Katie isn't a very fleshed out character at all and the mystery of what happened to Anna was more compelling than Katie's storyline in my opinion. We get more content from Anna's file than we do from Katie's current perspective and for half of the book the only excerpts from Katie are her short reactions to things she (and the reader) have just read. The romance felt very forced and there wasn't enough time dedicated to the build up of their relationship nor many interactions between the two characters to make the reader care if they got together or not in the end. Finally, the ending felt rushed and the ending is very anticlimactic. There is no big reveal about what happened to Katie's sister and its like the author forgot that no-one knows what happened to Anna, even Katie and her parents. So when the novel comes to a close and Anna's story is given an ending, it is strange that none of the characters have ANY kind of reaction to the revelation as if they already knew.
I really wanted to like this book, and I think that with a few tweaks it could be a 3/4 star read but with its preachy characters, plot holes and lack of focus on our actual protagonist, I would just recommend that people read Sadie.
This book was recommended for fans of Sadie by Courtney Summers and was the whole reason I picked up this book; I adored Sadie, the narrative and the split format of podcast and Sadie's perspective, and I understand why Fine is likened to Sadie due to there being excerpt from a case file throughout the story.
This whole narrative hinges on Katie whose sister, Anna, disappeared six years earlier. and her case was never sold. We follow Katie as she begins 'investigating' her sisters disappearance. However, everything kind of falls into Katie's lap and she is just reading from the casefile and we get to see snippets of her reactions to the file.
Katie isn't a very fleshed out character at all and the mystery of what happened to Anna was more compelling than Katie's storyline in my opinion. We get more content from Anna's file than we do from Katie's current perspective and for half of the book the only excerpts from Katie are her short reactions to things she (and the reader) have just read. The romance felt very forced and there wasn't enough time dedicated to the build up of their relationship nor many interactions between the two characters to make the reader care if they got together or not in the end. Finally, the ending felt rushed and the ending is very anticlimactic. There is no big reveal about what happened to Katie's sister and its like the author forgot that no-one knows what happened to Anna, even Katie and her parents. So when the novel comes to a close and Anna's story is given an ending, it is strange that none of the characters have ANY kind of reaction to the revelation as if they already knew.
I really wanted to like this book, and I think that with a few tweaks it could be a 3/4 star read but with its preachy characters, plot holes and lack of focus on our actual protagonist, I would just recommend that people read Sadie.
February 8, 2021
This book gave me mixed feelings. I really enjoyed the read and absolutely loved the format of the book (which included interviews, police files and diary entries), but I was a bit disappointed by the mystery. The story follows Katie, an 18-year-old who is trying to find answers about her sister's disappearance which happened six years ago. I thought the character development in the book was well done. Katie definitely learned a lot about, not only her sister, but her self too. I really liked discovering what happened to Katie's sister and, in combination with the fun format, this made me flew through the book. However, when it came to the grand reveal, I was left feeling disappointed. I think the ending definitely had more potential. Still, I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it to fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson because Fine gave me similar vibes in terms of the format.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
October 22, 2022
Her sister's disappearance six years earlier has left an open wound in Katie's family. Never solved, the family reacts in such different ways that Katie decides at 18 to solve her sister's case. The only way for her to be able to move past this monumental event in her life is for the 12yr old Katie to be able to answer all of her questions.
Using several differing types of media, AmyLea Murphy introduces us to the seemingly perfect sister's life. As Katie begins to understand that her sister lived with her own torments and chose to keep them inside, Katie learns that she and her sister shared more than parents. A great story about youth and their choices that made for a very interesting read.
Using several differing types of media, AmyLea Murphy introduces us to the seemingly perfect sister's life. As Katie begins to understand that her sister lived with her own torments and chose to keep them inside, Katie learns that she and her sister shared more than parents. A great story about youth and their choices that made for a very interesting read.
February 17, 2023
Told predominately through the case file put together following Anna’s disappearance, this had all the makings of an amazing read. I’d loved Sadie by Courtney Summers so I had high hopes, but those ended up falling as flat as the characters within.
My biggest complaint is that this book doesn’t seem edited. Everyone speaks in cliches and using the same idioms that don’t fit the character’s age or time and a rewrite could have helped cement each person as unique. Additionally, the insertion of first-person POV for Katie was wholly unnecessary and pulled the story down. Anna’s diary also was too direct and unbelievable.
There needed to be more uncertainty, another perspective that wasn’t either of the sisters or police interviews with people saying they didn’t understand why Anna had disappeared.
My biggest complaint is that this book doesn’t seem edited. Everyone speaks in cliches and using the same idioms that don’t fit the character’s age or time and a rewrite could have helped cement each person as unique. Additionally, the insertion of first-person POV for Katie was wholly unnecessary and pulled the story down. Anna’s diary also was too direct and unbelievable.
There needed to be more uncertainty, another perspective that wasn’t either of the sisters or police interviews with people saying they didn’t understand why Anna had disappeared.
November 12, 2020
First let me thank Net Galley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I rated this book a 4 star because I loved the characters in the book. The story in itself is a sad story a girl loses her sister with no answers as to why, so she searches for answers through the Police file that has been there since her sisters disappearance.
The only thing that bothered me was the Author didn't allow a sertan climax, the book was bland at times and could have used some more suprises.
I rated this book a 4 star because I loved the characters in the book. The story in itself is a sad story a girl loses her sister with no answers as to why, so she searches for answers through the Police file that has been there since her sisters disappearance.
The only thing that bothered me was the Author didn't allow a sertan climax, the book was bland at times and could have used some more suprises.
September 19, 2020
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.
Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2021
not sure if I misunderstood what this book was going to be or if it was just marketed wrong, but this wasn't what i expected.
November 12, 2020
I was quite disappointed in this title. The way the summary was written, I was given the impression that this book would be more of a mystery/thriller where Katie seeks out answers about what happened to her sister, Anna, years after her disappearance. However, that was not the case. This book didn't provide any answers. There was nothing exciting or interesting about this read. I can tell AmyLea Murphy really wanted to draw attention to issues with mental health, but I feel this book has been misrepresented in a way that takes away from that factor. It's too ambiguous. Katie's own issues are resolved too instantaneously to give a realistic representation of recovering from grief and depression. All around, I'd be generous to give this book two stars.
December 30, 2020
updated rating from 3 stars to 2 stars.
Thank you Black Château for sending me this eArc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an enjoyable read and super fast-paced. I liked the inclusion of the missing person file documents within the book. The format of the book included interviews, text, journal entries, emails, flyers, and police memos regarding the missing person file of Anna. From the first chapter, I was pulled into the story especially Katie as the main character. She is headstrong, smart, and self-aware and you can tell that her sisters unresolved disappearance scared her deeply.
The only thing I did not enjoy was how rushed I felt the story was and how I myself have sooooo many questions that were left unanswered.
Thank you Black Château for sending me this eArc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an enjoyable read and super fast-paced. I liked the inclusion of the missing person file documents within the book. The format of the book included interviews, text, journal entries, emails, flyers, and police memos regarding the missing person file of Anna. From the first chapter, I was pulled into the story especially Katie as the main character. She is headstrong, smart, and self-aware and you can tell that her sisters unresolved disappearance scared her deeply.
The only thing I did not enjoy was how rushed I felt the story was and how I myself have sooooo many questions that were left unanswered.
March 30, 2021
Don’t expect to put this down
“Fine” by Amy Lea Murphy has been the best book I have read in a very long time! Fine is a phrase I would guess at least 95%of the American public says at least once a day. I would almost bet just like the author so pointedly demonstrated in this young adult mystery style novel, it’s a phrase some say out of habit, or because it’s what people want to “hear” when they ask you “how are you?” . In reality when most people ask that question if they don’t receive the standard “fine” or “good” or basic and generic response they do not know What to do next. Most people aske the question “how are you?” With out pausing or really wanting to hear if you the responder truly is
Fine or ok. I know in my personal experience when I answer truthfully most people are almost always shocked , “thrown off” their usual course of asking the question and not truly expecting or caring to hear a response. I can not begin to sing the praises of this author, Amy Lea Murphy delivered a book that I started to read at 9 pm. My normal bed time
Routine start (or continue )reading a chapters maybe two
When I lay down and finish by weeks end. I opened this book at 9pm and 2am I finished and could not shut my brain down after. This book is targeted for the young adults however if your a mother of a child any age (especially a daughter) you NEED to read this. I know it’s not a true
Life crime novel and it never gets really gritty or in detailed about what happened, happens or whatever to the Main character throughout this book but it works! I know most mainstream audiences have to know the details they want their every question or concern about the story line answered but in real life we most often don’t get those answers, things happen, life happens, and sometimes we never truly “know” why. That is exactly what this book does, Amy Lea Murphy provides so much detail and yet it’s just enough to let your
Mind “think” and which today’s technology and never ending “internet searches” you can find out who someone wrote a song about , what song they were
Listening to
When they wrote it all the way down to their pets name just by “asking google” but never even meeting or truly “seeing” the person who wrote the song..... this novel is genius in my completely honest opinion.... ok now that I have gone on for ages let me explain.
“Fine” is about a younger sisters journey to “find” out what happened to she sister when she disappointed 6 years earlier. The older sisters name is Anna, who was the total
Package smart girl next door popular cheerleader, or
Was she it seemed that Anna had the “young teenager with everything a head of her “ title down to a “T” but
For as many people who “knew “ Anna there was no one that knew her better th. Her kid sister Katie..... or did she. The book explores what so many of us hide behind
The facade that everything is fine. In 2021 it feels impossible to hide, a stranger can google map your house and a technology smart stranger even can pinpoint your location, then how is it a beautiful well liked young woman goes “missing”.. if you read this book truly read it not just the words on the page but consume them and digest the authors meanings and thoughts behind this it can be rather heartbreaking. How many people go missing daily and we just “saw” them yesterday, or your cousins sisters brothers neighbor is the ax murderer that evaded the police for years .. you see we all have time for our problems and our concerns but no one has time for anyone else’s, in this book the detective says “How did no one see what she was going through?” We all are going through something this book maybe it wasn’t as “deep” as I have found it to be but to me this is something we all need to take more care on .... truly SEEING your friend, sister, mother, father, whoever ... for who they truly are not who you think or expect them to be. I LOVE AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THIS TO ANYONE ESPECIALLY a teen or a fan of young adult novels or truly a mother it’s something we as people need to do put down our smart phones and look at one another maybe if we do
People won’t just “disappear “ as Anna and so many others seem to do.
May God Bless and keep you all healthy and safe!
“Fine” by Amy Lea Murphy has been the best book I have read in a very long time! Fine is a phrase I would guess at least 95%of the American public says at least once a day. I would almost bet just like the author so pointedly demonstrated in this young adult mystery style novel, it’s a phrase some say out of habit, or because it’s what people want to “hear” when they ask you “how are you?” . In reality when most people ask that question if they don’t receive the standard “fine” or “good” or basic and generic response they do not know What to do next. Most people aske the question “how are you?” With out pausing or really wanting to hear if you the responder truly is
Fine or ok. I know in my personal experience when I answer truthfully most people are almost always shocked , “thrown off” their usual course of asking the question and not truly expecting or caring to hear a response. I can not begin to sing the praises of this author, Amy Lea Murphy delivered a book that I started to read at 9 pm. My normal bed time
Routine start (or continue )reading a chapters maybe two
When I lay down and finish by weeks end. I opened this book at 9pm and 2am I finished and could not shut my brain down after. This book is targeted for the young adults however if your a mother of a child any age (especially a daughter) you NEED to read this. I know it’s not a true
Life crime novel and it never gets really gritty or in detailed about what happened, happens or whatever to the Main character throughout this book but it works! I know most mainstream audiences have to know the details they want their every question or concern about the story line answered but in real life we most often don’t get those answers, things happen, life happens, and sometimes we never truly “know” why. That is exactly what this book does, Amy Lea Murphy provides so much detail and yet it’s just enough to let your
Mind “think” and which today’s technology and never ending “internet searches” you can find out who someone wrote a song about , what song they were
Listening to
When they wrote it all the way down to their pets name just by “asking google” but never even meeting or truly “seeing” the person who wrote the song..... this novel is genius in my completely honest opinion.... ok now that I have gone on for ages let me explain.
“Fine” is about a younger sisters journey to “find” out what happened to she sister when she disappointed 6 years earlier. The older sisters name is Anna, who was the total
Package smart girl next door popular cheerleader, or
Was she it seemed that Anna had the “young teenager with everything a head of her “ title down to a “T” but
For as many people who “knew “ Anna there was no one that knew her better th. Her kid sister Katie..... or did she. The book explores what so many of us hide behind
The facade that everything is fine. In 2021 it feels impossible to hide, a stranger can google map your house and a technology smart stranger even can pinpoint your location, then how is it a beautiful well liked young woman goes “missing”.. if you read this book truly read it not just the words on the page but consume them and digest the authors meanings and thoughts behind this it can be rather heartbreaking. How many people go missing daily and we just “saw” them yesterday, or your cousins sisters brothers neighbor is the ax murderer that evaded the police for years .. you see we all have time for our problems and our concerns but no one has time for anyone else’s, in this book the detective says “How did no one see what she was going through?” We all are going through something this book maybe it wasn’t as “deep” as I have found it to be but to me this is something we all need to take more care on .... truly SEEING your friend, sister, mother, father, whoever ... for who they truly are not who you think or expect them to be. I LOVE AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THIS TO ANYONE ESPECIALLY a teen or a fan of young adult novels or truly a mother it’s something we as people need to do put down our smart phones and look at one another maybe if we do
People won’t just “disappear “ as Anna and so many others seem to do.
May God Bless and keep you all healthy and safe!
October 21, 2020
Review also appears here: https://reviewsofyabooks.blogspot.com...
Trigger warnings: Eating disorders, drug use, mental health struggles.
Introduction
Six years ago, Katie's sister Anna disappeared. Katie was 12 at the time, and Anna was 18. Because Katie was so young when Anna disappeared, there was a lot that she didn't understand. Katie has never truly gotten over the disappearance of Anna, and now that Katie is 18, she feels like she's been in the dark about the details about her sister's case for too long, and she begins spending time at her local police station, looking through Anna's files. Through evidence and personal items collected in her police file, Katie soon begins to realize that she maybe didn't know Anna as well as she thought she did.
Format
The story is told almost completely through media found in Anna's police file, like diary entries, transcribed interviews, reports, text messages, and emails. I absolutely love when books use elements like this to tell a story. However, these media pieces took up more of the book than I thought. It is the only way that Anna's story is unraveled. Very little of the story takes place in the present, so we don't see very much of Katie's life as it is now. If I had to estimate, I'd say that maybe 30 pages of the book are dedicated to what Katie is doing in her life, besides sifting through police reports.
Characters
Because most of the story is told through Anna's file and very little of the story is actually focused on Katie, I had a hard time caring about her. We don't learn very much about her personality besides the fact that she harbors a lot of anger, about what happened to her sister and otherwise.
From the little that we do see of Katie in her personal life, I found her to be annoying. She was written more like a 14-15 year old than an 18 year old. She has very childish tendencies that I wouldn't expect somebody of that age to have, such as almost run her car off the road when she had a passenger that was only trying to help her, lashing out when she's asked about college, or stealing a customer's smoothie when she got fired from her job. In a way, I am sort of glad that most of the book was just sifting through Anna's file at the police station, because Katie is set up to be a very annoying protagonist.
Just as I didn't learn enough about Katie to care about her, I also didn't learn enough about Jack, Katie's neighbor and love interest, to care about him or their budding romance.
Plot
There were some parts of the book that I felt were never actually resolved or fully developed. There were several instances where a falling out was mentioned between Anna and her father, but what the rift was about was never disclosed. Since the falling out apparently played such a big role in her emotional turmoil, I would have liked to have known what actually happened.
Spoilers ahead!
I feel like I was a little bit mislead plot-wise in general. For the entire book, it seems that Katie and her family don't know where Anna is/what happened to her, but when the ending comes, it is apparent that they do know what what happened to her/where she is, but they don't know why she ended up how she did. I understand why it had to be written that way, but because the official synopsis of book seems to allude to a bit more of a mystery, finding out that all the characters knew Anna's fate all along felt a little anticlimactic.
Conclusion
This book was okay, but I probably wouldn't pick it up again due to the lack of character depth and slightly disappointing ending, but it was okay and is suitable if you're just looking for a quick read that has the interesting elements of diary entries, emails, text messages, etc.
Trigger warnings: Eating disorders, drug use, mental health struggles.
Introduction
Six years ago, Katie's sister Anna disappeared. Katie was 12 at the time, and Anna was 18. Because Katie was so young when Anna disappeared, there was a lot that she didn't understand. Katie has never truly gotten over the disappearance of Anna, and now that Katie is 18, she feels like she's been in the dark about the details about her sister's case for too long, and she begins spending time at her local police station, looking through Anna's files. Through evidence and personal items collected in her police file, Katie soon begins to realize that she maybe didn't know Anna as well as she thought she did.
Format
The story is told almost completely through media found in Anna's police file, like diary entries, transcribed interviews, reports, text messages, and emails. I absolutely love when books use elements like this to tell a story. However, these media pieces took up more of the book than I thought. It is the only way that Anna's story is unraveled. Very little of the story takes place in the present, so we don't see very much of Katie's life as it is now. If I had to estimate, I'd say that maybe 30 pages of the book are dedicated to what Katie is doing in her life, besides sifting through police reports.
Characters
Because most of the story is told through Anna's file and very little of the story is actually focused on Katie, I had a hard time caring about her. We don't learn very much about her personality besides the fact that she harbors a lot of anger, about what happened to her sister and otherwise.
From the little that we do see of Katie in her personal life, I found her to be annoying. She was written more like a 14-15 year old than an 18 year old. She has very childish tendencies that I wouldn't expect somebody of that age to have, such as almost run her car off the road when she had a passenger that was only trying to help her, lashing out when she's asked about college, or stealing a customer's smoothie when she got fired from her job. In a way, I am sort of glad that most of the book was just sifting through Anna's file at the police station, because Katie is set up to be a very annoying protagonist.
Just as I didn't learn enough about Katie to care about her, I also didn't learn enough about Jack, Katie's neighbor and love interest, to care about him or their budding romance.
Plot
There were some parts of the book that I felt were never actually resolved or fully developed. There were several instances where a falling out was mentioned between Anna and her father, but what the rift was about was never disclosed. Since the falling out apparently played such a big role in her emotional turmoil, I would have liked to have known what actually happened.
Spoilers ahead!
I feel like I was a little bit mislead plot-wise in general. For the entire book, it seems that Katie and her family don't know where Anna is/what happened to her, but when the ending comes, it is apparent that they do know what what happened to her/where she is, but they don't know why she ended up how she did. I understand why it had to be written that way, but because the official synopsis of book seems to allude to a bit more of a mystery, finding out that all the characters knew Anna's fate all along felt a little anticlimactic.
Conclusion
This book was okay, but I probably wouldn't pick it up again due to the lack of character depth and slightly disappointing ending, but it was okay and is suitable if you're just looking for a quick read that has the interesting elements of diary entries, emails, text messages, etc.
October 3, 2020
Find this and other reviews in my blog.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
Fine by Amylea Murphy is the story of a sudden unexplained disappearance of 17-year-old Anna. She was a straight-A student, a cheerleader, and an all-rounder who had no reason to run away or disappear. The story is set from the perspective of Katie, her sister, who was 12-years-old when Anna went missing. She is now 17-years-old and attempts to find out more about her sister and her disappearance. She starts probing into her police report file and discovers more and more about her family’s past and finds out about the real Anna.
Information about her through her police reports is written in the form of diary entries, transcription records of phone calls with family and friends which was very interesting to read. The book discussed various issues related to teenagers and their mental health during these growing years.
The story was a bit incomplete and in some places. Anna’s relationship with her dad has been very good but suddenly she started to hate him and he started ignoring him. However, there is no context as to how she has a sudden change of feelings. The plot was a bit slow-paced but I guess that is how the story was set.
Otherwise, the theme of the story is very important and relevant in today’s society and that message has been very well delivered. If some plot holes were fixed, this would have been a phenomenal read.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
Fine by Amylea Murphy is the story of a sudden unexplained disappearance of 17-year-old Anna. She was a straight-A student, a cheerleader, and an all-rounder who had no reason to run away or disappear. The story is set from the perspective of Katie, her sister, who was 12-years-old when Anna went missing. She is now 17-years-old and attempts to find out more about her sister and her disappearance. She starts probing into her police report file and discovers more and more about her family’s past and finds out about the real Anna.
Information about her through her police reports is written in the form of diary entries, transcription records of phone calls with family and friends which was very interesting to read. The book discussed various issues related to teenagers and their mental health during these growing years.
“Our eyes are being opened to war, racism, and poverty. We’re learning about complicated issues of climate change, technology, and all kinds of other things that are wholly out of our control. We’re wondering how the adults in charge haven’t found a way to solve any of it. And while we contemplate all this, we’re trying to have some fun and make some memories.”
The story was a bit incomplete and in some places. Anna’s relationship with her dad has been very good but suddenly she started to hate him and he started ignoring him. However, there is no context as to how she has a sudden change of feelings. The plot was a bit slow-paced but I guess that is how the story was set.
Otherwise, the theme of the story is very important and relevant in today’s society and that message has been very well delivered. If some plot holes were fixed, this would have been a phenomenal read.
March 29, 2021
Suspenseful
Wow what a interesting book this was ,from the beginning to the end, I was grabbed into this story and couldn't stop reading it until the very end. The author has a great way of detailing this story with there words and it all me all in the way into this book. Six years ago, Anna Williams- straight A student, cheerleader, and all around golden children vanished. This book had parts in it that was sad to me, simply because Anna vanished out of nowhere. Her younger sister Katie has drifted through life, wrecked with guilt, grief, and anger over her sisters Anna's disappearance. The characters in this book had a lot of character development, being that this was the author's first book that was written, they did a amazing job with there writing skills. The plot definitely had some plot twist, and had me at WOW. I absolutely loved how every character in this book was suspicious at one point are another. I loved how every interview and journal entry gave us a different view of Anna. As a reader, I saw how her sister viewed her, how her family viewed her, and also how her friends viewed her as well. She was well liked and loved throughout this book. I truly appreciate the author for having the readers of this book no give a answer on why Anna disappeared, it was based on a combination of all factors. The ending of this book was actually surprising to me, in which I didn't think that this story would end the way it did, however, it ended well. Through police memos, interrogations l, and excerpts from Anna's diary, Katie soon uncovers the deep dark secrets of her sister months before she vanished. I can honestly say this book really took me by surprise, and I highly recommend this book to be read by any reader who enjoys suspense and quickness. I give this book 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. Great Job done AmyLea Murphy.
Wow what a interesting book this was ,from the beginning to the end, I was grabbed into this story and couldn't stop reading it until the very end. The author has a great way of detailing this story with there words and it all me all in the way into this book. Six years ago, Anna Williams- straight A student, cheerleader, and all around golden children vanished. This book had parts in it that was sad to me, simply because Anna vanished out of nowhere. Her younger sister Katie has drifted through life, wrecked with guilt, grief, and anger over her sisters Anna's disappearance. The characters in this book had a lot of character development, being that this was the author's first book that was written, they did a amazing job with there writing skills. The plot definitely had some plot twist, and had me at WOW. I absolutely loved how every character in this book was suspicious at one point are another. I loved how every interview and journal entry gave us a different view of Anna. As a reader, I saw how her sister viewed her, how her family viewed her, and also how her friends viewed her as well. She was well liked and loved throughout this book. I truly appreciate the author for having the readers of this book no give a answer on why Anna disappeared, it was based on a combination of all factors. The ending of this book was actually surprising to me, in which I didn't think that this story would end the way it did, however, it ended well. Through police memos, interrogations l, and excerpts from Anna's diary, Katie soon uncovers the deep dark secrets of her sister months before she vanished. I can honestly say this book really took me by surprise, and I highly recommend this book to be read by any reader who enjoys suspense and quickness. I give this book 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. Great Job done AmyLea Murphy.
April 21, 2021
I really enjoy the Forensic Files and 20/20 type shows so this book was very intriguing to me. I also have a teenager daughter and my biggest worry with her has always been depression. I think this worry really began after watching 13 Reasons Why. The show itself was very frustrating to me but the pain that the mother went through made me almost paranoid as to what I did and didn't know about my daughter. This book touches on these areas. We have a teenager that seems to have it altogether. She's a good kid, gets good grades, has friends, has a car, and she's on the cheerleading squad. She always has a smile and seems to be fine. She disappears one day after school and leaves her family searching for answers. Her mother and everyone else seems to accept that she's gone and moves on but sadly her younger sister is left with a void in her life. She adored her older sister and feels as though, even after eight years; she can't stop holding her breath. She feels alone and lost. Her only real friend is unavailable, her mother is condescending and in her own little world, her dad is never around as they are divorced, and the detective that promised to find her sister has failed. You can't help but feel deeply for Katie. She has completely lost her direction and can't seem to move on. She turns to her sister's file and gains access to her diary. She finds that her sister was far from fine and that there is much more to the story.
Amylea Murphy is an excellent writer and talented story teller. Fine is written at a good pace that keeps you wanting to keep reading. In other words, it's hard to put down. You find yourself needing the answers that Katie yearns for.
Amylea Murphy is an excellent writer and talented story teller. Fine is written at a good pace that keeps you wanting to keep reading. In other words, it's hard to put down. You find yourself needing the answers that Katie yearns for.
September 24, 2020
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.
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.
March 31, 2021
Fine is a modern story about a missing High School student named Anna Williams whose case has gone cold for more than six years. It is told from the perspective of Katie Williams who is Anna's younger sister. Katie was only twelve years old when Anna disappeared. Now, at the age of eighteen, Katie has been troubled by the absence of Anna in her life because she was her best friend.
On what would have been Anna's twenty-fourth birthday, Katie reunites with Jack Nelson who lived next door to the Williams family when they were kids. Jack sees how Katie is still upset about the loss of her sister and recommends that she ask to look at Police files of Anna's case. Katie decides to take his advice and after some time is given permission to view the cold case files at the Police station.
Within the files are Anna's personal diary which reveals a side of her sister that was kept hidden. Katie begins to feel guilty for not knowing that her sister was suffering from depression. Anna made good grades and was active in student council and was a cheerleader. On the surface, Anna seemed to be doing well, but she was unhappy and wanted to change her image.
The story is very realistic as there are Police interviews with people who knew Anna, diary entries and text messages between Anna and her close friends. This is a good mystery/drama. The readers follow Katie as she tries to piece together the past and find answers to the disappearance of Anna Williams.
On what would have been Anna's twenty-fourth birthday, Katie reunites with Jack Nelson who lived next door to the Williams family when they were kids. Jack sees how Katie is still upset about the loss of her sister and recommends that she ask to look at Police files of Anna's case. Katie decides to take his advice and after some time is given permission to view the cold case files at the Police station.
Within the files are Anna's personal diary which reveals a side of her sister that was kept hidden. Katie begins to feel guilty for not knowing that her sister was suffering from depression. Anna made good grades and was active in student council and was a cheerleader. On the surface, Anna seemed to be doing well, but she was unhappy and wanted to change her image.
The story is very realistic as there are Police interviews with people who knew Anna, diary entries and text messages between Anna and her close friends. This is a good mystery/drama. The readers follow Katie as she tries to piece together the past and find answers to the disappearance of Anna Williams.
November 6, 2020
I really wanted to love this book. I was very interested in the premise, and in the comparison to Sarah Dessen, because I've been a huge fan of her work for more than a decade. Fine, though, is just that--fine. I think this had the potential to be a really great story and unfortunately, it just fell flat for me. The narrative writing was interspersed with journal entries, interviews, and police documents, and the writing did not match at all. The dialogue in the interviews was stilted, and the journal entries did not read as though they were written by a teenager. There was a lack of character development and there were some loose ends in the story that needed to be fleshed out more--I feel like this could have been improved with some more editing and rewrites. I was also disappointed by the ending, which I found to be very predictable. It's possible that if I were reading this when I was 14 or 15, I might have enjoyed it much more. It's not a bad debut, and I will give Murphy's future work a try because she clearly has a lot of potential. This one just was not for me. If you're looking for a quick read with a bit of suspense, go for it. If you're looking for a complex family dynamic and a page-turning mystery, maybe look elsewhere.
My thanks to NetGalley and Black Chateau for the advance reader's copy.
My thanks to NetGalley and Black Chateau for the advance reader's copy.
November 24, 2020
I'm fine. Everything is fine. You're fine!
I can not think of a more fitting title for a Young Adult novel.
Katie lost her older sister Anna 5 years ago. She vanished out of thin air after school one Friday afternoon. In this true-crime meets YA drama, Katie searches for the truth about her sister's disappearance. The past unfolds through Katie's sudden urge to go through the missing person files from 2012. The ones that were not available to her when she was 12. Through Anna's diary, interviews with friends and family, and notes from the lead investigator Katie learns more about her sister than she bargained for.
Dealing with teenage issues can be difficult, and I think Murphy handles tough subjects such as depression, internet bullying, college pressure, drugs and alcohol, and more with grace and nuance. If you're hoping for a crime thriller or the story to be wrapped up in a bow, this one is not for you. If you'd like to open the lines of communication with your teen, this might be a great buddy read to start things off.
"No one wants to open their eyes to the fact that sometimes hope runs dangerously low... and sometimes the balloon pops. But maybe if they did, hopelessness wouldn't win."
Reading this gave me a great reminder. Kindness goes a long way. Hope goes a long way. Check-in on your friends and family... and maybe hopelessness won't win.
I can not think of a more fitting title for a Young Adult novel.
Katie lost her older sister Anna 5 years ago. She vanished out of thin air after school one Friday afternoon. In this true-crime meets YA drama, Katie searches for the truth about her sister's disappearance. The past unfolds through Katie's sudden urge to go through the missing person files from 2012. The ones that were not available to her when she was 12. Through Anna's diary, interviews with friends and family, and notes from the lead investigator Katie learns more about her sister than she bargained for.
Dealing with teenage issues can be difficult, and I think Murphy handles tough subjects such as depression, internet bullying, college pressure, drugs and alcohol, and more with grace and nuance. If you're hoping for a crime thriller or the story to be wrapped up in a bow, this one is not for you. If you'd like to open the lines of communication with your teen, this might be a great buddy read to start things off.
"No one wants to open their eyes to the fact that sometimes hope runs dangerously low... and sometimes the balloon pops. But maybe if they did, hopelessness wouldn't win."
Reading this gave me a great reminder. Kindness goes a long way. Hope goes a long way. Check-in on your friends and family... and maybe hopelessness won't win.
April 1, 2021
Just Wow. That pretty much sums up my opinion of the story “Fine” by AmyLea Murphy. Before you read this, be prepared for hints to the ending, though I will not give it away. This is one story that really hits home to how fragile our world is during the tumultuous time of being a teen. It unfortunately shows the bleakest side, the side that we as parents, family, friends and neighbors need to pay attention to. As the mother of 4, I am forever thankful that we made it through those really rough years and I would hope that I dealt with issues that popped up better than Anna and Katie’s mom did. I was glad to see that Katie was able to keep at least one friend after Anna disappeared, and was glad for her to be able to see all the notes that were taken by the officer now 6 years later. AmyLea took us through all the emotional turmoil, I was smiling and the next instant wanted to punch the characters and then weep with them. I hate to admit to being a softy, but yeah, the ending caused tears, both happy and sad. This is one book for all the ages. It reminds us what our children are going through. It shows kids how important they might be to just one person, that their lives are important. It lets us know that we are not alone, that there is a whole community of people to help us. Read this book with box of tissues close at hand, you will need it!
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