Marco’s always done the right thing. But now it’s time for wrong answers only.
Marco should be at university, studying biomedicine. Instead, he’s been sent to live on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean with his estranged uncle, all because of a ‘blip’ everyone else is convinced was a panic attack. (Which it most definitely was not.)
And even though Marco’s trip is supposed to provide answers – about himself, about his family – all he finds on board the Ocean Melody are more and more questions.
But then his best friend CeCe proposes a new plan: for someone who has always done the right thing, in every possible way, it’s time for Marco to get a few things wrong. And hooking up with a hot dancer from the ship is only the beginning . . .
Recommended for ages 14+.
Buy a copy of Wrong Answers Only here.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
I found this YA novel very realistic, heartwarming and fun to read. Young adults finding their way in the world, learning how to express themselves, understanding how they may be perceived, right or wrong. Wrong Answers Only by Tobias Madden is about self, family, friends, experiencing life events, learnings and loss. There’s a paragraph in Chapter 40 that should resonate with everyone, and it reads, ‘Don’t run from your life. Whatever happens, happens. And you can’t change that, but you will overcome it. Because you are enough.’ I found this to be quite powerful, a mantra of sorts. A very positive read. Sharon, QLD, 5 Stars
Wrong Answers Only is a touching and poignant coming-of-age novel, that lets the reader know that it’s ok for life to not always go as planned, and sometimes the only way to understand yourself is to take a risk, in a good way, and see what the outcome will be. In Marco’s journey away from the ” expected ” start at uni, he learns many life lessons, lessons about others, the past through others…. all in all, what is important in life, and even saves a life(!), through what happens on the Ocean Melody. It is also interesting hearing the story told through the voice of a young, gay male, and hilariously told in parts, the romantic feelings ( Marco and Hunter’s ” Titanic ” re-creation moment ), honest and realistic about young love/lust and life lessons ( Hunter cheating on Marco with Topher), and the power of friendships and family, and of acceptance. As Hunter tells Marco ” to let go “.. it is at the end, that Marco discovers how truly important this is. Ellen, SA, 5 Stars
A fun read about identity, growing up, relationships and dealing with anxiety for young adults. Elizabeth, NSW, 4 Stars
Lots of Year 12 grads coming to the end of their high school era would be planning their gap year. Maybe a summer away surfing or the “round the world” trip they’ve been dreaming about since their favourite influencer started travelling again post-pandemic. For Marco, the main character in Tobias Madden’s novel, Wrong Answers Only, studying bio-med in Melbourne was exactly what he was meant to do – until his unreliable nervous system disagreed and threw a couple of super dramatic and ill-timed panic attacks (although they clearly weren’t panic attacks…were they?) Whatever they were, they got him shipped out of Ballarat and onto his estranged uncle’s cruise ship sailing the Mediterranean. What follows is a choppy journey through the stormy seas of long-buried family secrets and the social challenges that complicate embarking safely into early adulthood. Madden create’s wildly relatable characters through the use of witty spoken dialogue and internal dialogue so cleverly written you feel Marco’s inner world as though it was your own. The reader is drawn into the story the same way they would if lending a supportive ear to one of their best friends. One for the perfectionists, over-achievers or self-doubting, quiet achievers who think everyone else has life all figured out. These characters provide a powerful reminder that no matter how well someone can appear to have it all figured out, everyone is carrying their own bag of rocks. Debby, WA, 4 Stars
‘Wrong Answers Only’ by Tobias Madden is particularly suited to young adults, touching on the areas of mental health, sexual identity, friendship, self-doubt, family conflict and self-discovery in a well-rounded often humorous way. The cruise ship setting was perfect for Marco to experience so many foreign aspects of life. The microcosm of shipboard life enabled Marco, the overachiever who always does everything right, to get so many things wrong and dare to dream differently in a safe environment. If only all of us had the opportunity to escape to the Mediterranean, with an Uncle Renzo and the support of your soulmate, whilst discovering what is important in life. Through Marco and his best friend CeCe, and their many ‘mistakes’, the reader experiences the pleasure and pain of growing into adulthood and discovering your own way forward. I enjoyed being thrown into Marco’s chaotic world for a time. Meeting his family and friends, sharing his highs and lows in a well written engaging whirlwind adventure. Recommended for all older young adults and those that want to understand them. Sandra, NSW, 4 Stars
Marco has gained everything he was working towards all his young life, and is packed to go to Melbourne Uni to study biomedicine. But then he has a panic attack. Although he tries to convince his family that this was just a ‘blip’ on his immaculate life, he has another one soon after, and his Nonna intervenes to send him to live with his unknown uncle on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. On the advice of his best friend, Marco learns to make spontaneous decisions and mistakes, and learns about life, and his family, in the process. Wrong Answers Only is about a gay young man, confident in himself and his family, let loose in the pleasurable world of the cruise ship to make his own choices, where nothing could possibly go wrong. A sweet and romantic read. Kim, VIC, 4 Stars
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