Firstly, I want to thank Text Publishing for my review copy of this. I’m very, very sorry that it’s taken me so long to read this, but I’ve finished it and I really, really loved it!

Dancing Barefoot follows Patch, who lives in a flat on top of her dad’s record store far away from the wealthy suburb that her high school is in. At school, Patch feels out of place—she’s not sporty, she’s not popular, and she only has one friend: Edwin. Patch also has a long-term crush on Evie Vanhoutte, a basketballer, teachers’ pet, and the prettiest girl in her year level. But after an accident involving a bottle of ink, Patch and Evie become friends, which only leads to more confusion for Patch. Whilst dealing with this newfound friendship, Patch also has to deal with a potential new stepmother, a jealous school bully, and remembering to support Edwin through his transition.

This book is like if Heartstopper was written in prose and was set in Melbourne instead of the UK. I truly loved Edwin and Patch’s friendship, Patch and her father’s relationship, the different and varied representation, the relatability, and the adorable sapphic relationship in this novel. Every page of this book held my interest and I was always excited (and sometimes nervous) to read what happened next! I became so attached to Patch’s character and was really happy to see how the ending all played out.

Overall, this is an incredible debut novel that is so important for young, queer people, particularly young, queer Australians.