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purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Read during the #TransRightsReadathon. A carefully written trans coming-of-age story by a trans author. You'll find: small town high school drama, a tight group of self-described queerdos, an old flame that continues to flicker and singe, a high-pressure piano competition, a super cool new kid in town (who doodles swoon-worthy happy breakfast foods), a brief fake dating trope (referenced as "romance fraud," which made me laugh every time), some bigotry and microaggressions and non-malicious missteps, wonderful terrifying tailors and slightly maniacal maestros, and the powerful joy of self discovery and expression.
(If my tolerance for high school drama, love triangles, and partners kissing non-partners was higher, the star-rating would've also been higher. It's an excellent debut and I'll look forward to the author's future books!)
(If my tolerance for high school drama, love triangles, and partners kissing non-partners was higher, the star-rating would've also been higher. It's an excellent debut and I'll look forward to the author's future books!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Medical content, and Dysphoria
Minor: Racism and Sexual content
Carefully written by a trans author who cleverly conveys angst, anxiety, and reality without allowing it to feel gratuitously traumatizing or to overtake the joy of the story. YMMV, of course.discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was so sweet, and so full of joy; I blazed through it!
This is a story about identity—about finding yourself, about being unapologetically you, and not feeling the need to prove yourself to anyone. It’s a story about growing up, and about hurting those you love.
But mostly this was, as the author puts it, a story about trans joy. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to throttle Miles at times and keep him from making the mistakes I knew he would, but that’s a part of life, and a part of learning how to be a good person and a good friend.
This is a story about identity—about finding yourself, about being unapologetically you, and not feeling the need to prove yourself to anyone. It’s a story about growing up, and about hurting those you love.
But mostly this was, as the author puts it, a story about trans joy. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to throttle Miles at times and keep him from making the mistakes I knew he would, but that’s a part of life, and a part of learning how to be a good person and a good friend.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Transphobia
queerreaderchaos's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Bullying and Infidelity
novelty_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
TW: Cheating, Transphobia, Homophobia
I’ve been seeing Always the Almost everywhere recently.
Ever since I saw that pretty, orange cover I knew that this was a book I’d definitely be interested in reading. I was very fortunate to have gotten an ARC from NetGalley recently in addition to all the recent buzz I’ve been hearing.
From the start I genuinely thought this would be my favourite read of 2023 (and yes, I know it’s only the start of the year and pretty early to make a call on favourites, but anyway). It had a fantastic start and I was immediately drawn to the main character, Miles, but overtime there were definitely parts I enjoyed and others that fell flat for me.
We start the book off with Miles Jacobson, newly out as trans and recently heartbroken. His ex boyfriend, the popular jock, Shane, broke up with him following his coming out and Miles has been holding onto hope that Shane would come back to him. On New Years Eve, Miles creates a plan for the new year: get Shane back and beat arch-nemesis Cameron at the big piano competition. On his quest to meet these goals, Miles is met with a handsome and charming boy named Eric, who asks Miles for his pronouns upon meeting and dreams of creating his own graphic novel one day. Miles can’t seem to get him out of his head as he grapples between what his heart truly desires.
Miles really stood out to me from the start. He was a very likeable character and I liked his narration. This book was very focused on Miles’ exploration of his identity and his recent coming out as trans. His relationships between the different people he interacted with, online and in person were very interesting to read about.
Eric was also a likeable character but for some reason it took me a while to like him. I reckon this might’ve been because we got to understand him and some of the other side characters more around the half-way mark.
Paige and Rachel were the side characters who were quite prominent throughout the novel. Even though they were dating and close friends with Miles, I was never too invested with them. When something happened towards the end, that semblance of liking dwindled a lot more but that’s also because I’m not a big fan of said thing in books and I don’t really like reading books with that sort of stuff in it and while yes, I agree that sometimes people make huge mistakes, I felt like everyone forgiven each other way too easily.
Overall, for me, this book had a good start but things ended up falling a little flat for me especially with the above drama. I liked the characters but I feel like maybe more layers or backstory would’ve been beneficial especially toward the start of the novel with the side characters.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.4 STARS
TW: Cheating, Transphobia, Homophobia
I’ve been seeing Always the Almost everywhere recently.
Ever since I saw that pretty, orange cover I knew that this was a book I’d definitely be interested in reading. I was very fortunate to have gotten an ARC from NetGalley recently in addition to all the recent buzz I’ve been hearing.
From the start I genuinely thought this would be my favourite read of 2023 (and yes, I know it’s only the start of the year and pretty early to make a call on favourites, but anyway). It had a fantastic start and I was immediately drawn to the main character, Miles, but overtime there were definitely parts I enjoyed and others that fell flat for me.
We start the book off with Miles Jacobson, newly out as trans and recently heartbroken. His ex boyfriend, the popular jock, Shane, broke up with him following his coming out and Miles has been holding onto hope that Shane would come back to him. On New Years Eve, Miles creates a plan for the new year: get Shane back and beat arch-nemesis Cameron at the big piano competition. On his quest to meet these goals, Miles is met with a handsome and charming boy named Eric, who asks Miles for his pronouns upon meeting and dreams of creating his own graphic novel one day. Miles can’t seem to get him out of his head as he grapples between what his heart truly desires.
Miles really stood out to me from the start. He was a very likeable character and I liked his narration. This book was very focused on Miles’ exploration of his identity and his recent coming out as trans. His relationships between the different people he interacted with, online and in person were very interesting to read about.
Eric was also a likeable character but for some reason it took me a while to like him. I reckon this might’ve been because we got to understand him and some of the other side characters more around the half-way mark.
Paige and Rachel were the side characters who were quite prominent throughout the novel. Even though they were dating and close friends with Miles, I was never too invested with them. When something happened towards the end, that semblance of liking dwindled a lot more but that’s also because I’m not a big fan of said thing in books and I don’t really like reading books with that sort of stuff in it and while yes, I agree that sometimes people make huge mistakes, I felt like everyone forgiven each other way too easily.
Overall, for me, this book had a good start but things ended up falling a little flat for me especially with the above drama. I liked the characters but I feel like maybe more layers or backstory would’ve been beneficial especially toward the start of the novel with the side characters.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.4 STARS
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Transphobia
Minor: Racism
theoceanrose's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia
chronicacademia's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming and Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
Minor: Racism and Xenophobia
goatsrsexy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Despite being released on Valentine's Day, I wouldn't consider always the almost a romance. There's romance in it, and it does have a happy ending, but there's also a lot of relationship drama and unhappiness. I think the romance part of this book was it's weakest aspect.
Overall, this is a coming of age story. Miles just recently came out as trans before the book starts and while the people in his life are mostly accepting of it there's parts that they just don't always get right. And there's a lot that Miles doesn't get right either because at the end of the day, he's a teenage boy and teenagers fuck up a lot even without the added pressure of being queer in a small town. I loved reading about his piano lessons which his teacher Stefania (probably the best side character in the book). And I think my favourite part of the book was when Miles dad gave him a tie.
think this is a fantastic queer YA novel that everyone should read! We need more queer and trans YA so I'm always stoked to read and promote new ones. I suggest looking up trigger warnings if they're useful for you.
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc
Overall, this is a coming of age story. Miles just recently came out as trans before the book starts and while the people in his life are mostly accepting of it there's parts that they just don't always get right. And there's a lot that Miles doesn't get right either because at the end of the day, he's a teenage boy and teenagers fuck up a lot even without the added pressure of being queer in a small town. I loved reading about his piano lessons which his teacher Stefania (probably the best side character in the book). And I think my favourite part of the book was when Miles dad gave him a tie.
think this is a fantastic queer YA novel that everyone should read! We need more queer and trans YA so I'm always stoked to read and promote new ones. I suggest looking up trigger warnings if they're useful for you.
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Transphobia
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Miles only made two New Years Resolutions this year: win back his ex (Shane), and finally beat his arch-nemesis at the state-wide piano competition. The first is proving difficult, since Shane broke up with Miles after he came out at trans. And now, Shane won't even acknowledge his presence--or answer his text messages. And it's distracting him from his piano.
However, when Miles meets the new kid in town, Erik, he feels an almost instant connection. After all, he's one of the first people to immediately ask Miles his pronouns when they meet. They start an easy friendship that evolves into something more. But Miles doesn't get what Erik sees in him. To land the boy and win his piano competition, Miles has to learn to finally feel like enough for himself.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of Always the Almost by Edward Underhill to review! From the moment I saw the cover, I knew I had to read this book. Plus, who doesn't love a good queer romance for the Valentine's Day season?
From the beginning, I loved the voice in this. Miles has just recently come out as trans, and he's still trying to get used to being out. He has two best friends who are willing to go to bat for him in pretty much anything. Does their friendship get messy because of romance in the book? Yes. But all teenage relationships kind of get messy. It's just a fact of life.
Miles and Erik also have a great chemistry, even though Miles is trying to work through his own insecurities throughout the book. He doesn't feel like he's worthy of someone like Erik, and his process working through this feels realistic throughout the book. And being able to build confidence in his piano playing. I loved his relationship with his new piano teacher, who helps him use his own identity to make his piano playing better. Plus, she shows him that there's more to music than just winning competitions, and we love to see it.
There's some great character development in this book too, from Miles's friends to his parents and even Erik's sister. There's a whole great cast of characters, and it's helps in making you want to fly through this book.
All in all, I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and I already want more from Edward Underhill! Can't wait to see what he does next.
However, when Miles meets the new kid in town, Erik, he feels an almost instant connection. After all, he's one of the first people to immediately ask Miles his pronouns when they meet. They start an easy friendship that evolves into something more. But Miles doesn't get what Erik sees in him. To land the boy and win his piano competition, Miles has to learn to finally feel like enough for himself.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of Always the Almost by Edward Underhill to review! From the moment I saw the cover, I knew I had to read this book. Plus, who doesn't love a good queer romance for the Valentine's Day season?
From the beginning, I loved the voice in this. Miles has just recently come out as trans, and he's still trying to get used to being out. He has two best friends who are willing to go to bat for him in pretty much anything. Does their friendship get messy because of romance in the book? Yes. But all teenage relationships kind of get messy. It's just a fact of life.
Miles and Erik also have a great chemistry, even though Miles is trying to work through his own insecurities throughout the book. He doesn't feel like he's worthy of someone like Erik, and his process working through this feels realistic throughout the book. And being able to build confidence in his piano playing. I loved his relationship with his new piano teacher, who helps him use his own identity to make his piano playing better. Plus, she shows him that there's more to music than just winning competitions, and we love to see it.
There's some great character development in this book too, from Miles's friends to his parents and even Erik's sister. There's a whole great cast of characters, and it's helps in making you want to fly through this book.
All in all, I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and I already want more from Edward Underhill! Can't wait to see what he does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Bullying, Racism, and Dysphoria
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- Oh my heart! This book! I love it! It's tender and prickly and full of confusion and love and passion.
- Miles and Eric are so sweet. I loved watching them figure out themselves and each other, even when they made silly teenagery mistakes.
- This book does have elements of transphobia and queerphobia, but it's ultimately about joy. Joy in yourself, in your hobbies, in your relationships.
- Oh my heart! This book! I love it! It's tender and prickly and full of confusion and love and passion.
- Miles and Eric are so sweet. I loved watching them figure out themselves and each other, even when they made silly teenagery mistakes.
- This book does have elements of transphobia and queerphobia, but it's ultimately about joy. Joy in yourself, in your hobbies, in your relationships.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Infidelity, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
Minor: Sexual content
abbiesdigitallibrary's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fast favorite and let me tell you why.
Miles' boyfriend breaks up with him when he comes out as trans, but Miles has a plan to win him back. Not only that, but he wants to win the biggest piano competition in the Midwest. But will his plans stay on course when the new kid in school catches his attention?
This book is unapologetically trans. And it is amazing. We watch Miles socially transition by changing his name & pronouns, there are open discussions about binding & what Miles wants in the future regarding his transition, we see Miles struggle with dysphoria and find moments of euphoria, and there's even a character who asks his pronouns first.
But I want to put a warning out there for my trans friends - the transphobia is a bit heavy. We see it subtly within his family, explicitly on online forums, there are instances of misgendering, and Miles is referred to by his birth name in any pre transition parts of the book. Please be aware of this and if you need to, set the book down until you're ready.
Another reason I love this book is Eric. Miles and Eric are precious and deserve to be protected at all costs. I would have loved some more exploration with Eric's character & his relationship to gender (no specifics to avoid direct spoilers), or even another book dedicated to him would be ideal??
Anyway, everything was just done very well - the characters, the details, the conflict, the growth. I was hooked from the start and could not put it down.
Rep: trans MC, gay MC, pan SC, lesbian SC, Chinese SC, Latine SC, SC with Down Syndrome
CW: deadnaming, misgendering, transphobia, homophobia, racism, bullying, trauma, dysphoria, infidelity
Rating system:
5 - absolutely love, little-to-no dislikes that did not impact my reading experience
4 - great book, minor dislikes that did have an impact on my reading experience
3 - good/decent book but for some reason did not hook me or there were some problematic things that just were not addressed or greatly impacted my reading experience
2 - is either a book I did not click with and did not enjoy, problematic aspects are not addressed and severely impacted my reading experience, or I DNF'd but think it has potential for others
1 - is very problematic, I would not recommend the book to anyone
Thank you to Netgalley & Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected pub date: February 14, 2023.
Miles' boyfriend breaks up with him when he comes out as trans, but Miles has a plan to win him back. Not only that, but he wants to win the biggest piano competition in the Midwest. But will his plans stay on course when the new kid in school catches his attention?
This book is unapologetically trans. And it is amazing. We watch Miles socially transition by changing his name & pronouns, there are open discussions about binding & what Miles wants in the future regarding his transition, we see Miles struggle with dysphoria and find moments of euphoria, and there's even a character who asks his pronouns first.
But I want to put a warning out there for my trans friends - the transphobia is a bit heavy. We see it subtly within his family, explicitly on online forums, there are instances of misgendering, and Miles is referred to by his birth name in any pre transition parts of the book. Please be aware of this and if you need to, set the book down until you're ready.
Another reason I love this book is Eric. Miles and Eric are precious and deserve to be protected at all costs. I would have loved some more exploration with Eric's character & his relationship to gender (no specifics to avoid direct spoilers), or even another book dedicated to him would be ideal??
Anyway, everything was just done very well - the characters, the details, the conflict, the growth. I was hooked from the start and could not put it down.
Rep: trans MC, gay MC, pan SC, lesbian SC, Chinese SC, Latine SC, SC with Down Syndrome
CW: deadnaming, misgendering, transphobia, homophobia, racism, bullying, trauma, dysphoria, infidelity
Rating system:
5 - absolutely love, little-to-no dislikes that did not impact my reading experience
4 - great book, minor dislikes that did have an impact on my reading experience
3 - good/decent book but for some reason did not hook me or there were some problematic things that just were not addressed or greatly impacted my reading experience
2 - is either a book I did not click with and did not enjoy, problematic aspects are not addressed and severely impacted my reading experience, or I DNF'd but think it has potential for others
1 - is very problematic, I would not recommend the book to anyone
Thank you to Netgalley & Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected pub date: February 14, 2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Racism