Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - Always the Almost

This had some really interesting themes and nuanced young characters who are struggling to make the right decisions. Miles and his parents remind me a little bit of of May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor. In that book, Jeremy's mother is a independent professional woman who champions feminism and liberal ideals but struggles to connect those to her now transitioning son.

In this book, its the father who champions feminism and loved having a daughter to support but now doesn't know how to communicate with a son, even if he is fundamentally the same child. Miles's mom is perfectly accepting and supportive of his gender transition but can't accept his new found sexuality as gay. Both of his parents love him but they struggle to accept his new identities because they don't align with what they expected their child to be like. This tension made for an interesting dynamic between Miles and each of his parents and, like in May The Best Man Win, illustrates how even the most liberal and supportive parents often do fail to apply their general beliefs of equality and acceptance to their own children.

Eric is a really great character. He's sweet and provides a quiet, calm acceptance of Miles's identity so he makes a great emotional rock for Miles. He had one line that really cracked me up laughing: "You're the one who sat in my lap Miles". It was so funny because it was early on in their relationship so it was the first time we saw his sassy or playful behavior. He has his own struggles with being bisexual/pansexual (I can't remember which was used) and I think it was handled in a really authentic but was to digest and still fun to read about way. His sister Nina has down syndrome and it was nice rep. She isn't a focal point and her down syndrome isn't a plot point but its mentioned and her needs are discussed often. Plus she's just a cute character.

There are a few things that bothered me. 1) The first 40% is so slow I almost dnf'ed multiple times. 2)

Miles cheats on Eric with his ex Shane by kissing Shane but its never called cheating. It is cheating no matter the reason and it concerns me that the author didn't feel the need to make that clear. When one of Mile's friends cheats on her girlfriend, its very clearly called out as cheating and as being bad and harmful but Miles gets away with it not being called cheating.

Content Warnings

novella42's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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? Yes

5.0

Always the Almost was a contemporary fiction romantic drama about a trans boy (he/him) who loves piano and has just recently come out of the closet, only to be dumped by his boyfriend. This is a lighthearted and emotional coming of age story that doubles as a gorgeous love letter to classical piano music.

Content Warnings

lilythebibliophile's review against another edition

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hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

2.75 stars

Reviewing this book is tough, because:

♢ Did this book have authentic queer and trans rep? Yes.

♢ Was the representation joyful, hopeful, and supported by other characters in the story? Yes.

♢ Do I think queer and trans readers will feel seen and safe reading this story? Yes.

♢ Is there a dearth of these kinds of books in the publishing industry? Yes.

However, I have two critiques:

♢ The cheating present in this story is not handled well. To me, if you cheat on your partner even once, you are a cheater for the rest of your life. Period. You can never go back to being a person who stays faithful to their partner. Cheating on your partner means crossing this huge moral boundary you can never un-cross.

Yet in this story, cheating is framed as a useful tool to help characters figure out what they really want. And the characters who cheat don't face proper consequences. What message is this giving younger teen readers?

And when I say the characters don't face proper consequences, I mean one character barely has to grovel before their partner takes them back. Even if the cheater had groveled more, their partner was too good for them in the first place. It seemed like their partner was more apologetic than the cheater was at the end of the story.

♢ During the emotional climax of the story, Miles blows up at almost everyone in his life on separate occasions. He tells his one friend "fuck you" and that she's being hysterical, he yells at his piano teacher, and he has an outburst when he's on the phone with his other friend. I am a teenager, and I'm about the same age as Miles. I have never and would never blow up at my friends like that, let alone at a teacher who's trying to help me?

Being a teenager with life problems is not an excuse to throw temper tantrums. These actions are indicative of a behavioral problem, yet they are normalized and forgiven almost instantly.

I understand the need for queer and trans rep where the characters aren't "model queer people" or "model trans people," where they make mistakes and have relationship problems. Yet I've never read another YA book (queer, trans, or otherwise) where the main character behaved so poorly and where their actions were normalized and excused almost instantly.

♢ The cheating did provide much-needed conflict to the story, but is that really an excuse? It's one thing if

Miles pushed Shane away almost instantly, but Eric didn't see that, so he thought Miles cheated. But Miles leaned in to kiss Shane back! Plus, Paige and Josie's situation makes it clear the author doesn't think cheating is a big deal.

♢ This book is better-written than the other Wednesday Books rom-com I read this month, but I am truly shocked at the actions of these characters and how they are portrayed.

♢ I liked the piano aspect of the plot. It was unique and meaningful.

Content Warnings

nyquillll's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense 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

3.5

Wow. This was my first story I’ve read about a transgender main character, and the second I’ve read about two young men falling in love. Though I am cisgender and a woman, I really enjoyed this book and learning more about being transgender and young and in love and all the complexities that come with those overlapping identities.

I think what I appreciated most about the book is the care and intention behind Miles’ experiences that are talked about and how sensitive topics are talked about. As the author, who is also transgender, writes in a note before the novel begins, this book is largely about trans joy but it also doesn’t shy away from some of the harsher realities of being transgender.

The book touches on gender expression, gender identity, gender dysphoria/body dysphoria, sexual orientation, the messiness of dating within a friend group, the highs and lows of high school, the love and dedication of being a musician/a pianist, the confusing and twisting path to finding yourself, the scars we carry from past wrongs and our attempts to find and do better in the present, radical acceptance and love, taking responsibility for the hurt we cause and trying to make amends, the pains of being a teenager in high school and the heavy insecurities, the exhilaration that comes from accepting who we truly are and being brave enough to be who we are even if we’re scared, the importance of building strong community around you, not basing your identity on what you do but who you are, and lots of wholesome trans joy and trans love.

I am grateful to this author and this book for opening my mind to new perspectives, especially as I attempt to navigate my own gender expression and gender identity.

Content Warnings

Moderate: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Dysphoria

Some of my favorite quotes:

”But they take up space in a different way. More of our space belongs to them.”

"Shane: [shedding a manly tear] I love you."

"It's a message from Eric...Five seconds later...Three seconds after that..."

"I got worried you might be lactose intolerant or something..."

"My stomach goes all light again. He called me sir. Like it was easy. Like it was nothing."

"u didn't tell me there were glaciers here."

"I am a gay trans boy who plays the piano because it's the only time I don't have to explain myself in order to feel whole."

"I just meant that I see you as a guy. And I still would, you know, if you were in drag. Or whatever. You're a guy."

"Sometimes it's how I feel. Both, or neither."

"'Like you don't know where you fit in?' 'More like I do, it's just not in either of the available slots.'"

"I like your name...It's distance...literal miles...plenty of distance for you to go. Paths to take you can't see yet. It matches you. you can go as far as you want."

"It's funny what a difference a few inches makes. I don't have to look up so far to meet Eric's eyes...and he never seems to look down on me."

"He smiles, tentatively. 'You're a person.'"

"Let the music help you with your technique, so the technique becomes the phrasing."

"It's about the choices I make to build a story - where the music is coming from and where it's going."

"Miles, I see you as everything you tell me you are or want to be."

"Well, you're not the same as the person I thought I knew, but you're more you. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like - I dunno - you couldn't be you."

"All of that was about you."

"All I feel is terrible. For Paige. For Rachel. For the ways they kind of match up but don't fit together."

"This is your jazz tie."

"For Miles, xo Dad."

"A pause. 'Would this be our friend Eric, the reindeer-hat-man?'"

"...he gets it. Rewriting and rewriting myself, because he did the same thing...He's not switching genders or names or pronouns, but he's still choosing who he wants to be. Finding yourself, in spite of everyone else."

bisonprints's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

_moonsongenthusiast_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny 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? N/A

3.75

Content Warnings

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