Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
pretty typical high school trans masc achillean romance. very cute. it was a little on the boring side, the prose didn't draw me in and force me to go through every word (as i prefer) so i kinda ended up skimming the whole thing on accident. still, if you're looking for a cute and queer high school romcom, it's pretty solid.
emotional
funny
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
Ugh. This was beautiful and so heartwarming. I absolutely love Edward Underhill’s writing, and couldn’t put this book down. The characters were so believable and had so much personality, and my teenage trans self from ten years ago felt so seen. I wish I had this book as a teenager when I was first realizing and sharing who I was. Similarly to The In-Between Bookstore, Always The Almost made it clear that it is a privilege to know someone’s true self. Read this if you need some trans joy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
the person who wrote “could care less” instead of “couldn’t care less” THREE TIMES in the book should get FIRED. almost made me rage quit. i cannot stand this mistake 😭 other than that it was cute and i had a good time. miles is an IDIOT. and my favorite part of the book was when everyone was mad at him ngl. i was so happy he got called out for his bullshit. eric honey you deserved better. but still i don’t hate miles i like that at the end he had to work to get what he wanted. the passages about piano where the best written parts of the book.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
emotional
inspiring
reflective
Always the Almost is a book I think many people would enjoy. The coming-of-age and self discovery in this book for our main character Miles offers such a beautiful insight in to a trans teens struggle with being themselves in a world where they've spent so much time being someone else. Miles is struggling to find his place with his family, friends and peers but he also struggles with who he is and who he is aiming to become.
Always the Almost offers insight in such a gentle way that feels incredibly natural and real. It's a story that I felt like I was living with my own friends and not something over dramatized like what you see on TV.
While this book does rely on the miscommunication trope a little too much around the middle it doesn't distract from the amazing characters and bond you've built with them while reading. It's also completely understandable as these are teenagers in High School and miscommunications and misunderstandings are the bread and butter of a high school drama lol.
Overall this book is extremely enjoyable with a well paced plot!
Always the Almost offers insight in such a gentle way that feels incredibly natural and real. It's a story that I felt like I was living with my own friends and not something over dramatized like what you see on TV.
While this book does rely on the miscommunication trope a little too much around the middle it doesn't distract from the amazing characters and bond you've built with them while reading. It's also completely understandable as these are teenagers in High School and miscommunications and misunderstandings are the bread and butter of a high school drama lol.
Overall this book is extremely enjoyable with a well paced plot!
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Always the Almost
4.25/5
- wow. this was absolutely amazing
- i relate to miles so so so so much as a trans guy from the midwest it's not even funny
- amazing book. would definitely recommend
- cute read with relatable teenager behavior type scenes
tw: transphobia, deadnaming, cheating, gender dysphoria
4.25/5
- wow. this was absolutely amazing
- i relate to miles so so so so much as a trans guy from the midwest it's not even funny
- amazing book. would definitely recommend
- cute read with relatable teenager behavior type scenes
tw: transphobia, deadnaming, cheating, gender dysphoria
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming