It was a sweet book with very real experiences of transphobia. I think it's always interesting that so many LGBTQ+ MC end up having a really mean moment where they lack empathy for one of their friends in their time of need and that causes major drama. I guess that 's kind of a teenager thing to do. ( )

Sixteen-year-old Miles has two goals for the year: beat his rival at the Tri-State Piano Competition and win back his ex-boyfriend.

Miles Jacobson, a White trans boy from Wisconsin, had been dating Shane McIntyre for a year before Miles came out and Shane broke up with him. He believes that if Shane really loved him, his gender shouldn’t matter. But Miles’ New Year’s resolution to win Shane back is complicated by the arrival of Eric Mendez, a cute Latine guy who actually is queer and also likes Miles. As Miles works toward his piano goals with Stefania Smith, his demanding new teacher, a romance blossoms with Eric—even though Miles still has Shane on the brain. Underhill makes it clear in a preface that this is a joyful queer story, and it lives up to that promise. The book captures the delight of being not just accepted, but also understood—as well as the pains of being misunderstood. It celebrates Miles’ real triumphs, from finding a suit that fits to mastering a Tchaikovsky concerto. Miles is likable and relatable as he tries to discover who he is on his own terms, not based on what others think of him. The author has chosen to include Miles’ birth name prominently; this is uncomfortable but realistic for someone early in his transition. The supporting characters, especially Stefania, are well developed and bring life to Miles’ world.
A warm, optimistic transgender coming-of-age and queer romance. ( )

Miles is a sixteen year old high school student and if that isn't hard enough, they also just transitioned from Melissa to Miles. This led to a celebration from Miles' two lesbian friends, Rachel and Paige, confusion from their parents and a breakup with boyfriend, Shane. On top of school, Miles is getting ready to compete in a regional classical piano competition. For New Years, Miles resolves to win back his ex and beat his arch nemesis at the piano competition. A new classmate, Eric and a new piano instructor, Stefania, throw Miles for a loop. Eric and Miles seem to have an instant connection, Eric even asks Miles' pronouns when they first meet. Stefania pushes Miles in a good way for his piano competition. Miles has to figure out who he is and what he stands for so he can figure out how to win the piano competition, his relationship with Eric and his relationship with himself.

Always the Almost is a young adult coming of age story focusing on newly transitioned Miles. I love that the focus was not on Miles' transition or the inevitable strife it caused with others, but on Miles figuring out who he was and what makes him happy, just like any other teenager. I also enjoyed that Miles' passion was music and that did not change as he transitioned, but his transition did impact the emotions he could access while playing. Miles' character, while representing trans and queer youth, was very much a typical teen, focused on friends, wanting an ex back and beating an opponent at the piano competition. I admired Eric, a queer character with a very calming presence, great personality and also dealing with issues of his own. Rachel and Paige were awesome and shine a light on lesbian relationships, I wish their relationship would have been equally focused on, especially with the drama near the end. Overall, Always the Almost is a story of finding joy. It is clear the author put his own emotions and experience into the story and gives representation to more youth.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

A pretty good YA novel about friendship, love, transition, and talent. I think it's accurate to the confusion of adolescent romantic desires. It's definitely possible, possibly even common, for the desire to prove one's own desirability, or to show an ex what they're missing, to get in the way of new relationships and the potential for actual happiness—that doesn't mean it didn't drive me absolutely crazy how Eric was treated in this book, though! ( )