Edward Underhill

Abby believes in the magic of the universe - especially since her high school marching band is going to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She now gets to spend the next few days in New York City with her best friend, Kat. The exact same New York City their favorite book is set in - and the perfect place to finally tell Kat she loves her (and that she’s gay). She’s got a signed copy of the book that she's spent months annotating, now she’s just got to find the perfect moment to create her own rom-com.

Leo on the other hand, just wants to get through the next few days without too much of a family blowup - especially since he’s about to be outed on national television to his Southern family as the trans boy he really is. He’s not excited for the parade, he just wants to get it over with - yet alone spending the day sightseeing with his band.

When fate throws both Abby and Leo on the wrong subway trains heading in the opposite direction of their bands, the duo get lost in Manhattan. And worse yet, Leo makes Abby lose her one of a kind gift for Kat. To hopefully fix it, they decide on a new mission: find a souvenir at every location mentioned in the book, while their friends can hopefully cover for them during sightseeing. Maybe, just maybe, fate and a little magic will make this a day that changes everything.

I wasn’t sure what year this was supposed to be set in. They mention Tumblr a lot and I used it religiously for twelve years, but haven’t messed with it too much in the last five when my dash became so slow because people stopped posting. Is that still a popular website, or was this set roughly ten years ago? I think knowing this would also help me in understanding where Abby was in knowing about Queer activities in and around the KC area.

I’m not the biggest Romance fan, but this just sounded super cute when I read the premise - plus a lot can happen in a big city in 24-hours and this book doesn’t disappoint.

Overall, great representation of Teen Queer communities. Also for those who love that grump and sunshine trope.

*Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review… (meer)

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.… (meer)

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.… (meer)