Always the Almost is the story of Miles, a trans boy living in Wisconsin. Miles is a pianist, who dreams of winning at regionals and defeating his competition nemesis. He also wants to win back his ex, football player Shane, who broke up with him after Miles came out as trans. When Miles meets new student Eric, he doesn’t have time for a new friend. But as Eric and Miles get to know each other, Miles starts to question what he truly wants and whether he can have it all. 

 

This is a book that will resonate with LGBTQ+ people of any age, but especially teens. Always the Almost has it all: queer angst, queer joy, trans joy, identity affirmation, identity questioning etc. Underhill’s writing is witty and emotional. The search for identity, belonging, and not feeling like you are enough is so well-written and relatable. I literally teared up at one of the ending scenes- which is rare! 

 

Miles, Eric, and Miles’ best friends Rachel and Paige form a realistic queer found family. They are hilarious, empathetic, and at times selfish (like most teenagers). I loved that all of these characters are messy, none of them are perfect or idealized. Underhill gives them space to make mistakes, apologize, and grow/move forward. Eric is an incredible love interest and character. I loved learning more about his background, especially his close relationship to his sister Nina, who has Down Syndrome. Eric is on his own queer journey as well, including processing trauma from his previous school. 

 

Fans of Casey McQuiston, Sophie Gonzales, and Adam Sass would love this book. If I could compare this book to anime, I would recommend it for fans of Yuri on Ice and Your Lie in April. Always the Almost is one of my favorite books of 2023 and I would highly recommend it to anyone! 

 

Thank you to Edward Underhill, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.