All Pianist Miles wants is to win the Piano competition and to be accepted as a boy. When he comes out to his boyfriend that he wants to transition into a boy Miles boyfriend wants nothing to do with it and dumps him. Miles makes a plan to win him back.
This book was well written and I enjoyed reading from Miles perspective.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m giving Always the Almost a very sincere 3.75⭐️, rounded up to 4. This was the book where I realized reading about teenagers might not be my thing anymore. I really enjoyed the story and watching Miles grow into himself. It was wonderful to read about his piano playing and that entire B plot element of the book. I loved the on page queer rep. I don’t really know how to describe what I didnt like about this book but something felt off the entire time I was reading it. I didn’t love Miles’ friends. I didn’t feel like either of the love interests were a good match. And above all else, i really just don’t think teenage drama, as real and raw and valid as it may be, is for me anymore at my big age of 25. Overall, I’m grateful to have books like this in the world and I think it’s a wonderful read if you’re into queer and trans rep, musicians, and lots of scenes involving a high school cafeteria.

I'm constantly on the look out for new stories featuring trans characters, so I was immediately intrigued by Always the Almost. Unfortunately I found it incredibly difficult to root for the characters and didn't end up enjoying this much at all. Definitely a case of being the wrong audience for this story.

This story was an absolute joy to read, and the romance was so soft and wholesome. I enjoyed getting to read about a trans character without the focus being on the difficult aspects of this identify. The story did not hide any of these elements, but it was not the focus of the book. More books like this please!

Trans Joy✨🥹🏳️‍⚧️

What I loved:
1. The cover is BEAUTIFUL!!!! The artwork and colors are perfect.
2. Miles is pretty messy as a character, but I enjoy YA characters to make mistakes and learn as the story continues!
2. Music scene was fun to learn about!!! The competitions were especially interesting/captivating.
3. The coming of age was magical to watch, trans joy on full display!

Wonderful 4 star debut!!!🩷

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC🩵

Always the Almost was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023, especially as a former classical music kid. It’s a YA novel about a trans teen pianist who wants to win a fancy piano competition & win back his ex, who dumped him when he came out (yikes). Vibe-wise, the book is similar to Felix Ever After; both explore questions of gender and sexual identity with nuance & insight, but Always the Almost avoids the heavy didacticism that often weighs Kacen Callender’s work down.

I LOVE the way Underhill (who is a musician!) depicts what it’s like to grow up in the classical music world. He gets it all so right––the student-teacher dynamic, the idea of having “competition friends,” the way you grow up alongside kids that you only know in one particular context. There’s a vocabulary for this world that I’ve never seen articulated in a YA or romance novel (or in any book of any genre! Anyone have recs?). Finding that here feels special.

Always the Almost is tender, funny, and painful at times. It’s a coming-of-age story about teenagers who fuck up & betray each other’s trust, but who apologize & learn to take responsibility. Underhill writes conflict scenes with such care, which elevates the book beyond an angsty teen drama.

There is a LOT of romantic drama, though. If you don’t like spoilers, please stop reading here––I’m about to get into it!

I dislike love triangles, especially when they’re the central romantic conflict. I also dislike cheating in romance. (HILL I WILL DIE ON: there are infinite ways to create conflict, and cheating often feels lazy as a plot point!) There’s a *lot* of those things in this book, in different forms. And while that doesn’t affect how much I love the music/coming-of-age elements of the book, it does sour the romance(s) for me. Your mileage may vary!

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill is a book about identity and first loves as trans boy Miles Jacobson navigates heartbreak and new love and his musical talent and high school. It's a great option for lovers of YA.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

YESSSS QUEER LOVE. This was such a great book. This book is full of trans joy and I love to see it. A love story for the ages <3

I loved this book. Although I am not a pianist, I played violin for two years before quitting, and tried a whole slew of instruments when I was an exchange student (I was randomly put in a music class, and my teacher made it his mission to find my instrument....about 12 instruments attempted, and none were my instrument). Anyway, I had a fun time reading this. Although I cannot relate to the piano playing, or being trans, or high school relationships, I genuinely enjoyed reading about Miles figuring himself out through the story. This was a sweet, fun read, and in the author's note, he wrote what he wanted to accomplish in writing this story, and I felt that he did a fantastic job: writing about trans joy, writing about queer people who aren't in the big cities, sharing his love of classical music, and how bad it feels to hurt your friends. If that sounds like the kind of book you might be interested in, I highly recommend giving Always the Almost a try.

I'm always here for trans stories, especially when they feature joy and happiness. I'm happy that the author got to tell their story the way they wanted and it was an overall cute book.

I can imagine that coming out as transgender and having your significant other dump you would be so hurtful. You need people to stand by you and one of the people closest to you decides to distance themselves. While I understood Miles wanting Shane to at least come back as a friend, I don't think it was fair to push Shane to be his boyfriend when he was clear that he wasn't gay.

There were some great friendships and the girls were awesome to Miles. I loved seeing that he had some support as things were changing and he was trying to navigate how his life would go. Eric is also the sweetest guy and I just wanted to hug him!

Miles makes some immature decisions and mistakes that annoyed me and I'm not a big fan of growth that happens overnight. Things take time and some parts of Miles' character development seemed a bit quick to me.

This has a nice romance, good friends, and shows finding joy in expressing yourself. Overall a nice read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This was a great coming of age novel. Miles is a trans teenager looking to make some big steps as he makes a New Year’s resolution to win back his boyfriend and win a piano competition. I really rooted for Miles. This was a sweet story and I’m so looking forward to the next thing Underhill writes.
.

Thank you #smpress
and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

"Always the Almost" was a very sweet YA romance. The main character is a trans boy who is trying to not only win an important piano competition, but also win back his ex boyfriend. Miles' ex, Shane, has trouble with Miles' transition and what it means for their relationship, and when he's decided that he's not attracted to Miles anymore after his transition, Miles is determined to prove to Shane that he's still the same person. During Miles' practicing for the piano competition, he meets another queer boy named Eric. Miles ends up facing a lot of challenges and learning and growing of himself while he tries to win his competition, and also decide what his heart wants--Eric or Shane--without hurting anyone in the process.
I thought this was a sweet YA romance, but I think as an adult, I found a lot of Miles decisions really frustrating. It's interesting to read with hindsight and remembering how confusing and wonderful first loves can be.

This was a cute YA contemporary romance. I wasn't obsessed with it the way I wanted to be, but I also admit I was taking a chance on this one anyway. As a reviewer, I think my tastes have been changing this past year, so I fully acknowledge this might just be not the book for me.

Highly recommend for Jenny Han fans and people who the cover vibes well with. I thought this was cute but not for me.

Adorable YA novel filled with trans joy. Really enjoyed this one! Has authenticity and a sense of what is truly important. As a trans adult, I want teens to have books like this in their lives, and I think it's very accessible to a "grown-up" audience as well. A great romance and a nice cast of supporting characters. I also really liked the perspective of what it means to be a pianist and also what the competitive circuit for teens is like; I felt that it illuminated things about performing and being a musician. I would definitely read more by this author. Warning: contains cheating/infidelity.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advance copy which I didn't read and instead checked it out of the library later, and I'm not submitting my review until more than three months after I read it so I am no help. I doubt they'll ever let me have another book!

This book was very cute, fun, light-hearted and entertaining ya romance. A book that will give you so much joy, and have you smiling from ear to ear! A must read for those who love YA and Romance!

"Always the Almost" by Edward Underhill is a poignant and introspective exploration of life's complexities and the pursuit of dreams. Underhill's writing shines as he delves into the nuances of relationships, aspirations, and the human experience. The book's thoughtful narratives and relatable characters create an immersive reading experience that resonates with readers. Underhill's ability to capture the emotions and uncertainties of his characters adds depth to the narrative, making it a compelling read for those who enjoy stories that reflect on the paths we take and the roads not traveled. "Always the Almost" is a contemplative journey that prompts readers to reflect on their own life choices and the roads they've taken, leaving them with a sense of nostalgia and contemplation.

edward underhill is a great writer. everything that i expected was what i received. it was a cute romance with heart wrenching undertones that i think more teen readers need

All in all, I thought this was a pretty solid and intriguing debut. I love seeing more YA books with trans characters at the heart surrounded by other queer characters, and when these characters are allowed to be human and have flaws (although I do wish some of those things had been addressed more readily). ALWAYS THE ALMOST SHINES its brightest when it's about music, from Miles’ journey of self-discovery through music and just the way that Edward Underhill writes about music in general, that’s where I found the joy. A lot of the characters are messy, as is expected of high schoolers, but there were some moments that could have perhaps been explored better (re: cheating). Ultimately, I mostly enjoyed this book and really appreciated its portrayal of being trans, even as it doesn’t wholly mirror my own, and the beauty of music woven throughout.

It's not a dramatic book, don't worry. But it was still painful to read all that Miles had to go through as a trans boy. On the other hand, Eric is vert fluffy and cute and I loved him and his art.
3+

I don't understand a thing about piano or classical music, so I I had to take the narrator's word to be true. Still, those parts were very cool, it transpired how much Miles loved his music, even if things didn't come easy for him. (That doesn't stop him from not being that likeable a character to be honest)

This was a nice book to read, talking about how much you need to sweat for your passions and being true to yourself, the deep stuff, but also with fun tropes like fake boyfriends. I also liked the part with the ex-boyfriend, even if it was a bit heartbreaking, at least it wasn't black and white. It's not memorable, and it may take you time to see the book's worth. However, it's a good coming-of-age story with a cute romance.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.