One thing I've learned after reading both of Edward Underhill's books now is that you just really cant go wrong with one of Underhill's stories.
Always the Almost was a wonderful YA trans youth story and This Day Changes Everything hits the mark just as strongly. The characters are wonderful and you cant help but love and root for them as the plot progresses. The story of the book is unique and puts you through all kinds of emotions from start to finish. An excellent read I think many will enjoy!

This Day Changes Everything

A queer, YA easy romance. Edward Underhill again brings heavy topics and handles them well, not shying away. He pulls at your heart strings while weaving stories of joy that celebrate finding out who you are. Coming age can be difficult and I think it is handled so well here and in his first novel, Always the Almost.

Once again, Edward Underhill really captures what it’s like to be a super nerdy band kid in high school.

Two teens from different schools both meet in NYC before their respective marching bands appear in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Trans teen Leo is withdrawn and nervous about his extended family seeing him on TV and outgoing but closeted Abby desperately wants to tell her best friend she’s in love with her. When they get separated from their groups and end up on the wrong subway together, they end up having a day in the city that neither of them expected.

This was so cute for the most part and I really did just want to hug these two and tell them that it’ll get so much better than the lives they have now. There are others like them in the world and they’ll grow to find their people. The glimpses they get of this in the city prove to spark their desire to seek out new experiences.

Honestly, I wish this hadn’t been a romance. I wish that these were two people who found each other and became friends. Everything with the romance between them felt wayyyy too fast for happening in less than a 24-hour period. If the book had ended with them feeling like they had a new, good friend in their corner, despite their distance? That would have really sold this for me.

As it stands, this is a 3.5 rounded up to four stars.

I loved this queer romance!! This was my first time reading Underhill’s writing and I found it to be so funny and relatable. Some of the themes throughout of being unapologetically and authentically you, as well as not putting pressure on yourself to find a label for who you are were beautifully fleshed out. Leo was amazing and his predicament with his family was so relatable as there are many queer kids who come out but still have to hide that part of themselves from certain people. Overall it was touching, emotional & overall really fun & endearing. I highly recommend!

Loved it so much for a teen/YA book.

I couldn’t put the book down. So happy I was able to read this!

Give this book a shot!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Leo is a trans boy on a high school band trip to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in New York City. Abby is a queer girl, also on a band trip to perform in the parade, from a different high school. When they both get on the wrong train and are separated from their groups, they team up and spend the whole day together. Suddenly, they're both questioning so many things that they once thought...

This book is definitely angsty, but the queer rep feels stellar. Questioning how people will perceive you, especially in smaller towns, is huge, and the author does a great job of portraying that here while being gentle. I also really enjoyed Abby and Leo and their journey. Was some of it a little cringey in how cheesy it was? Sure, but having big feelings in high school is just a day in the life, so this book nails it.

Out now!!

i’m submitting the reviews for books by you that I already have, but I will never request another one. In October one of your employees made a horribly racist statement and you have chosen to do nothing about it. People have continuously asked you to say that you don’t stand with what the employee said, and you refuse to. This is not someone who I want to promote ever because you are sending the wrong message. These reviews will not be posted on social media because you don’t deserve the promotion. By not speaking out you are also not preventing your followers from stalking and harassing people who are participating in the boycott. Your silence speaks volumes. I hope that all of your authors move to other publishers because you are standing with a genocide. You are also currently saying that you support black women in black history month but you have ignored their concerns for months and shown them no support.

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Two teenagers, one a trans boy and the other a girl who is grappling with what label best fits her meet serendipitously on the NYC subway. Both are visiting the city to march with their respective school bands in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and both are now highly stressed as their day has quickly gone off the rails. At least they are in this mess together! What a charming YA rom-com full of queer representation and complex human realities. Leo is in New York, but his mind is on what is happening at home in North Carolina as his parents fumble through what they plan to tell, or not tell extended family about his transitioning. Abby is with her best friend, Kat and ready to finally tell her how she feels about her while also breaking the news that she is gay... but she is questioning that label and doesn't know if it quite fits her... I always love a book based in NYC and this one is so fun. I felt like I was there for a whirlwind 24hr trip! I'm a lady in my 40's, so I recognize I'm well out of the YA ranks, however I can appreciate a good book whether I'm the target audience or not and this is one of those! It seems more than ever representation in books matters and I hope word gets out about how charming this book is!

I received a copy from NetGalley for review.

I think this was the perfect book for winter time (I wish it was coming out in November instead of February though). It follows Abby and Leo and their mishaps through New York City while their high school marching bands are there to play in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. After they both mistakenly get on the wrong subway train we follow them through a day of misadventure.

I really enjoyed this and read it in two sittings. I think it's fun and full of whimsy and for those that are looking for something spontaneous and light.

A great YA queer coming of age story that takes place over 24 hours in New York City as two teens get lost together while visiting on a class trip. I loved the fantastic cast of queer characters (a trans boy, a girl questioning her sexuality, another side character is Ace). There was a fun queer book scavenger hunt and lots of Ferris Bueller's day off vibes. Absolutely loved it and also enjoyed the audiobook narration by Logan Rozos and Caitlin Kinnunen. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a sweet, whirlwind romance—it reminds me so much of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, with two ill-matched characters finding they have far more pulling them together than they initially thought! I loved watching their journeys on this fated trip to New York.

Abby and Leo are both headed with their schools to New York City to play in the Macy's Day Parade. Abby is excited to tell her best friend that she's in love with her. She has it all planned out and she believes the universe will help her. Leo is less than excited about being on the trip. He knows that his extended family will see him on the TV and know that he is a trans boy. . He knows that his family will see him on the TV and know that he is trans. Abby and Leo end up on the wrong train together, but recognize each other from the hotel lobby. They spend the whole day together, and trying to complete Abby's quest for love. However, along the way they find themselves not wanting the day to be over, so they can spend more time together. I absolutely love this one. I thought it was funny and charming. I flew through it because I just had to know what happened next . The Macy's parade background was fun. The characters were great loved it.

Good grief I loved this book! There is something so wholesome and healing and delightfully youthful and also profound on how Underhill has approached the backstory and development of these characters. It was an adventure from start to finish and I loved every minute!!

This book is endearing and sweet and light-hearted all the other synonyms out there!

The one thing I really want to touch on in this review is that this book does an amazing job of building our main characters: Abby and Leo. In the span of one day, of getting to know each other, and hanging out; they change in their respective ways. There’s so many discussions packed into this book all related to queerness, identity, existing as a transgender person in a heteronormative society, deciding to label yourself or not…just so much that young readers especially those in high school will find relatability and comfort with.

I will say this book felt like a Lifetime movie especially with the backdrop of this novel being winter in New York City. Abby being the sunshine in this sunshine x grumpy pairing believes in the magic of the city/universe while Leo does not—at least not at first. I think one of the things about this book I find a bit unrealistic even though the book weaves in some of that New York traffic realness into the story, is the fact that their legs didn’t completely give out at the end of their twelve hour adventure. For those that don’t know: New York City sidewalks are LONG, like as someone that used to live in the city, I was like how are they not tired? But also I have to say I loved the hints of New York in this book even if I do think that there definitely should’ve been more people giving them a dirty look for standing in the middle of a sidewalk (just saying).

I do wish there was an epilogue of some sort because the end while sweet, it lacked a bit in the sense that I had some unanswered questions. What did Leo’s relatives say and how did his parents handle that? How are Abby and Leo making this long distance relationship work? Does Abby come out in some form to her parents even if she decides not to label herself? I love a good epilogue where it’s a couple months into the future and we see a snapshot of the characters’ lives after the main events in the book.

If you love books about young queer love, this story right here is 100% for you.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Day Changes Everything follows Abby as she tries desperately to find a way to tell her best friend both that she’s queer and that she thinks she’s in love with her on a school band trip to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. A series of events leads her to cross paths with Leo and they set out on an adventure together to gather the perfect trinkets to tell Kat how Abby feels.

I adored this adorable story about first loves and finding your identity. It was so much fun seeing them hitting all of the NYC landmarks and Abby’s favorite book obsession was incredibly relatable for me.

I loved watching Abby discover more about herself and learn that there were people just like her everywhere. I really enjoyed Leo’s journey, especially his realistic reaction to his family’s struggles with his true self.
Most of all, I loved how things weren’t wrapped up in a neat, little bow, but you were truly left with the feeling that the universe is what you make it.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book, but it was not anything to do with the actual quality of the book. It simply was not what I wanted it to be/thought it would be. I think it would be very good for a different demographic, but unfortunately that was not me.

This Day Changes Everything is a lighthearted and sweet romance. Abby is a firm believer in fate, signs, and there being an absolute right moment for everything. When her high school marching band is picked to perform in the Macy’s Day parade, she is certain now is the time to confess her feelings to her best friend. Yet when she gets to New York, instead of having a romantic trip with her best friend- she meets Leo. Leo is about to be outed to his extended family by appearing in the Macy’s Day parade with his own marching band. As Abby and Leo adventure throughout the city, they start to develop a connection.

I loved This Day Changes Everything! Leo and Abby are the perfect grump/sunshine pairing. Abby is relentlessly looking for the best in every experience and wants to have romantic love like in the scenes from her favorite book. Meanwhile, Leo is struggling with his unaccepting family and being a Logistical Headache. They both have a lot to learn from each other. I enjoyed watching their begrudging friendship turn into something more. I also loved how they explored their identities together and discussed labels (how they can be helpful but certainly aren’t required).

This Day Changes Everything has lots of strong friendships, lovable characters, and adventures around NYC. Leo and Abby had such good dialogue! It was so fun to see the city through their eyes as they went to classic NYC locations like Central Park, Grand Central Station, Chinatown etc. I also appreciated the ensemble cast of supportive friends. Readers who enjoyed Dash & Lily but wished it had more queer romance will love this book! If you enjoy fast-paced, lighthearted queer romance, and adventures in NYC then you will love This Day Changes Everything. I can’t wait to read what Edward Underhill writes next!

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

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

THIS DAY CHANGES EVERYTHING is basically "eeee so cute!" in book form. I loved everything about it, from the queerness to the band nerdery to the running around NYC landmarks hoping for magic. It's beautiful queer joy wrapped in a book.
I love that Abby and Leo are allowed to be grumpy and touchy, that they can feel both joy and frustration.
It's also great to see a YA novel where the queer characters are still figuring themselves out: trying to find the right label, or decide that labels might not even be necessary at all.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eArc of <i>This Day Changes Everything<i/>. All opinions are my own.

I really liked Edward Underhill's debut queer YA novel <i>Always the Almost<i/>, so I was excited when he came out with a new one. And this one, I have to say, is even better. His writing style, storytelling, and craft all seem more polished in his sophomore effort. This fun book, about an accidental day out and about in New York City, was fun, clearly well-researched (as a former New Yorker, I loved reading all the descriptions of the places the characters visit!), and more importantly, more than just an "Oops, we got stuck together!" rom-com trope.

Our two main characters, Abby and Leo, two teenagers traveling to NYC from afar to perform at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with their respective marching bands, find themselves accidentally flung together when each of them get on the same subway car going to wrong direction from their tour group. After a series of very grumpy interactions, where the two seem like they're going to resign themselves to being lost and alone in New York for the rest of the day, they reluctantly agree to work together to find Abby's crush some special gifts and make their way back to their school groups. If this is how band kids rebel, I'm all for it. Of course, getting lost in a city of 8 million people is no joke, and the way they had such awareness of how the adults would react should they find out is very much real.

Of course, knowing this is set up as a queer YA rom-com, we can guess what happens. But it's still sweet, beautiful, innocent, because the book is not just about getting lost in New York, but about finding new ways to be yourself around others, exploring and accepting your queer identity and finding your people who accept you, too.

Edward Underhill writes the loveliest teen trans joy and I was so excited to read this little adventure of a book! It was so sweet - all the best warm fuzzies of a classic NYC rom com with a queer lens. I loved following along on the adventure that Leo and Abby went on set against all of the careening hope of first love and figuring it all out. The book covers a lot of terrain in short order and I would have loved to linger a little more in some of the sweet moments, but that didn't dull the delight of the story!