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.