Been Here All Along: He's in Love with the Boy Next Door Paperback – August 30, 2016

Kyle and Gideon have been best friends since they were about the age of five. They have always been next-door neighbors and have created a close bond. Despite their opposite personalities; Kyle: basketball player/jock, Gideon: geek, brainiac they’ve become best of friends. Their friendship is one you’ll be envious of!This book primarily revolves around exploring sexuality and coming to terms with it. Kyle is bisexual and has been out to his family and close friends. However, he hasn’t told his girlfriend Ruby because he didn’t feel comfortable. He deals with finding ways to finally tell her this big secret. While, Gideon is exploring his sexuality and coming to terms with “being gay” when he starts developing feelings for Kyle.Sandy Hall is a writer who likes multiple POV. Similar to her sophomore novel, Signs Point to Yes this book focuses on the main characters, a sibling and Ruby - Kyle’s girlfriend. We get to know these other characters and see what they're struggling with as well as the boys.I enjoy the way Hall writes because she has fluffy Contemporary with a hint of dark/important topics. Been Here All Along includes a parent losing a job, surviving in the real world/life after college and a learning disability. I enjoyed these topics being implemented into the story because they are real life events and need to be seen in YA more! Adding a learning disability really hit me because it was relatable to my life and rare to see in YA books.Kyle and Ruby have a complicated relationship - there were times when it did feel toxic. Ruby isn't the nicest character and seems careless when it comes to others feelings. She gets jealous very quickly. However, she redeems herself in the end.This book takes a turn when Gideon and Ruby start acting strange which causes Kyle to become suspicious. It changes the story and the characters turn on each other. This really makes the story :)I loved Kyle and Gideon's story and how many strong messages were in this book. Gideon is a friend you'd love to have. He's super nerdy, kind and will force you to watch Lord of the Rings. Kyle is sweet and understanding, witty.I think this became one of my favorite Sandy Hall books since A Little Something Different. I highly recommend to pick up this LGBTQIA book inspired by a fan edition of You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift! Kyle and Gideon will quickly become your new OTP and you’ll ship them as hard as I did! I would read more of these boys in a heartbeat. I love them so much. Please pick this book up, it deserves to be read :)

Sandy Hall is one of those authors whose book's I happened to stumble upon in the store and impulse buy. I've been hooked ever since and Been Here All Along didn't disappoint. It was exactly what I needed to read to take a break from all the serious reads I've devoured this year. Been Here All Along can be summed up in five words; light, quick, cute, sweet, and heartwarming. But it also has undertones of a few things we all encounter in our lives; figuring out who we are, accepting who we are, and learning from our mistakes. I loved it.I'm in love with this author's writing style, the simplicity of it is beautiful. I love how she conveys so much with so little. It's refreshing and extremely different from what I usually read.The simplicity of the writing makes her books very character driven. Been Here All Along is told in the alternate perspectives of four different characters, which is something this author is known for doing in her books. I'm not usually a fan of books that have more than two perspectives but her books are always an exception to that.Gideon and Kyle. They've been best friends since they were five. In a way, they're complete opposites; Gideon is very organized and goal oriented while Kyle is very disorganized and forgetful, but they have an incredible friendship and a lot in common. That friendship slowly starts to morph into something more... And well you'll have to read it for yourself to find out what happens next. I loved their friendship. I loved the fact that they were both giant nerds. They were absolutely adorable together. I seriously can't get over how adorable they were!!Ruby, I didn't like. There is always that one character I don't care for and Ruby was that character in this. She was self-centered and had a bad attitude. I felt terrible for how her life was at home, I could relate to those struggles so much. However, I didn't feel that it excused her behavior. Toward the end, she seemed on the path to redemption but I couldn't get over how she acted for 90% of the book.Ezra, Gideon's older brother. He was there and extremely supportive of his brother, but I didn't feel like we really got to know him. I didn't form much of an opinion about him. I wish we had gotten to know him a bit better, but the fact that the main focus of the story was Gideon's and Kyle's journey it made sense that we didn't.Overall this was an enjoyable read. I did have a few moments where I found things a bit too perfect, thus unrealistic, and found certain dramas very eye roll worthy so it wasn't without small flaws. However, if you're looking for a quick, cute, and light contemporary then this book is perfect.If you've never read any of Sandy Hall's books but want to give them a chance then I highly recommend Been Here All Along!I can't wait to see what this author has in store for us with her future books. I, for one, will definitely be reading every book that is published.

This is a beautiful book with a great story. I especially loved the characters. The story is narrated from the point of view of the four main characters and they feel so real: their thinking, dialog, word choice, personality... I immediately empathized with all of them. I only wished this book was longer.

I loved it! It was an easy read. It was super cute and amazing!

Great coming of age book, loved how it changes from 4 different friends point of view while reading.

I loved this book and I’m difficult to please!A very touching story and really lovable characters.

I could'nt put it down ! I loved it. I love how Sandy Hall talks about sexuality, and particularly bisexuality.This is a very cute book, with adorable characters. it's easy and simple to read, and funny. Loved it.