Been Here All Along (Swoon Novels)

by Sandy Hall

Gideon always has a plan. His plans include running for class president, becoming head of the yearbook committee and having his choice of colleges. They do not include falling head over heels for his best friend and next-door neighbour, Kyle. It's a distraction. It's pointless, as Kyle is already dating the gorgeous and popular head cheerleader, Ruby. And Gideon doesn't know what to do . . .

Kyle finally feels like he has a handle on life. He has a wonderful girlfriend, a best friend willing to debate the finer points of Lord of the Rings, and social acceptance as captain of the basketball team. Then, both Ruby and Gideon start acting really weird, just as his spot on the team is threatened, and Kyle can't quite figure out what he did wrong . . .

• ISBN10: 1509852808
• ISBN13: 9781509852802
• Publish Date: 13 July 2017 (first published 30 August 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 4 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Macmillan Children's Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leah]

Sandy Hall is such a wonderful author. Her books are full of such warmth and wit, and her books are so quick to read. Her latest is Been Here All Along, and it was a quick, sweet read, but it was slightly immature considering the main characters are all 17 and 18. All things considered though I did like this, although if I was Gideon or Kyle and I had a Ruby in my life, I would strangle her for being a terrible, awful person because there is literally no excuse for any of her actions, and I thought her salvation came way, way too late.
I did, however, absolutely love Gideon and Kyle. They were so cute the whole time. I just wanted to squeeze their cheeks and force them to kiss like two Barbie dolls. Because they were PERFECT for each other. Sandy Hall just writes the cutest stories, I am not even kidding. They’re as sweet as a spoonful of sugar, but I love them. I genuinely could read her writing every day.

Been Here All Along could easily have had Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me as it’s theme song, I’m not even kidding, it was just so cute and I finished it within a few hours of starting it. I don’t have a lot to say because there was not a lot wrong with this book. I’ll read anything Sandy Hall releases because she just has this way with words and her books never fail to put a smile on my face.

[jnikkir]

A very positive 3.5 stars. Very light, very short, VERY cute.

[Sam@WLABB]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If I had to sum this book up in one word, I would select: adorable!

I have become a teen rom-com cliche. There is no hope for me.

This book is like your favorite Starbucks latte on an early autumn morning - sweet, warm, and leaves you feeling satisfied.

Could I possibly just be Kyle-sexual? Is that thing?

In true Sandy Hall fashion, there is a lot of humor (she is quite hilarious IRL), and multiple POVs (4 in this book). I sort of like that, although this is a book about a bisexual boy with a learning disability and his gay best friend, it's not a book about being bisexual or having LD or being gay. It's a book about two best friends, who fall in love with each other. It's about being comfortable in your own skin. It's about all sorts of love - friendly love, familial love, romantic love. This is the story of the two men navigating a new relationship, and we get to be part of their "firsts" -- first kiss, first date, first PDA, first fight, first make-up. And like I said, it is very adorable (see quote below).

I'm so happy it makes me want to hide, because I don't know what to do with it all. I just want to store it up and save it for winter...save it for when I don't feel like it's bursting from every single one of my pores. I didn't know this was possible. To feel this way.

Overall: short and sweet, sooooo adorable, and there's a little something for everyone too (gay, bi, LD, money issues, nerdy fun, etc).