Author Mason Deaver indicates in his author's note he wrote I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST because it was the book he needed when he was younger. Readers can now have the book they need to be recognized as humans of value no matter how they think of themselves. Deaver's words will help countless youth looking for a special story with characters who learn to speak their truth.
Ben used to think he was gay, but reading online blogs and "meeting" others who felt the same, Ben realizes they are nonbinary. Briefly, this means they don't identify in a binary male vs female sense. Ben's descriptive pronouns are they and them. After this realization, it seems obvious that Ben should reveal this to their parents.
The result of saying those three words, "I am nonbinary," ends with Ben's parents kicking them out. With only one semester of senior year left, Ben calls their sister Hannah. She left home ten years ago and they haven't spoken since.
Fortunately, Hannah and her husband Thomas come to the rescue. They invite Ben to live with them and help them enroll in the school where Thomas teaches so they can finish senior year and graduate. Reuniting with Hannah isn't easy. She's helpful, but since she hasn't truly come to terms with leaving home years earlier which left Ben to deal with their parents alone, she has her own ghosts to deal with.
A bright spot in Ben's new life is meeting Nathan Allan. He is the perfect person to be chosen to guide Ben around their new school. Although, Ben finds it difficult while hiding his true identity, a fast friendship develops between the two.
Readers will follow Ben's story as they become reacquainted with their sister, start seeing a therapist, and deal with parents trying to get them to return home. It's not easy, but with the right support, coming to terms with a difficult situation may be more possible than Ben first realized.
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