Review of What If It’s Us

What If It’s Us

Authors: Becky Albertalli and Adam Silveria

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: October 2018

    Arthur is in New York City for one summer. His internship at his mom’s law firm comes with two less than welcoming female coworkers. All Arthur wants to do is go back to Georgia and see his two best friends again, especially after recently coming out. Being in New York is a dream come true, but a reminder that dreams and reality don’t always reconcile perfectly. Ben is a lifelong New Yorker. His Puerto Rican background has affected much of his life, but then again, so has being gay. A recent breakup - Ben’s first - sends him to the post office with a tightly sealed box holding tightly sealed memories, but that task ends up being more of an adventure than he could have anticipated. Ben and Arthur should never have met. Tall versus short, summer school student versus Yale hopeful, Georgia versus New York, but one coincidental moment brings them together. They don’t get each other’s numbers, they barely get each other’s names, but the moment is enough for a connection. Arthur and Ben have just one summer. They have three months for friendship, discord, understanding, and hopefully, love.

    What If It’s Us is a modern-day Cinderella. Instead of a glass slipper, there’s Instagram. Instead of a prince and a princess, there’s two princes. Their happily ever after might be diferent than a conventional fairytale. However, the elements of rapidly dwindling time and love found unexpectedly are familiar. The colorful language at parts is unnecessary, but also conveys the strident personalities and attitudes of most New Yorkers. What If It’s Us is fairytale fanfiction. Part of what makes it such an energetic, enticing book is that the fairytale themes of unexpected intensity, vulnerability, and the strength of a genuine bond are relatable. The tender hope of Arthur and Ben and the drama and imperfection of the characters infuses the capricious, fast-paced plot. The story is also written from the alternating perspectives of the main characters’, a format that lends itself well to the dual authorship. The language can be unrefined, the characters interactions with one another unfiltered and occasionally a touch too gritty, but I would highly recommend this story to young adult readers who enjoy romance and the allure of a findable destiny.

D. K. Nuray, age 13