Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
HarperTeen (2018), 448 pages
Description
Romance. Humor (Fiction.) Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML: A New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller! Critically acclaimed and bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera combine their talents in this smart, funny, heartfelt collaboration about two very different boys who can't decide if the universe is pushing them together�??or pulling them apart. ARTHUR is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it's that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. BEN thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn't be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend's things. But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them . . . ? Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated. Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited. But what if they can't nail a first date even after three do-overs? What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work and Ben doesn't try hard enough? What if life really isn't like a Broadway play? But what if it is? What if it's us? Plus don't miss Here's to Us! Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera reunite to continue the story of Arthur and Ben, the boys readers first fell for in What If It's Us.… (more)
Awards
Soaring Eagle Book Award (Nominee — 2020)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Winner — 2020)
Garden State Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee — 2020)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2021)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2020)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — 2019)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Top Ten — 2019)
Nerdy Book Award (Young Adult Literature — 2018)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Teens (Fiction — 2018)
Penn GSE's Best Books for Young Readers (Selection — Young Adult — 2018)
Reading Olympics (High School — 2024)
OYAN Book Rave (2019)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member Kiddboyblue
This was cute. Cute characters, meet-cute, cute dialogue, just a cute ass book.
As far as romantic YA books go, I found it top notch.
I really enjoyed that the two author's writing styles meshed so well to create a compelling story, but that they still felt distinct and allowed for the two
As far as the story, there wasn't anything groundbreaking or super original about it. A typical cute YA gay romance, but I think despite that, it was still very fun, and enjoyable to read. The dialogue especially felt more real then other YA books in my opinion and didn't feel too cheesy most of the time.
Overall, it was very cute!
As far as romantic YA books go, I found it top notch.
I really enjoyed that the two author's writing styles meshed so well to create a compelling story, but that they still felt distinct and allowed for the two
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characters to feel fully fleshed out and different. It allowed for you to really see how they thought and felt from a different lense than if they had perhaps been written by just one author. As far as the story, there wasn't anything groundbreaking or super original about it. A typical cute YA gay romance, but I think despite that, it was still very fun, and enjoyable to read. The dialogue especially felt more real then other YA books in my opinion and didn't feel too cheesy most of the time.
Overall, it was very cute!
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LibraryThing member iwriteinbooks
Take the genuine, good natured goofiness of Becky Albertalli and the heart-wrenching beauty of Adam Silvera and you've got Arthur and Ben.
The two high schoolers (midway between Junior and Senior year) bump orbits at the start of one fateful New York City summer. Ben is on his way to the post
The boys each have a full set of their own, heavy baggage going into the summer and and they couldn't be more different from one another.
Arthur is a bit of an anxious basket case, in the city for a few short months before returning to Atlanta. He is so hyperactive and tightly wound that you kind of get the impression he could out bounce a rubber ball. He is obsessed with musicals (Hamilton obsession, anyone?), comes from money, and has his sights on Yale. He is also a dating virgin and afraid of his own shadow when it comes to approaching cute boys.
Ben a lot more grounded. He's calm, cool, and is, unfortunately, nursing a broken heart. He writes in his free time but school is not really his thing. Which is a pretty big bummer since his last relationship landed him in summer school with the creator of said broken heart. He is cautious, pragmatic, introverted, and definitely not into musicals. But he is into Arthur. And he stands a chance, as long his insecurities don't throw him off track.
Still, it's hard not to hear a Broadway-scale orchestra strike up an epic soundtrack as they stumble into and around one another. Though Arthur got under my skin a bit, I kept having to remind myself that he was fresh out of the closet and that's not usually a pretty picture. I definitely liked Ben a lot better but I tend to go for the softer, quieter folks. (Oh, goodness, I think maybe Arthur got irritating because I saw myself in him. Oh no...)
Anyway, the characters are flawed because they're human. The writing, on the other hand, is something magical. I wasn't surprised, obviously. It came from two heavy hitters in the contemporary feelings department. Im glad I saved it for vacation because it's one of those books that you just want to curl up and live in.
I really want to see more of this duo's collaboration and hopefully we'll get it. In the meantime, if you haven't gotten around to reading this one, definitely do yourself a favor and get on it.
The two high schoolers (midway between Junior and Senior year) bump orbits at the start of one fateful New York City summer. Ben is on his way to the post
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office to mail off a package of his ex boyfriend's things and Arthur is bopping around, on break from his summer internship. The boys each have a full set of their own, heavy baggage going into the summer and and they couldn't be more different from one another.
Arthur is a bit of an anxious basket case, in the city for a few short months before returning to Atlanta. He is so hyperactive and tightly wound that you kind of get the impression he could out bounce a rubber ball. He is obsessed with musicals (Hamilton obsession, anyone?), comes from money, and has his sights on Yale. He is also a dating virgin and afraid of his own shadow when it comes to approaching cute boys.
Ben a lot more grounded. He's calm, cool, and is, unfortunately, nursing a broken heart. He writes in his free time but school is not really his thing. Which is a pretty big bummer since his last relationship landed him in summer school with the creator of said broken heart. He is cautious, pragmatic, introverted, and definitely not into musicals. But he is into Arthur. And he stands a chance, as long his insecurities don't throw him off track.
Still, it's hard not to hear a Broadway-scale orchestra strike up an epic soundtrack as they stumble into and around one another. Though Arthur got under my skin a bit, I kept having to remind myself that he was fresh out of the closet and that's not usually a pretty picture. I definitely liked Ben a lot better but I tend to go for the softer, quieter folks. (Oh, goodness, I think maybe Arthur got irritating because I saw myself in him. Oh no...)
Anyway, the characters are flawed because they're human. The writing, on the other hand, is something magical. I wasn't surprised, obviously. It came from two heavy hitters in the contemporary feelings department. Im glad I saved it for vacation because it's one of those books that you just want to curl up and live in.
I really want to see more of this duo's collaboration and hopefully we'll get it. In the meantime, if you haven't gotten around to reading this one, definitely do yourself a favor and get on it.
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LibraryThing member rspsreadinglist
It is about highschoolers Ben and Arthur, who meet randomly on the streets of New York and try to build a relationship. The chapters are alternating points of view, each character's view written by one of the authors.
The story is satisfying, and shows that even a not quite perfect relationship can
The story is satisfying, and shows that even a not quite perfect relationship can
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be worth working on, and that happy endings don't always look like you expect. Show Less
LibraryThing member marsenault13
I just love these authors !! Adam Silvera and Becky ALbertalli are geniuses of the modern day storytelling. I was immediately engaged in the lives of these two, and couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what, when HOW WILL THEY MEET ??? The entire cast of this novel are fun, I would read
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books about all of them. The college adventures, the new friends they meet. So much fun. "Friends" for the new millenia, and with real emotions. Show Less
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Narrated by Noah Galvin and Froy Gutierrez. Arthur is in New York City for the summer, interning at his mother's law firm. Ben is coming off a romance that ended badly--and his ex is attending the same summer school. The two boys meet at the post office and there's chemistry but a flash mob
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separates the two before they can exchange numbers. Arthur puts up a missed-connection poster at the coffee shop which miraculously Ben sees. The two begin dating and the romance that ensues is magical and messy. In Galvin's performance of Arthur's chapters, Arthur is charmingly neurotic about his first boyfriend, while Gutierrez's Ben is sensitive, with a laidback confidence. Readers seeking gay romances will enjoy (and recognize) the ups and downs of fresh love. Show Less
LibraryThing member ainjel
Adam Silvera never lets me down on those bittersweet endings.
I absolutely loved this book. I'm not much for the romance genre, but this was the perfect amount of fluff (thanks Becky, you never let me down there) and awkward disasters. It felt so real and genuine, and even if you can see the plot
I really, really hope Silvera and Albertalli continue to write books together, because they've really hit the jackpot with this one.
I absolutely loved this book. I'm not much for the romance genre, but this was the perfect amount of fluff (thanks Becky, you never let me down there) and awkward disasters. It felt so real and genuine, and even if you can see the plot
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coming from a mile away, it is utterly enjoyable the whole way through. The characters are absolutely phenomenal, each unlike any I've read in fiction before, but feeling like kids I knew in school. It does get a bit too gooey happy for me at one point, but that ending. THAT ENDING. Read it for the ending, but it's nothing short of perfection. It's been days, and I still can't stop thinking about it.I really, really hope Silvera and Albertalli continue to write books together, because they've really hit the jackpot with this one.
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
Arthur and Ben meet at a New York City post office, where Ben is trying to mail back a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. Both feel a spark of interest, but they’re separated by a flash mob before they can exchange numbers, or even full names. Can they find each other again in the bustling
A cute read, though not quite as charming as I had hoped. A lot of the drama revolves around people not talking to each other, which gets tiresome after a while, but the character development is good, and teen readers interested in m/m romance will enjoy it.
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vastness of the city before Arthur has to go home to Georgia?A cute read, though not quite as charming as I had hoped. A lot of the drama revolves around people not talking to each other, which gets tiresome after a while, but the character development is good, and teen readers interested in m/m romance will enjoy it.
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LibraryThing member Shahnareads
Ben is annoying. ugh.
I like Arthur's chapters best. He's funny.
I was expecting a specific happily ever after, which would have been dumb, but would have made me happy. Instead we got a very realistic ending, which is fine and makes more sense. But I was disappointed it wasn't a more whimsical end.
I like Arthur's chapters best. He's funny.
I was expecting a specific happily ever after, which would have been dumb, but would have made me happy. Instead we got a very realistic ending, which is fine and makes more sense. But I was disappointed it wasn't a more whimsical end.
LibraryThing member Ray_
- Did I stay up until 5 am reading this book?
- Yes
- Am I regretting that now?
- Definitely
- Was the book worth is at least?
- Kinda but not really?
Okay so first of all, this wasn't a bad book by any mean, it was a cute little story about two equally adorable boys who cross each other's path in a cute
But was this what I've expected?
Hell fucking no
I'm kind of underwhelmed by this book. I mean it's not like I expected it to be the best story ever told or anything, but I did have better expectations.
The characters, despite being adorable, really lacked chemistry. I could see why they would end up together or why it made sense for them to date, but I wasn't really rooting for them.
I just didn't find it in me to ship them and actually want them to be together.
On another note, this book felt like it was written by Becky Albertalli. Not a collab of both her and Adam Silvera, just her. This book had her scent all over it.
It's like she wrote the whole thing then Adam was like "This book can't have a happy fairy-tail ending! I have a reputation to maintain!" so he chimed in and changed the ending.
Otherwise it was just too happy-go-lucky-ish to be considered as something Adam Silvera actually wrote.
All things considered, this was an okay book, it won't be gaining any spot on my favorites shelf but at the same time I don't wanna shoot myself after reading it (which totally happened before) so we're good.
- Yes
- Am I regretting that now?
- Definitely
- Was the book worth is at least?
- Kinda but not really?
Okay so first of all, this wasn't a bad book by any mean, it was a cute little story about two equally adorable boys who cross each other's path in a cute
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way then somehow end up getting together.But was this what I've expected?
Hell fucking no
I'm kind of underwhelmed by this book. I mean it's not like I expected it to be the best story ever told or anything, but I did have better expectations.
The characters, despite being adorable, really lacked chemistry. I could see why they would end up together or why it made sense for them to date, but I wasn't really rooting for them.
I just didn't find it in me to ship them and actually want them to be together.
On another note, this book felt like it was written by Becky Albertalli. Not a collab of both her and Adam Silvera, just her. This book had her scent all over it.
It's like she wrote the whole thing then Adam was like "This book can't have a happy fairy-tail ending! I have a reputation to maintain!" so he chimed in and changed the ending.
Otherwise it was just too happy-go-lucky-ish to be considered as something Adam Silvera actually wrote.
All things considered, this was an okay book, it won't be gaining any spot on my favorites shelf but at the same time I don't wanna shoot myself after reading it (which totally happened before) so we're good.
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LibraryThing member lispylibrarian
What If It's Us is an alternating perspective novel written by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. Essentiall, it is a "Missed Connections" story about two boys, Ben and Arthur who meet at a post office while Ben is mailing a "break-up box" back to his ex-boyfriend and don't get each other's phone
I FREAKING LOVED IT! I could not put it down and I will be forever eternally grateful to Edelweiss for granting me the ability to access this book early. I loved that both boys were already familiar with their sexuality and there was no confusion, rather unveiled a sense of pride and self-assurance. Both boys have great friendships with their straight friends and also show how awkward it can be when you have a friend who isn't comfortable with your sexuality. They both also have supportive parents who love embarrassing their sons. It also greatly explains how scary it can be when parents are on the verge of divorce and how that affects the kids.
This is exactly the kind of book the world needs right now with its honesty about relationships, the scary summer before senior year and deciding a major life choice, friendships, and TONS of Harry Potter and Hamilton references. I can't wait for the rest of the world to read this.
What If It's Us releases on October 9, 2018.
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numbers. Arthur is only in town for the summer while working in an internship and Ben is in summer school (with his ex.) After an adventure of trying to find each other, they spend a summer together in New York City. I FREAKING LOVED IT! I could not put it down and I will be forever eternally grateful to Edelweiss for granting me the ability to access this book early. I loved that both boys were already familiar with their sexuality and there was no confusion, rather unveiled a sense of pride and self-assurance. Both boys have great friendships with their straight friends and also show how awkward it can be when you have a friend who isn't comfortable with your sexuality. They both also have supportive parents who love embarrassing their sons. It also greatly explains how scary it can be when parents are on the verge of divorce and how that affects the kids.
This is exactly the kind of book the world needs right now with its honesty about relationships, the scary summer before senior year and deciding a major life choice, friendships, and TONS of Harry Potter and Hamilton references. I can't wait for the rest of the world to read this.
What If It's Us releases on October 9, 2018.
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LibraryThing member baileymm
If you had asked me to think of the plot of a theoretical perfect book, I would include a queer romance, NYC, fate/timing/the universe, and the postal system. That may seem weird, but my friends know my love of the postal system. I planned an entire trip to go to Washington DC to go to the National
It has taken me so long to get around to because of two things:
1. I did not want to be disappointed. I was worried that this book would be the dream perfect book I wished it would be.
2. I'm not the biggest fan of Becky Albertalli's writing. I don't think she is a bad writer. I like her plots and stories, I just don't like her writing style.
But wow! This ended up being great. My biggest problem is with how many pop culture references are in there. Which I feel like is a Becky Albertalli thing. I just fear that in 5 years this book won't make sense to some people.
This story is such a great story. It flows really well and doesn't feel like it was written by 2 different people. This is also just a perfect book about timing. Ben and Arthur meet for the first time as Ben is mailing a box to his ex-boyfriend. They don't get it right the first time and end up leaving without getting any information about each other. (view spoiler) If you are interested in what ifs and love thinking about the timing in life, then this is for you.
I can't say how much I love this book because I actually feel like it was written for me!
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Postal Museum. I am not kidding when I say I appreciate the postal system. So when a book came around half written by an author I really enjoyed about a gay meet cute at a post office in NYC, I wanted to read it.It has taken me so long to get around to because of two things:
1. I did not want to be disappointed. I was worried that this book would be the dream perfect book I wished it would be.
2. I'm not the biggest fan of Becky Albertalli's writing. I don't think she is a bad writer. I like her plots and stories, I just don't like her writing style.
But wow! This ended up being great. My biggest problem is with how many pop culture references are in there. Which I feel like is a Becky Albertalli thing. I just fear that in 5 years this book won't make sense to some people.
This story is such a great story. It flows really well and doesn't feel like it was written by 2 different people. This is also just a perfect book about timing. Ben and Arthur meet for the first time as Ben is mailing a box to his ex-boyfriend. They don't get it right the first time and end up leaving without getting any information about each other. (view spoiler) If you are interested in what ifs and love thinking about the timing in life, then this is for you.
I can't say how much I love this book because I actually feel like it was written for me!
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LibraryThing member Kat.Nova
What I loved about this book is how realistic the relationship was between Arthur and Ben. They both put effort into their relationship and made it work. This was a very sweet and fun book all in all. A quick read
LibraryThing member elenaj
This is a charming, light-hearted read. It's nice to read a gay romance that is not about coming out or about angst from societal homophobia. Mild spoiler: Other than one very minor scene with a homophobic stranger, everyone in the leads' lives supports them, and is rooting for them to find love.
LibraryThing member m_mozeleski
Meet cute, followed by cute meet, followed by Cute teens. God I want MORE of these two ridiculous sweeties.
I'm surprised, pleasantly, at how finely things were ended. I'm a fan of being true to oneself, but getting better, and, well. Jeez.
I promise I'm not crying. I just got a bit of something
I'm surprised, pleasantly, at how finely things were ended. I'm a fan of being true to oneself, but getting better, and, well. Jeez.
I promise I'm not crying. I just got a bit of something
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stuck in my eyes. Show Less
LibraryThing member fingerpost
This wasn't terrible, but I was disappointed.
Arthur and Ben meet by chance in a post office and have a brief conversation in which each learns the other is gay, and then they leave, not having exchanged names, phone numbers or anything. Then they each separately spend the first quarter of the book
What I liked: It was well written; the characters were all quite likable, and it was sweet. And it was nice to read a gay themed book which (apart from a brief incident that took about two pages) is completely without any homophobic characters or confrontations.
What I didn't like: The plot I described above really is the entire plot. That's it. Nothing else happens. For a book that clocks in at over 400 pages, I expect quite a bit more story than that. We meet each boy's parents, and their closest friends, but there's not really any sub-plot worthy of mentioning. Parents and friends are just filler for the falling in love, to help it stretch out so long.
This might have been a great 150 page book. But as a 400+, it's only mediocre.
Arthur and Ben meet by chance in a post office and have a brief conversation in which each learns the other is gay, and then they leave, not having exchanged names, phone numbers or anything. Then they each separately spend the first quarter of the book
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trying to figure out how they can find the other. Well, of course they do, because otherwise what would be the point? And last three quarters of the book are them falling in love. What I liked: It was well written; the characters were all quite likable, and it was sweet. And it was nice to read a gay themed book which (apart from a brief incident that took about two pages) is completely without any homophobic characters or confrontations.
What I didn't like: The plot I described above really is the entire plot. That's it. Nothing else happens. For a book that clocks in at over 400 pages, I expect quite a bit more story than that. We meet each boy's parents, and their closest friends, but there's not really any sub-plot worthy of mentioning. Parents and friends are just filler for the falling in love, to help it stretch out so long.
This might have been a great 150 page book. But as a 400+, it's only mediocre.
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LibraryThing member perkykeri
I thought this was a great story. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was perfect. I liked the ending and how they addressed the issues involved. The secondary characters were vital to the story and that was well written also.
LibraryThing member thereserose5
One of the main characters, Arthur, was so annoying and unlikable that it brought the entire book down.
LibraryThing member Duobond
I have mixed feelings on the ending of this book... It was a realistic note to end on, however, I didn't agree with it. I was expecting a romance with a happily ever after ending. So, it's really on me that I didn't see it coming. Especially since this is the first time I am reading any of Becky's
On a different note, the writing was amazing and the voices of the characters actually felt like real teenagers. Thus, the four star rating.
Not sure if I will read the sequel or not.
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and Adam's work.On a different note, the writing was amazing and the voices of the characters actually felt like real teenagers. Thus, the four star rating.
Not sure if I will read the sequel or not.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
diverse teen fiction (2 17-y.o. boys fall in love).
Sweetly geeky love story from YA Greats Silvera and Albertalli. I loved it up until the end when they have to part ways, but it made a really nice escape from the worries of my day-to-day.
Parental note : contains some underage drinking and sex--but
Sweetly geeky love story from YA Greats Silvera and Albertalli. I loved it up until the end when they have to part ways, but it made a really nice escape from the worries of my day-to-day.
Parental note : contains some underage drinking and sex--but
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mostly they don't get to do those things hardly ever (and when they make out it's with consent). Show Less
LibraryThing member JessBass87
Absolutely adorable love story about two young gay men (well teens, it is a YA) who discover each other one summer in NY City. A fantastic journey. I loved every word.
LibraryThing member gadosiahe
What If It's Us is an amazing and refreshing new take on meet cute, YA romance! Told from alternating points of view, sometimes across the same event and sometimes jumping to the next day, the narration is lively and interesting. The different perspectives are clearly distinct and full of their
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characters' emotions and different worldviews, and the characterization for both narrator characters is consistent and clear. All of the characters feel unique, fleshed out, and realistic. Arthur and Ben are amazing characters, but even the supporting characters are well thought out, feeling rich with life. The plot is fun, funny, and while not entirely unpredictable or surprising, it manages to avoid the stale, stereotypical YA romance plot enough to keep it feeling fresh and engaging. The authors don't shy away from that most important aspect of any teenager's budding relationship - sex- but also keep it appropriate for the target age group, and the focus is clearly on feelings over graphic sex acts. Even the way the different narrators approach this topic is well defined and distinct between them, fitting into their characterizations in general. Overall, the only issue I had with this book was that the sequel was not yet out when I read it - something soon to be resolved! A clear five out of five read, and one I cannot recommend highly enough for anyone interested in MLM YA romance. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
An oil & water romance of a certain sort - gay version and I found the search in the first section of the novel appealing - it held my interest. However I lost interest as the novel dragged on. This was disappointing after reading Becky's "Simon" novel.
LibraryThing member BarnesBookshelf
The characters have well-defined personalities, and the meet-cute is very cute. I'm torn about the ending. On one hand the ambiguous ending works well because Arthur and Ben are still growing up and finding who they are in the world, but on the other hand I'm a sucker for happily ever after type
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endings where the couple is undeniably together. I liked all of the jokes and the pop culture references, even though it will easily date this book in a few years. Overall, it's a fun and cute story. An excellent summer read! Show Less
ISBN
9780062795250