Book 640: What If It’s Us? – Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

I hate that I keep describing these young adult rom-com books as adorable, but in my old age (bwhaahaahaaahaa, but seriously I’m ancient in gay years) they really are quaint adorable stories that I wish there were more of growing up.

This one is a super cute comedy of errors and/or serendipitous romp through New York City. Well off “country boy”, Arthur, is spending the summer in NYC with an internship at his mom’s law office and runs into not-so-well off “city boy” Ben and a series of adorable meet-cutes and miscommunications happen to give you this fun quick read.

I think there’s one quote that really sums up this book for me:

“I believe in love at first sight. Fate, the universe, all of it. But not how you’re thinking. I don’t mean in the our souls were split and you’re my other half forever and ever sort of way. I just think you’re meant to meet some people. I think the universe nudges them into your path. (8, Arthur)

Not only does this qualify for Ben and Arthur, but it works for so many other relationships in the book. Ben and Arthur are both in high school and their friend groups are growing and changing from dating within the groups and outside of the groups and coming out and parents divorcing, anything you can think of that happens to teens is pretty much going on (except death—I don’t remember any one being sad about death in this book). It’s pretty accurate in how the group dynamics change and sometimes people grow back together and sometimes they don’t.

Arthur and Ben are perfectly adorkable. Arthur’s a theater nerd (even though he can’t sing) and Ben’s a secret sci-fi wannabe author and they both slowly come out of their shells with each other sharing things and experiencing new things with each other.

I think my biggest complaint about this book was the epilogue. I don’t think they needed to include it. I would rather the book have ended without knowing what happened after Arthur left New York City for his senior year. Not knowing would’ve allowed me to put whatever I wanted into the story and I would’ve been sad, but I wouldn’t have been as disappointed. It was nice and could have been fleshed out for a bit more of a short story follow-up, but I didn’t really want it, didn’t find it crucial to the story, and it some how left me sadder than even the bittersweet ending did.

Recommendation: From the Craigslist missed connections situation to the impromptu perfect birthday party that occurs this book has so many awww moments that I devoured it. The observations of New York and New Yorkers, and the struggles of being a teenager and going on your first date were hilariously accurate. Silvera and Albertalli did a great job of bring real-world issues (race and class being two of them) into the book without it being too over the top. I hadn’t heard of Adam Silvera before this so I’ll have to check him out. I have read Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, but that’s it.

Opening Line: “I am not a New Yorker, and I want to go home.”

Closing Line: “What if we haven’t seen the best of us yet?” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional Quotes from What If It’s Us?
“‘That’s sweet. You know getting someone to go gay for me would be the highlight of my life.’ I don’t go chasing after straight guys, but if one wants to experiment to see what’s what? Welcome to House Alejo. Leave your shoes at the door, or bring them into bed with you if that’s your thing.” (31, Ben)

“Sometimes I feel like New Yorkers do New York wrong. Where are the people swinging from subway poles and dancing on fire escapes and kissing in Times Square? The post office flash mob proposal was a start, but when’s the next big number? I pictured New York like West Side Story plus In the Heights plus Avenue Q—but really, it’s just construction and traffic and iPhones and humidity. They might as well write musicals about Milton, Georgia. We’d open with a ballad: “Sunday at the Mall.” And then “I Left My Heart at Target.” If Ethan were here, he’d have the whole libretto written by the time we stepped out of the car.” (76, Arthur)

“Unanticipated complication: apparently, I don’t know how to talk in nice restaurants. Everything’s so hip and elegant here, and no normal conversation feels worthy. It feels like we should be talking about deep things—classy, intellectual things, like NPR or death. But I don’t even know if Ben likes NPR or death. To be honest, I barely know anything about him.” (l77, Arthur)

“I never knew kissing had a rhythm. I never even thought of it, beyond lips mashed together. But I can feel it like a bass line, somehow steady and urgent at once. Ben pulls me even closer, not an inch between us, and this time I don’t worry about boners, because if there are rules about that happening, he’s definitely, definitely breaking them, too.” (220, Arthur)

“‘But then what if it goes south? Like, I’ll be the guy who’s sad, drunk, and alone, and you’ll be going to raves and kissing boys, and I’ll try to call, but you’ll be in a sex den with a bunch of hot guys and celebrity parents, but they’re all dead around the eyes, and there’s probably cocaine—’

‘Jesus, Arthur. You realize I spend ninety-nine percent of my time writing about wizards and playing The Sims right?'” (385, Arthur)