Get ready to 'meet cute' in What If It's Us by YA authors Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. Albertalli is the author of the popular Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (filmed as Love, Simon) and Silvera is the author of They Both Die In The End, which has been optioned for a TV series. The film of What If It's Us is in development.
"What if life really isn't like a Broadway show? But what if it is? If Broadway has taught (us) anything, it's that the universe can deliver a show stopping romance when you least expect it."
Arthur is a teenage guy interning at his mother's law office for a New York Summer, and missing his friends back home. New York is so cool - he is not. Outside the post office he sees Ben carrying a large box (of his ex-boyfriends things) and is smitten.
"And then he catches my eye. And then he smiles. And holy shit....Cutest boy ever."
They meet and agree to a date - cue the lovely angst at what to wear, or say, or where to go. The first date was not so hot so they agree to a do-over, which also is not so great. Cue another do-over. Soon the summer is all about each other, including many exciting firsts. They even bring their parents together for a dinner (is that still a thing?) who are all thrilled and supportive. Told from alternating viewpoints of Ben and Arthur, there are discoveries, obsessions, mistakes and friends to tell it all to. The biggest drama (besides Ben constantly being late) is missing out on seeing Hamilton, which is obviously, epic. It helps, reader, if you are a fan of Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Harry Potter, and Broadway.
What If It's Us is a winning romance about two boys and the excitement of love with a capital L, the kind that takes over your life and each moment becomes the highest high or the lowest low. As a fifty-something, my only criticism would be hanging around today's teenagers with their naive charms and teenage bravado. That natural self-obsession is hard to take in large doses when you are not in it or around it. However, what we have here is a terrific love story. The spark that ignites is palpable. I've been there, I know the feeling. The sides are equal and valid - throwing in Arthur's Jewish background / Ben's Latino background is great - the only real hitch is: what happens when summer ends and it's time for Arthur to return home?
Reviewers and fans have wanted a sequel revolving around Arthur's friends, but please, continue the story of Ben and Arthur a few years down the road (which they have done in the sequel Here's To Us). I didn't think as a gay teen that forty years later we would have such positive, romantic, and exciting YA rom-com novels.
Recommended.
2018 / Tradeback / 437 pages
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