This was a cute, simple and delightfully queer contemporary YA - we need more of them! Albertalli and Silvera know what they're doing and have gained considerable respect for their contributions to book shelves everywhere. Strong recommend.

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down!! Finished it in one sitting! I could not help but fall in love with the characters even more throughout the book. Their story was wonderful and I absolutely loved these two authors working together!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchanged for an honest review. I am so glad I finally got around to read this one.

This was an easy read that I devoured in a day. A funny coming of age story that lived up to its hype for me. Most of all I enjoyed the diversity in this book. I will definitely be checking out this author duo again in the future.

I'm a little conflicted about this one. Usually I write a big long essay of a book review but I think it might be easier to break this one down into things I liked and disliked about What If It's Us by Adam SIlvera and Becky Albertalli. I liked: The fun, easy read that this is (a nice break from my usual dense fantasy reads), funny puns or innuendos, love and the fight for love, teenage angst represented pretty well (I can't say I was overly angst-y as a teen, but I related to some of the thoughts of just being 'over' everyone and everything). I also loved how inclusive the story is and the great representation. Adam SIlvera is well-known for his LGBTQ+ stories and this is my first taste of his writing.
Some things I didn't quite like: the Broadway terms (I have no idea about any of them), the idea of insta-love or love at first sight. I just find this a bit cheesy and unrealistic which can mean readers disengage a little because of this. Another one is that the start of the book is filled with writing that is difficult to distinguish between the two main characters. You don't want readers thinking "wait, who's this character?" That's why I love when chapters have the character's name listed so we known whose point of view it is. The age of the boys was also something I couldn't quite buy into; 16? I mean there was no way I was obsessively chasing down guys online or in person at 16, or thinking I had met the cutest boy in the whole world or that I was in love immediately from the moment we met. It just doesn't seem believable. Maybe the guys being 18 or so would have helped this, especially with one of them sending off items from his ex boyfriend. That seems like a serious relationship and something that would happen in an older teen. I would be thinking in their early twenties even, which helps make it seem less like kids playing grown-ups. But this is purely just my own opinion and I know people who absolutely adore this book.

Personally, I don't feel strongly about this book one way or another. I don't love it or hate it. Also, being someone who always reads fantasy, contemporaries can be tricky for me at the best of times, so I found this, as well as not being able to identify with the characters, held me back a little bit. I do think though, that anyone who loves Becky Albertalli and is a keen fan of hers, will almost definitely love this book.

I was surprised to find I had a bit of trouble getting into this one, and ultimately, didn't fully connect with the book or the characters.

Trigger Warnings:Puerto Rican, gay, ADHD, Jewish, anxiety
Representation: homophobia

What if it’s a Major Disappointment???

When I first heard about this book, I was so fucking excited.

I requested it on Netgalley and was totally caught off guard when I was actually approved. The Gay Gods were looking down on me that day—or so i thought they were.

What If It’s Us follows our two main characters as they bump into each other at a post office. It’s attraction at first sight—and then they lose each other. They each decide that this must be their great love story and try to find each other. Chaos ensues.

Now that is a great premise. And honestly there was a lot I loved about this but it just never really got hold of me ya know?

I’ll give props where deserved, this book was funny. I had to hold myself back from laughing out loud while on the bus on far more than one occasion.

There was so much great banter, between our MCs Ben and Arthur, between Arthur and his co-workers, between Ben and his best friend Dylan. Hell even the banter between Arthur and his parents was iconic.

Dylan is one of the funniest characters I’ve read in a book, he’s non-stop jokes and they’re actually funny. His back and forth with Ben is such an authentic representation of friendship, especially between two guys in today’s society. They reminded me so much of the banter between my brother and his best friend when they were teens.

I also really loved the dynamic between Arthur and his co-workers Juliet and Namrata. They’re both very clearly a little sick of Arthur getting in the way of their work loads but will also jump at the chance to help him find love.

I also really enjoyed all the pop culture references, were there a lot of them? Sure!

But I love it when teenage characters are obsessed with current culture. So many characters are always into really obscure old things and although it happens, it doesn’t happen as much as books have you believe. Most teens are obsessed with whatever is currently popular in society not some weird poet from the 1500’s.

Did I get all the Hamilton references? No, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying reading Arthur totally fangirl over it and it was realistic af.

So what is it that made this such a disappointment for me?

Arthur deserved better!!!!!

His friend Ethan basically gave Arthur nothing but radio silence for ages, leaving Arthur to think it was because he came out to him. And I don’t care what reason he had, you don’t do shit like that to your friends.

And Ben??? The guy who’s meant to be his great teen love??? Ben was just...a total asshole to Arthur. He never really made an effort until right at the end of the book. Meanwhile Arthur is falling over himself

And then the book just kind of ended???

I don’t know, I don’t know how to put into words what pissed me off about this book without spoiling anything. I just wish there was more and Ben was nicer.

And I really hope that after all this took place, Arthur got his great love story because this??? This ain’t it.

I was crazy excited for this book. Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera writing a book TOGETHER? It must be a masterpiece!!! Unfortunately, I was wrong. I wanted to love this book - I really did, and there were a few things I enjoyed, like the themes around family, friendship, and the overall adorableness of the meet-cute situation - but I found the writing and voice of both Ben and Arthur incredibly cheesy and childish, I could hardly bear it. It was a great struggle reading this book, which was so disappointing seeing as the plot was actually quite good and the relationship between Ben and Arthur was fleshed out well. I just could not handle the babyish, almost fanfiction-like tone. It was definitely a surprise for me - I love both of Adam and Becky's works and never expected to be so put off by their writing.

I feel quite conflicted by this book. On one hand it was a super cute, enjoyable, lighthearted read. When I first saw the title I immediately thought of the song from Dear Evan Hansen and once I started reading the book I knew that was Becky and Adam’s intention, especially as the lyrics are split to form the different parts of the book: “What If”, “It’s Us”, “And Only Us”.

However, on the other hand, it felt like the books was trying too hard at times, bogging every chapter down with musical and pop culture references to make the characters #relatable. I just felt like it was too much at times. Yes, Hamilton is a great musical, and yes its a worldwide sensation … BUT Arthur was too intense about it. All. The. Time. Which is funny considering the book is titled of Dear Evan Hansen lyrics.

Overall, I enjoyed What If It’s Us, I smiled, laughed and cringed. Arthur’s character reminded my of Tyler Oakley with his enthusiastic and over exuberant nature.

Arthur coworkers at his Mum’s firm were fantastic. I loved their sarcasm and dry wit, it was a good juxtaposition from Arthur’s bubblyness.

Ben’s breakup hit home and was very realistically portrayed. The hurt, the wanting to be rid of reminders, how hard seeing them again is. It was all very well handled.

Ben’s best friend Dylan, what a character! So eccentric and out there, super addicted to coffee and so quick to fall in love. His relationship with Sam was fun to watch unfold. I also cringed, a lot, the boy needs to develop a filter.

The disastrous dates … wow.. I was getting to the point where I wondered how many disasters it would take before they realised that obviously things were not working. They were very different and had completely opposite interest and ideas on what a good date involved. The Ansel Elgort scene was hilarious, I just about died from the secondhand shame.

I’m not sure how I feel about the ending, well specifically the epilogue the previous chapter ending was perfection. I mean it was nice to know they were okay and what colleges they ended up at, but it also didn’t feel entirely necessary. What If It’s Us was very different to what I was anticipating, I think it was trying too hard to be the next Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda but ultimately it fell short.

Thank you Simon & Schuster (Australia) for the review copy!

This was such a cute read and it was amazing to see how well Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli write together!

I’m so so happy that LGBTQI+ fiction is thriving, and that we’re seeing more and more queer love stories. It warms my lil heart!!!! :’)

I’ve read two of Becky Albertalli’s titles - Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Leah on the Offbeat. However, this was my first Adam Silvera book and I am hooked by his character work, and his way of showing emotions. Before I even finished this, I bought They Both Die at the End. I am ready for the feels-trip.

“We go on into the heart of Times Square. Tons of foot traffic keeps splitting us up, but we always make our way back to each other, not letting strollers or group selfies keep us apart. When I get his hand next, I keep him close and I don’t want to let go. Not tonight. Not ever.”


Albertalli and Silvera’s collaboration was an absolute joy to devour. I tried to pace myself, I really did. But both leading characters are so loveable that I couldn’t stop myself from reading. Individually, both Ben and Arthur are well-rounded, three-dimensional characters. They are people. Sometimes YA romances only focus on the two lovers, possibly including a third for ~dramatic effect~, but this book made me feel like I know Ben and Arthur as humans, as well as epic love story. And together!! A powerhouse couple!! With real troubles and flaws!! Supporting one another through difficult times!! Fighting just like normal couples fight!! Their romance is sweet and supportive and made my heart flutter. I really loved that their romance had highs and lows, that Ben’s lateness made Arthur mad and that Ben considered Arthur’s lack of romantic experience when planning dates and romantic moments. These things are so so important, particular for queer love stories. Too often we put up with the bare minimum because we are desperate for the representation, but this book and the way these characters were written did not make me settle for less. I love these two. Also, the post-office scene where Arthur and Ben / 'Box-Boy' first meet was the definition of a meet-cute. How incredible!

The background characters were very fun. Firstly we have Ethan and Jessie, who I really loved. They gave me Simon and Leah vibes - until they ended up together. I think it was important to see parts of Arthur’s life back in Georgia, it helped me see him as a true ‘fish out of water’ in NYC. I loved how Arthur was constantly FaceTiming them, and I loved the dynamic between Ethan and Arthur, especially its conclusion at Arthur's birthday. Ben’s friends were a hit and miss - I really liked Samantha but Dylan wasn’t all that interesting. I liked Ben’s post-relationship struggled with Hudson (and I also love how we as readers meet Hudson - too funny!!) but I didn’t love Harriet. And the law girls!! Juliet and Namrata!! I thought they were so much fun, and the best gal pals that Arthur could have had. They were the type of characters I’ve very rarely seen in YA - not super important and probably wouldn’t be terribly missed if they weren’t included, but fun to have around, and the story is better off for having them around.

I loved all the little nerd references - Harry Potter was a big one, understandably - but it was the theatre references that sold me! Ben sitting down determinedly and listening to Hamilton and freaking out over It's Quiet Uptown is a forever mood. The scene when Ben and Arthur sat outside the theatre having a jam sesh was the cutest thing ever. I also really loved how the whole book centred around What If It’s Us from Dear Evan Hansen - I particularly liked the ‘Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3’ dividers with lyrics from the song. It tied each section of the book together, and it was a really cute way of mapping Ben and Arthur’s love story - What If / It's Us / And Only Us. New York City was also the PERFECT backdrop for this story.

A couple of little things that irked me. I was pretty confused as to Ben and Arthur’s ages for a little while. I thought Arthur was a year older - in the summer between senior year and college, and Ben in the summer between his junior and senior years. I was corrected eventually, but I was a little confused for a while. I might just be the culture difference as I'm not American, but it was resolved quickly in my head.
As much as I loved this book, I’m kinda pretending the ending was different?? I realise that having Ben and Arthur actually end up together forever and ever is not realistic as is incredibly cliche. But I think cliches exist for a reason and that reason is that they’re amazing and satisfying.

I really hope Albertalli and Silvera collaborate again. This was adorable. I’m in love.
4.5 stars out of 5!

Man I love Adam Silvera so much! This was fantastic and everything I wanted it to be. My favourite part? Diversity, complex characters, sex positivity and humour make this an A+ right out of the gate. While the story did slow in some parts, I couldn't help but be captivated by the characters and this journey they were on. Two amazing writers penning an amazing YA novel is about as book dreamy as you can get. Love, love, love it!

I love Becky Albertalli, and Adam Silvera is pretty great too. The two of them together makes for an engaging read. I found myself racing through this one, wanting to know how it would end. The dual perspectives worked well in the context of the story to keep you guessing as to if or when the characters would ever work things out. Highly recommended.

2.5 stars

I wanted to like this book so badly, but I’m not feeling it. I’ve heard so many people rave about ‘What If It’s Us’ but I just couldn’t bring myself to love it.
While I do love a good slow-moving book about love, friendship and family, there was a disconnect for me for this particular one. I’m not super surprised about this fact though because I’ve never been able to get into Becky Albertalli’s or Adam Silvera’s writing. And it’s never been a hate-thing or anything like that, it’s just again, there’s a disconnect.
I reckon if I’d heard the story from the perspective of Dylan, I’d be in love. I’m generally a sucker for a bit of snark, crude humour and just generally a joking nature. Basically what I think I’m trying to say here is that if a book is slower, I need more hilarity and more sexual tension. (

Enjoyable read as usual for Albertalli with great character development but I felt somewhat sad and unsatisfied with the ending.

This is probably the most real teen romance that I think I've ever read, but I also understand why there were people who didn't enjoy it. As it turns out, the back and forthing and general weirdness that is so standard in teens who are in love doesn't make the most cohesive and convincing love narrative.

And so I viewed these characters as a collection of people who were just doing their best to get by, and I enjoyed it more that way.

Ben is in summer school because he chose to spend his year cutting classes with his then boyfriend, Hudson, who is also in summer school. The awkwardness of course is that they are now exes who are stuck in the same place for the next couple months. The friendship from before has been completely eroded.

I felt most sorry for Harriet in these earlier scenes. She sits next to Hudson at summer school, but she and Ben also used to be friends and she is doing her best to navigate not choosing a side.

However, Ben happens to be best friends--brothers even--with Harriet's exboyfriend Dylan. So that's understandably complicated.

Into all of this comes Arthur. He's on a summer internship with his mum's law firm in New York, however his family lives usually in Georgia. His father is meanwhile unemployed which is causing just a bit of a strain on a lot of things. But I really loved the relationship between Arthur and his father.

Arthur and Ben have a chance encounter in a post office where Ben is trying to return a box of Hudson's stuff before a flash mob of dancers comes in and interrupts them. Neither boy can stop thinking of the other after their chance encounter.

The thing I most loved about this story is that none of the characters are perfect, and none of the love stories are perfect. They are all different kinds of love and different kinds of relationship that suit the people involved. This novel shows the ways in which other people will look at the love within a relationship and either elevate it or devalue it and will often be wrong just from their outsider perspective. I particularly liked how this was shown with Arthur's parents.

I finally got around to reading this book! It was so sweet and heartfelt, regardless of how many times Arthur made me want to punch him for being a nong.
I'm so glad this book didn't take course over one day, rather several weeks. I like how it also took into play the dynamics between exes and friends who get into relationships and what all of that stuff feels like (even though it did make me super confused. I had to constantly ask my friend who was who's ex...)
I just flew through this book, and it was such a great collab. I now need to read all of Albertalli and Silvera's books.

THINGS I LIKED:
- The beginning of the book actually had me intrigued and I loved the meeting that happened between Arthur and Ben. Honestly the first few chapters is amusing as they both attempt to re-find each other.
The fact that Arthur and Ben went through so many ups and downs, and had many second-chances made the story and their relationship more realistic. Often, you don't see couples having moments where their relationship/dates is imperfect, so seeing this imperfection written down just makes it more real and more relatable. But their relationship overall is ADORABLE and SWEET and I am more than willing to read more about them.
- I love the entire cast of characters and the friendships they developed over time. I loved how supportive Ethan and Jessie were for Arthur and how Ben got along with them, as well as Samantha and Dylan doing the same for Ben. They all have their flaws which make up who they are and the fact that the flaws are mentioned makes me happy because it shows that they're not perfect, as there really is no such thing as a perfect person.
- I actually liked the ending, not going to say much on this because I don't want to spoil it, but the ending is like a reminder that hope is a powerful force and that the things we want to happen, can happen.
- The book is overall very humorous, and I found myself smiling and laughing a lot, especially due to Arthur's extra-ness in finding Ben again.
- I think because Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera co-wrote this, their writing styles complemented each other. Adam SIlvera's books tend to leave heartache in his readers, whereas Becky Albertalli's books are heartwarming. And so, put them together and you get a bittersweet ending with lots of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments.
- This book is relatively diverse as it features gay romance, A Jewish character whom has ADHD (Arthur) and a Puerto Rican character (Ben) though I feel more diversity could have been added.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
- As much as I loved this book, I've got to say that at the beginning, it was difficult to distinguish Arthur and Ben's voices. They seemed like one person, and since I don't read chapter titles because I'm an idiot, I had trouble with who was who and was confused for the most part.
- The book felt more like a journal entry on their summer, as there was really no plot whatsoever, and was more focused on the character's feelings and emotions. I think I would've liked it more it there was a more prominent plot.

Overall, the book was enjoyable and was a quick contemporary read, which I would definitely recommend. However, I do know that a lot of people don't like the ending, and that more people probably won't when they read it, so be warned I guess. This book is perfect for a quick-summery read (which is perfect for me since it's summer in Australia)

What a cute romance!! I loved the way this was written and so character driven. The alternation of the chapter perspectives really added to the story, as you had moments where you were almost having conversations with the characters to push them into finding each other. For example the Craigslist add, and Arthur thinking of doing it, but then not, and Ben checking to see if he had. One problem I had with this story is that I really disliked Arthur, his whining and selfishness in so many of the situations really frustrated me. But I guess that demonstrates good writing, as not all characters should be perfect. I really liked the friendships threaded throughout the story and found this book to be targeted to a wide audience because of all the various themes throughout. Definitely has spurred me to want to pick up more books by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. Definitely recommend!

Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera are wonders. Together, I feel as though a masterpiece was born.

'What if it's Us' is a beautiful story that is romantic, powerful, relatable and so gosh darn cute I think I died several times over. I don't want to give away too much, but the characterisations of Arthur and Ben were so perfect for this story. Both characters came together with their own strengths and weaknesses; the narrative itself was one which did not sugarcoat emotional anxieties, but instead, I felt that both Albertalli and Silvera wrote the realities of a relationship and of growing up, without artifice. In Young Adult fiction, there needs to be more of this rawness in storytelling.

Although I could go on for thousands of words about Arthur and Ben and their story, I will keep it short. However, the reason as to why I only have this book a 4 out of 5 stars is because of two things. Before I delve into the reason, however, when it was announced that Albertalli and Silvera were to collaborate together, I wondered how their writing styles would work together in a non-abrasive way. I say this because Albertalli is known for her quite light, cute, endearing and happy-ever-after endings and stories; Silvera, on the other hand, writes intense narratives of love and loss, with less-than-happy endings. You can see the conundrum. It was the ending of this book which I felt could have given us more! It felt underwhelming, in my opinion, but I want every love story to end happily and not ambiguous at all. Another point of critique would be the 'conflict' that was written. Although it only lasted for a few pages, it felt like there had to be a conflict and it was just, kind of pointless. Although I do understand its purpose, to push the narrative to the next stage and of course, the relationship between Ben and Arthur, I just wanted more for these two incredible characters.

Overall, a fantastically written novel that is so utterly pure and beautiful, that it will make you laugh, smile and cry buckets.

Huge thank you to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

It could just be because I read this while I was in the middle of and trying to pull myself out of a fairly heavy reading slump but this was another one that I thought was "just ok".

Full (spoiler-y) review here: https://wmsreads.tumblr.com/post/181237005492/