"What if It's Us"

"What if It's Us"
Written by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli
Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

"What if It's Us" is a young adult romance fiction novel, taking place in New York City. I personally listened to this story in its audiobook format, and I absolutely loved it. The narrators playing our main characters Arthur and Ben were fantastic. The story is told in their separate chapters.

We meet Arthur and Ben as they are both walking past the post office for their own separate reasons. Arthur spots Ben first and becomes infatuated with him. Ben liked their little flirtation. They both never make the true connection but begin to seek the other out using friends and the internet. Arthur places a sign up, in a form of a "Missed Connection" from Craigslist. The two reconnect and begin a summer romance.

I really enjoyed Arthur and Ben's characters, but I often found myself arguing in my bed with Ben. Arthur is a lovely character in his funny, nervous, and sweet personality. Ben is confident but charming. The characters feel so genuine and realistic. Additionally, I enjoyed reading about their friends and families and learning more about these characters, based on who they interacted with.

To continue, this sweet and simple romance was not without flaws. I found myself losing interest with Ben, since he was not always very kind or understanding. He developed a relationship with Arthur but did not often find things he liked about Arthur. There were certain scenes like the arcade and the karaoke night, when I thought to myself that Arthur was not appreciated enough. I did love how Ben was very understanding and caring when it came to Arthur losing his virginity. I often find in romances that characters can sometimes be too pressuring and make the other character feel uncomfortable and possibly unwilling.

I highly recommend this story. This wasn't the most enchanting romance I'll ever read, but it was a really nice experience. I liked the characters, the pop culture references, the resolution, and much more. I absolutely plan to read more by these two authors. Lastly, I do plan to purchase a physical copy and keep it for my collection. I love a romance that ends on a happy but open-ended cliffhanger. I would not mind if we eventually receive another book with these two characters, continuing their relationship through long-distance and college.

I rated this story a four out of five stars.