What If It’s Us – Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

What If Its Us is a contemporary novel about love and finding yourself co-written by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. It was a cute, fluffy romance book set in NYC that would be a fun summer read. It revolves around the premise of a meet cute, although this one isn’t your typical adorable encounter, and how one random encounter can turn into something more. The part of the book that I enjoyed the most was actually the beginning before the two characters get to know one another. It was the wondering and anticipation that engaged me the most. The question of: will they find each other again? Every little action that looked like ‘oh that’s the moment’ and yet they were like two ships passing in the night.

While the two main characters, Arthur and Ben are unique and well described, I didn’t particularly care for either of them. It was realistic though how often they made mistakes and did stupid things, so that part rang true. I enjoyed the story, but I wasn’t invested in their relationship as much as I should have been. They just didn’t seem good together, they have too many arguments and miscommunications, and ultimately, although realistic, it is what made me less engaged in the story. If I want to know about dysfunctional relationships, I can probably look to the real world – if I’m looking for a cute, fluffy contemporary novel, then I would like a romance that is ultimately sweet and supportive (whether it works out in the post credits or not.)

Sometimes I cared more for the lives and adventures of the side characters than I did the main characters. They seemed interesting and I wanted to get to know them better, but too often they were left un-developed. Dylan, Ben’s best friend, is not left underdeveloped and I appreciated that. I liked the foil that he played and how he grew over the course of this book.

Finally, if you’re in love with the dreamy idea of New York City or even the gritty realistic side of it – I think you will appreciate this book. You will especially appreciate the myriad musical references (they’re not even scattered, but overwhelmingly sit there taking up half the real estate of the book) throughout, as Arthur is OBSESSED with Dear Evan Hanson, Hamilton, etc.

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