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Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.
But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?
Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Before I get going I want to put this out there: I am an ardent fan of both Albertalli and Silvera. I love them for all the warm fuzzies and waterworks that their books bring on, and that the two of them have combined their superpowers to write a book together is nothing short of magical!
What If It's Us starts with a meet-cute at a post office of all places. Arthur sees a hot boy walking in to the post office with a large box. For a good-looking guy Arthur is willing to take a little detour and so follows him inside and strikes up a conversation with him. The boy, Ben is returning his ex-boyfriend's belongings and this gives Arthur hope that maybe Ben will be interested in him. Now before you go thinking he's being stalkery, Arthur is the sweetest guy who has only recently come out. He's never had a boyfriend before but his willingness to put himself out there is so darn admirable. Ben who's dated before is the one who's hesitant. Arthur is the kind of guy who believes in fate but before things can go any further they're abruptly separated and all they have is the other's first name. They do eventually find each other (social media to the rescue!) and then they embark on a series of dates, some hits, some misses, getting to know each other along the way. They only have a limited amount of time as Arthur does have to head back to Georgia at the end of the summer. In the meantime, they're going to have the best summer ever.
The story that unfolds is definitely the best of both worlds with Albertalli and Silvera taking us on an adventure as Ben takes Arthur around New York and Arthur learns the ins and outs of dating. What's interesting, too is the parallel subplots happening with regards to their own friends. Arthur's wondering if his coming out has negatively impacted his once close friendships back home and Ben's trying to figure out his own friendships which may or may not include being amicable to his ex.
There's so much joy in reading What If It's Us. I was expecting to cry because let's face it, Silvera has a history of doing that to us but that wasn't the case this time. This is a heartfelt, coming-of-age story and I was especially touched by the ending. I love it because only is it realistic, it offers such an open and optimistic view of love and life. Their time together in New York has changed them and you can witness that as Ben and Arthur mature into the impressive men they're becoming. You definitely need to add this to your reading list now!
~ Bel
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On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They're going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they're both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There's an app for that. It's called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.
Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review
Imagine if you knew exactly when you were going to die. How would you react? Would you whip out your bucket list to fulfill every wish possible or would you try to fight the inevitable? Those are the questions Mateo and Rufus suddenly have to answer with when they're unexpectedly faced with their own mortality.
Folks, I was fully prepared for waterworks because it's Adam Silvera and his books tend to make me weepy. I didn't this time but that doesn't mean this book is any less gripping than his others. It's simply that the tone of this book is such that it seems crying is wasting valuable minutes and seconds. Once these two guys receive that dreaded phone call informing them of their fate, it's time to get down to business and settle matters. Matteo and Rufus are two different personalities: where Matteo is deliberate and thoughtful and nervous about rocking the boat, Rufus is somewhat fearless. Not wanting to be alone in their final hours, they find each other on the social app Last Friend, the idea of which is all sorts of creepy by the way, but also no more creepy than DeathCast informing you of your impending death, but I digress. They meet up and after the first couple of hours of that getting to know you awkwardness, they do get on well and even encourage each other to push outside their limits, to make the most of what precious time they have left.
There are supporting characters who have short chapters within the story who help deliver some context to both Matteo and Rufus' narratives, and also this strange world where DeathCast exists. Truth be told, I was hoping for some explanation as to how that entity came about but that doesn't happen and ultimately, it's not the focus of the story (though I still wonder if they merely predict the course of events or set them in motion by their phone call). The point is how you live the remainder of your life knowing that that's it. In Matteo's case, it could mean he finally becomes the person he's always wanted to be. For Rufus it could mean that he finally addresses his emotions. Even with the sadness surrounding them there are moments of pure joy and that sense of freedom.
They Both Die At The End is a wonder of a book. Silvera is such a creative and out-of-the-box writer, and how he executes his ideas is what blows my mind. He's a genuine storyteller, pulling you in so that you're a part of it not just a mere spectator. Crazy thing is that while I knew the eventual outcome here, I still wasn't ready for the ending. It left me speechless.
~ Bel
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When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.
To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart.
If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.
When History opens, you're immediately hit with the reality that someone is dead which sets the tone for the sombre, heart-wrenching read about love, loss and regrets that follows.
I found the protagonist, Griffin easy to like. He's simultaneously charming and self-deprecating, capturing your attention at once. He and Theo have this effortless connection that many people yearn for. But it's a sucky time to be in love at seventeen when everyone inevitably moves away or on to something new. So it is with Theo who ends up going to college in California. If you love something set it free, and that's exactly what Griffin does for him, believing that their bond is strong enough to carry them through the next few years until they can come back together. That's always been the end game in Griffin's mind. The best intentions can sometimes go awry and it happens when Theo meets someone else while away. And when he unexpectedly dies, the only person who can truly understand what Griffin's going through is Jackson, Theo's new boyfriend. Griffin has no choice but to censor his bitterness and grief in order to come to terms with Theo's death, his own role in the fragmenting of their relationship and what Jackson's presence meant for their future.
Here's something I've discovered recently: I have an appreciation for authors who can describe love and being in love in all its various degrees. Silvera captures the joy of crushing on someone, then falling in love and within that, the complexities of falling in love at such a young age when there's still more of life to explore. A shattered, grieving heart that also hopes for a reconciliation. Finally, what seems like the irrevocably broken soul that only comes with losing a beloved and that dreadful feeling that one can never be whole again.
History's unexpected gift is how Silvera opened my eyes to OCD. Griffin has a few "quirks" and while they don't inhibit him from functioning like most people, they're things that occupy his mind. For example his need for things to be in even numbers or being to the left of someone. It's common to picture OCD as extremely debilitating or blatantly obvious. But in Griffin, I learned that there are different forms and he simply preferred a certain symmetry to things. Theo knew this and accepted them as is, even accommodating him.
Adam Silvera knows how to write, how to tap into those emotions and express them in his stories. His characters aren't outlandish heroes but lowkey and introspective. Their bravery comes through when their walls come down and they can no longer hide behind them. For a second time thanks to History Is All You Left Me, I find his characters becoming a little part of me.
~ Bel
