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What If It's Us
What If It's Us is the 2018 young adult novel by authors Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. The novel follows the romance between two teenage boys, Ben and Arthur.

Background:
Albertalli and Silvera became friends through their literary agent Brooks Sherman. The idea for the book first originated in 2014 when the two were emailing about the possibility of a “missed connection” romance novel for the young adult genre. What If It’s Us is both of the authors' fourth book. Albertalli is also the author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Leah on the Offbeat, and The Upside of Unrequited. Silvera is also the author of More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me, and They Both Die at the End.

Summary:
Arthur, a theatre loving optimist, is in New York for the summer as an intern at his mom’s law firm. Ben, an aspiring author and pessimist, is stuck in summer school with his ex. The two meet and hit it off at the post office, where Ben throws out a box he was trying to mail to his ex. Arthur, believing in love at first sight, goes on a journey to find the mysterious boy from the post office. Arthur puts up a missed connection poster in a coffee shop. The two are finally reconnected when Ben finds it and contacts Arthur. The boys go on multiple dates, all of which go wrong is some way. Eventually, they become boyfriends and meet each other’s parents. The story takes a turn as Arthur surprises Ben at summer school and sees that Ben has been in class with his ex the entire time. Arthur breaks up with Ben on the spot. A few days later, it is Arthur’s birthday. Ben calls him because his best friend is in the hospital. While Arthur comforts Ben, Ben apologizes for lying to him. The two reunite, and Arthur’s friends join them for a celebration. On their last day together, Ben takes Arthur on a treasure hunt to all of the places that helped form their relationship. The two decide to end things and remain friends, rather than enter in a long distance relationship. The book ends with an epilogue set one year later. Arthur and Ben have remained friends, and there is potential for the relationship to rekindle once they start college.

Genre:
What If It’s Us is young adult fiction. This book is similar to both Albertalli’s and Silvera’s other works in that it focuses on an LGBTQ+ relationship. One difference is the ambiguous ending, which is more optimistic than Silvera’s typical ending yet not the typical happy ending expected from Albertalli.

Publication:
The book was published on October 9, 2018 by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins.The jacket art is by Jeff Östberg. The jacket design is by Erin Fitszimmons and Alison Donalty. The book is available in hardback, paperback, e-book, and audio. The audio version is voiced by Noah Galvin and Froy Gutierrez.

Reception:
The American Library Association says “The dialogue is snappy, the characters funny yet relatable, the plot just twisty enough to keep you guessing.”

In a starred review, The School Library Journal says “A must-purchase. Part feel-good, part star-crossed, this seamless blend of the authors' styles will appeal to fans old and new alike.”

In a starred review, Kirkus writes, "Their alternating narration, chock-full of witty banter and pop-culture references, also delves into themes of identity and the complexities of relationships, both romantic and platonic ."

In a starred review, Publisher's Weekly calls the book "charming" and "sweet-natured," and states that "it’s impossible not to root for Arthur and Ben."

The book reached #5 on the New York Times best seller list.

YASLA named it one of the top ten best fiction 2019.

It received a spot on the Rainbow List Choice 2019.

It received a spot on the Chicago Public Library's Best Books in teen fiction in 2018.

It received a spot on the New York Public Library Best Books for teens in 2018.

Other:
The book’s rights have been sold to Anonymous Content. They have hired Brian Yorkey, creator of 13 Reasons Why, to write the film. Both of the authors will be producing the film.