Best Fiction for Young Adults
1. Bibliography
Albertalli, B. and Adam Silvera. 2018. What If It’s Us. New York, NY: HarperTeen. ISBN 9780062795250
2. Summary
Arthur is a believer in fate, love at first sight, and the universe. Ben on the other hand doesn’t believe that the universe is on his side. The two cross paths in a New York post office when Ben was going to mail his ex-boyfriend, Hudson, his belongings, and Arthur followed him in because he was infatuated by Ben. Their conversation was cut short, and the only exchange between the two was Ben getting Arthur’s name. With so little information, Arthur set out to find Ben, unknowing that Ben was doing the same. Finally, Arthur remembers Ben was wearing a coffee shop shirt the day he met him in the post office, so he decides to leave a note in that coffee shop hoping that Ben will see it. As the universe would have it, Ben sees that note and calls Arthur and the two set up a date. Their relationship seems like a fairytale until things take a turn when Arthur sees Ben with his ex-boyfriend, not knowing that the two were in the same summer school class, and Arthur breaks up with Ben. The two stop talking until Arthur's birthday when Ben reaches out to him in need of support when his best friend is taken to the hospital. Arthur and Ben reconnect and enjoy the last days of summer together. Unfortunately, their summer romance comes to an end when Arthur is leaving New York and going back home. In the end, the reader is left wondering if their romance was only supposed to last for the summer, or if the universe will bring them back together.
3. Discussion
I really enjoyed this story and I could not stop reading it. I loved how well the characters were described and the storyline was really entertaining. The story showed the true emotions people feel when they have their first love and all the great memories that come with it.
As discussed in chapter 3, Anatomy of a Book, an epilogue comes after the main story to conclude the story, and it can be a segment or another chapter. I liked how the story ended without the epilogue, as the epilogue frustrated me because I wanted Ben and Arthur to end up together and the epilogue only left me hanging to think “what is going to happen between Ben and Arthur?!”
Being that this story discusses two male high school students falling in love, I would recommend this book for high school students, as I can see this being problematic for middle school readers.
4. Connections
Even though Ben and Arthur do end up together and fall in love, in the end of the story, they both decide to part ways and end on good terms. This can be a great book to read with high school students for this very reason. In high school, I remember hearing stories of friends whose relationships ended, and it was “the end of the world” for them. With this book, teachers can discuss how two people can end on good terms and continue to live their life hopeful of what's to come.
2. Summary
Arthur is a believer in fate, love at first sight, and the universe. Ben on the other hand doesn’t believe that the universe is on his side. The two cross paths in a New York post office when Ben was going to mail his ex-boyfriend, Hudson, his belongings, and Arthur followed him in because he was infatuated by Ben. Their conversation was cut short, and the only exchange between the two was Ben getting Arthur’s name. With so little information, Arthur set out to find Ben, unknowing that Ben was doing the same. Finally, Arthur remembers Ben was wearing a coffee shop shirt the day he met him in the post office, so he decides to leave a note in that coffee shop hoping that Ben will see it. As the universe would have it, Ben sees that note and calls Arthur and the two set up a date. Their relationship seems like a fairytale until things take a turn when Arthur sees Ben with his ex-boyfriend, not knowing that the two were in the same summer school class, and Arthur breaks up with Ben. The two stop talking until Arthur's birthday when Ben reaches out to him in need of support when his best friend is taken to the hospital. Arthur and Ben reconnect and enjoy the last days of summer together. Unfortunately, their summer romance comes to an end when Arthur is leaving New York and going back home. In the end, the reader is left wondering if their romance was only supposed to last for the summer, or if the universe will bring them back together.
3. Discussion
I really enjoyed this story and I could not stop reading it. I loved how well the characters were described and the storyline was really entertaining. The story showed the true emotions people feel when they have their first love and all the great memories that come with it.
As discussed in chapter 3, Anatomy of a Book, an epilogue comes after the main story to conclude the story, and it can be a segment or another chapter. I liked how the story ended without the epilogue, as the epilogue frustrated me because I wanted Ben and Arthur to end up together and the epilogue only left me hanging to think “what is going to happen between Ben and Arthur?!”
Being that this story discusses two male high school students falling in love, I would recommend this book for high school students, as I can see this being problematic for middle school readers.
4. Connections
Even though Ben and Arthur do end up together and fall in love, in the end of the story, they both decide to part ways and end on good terms. This can be a great book to read with high school students for this very reason. In high school, I remember hearing stories of friends whose relationships ended, and it was “the end of the world” for them. With this book, teachers can discuss how two people can end on good terms and continue to live their life hopeful of what's to come.
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