My gaydar said they're not a good match
Maybe this is simply how most YA-books work. Two guys meet-cute, immediately have the hots for each other, they get together, there is unnecessary drama, and in the end everyone is (temporarily) happy. Starting from the moment a flashmob of all things seperates them, we witness both main characters search for each other, meet again, we meet their families, their friends, and take a peek into their daily life during Summer break, get together, break up, get together again... and all throughout it, I f conflicted, to be honest. It might be because I'm 26 and usually don't read pure Romance books at all (more of a Fantasy or Thriller/Horror guy), so don't take in my rating as an all-encompassing guide about which books not to read; not considering my issues with the story, it is indeed an easy and comforting read (mostly) and I finished it quicker than the Fantasy series I'm also reading! I gave it a chance anyway, and I can summarise the following: Here's what I liked: • Ben is a writer!!!! As a writer myself, I simply loved that fact. And he's so passionate about it, too, it’s very endearing. • Ben's family seems like lovely people, their home is described in a way that makes me feel warm. This is how it should be!! • Arthur tries to see the magic in every place he goes and that's cute. • Uncle Milton's apartment. The horse paintings. I just feel like that uncle is crazy in the best way and I'd 100% live there not creeped out at all, because horses are great. 10/10 • Namrata going up to Hudson and calling him Hudson Panini from camp... iconic moment that brigthened my morning. • The cookies Team Seuss brought to dinner. .. they genuinely sound like a dream and I want one. • Ben and his friends actually sitting together and attempting to resolve the barriers between them. Whether it works or not, it’s a great move from the authors to at least have them try! And here's what bothered me: • Namrata and Juliet have no personalities outside of helping Arthur out with his boy problems. (Though the dinosaur porn side story IS funny as hell and it’s giving bonus points) • It all feels like... a little too much, at times. It’s like the authors attempted to put as many sensations and pop-culture references into the book as physically possible. I love a good reference to media I like, but a) with how entirely obsessed Arthur is with Hamilton (which I never listened to in my life anyway) and can't spend two pages without referencing something from it.... it ended up with me not liking him. I know it's what teenagers do (hod knows I still make too many references to shit I watched a decade ago), but as a reader I have no intention to research fandoms I am not interested in, and it makes it hard to understand what they'reeven trying to say. b) the Harry Potter references made me sigh every time. The book was published in 2018, so back then we didn't know *as* much about JKR as we do now, but man did they give me a bitter aftertaste. Is HP really still so relevant? Can we not leave it behind? c) I also think teenagers in books can be huge nerds and fun without big fandoms and franchises backing them throughout. Make them DnD nerds, make them artists, make them write their own scripts or gamers or book nerds. • Ben and Arthurt don't match. They have little things in common and their dates felt staged; they did try, for each other, but Arthur also doesn't listen to people properly or let them speak before assuming the worst, so... and here's a spoiler: it's no wonder they didn't work out in the end. I read there's a sequel somewhere... maybe that will resolve some of the issues What if it’s Us? had, and I might take the time to read a summary at least. (Typos are sponsored by my phone being overwhelmed by the Reado App)




















































