What If It's Us

Arthur is spending the summer in New York, working as an intern at his mom's law firm. A lifetime of Broadway musicals has convinced him that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance, and he is ready to be proven right.

Ben was born in the city and is stuck in summer school. He writes in secret, calls himself a pessimist, and is carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend's belongings to the post office when he runs into Arthur. The two are pulled apart almost immediately, then, against the odds, meet again.

What follows is a string of near misses, awkward first dates and second first dates. Arthur tries too hard, and Ben does not try hard enough.

The story alternates between the two boys' voices, with Becky Albertalli writing one and Adam Silvera the other. It is a funny, tender young adult romance set in New York during the summer, with friends and family in the background. The question it turns on is whether fate or effort is what keeps two people together. A sequel, Here's to Us, followed in 2021.