What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Title: What If It's Us
Author: Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: October 9, 2018
Pages: 448
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

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?

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Arthur Seuss is interning at a law office in NYC for the summer. Originally from Milton, GA, he is already having a difficult time adjusting to his new surroundings. He misses his home, his friends, his car and even Waffle House. He still keeps in contact with his best friends Ethan and Jessie and he cannot wait to go home until he meets Ben at the post office.

Ben Alejo is recovering from a breakup and intended to mail Hudson's belongings back. However, instead, he meets Arthur at the post office. A flash mob comes forth and Ben leaves the post office with the breakup box still in hand. He has nothing to do but hop on a train to visit his best friend Dylan. However, Ben left behind a shipping label that acts like Cinderella's glass slipper. Arthur is determined to find Ben in the populous Big Apple.

What If It's Us is written by the dynamic duo Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. With their style of writing merging together, What If It's Us is a book that opens new doors. From it's pop culture references to humorous situations like being caught in a flash mob wedding proposal to the fate being on their side, Albertalli and Silvera know how to write a book to induce major feels. Also, not only is the writing fantastic and there is great character development, but the diversity within the novel is perfect. From religion to ethnicity to identity to ability, this novel covers a lot of bases without feeling forced; it's natural. It represents life in modern day.

Within the novel, fans of Albertalli and Silvera can tell right from the get go who wrote each character. Arthur's and Ben's voices are distinguishable from one another and they have their own personalities. We have musical loving Arthur who has dreams of going to Yale. And then we have Ben who is currently writing a fantasy novel, currently in summer school and he is trying to get over his breakup with his ex-boyfriend. The concept of the plot is a subtle but genius one. It just works so well.

What If It's Us is apologetically honest. The characters can be blunt but they channel their true feelings and thoughts to the readers. Readers can connect with what the characters are going through. Nothing is sugarcoated. Everything is real and raw. Albertalli and Silvera have a way of connecting with their audience where the readers understand the characters in their books. I highly suggest readers of YA contemporary to read this book! If you want to read an uplighting, cute novel with a dash of humor, definitely check out What If It's Us.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication date: September 5, 2017
Pages: 384
Source/format: Publisher//ARC

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

New York Times bestselling author Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.

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—to live a lifetime in a single day.

In the tradition of Before I Fall and If I Stay, They Both Die at the End is a tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut, More Happy Than Not, the New York Times called “profound.”

M Y  T H O U G H T S

"My afterlife is like a home theater where you can re-watch your entire life from start to finish." - ARC of They Both Die at the End

I had to admit that I couldn't get into Adam Silvera's first two books but I was hooked when I read page one of They Both Die at the End. The concept of someone getting a call from Death-Cast stating that they will die sometime within 24 hours is pretty surreal. You don't know how you will die and you don't know what algorithm Death-Cast uses to determine everyone's End Day.

Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio both get calls from Death-Cast on the same exact a day. Both have complex lives. Mateo's mom died during childbirth and his dad has been in a coma for a couple of weeks. Rufus is in the foster care system after his parents and sister died. Through an app called The Last Friend, Mateo and Rufus become friends.

They Both Die at the End is split into four sections and alternates chapters between Mateo and Rufus with the exact time logging of their thoughts like they are writing in a journal. There are some chapters in secondary characters' voices as well. Silvera captures the grittiness of Mateo's and Rufus's lives. He tells it how it is with sincerity and doesn't sugarcoat anything about their past.

Silvera did an excellent job interweaving the lives of Mateo and Rufus. Both are different and unique in their own ways. I found the concept of Death-Cast intriguing and how a span of a day would pan out in almost 400 pages of a novel. It works though! Silvera made it work! Despite the many pages of the novel, this is a quick read.

The dialogue flows smoothly and the reader empathizes with the main characters. That ending is intense! The emotion roller coaster peaks and descends and so many thoughts are looming. It really make you cherish every moment of your life. Silvera captures moments of Mateo's and Rufus's lives through instagram in full color compared to Rufus's usual black and white spectrum. They truly lived their End Day to its fullest.

They Both Die at the End is about loss, hope, friendship and what it means to live your life to its fullest. I highly recommend this novel to someone looking at for a book that is honest and those looking for a book that borders genres.