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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated What If It's Us in Books

Dec 18, 2018

What If It's Us

Adam Silvera, Becky Albertalli | 2018 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)

9.5

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

This was a super cute gay romance that I read for YA_Pride's Twitter Book Club. The authors have separately written some pretty popular YA books; Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Albertalli) and They Both Die at the End (Silvera), neither of which I have read yet, so I had no idea what to expect with this one!

The book alternates viewpoints between Arthur, a Georgia boy in New York for the summer who recently came out as gay but has not yet gone out on a date with anyone, and Ben, who recently broke up with the boy he lost his virginity with. The difference in experience between the two is a plot point, as is the temporary nature of Arthur's visit to New York.

There is SO MUCH in this book. These are complex characters, and the romance between the two is simply the frame that the rest of the book revolves around. Arthur is still coming to terms with what being out means for him; he thinks his friends are being weird about it, his parents are fighting all the time, he's never dated and doesn't really know how to go about doing so. Ben is recovering from heartbreak with his first boyfriend. He's Puerto Rican but can pass for white, so people forget and think he's white, and that upsets him. His break up, and his best friend's, has splintered up their friend group and he misses the group, and his best friend seems to have moved on and doesn't have time for him anymore. He's in summer school, with his ex, and is struggling to pass so he can continue to his senior year of high school, while Arthur is an amazing student who's probably getting into Yale. All of this is set against the glittering backdrop of New York, seen as wondrous and new through Arthur's eyes and boring and old through Ben's. There's just SO MUCH going on.

I did have to double-check a few times who was narrating the chapter I was reading, but Twitter said the audio book actually has separate narrators for Arthur and Ben. So if you like audiobooks, that might be the better way to go for this book.

I loved that this book didn't just explore the romance between the two boys, but the friendships they had with each other and the people around them. More than a romance, I think this is a book about building your own family. People who will be there for you whether you're dating them or not.

Twitter also mentioned that the book could be disappointing if you were reading it for either of the author's signature styles. No one dies, and it's not completely happy fluff. So definitely set aside any expectations based on their previous books. I hadn't read them, so I enjoyed it for itself.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com

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Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated All Wrapped Up (Geek Girl #1.5) in Books

Feb 3, 2020

<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;

#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13621089-geek-girl">Geek Girl</a> - ★★★★
#1.5 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2942394177">Geek Girl: All Wrapped Up</a> - ★★★★

<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Book-Review-Banner-21.png"/>;

<b><i>Geek Girl: All Wrapped Up is a Christmas special and a spin-off from the Geek Girl Series, written by Holly Smale. It is cute and full of Christmas spirit and I only have one regret - I wish I read it in December.</i></b>

In this book, we follow the lovely and geeky Harriet again. She is stressed about her first date, but her friends come to the rescue. They have an action plan on how to make this boy fall in love!

As I have already mentioned in my Geek Girl review - I love Harriet's personality. Her geekiness is something that I didn't read much about while growing up and it makes me happy that it slowly starts to be available to teenage girls.

Geek Girl: All Wrapped Up features Christmas and I loved all the facts about different Christmas traditions all over the world, all the Christmas jokes and recipes in this book. When reading, I could feel the Christmas Spirit on every page and it was wonderful.

There isn't a big story line or any twists happening, but Geek Girl: All Wrapped Up is a lovely festive addition to the original Geek Girl series. I can't wait to read the next book and see what Harriet is going to do next. Something mischievous, I am sure!

<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;