What If It’s Us: A Book Relatable to Me & Many
By Daniel Simpson
For a month now, I have been working as a Marketing & Strategy Intern for the Be A Friend Project. My commute to the office is about 45 minutes, and though I love listening to music, I decided to switch over to audiobooks for these long car rides. I used to read often growing up, but over time, I got busy and in my free time never turned to a book. I realized this is a great way to fill the time and enjoy books I have always wanted to read.
The first book I listened to was What If It’s Us, a young adult romantic comedy novel by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli. One of my best friends recommended it to me. He said one of the characters is very similar to me, and he was right. The book features Arthur and Ben, high school boys who start a relationship during the summer in New York City. My favorite part of the book was that the story progressed through both Arthur and Ben’s perspective, flip-flopping after each chapter.
I relate to the character Arthur in many ways. Unlike Ben who lives in the city, Arthur lives in the suburbs of Georgia, and I also live in a suburban town. Arthur greatly values his education, like myself, and dreams of attending a prestigious university like I once did. Arthur and I are also major theatre geeks; in fact, Arthur shares his obsession of Hamilton the musical with Ben. If my future boyfriend is not a theatre lover, you can bet I’ll make him one! I also relate to Arthur because I have never been in a queer relationship. Finding Ben was a dream come true for Arthur, and he could not believe all of the “firsts” that were happening to him. I would be just as excited as Arthur; I hope to be so lucky one day. I felt like I was living vicariously through him throughout the novel.
What was so captivating about this story was how Arthur and Ben met — randomly at a Post Office in the city. Funny enough, Arthur was wearing a hot dog tie and Ben was wearing his barista apron. Before they got to exchange contact information, they got caught in the middle of a wedding flash mob and lost sight of each other. For weeks both were trying to hunt each other down with the little information they had. Like Arthur, I have done deep dives on Instagram to find people. Though I will not spoil exactly how the two eventually found each other, I can assure you it was a lengthy and crazy process.
The ups and downs of Arthur and Ben’s relationship kept me on my toes, tuned in to each and every word. I was nervous for them when it was time to meet their parents, and for when the parents met each other. Reading about their late-night FaceTime calls and dates in the city made me excited for my own future. I especially found it cute how Ben was insecure about attending summer school and Arthur, whose dream was to go to Yale, assured him that academic success does not matter to him. Despite their blooming romance, there were issues in the relationship from maintaining their friendships, Ben’s relationship with his ex-boyfriend, and Ben showing up late to all of their dates.
I appreciated how Silvery and Albertalli did not sugarcoat this relationship; they kept it real and raw. When people I know have been in relationships and “talking stages,” some have also distanced themselves from their friends, and it’s understandable but frustrating. Nevertheless, the two prevailed through the conflicts and succumbed to their undeniable chemistry. Of course, because Arthur was just in New York City for his summer internship, it was no surprise that the two had to say goodbye to each other at the end of the novel — this was heartbreaking to listen to. If you are a queer teenager or young adult, I highly recommend reading (or listening!) to this novel. It reminds me of the graphic novel and TV show Heartstopper. This novel gives you hope and joy, and you can’t help but root for the characters.
About the Author
Daniel Simpson (he/him) is from Park Ridge, NJ, a small town outside of New York City. He is a first-year student at the University of Michigan pursuing a dual degree in Business Administration and Theatre Arts. Go blue!
Daniel was bitten by the theatre bug at the age of seven and has been a performer ever since. When Daniel was in middle school, he performed in a professional new musical called It’s Easy: The Friend Strong Musical, where he was introduced to the Be A Friend Project (BAFP). Daniel started an anti-bullying club at his high school, and now works for the BAFP as a Media Coordinator and a National Teen Kindness Board member.
In addition to performing and spreading the anti-bullying message, Daniel enjoys marketing, coffee, cooking, working out, and going on adventures with friends.
