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LGBT

Book Review: What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Title: What If It’s Us
Author: Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
Published: October 18th, 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: ★★★★★
Find the Authors: Goodreads | Goodreads


Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


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?

First Thoughts…

It’s not every day that a book as incredible as What If It’s Us gets posted through my letterbox. But you know what? I am SO. DARN. THANKFUL for Olivia at Simon and Schuster for sending this gorgeous book into my life, because it just so happens to have stolen my heart and run away with it. . .

My Review…

I’m going to do it. I’m going to tell you just how incredible this book was in the first opening line. THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING. What If It’s Us has exceeded my expectations and within just halfway through the book, I was already thinking it: this might just be the best book I’ve read all year. And it’s September. I’ve read a lot of books this year. Counting ones I haven’t reviewed yet, that’s almost 40 books. And this one just walks out, steals my heart and runs away with all it’s cuteness and gah. I can’t even put it into words. But I’m going to try. . .
The book is told in two POV’s: Arthur’s and Ben’s. Arthur is only in New York for the Summer and he’s already overwhelmed by everything. He’s helping out where his Mom works and doing things like coffee runs and mailing things at the post office. That’s where Ben comes into it. Arthur and Ben’s worlds collide when they run into each other at the Post Office and get talking. They have this instant connection, talking about the universe and their words just free-flow so easily with each other. But then they get separated by the crowd and all Arthur has is a snippet of a name from the box Ben was mailing – to his ex-boyfriend. 
Ben has just had his heart broken, but when he meets Arthur, it’s like the universe is giving him something again. But as soon as he thinks there might be something, they’re separated. They’re both beginning to think that the universe has it out for them until they’re reunited by some sleuthing on the internet on Arthur’s end. 
They have date after date, but they can’t really nail that perfect first date. So they replay that first-date-feeling over and over until they get it as perfect as perfect gets. But self-doubt and life keeps cutting their worlds further apart and when they both feel like they’re trying, the other feels let down. The sudden whirlwind summer comes crashing down and faced with the outcome, it’s make or break for their finale in their Broadway play of romance.
Just WOW. I can’t imagine anyone hating this book. Like ever. There’s cute-as-ever Arthur and funnier-than-funny Ben, and putting them together you get this couple that’s just breathtaking. Becky and Adam write their romance so honestly and gorgeously that it’s like I’m reading a Netflix rom-com. I was swept up in a love story so bright and beautiful that the real world fell to petals around me and everything became What If It’s Us. 
Overall, you need this book in your life. Everyone does. Not a romance lover? You will be after this book. This book is honestly a game-changer. What If It’s Us has been my favourite book of the year and is in my top ten favourite reads of all time, just like that. You have no idea just how validly perfectly-unperfect this novel truly is until you open the pages. Five huge stars!
You can buy WHAT IF IT’S US here:

Amazon | Waterstones | Book Depository 

Have you read What If It’s Us? Are you looking forward to it?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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Pride 2017: “Girl Hearts Girl” by Lucy Sutcliffe

Title: Girl Hearts Girl

Author: Lucy Sutcliffe

Published: June 24th, 2017

Publisher: Scholastic  

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

An inspiring, uplifting and sympathetic story about sexuality and self-acceptance, Lucy Sutcliffe’s debut memoir is a personal and moving coming out story. In 2010, at seventeen, Lucy Sutcliffe began an online friendship with Kaelyn, a young veterinary student from Michigan. Within months, they began a long distance relationship, finally meeting in the summer of 2011. Lucy’s video montage of their first week spent together in Saint Kitts, which she posted to the couple’s YouTube channel, was the first in a series of films documenting their long-distance relationship. Funny, tender and candid, the films attracted them a vast online following. 

Now, for the first time, Lucy’s writing about the incredible personal journey she’s been on; from never quite wanting the fairy-tale of Prince Charming to realising she was gay at the age of 14, through three years of self-denial to finally coming out to friends and family, to meeting her American girlfriend Kaelyn.

My Review

LGBT books are becoming rightly a huge part of YA literature. One of the first LGBT books I ever read was by Robin Talley and since then, they’ve become a huge part of my YA loves. Not only was I already cover-stalking Girl Hearts Girl, but I was so eager to get involved in Pride Month – my first year getting properly involved, thanks to Scholastic! I had always had a few ideas of what to do or post and considering having supported LGBT books all year round, I knew that my post had to be extra special to properly draw attention to the importance of LGBT representation in YA books.

Enter Girl Hearts Girl, a story that’s actually real and a memoir of all things! Pretty Little Memoirs started because of my own desire to write my memoirs of life, so it’s only right that I finally read a YA memoir too. Lucy’s story isn’t quite the typical YA boy-meets-girl, because Lucy has never been interested in having a Prince Charming whisk her away like in the fairytales. She’s known from her early teenage years that she liked girls. But it hasn’t always been easy for her. There were patches of denial, before finally coming out to her family and realising that she had to start believing in herself – and stop denying who she was inside. 

But Lucy finds herself in someone else, too. Meeting online when she was seventeen, she started talking with a girl called Kaelyn from America. It’s clear, reading about their conversations and honesty with each other that they share a true, raw connection. They meet the summer that followed their first year of talking and since that day, Lucy and Kaelyn’s lives changed as they documented their relationship online through social media for the world to see; through highs and lows and the pressures, backlash and frank moments that I can truly feel Lucy’s voice echoing in my ear. 

Girl Hearts Girl was a sheer slice of sunshine. As Lucy walks us through her life, I can’t help but smile and cry along with her on this extraordinary journey of self-acceptance and the power of love. I can’t rate this any higher. A shining example of Pride. 

Rating


Read an extract from GIRL HEARTS GIRL here!

Have you read Girl Hearts Girl?

What did you think?
Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to use #ReadwithPride on twitter! 

happy reading!

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