DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
This sequel to WHAT IF IT’S US, told in two voices, is full of hope and heartbreak and moments that are both swoon-worthy and laugh-out-loud funny. Ben and Arthur’s romance sputtered out once they were no longer in the same city. But the universe gives them a second chance when a Broadway internship brings Arthur back to New York for the summer. Narrators Noah Galvin and Froy Gutierrez are incredibly endearing as Arthur and Ben, who still have feelings for each other in spite of both being in relationships. As they trade off chapters, Gutierrez and Galvin ensure that listeners feel every intense emotion. As Arthur and Ben try to figure out what their futures hold, listeners will hang on every word. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Swoonworthy wish fulfillment that checks all the right boxes.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"All characters retain their unique voices and personalities, even though they’ve aged; they are the people readers expect them to be as they navigate coming into their own." — Booklist (starred review)
“Achingly romantic. Here's to Us transitions seamlessly from its predecessor yet stands strongly on its own.” — Shelf Awareness
“Teens will be eager to throw themselves back into this heartwarming world.” — School Library Journal
Shelf Awareness
Achingly romantic. Here's to Us transitions seamlessly from its predecessor yet stands strongly on its own.
Booklist (starred review)
"All characters retain their unique voices and personalities, even though they’ve aged; they are the people readers expect them to be as they navigate coming into their own."
School Library Journal
12/01/2021
Gr 8 Up—The boys are back, and the dream team of Albertalli and Silvera have reunited for this much-anticipated sequel to What if It's Us. It's been two years since Arthur and Ben's whirlwind relationship, and Ben is enjoying the summer after his freshman year of college. He's deep into his fantasy novel with the help of Mario, his classmate and Spanish tutor turned not-quite boyfriend. Arthur is gearing up to take things long distance with his boyfriend, Mikey, for a summer in New York City as part of his queer theater debut as the intern for the assistant of an off-Broadway director. The two haven't connected in months, but Ben stumbles upon the wedding of the postal worker from their meet-cute, which prompts him to check Arthur's social media accounts, where he learns that Arthur's en route to New York. All summer they keep gravitating towards each other. Clunky and awkward at first, the two manage to reconnect while they learn to navigate their new friendship. The authors capture just the right amount of romantic tension and show teens how people and relationships change over time. The story also conveys the importance of making space for growth, not only through the relationship between Ben and Arthur but also through side characters like Dylan and Samantha. The story may wrap up too neatly for most readers, but this is still a place where readers will want to go. VERDICT A first purchase; teens will be eager to throw themselves back into this heartwarming world.—Alicia Kalan, The Northwest Sch., Seattle
DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
This sequel to WHAT IF IT’S US, told in two voices, is full of hope and heartbreak and moments that are both swoon-worthy and laugh-out-loud funny. Ben and Arthur’s romance sputtered out once they were no longer in the same city. But the universe gives them a second chance when a Broadway internship brings Arthur back to New York for the summer. Narrators Noah Galvin and Froy Gutierrez are incredibly endearing as Arthur and Ben, who still have feelings for each other in spite of both being in relationships. As they trade off chapters, Gutierrez and Galvin ensure that listeners feel every intense emotion. As Arthur and Ben try to figure out what their futures hold, listeners will hang on every word. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-10-13
Former boyfriends’ “big Broadway love story” gets a revival in this sequel to What If It’s Us(2018).
Two years after their flash romance, Ben Alejo and Arthur Seuss (both now in college) couldn’t have drifted further apart. But destiny intervenes when Arthur lands his “ultimate top-tier pie-in-the-sky dream job” interning at a queer off-Broadway theater for the summer. Their long-anticipated reunion comes with a small catch: Both boys are basically taken. Ben met Mario in his college creative writing class, and, while they aren’t boyfriends, the connection—and attraction—is definitely there. Arthur’s officially dating Mikey, whose sweetness and steadiness saved him from remaining a “Ben-addled mess.” Cue the confusion—and inevitable broken hearts—as Ben and Arthur contend with their pasts and presents while trying to figure out their futures. Who will end up with whom? Albertalli’s and Silvera’s voices blend seamlessly, balancing the complexities of the boys’ situations with heartfelt (and heartwarming) nostalgia. As in the previous book, the narrative alternates between Ben’s and Arthur’s perspectives with off-the-charts wit and chemistry. Lovable side characters have grown and matured, while new characters expand the world to create an even stronger sense of community. Loose ends are tied up believably with an epilogue. Arthur is Jewish; Ben and Mario are Puerto Rican, and Mikey is White.
Swoonworthy wish fulfillment that checks all the right boxes. (Fiction. 14-18)
