54 pages 1 hour read

Adam Silvera, Becky Albertalli

What If It's Us

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018

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Part 1, Chapters 1-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “What If”

Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary: “Arthur”

It is July 9, and Arthur tells about his life in New York City. He wants to go home because New York has too many rules and expects everyone to be cool. Arthur doesn’t think he’s cool. When he tries to take a photo of the sky, strangers criticize him for acting like a tourist.

He’s interning for his mother for the summer. Arriving at the post office, he’s struck by how nice it is. He is only in New York for four more weeks; then, he’ll return to his hometown in Milton, Georgia. Texting his friends, he recalls how he came out as gay to his friends after prom. His friend Jessie has been more affectionate since then, but Ethan has barely talked to him.

Arthur spots an attractive boy. They begin talking, and Arthur goes into the post office with him. Arthur explains that his mom is a lawyer working on a case for the summer, which is how he ended up in New York. He confides that he misses his car, which is stored at his aunt’s house in New Haven.

The other boy notices Arthur trying to read the label on the box he’s shipping and explains that he’s returning his ex-boyfriend’s items.