Authors join creative forces on YA novel ‘What If It’s Us’
Best-friend writers create love story told from both characters’ perspectives
Authors Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera are kindred spirits.
Both are critically acclaimed writers. Albertalli is the author of “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” which was recently adapted into the film “Love, Simon.” Silvera penned “They Both Die at the End.” And they are best friends, which explains their synergy in collaborating on the new young-adult novel “What If It’s Us.” It’s a love story about two different young men and told from both perspectives. Albertalli is the voice for Arthur, a Broadway-loving kid who’s in New York only for the summer; Silvera is Ben, who is dealing with a recent breakup and meets Arthur at the post office while carrying his ex’s things.
The authors will be at Brazos Bookstore at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 to read from and discuss their collaboration. But first they talked with the Houston Chronicle about their new book, young love and why the young-adult fiction genre (ages 12-18) is so hot right now. ( About half of all YA readers are adults.)
Q: How did this collaboration come about?
Silvera:
Becky and I met online after the sales of our debut novels in 2013, and we were exchanging dating stories over email when Becky shared an experience she had about putting up a message to find a cute stranger. I loved it so much I wondered how we could turn it into a YA book together.
Q: Young-adult fiction is a really hot genre. What makes it so compelling today?
Silvera: YA has always had dynamic storytelling, but if it seems to be getting more attention, it’s all thanks to our readers who have grown up in a very digital generation where you share everything you love online and even find
Q: How much to did you rely on your own teen experiences for this book?
Silvera:
It’s a combination of teen and adult experiences your people as a result.
Albertalli: I also think YA is at the forefront of conversations around representation and inclusivity. There’s a ton of room for growth, but I’m proud to be writing in a community that, for the most part, is actively trying to write thoughtful, diverse books for teens who haven’t always had the opportunity to read about themselves. for me. I was a poor kid who loved fantasy and was stuck in summer school, so I got to use a lot of those feelings, but the heartbreak came from a breakup last year.
Albertalli: I also love Broadway, though Arthur’s tastes are more in line with my current favorites. I think the friend dynamic between Arthur and Ben sometimes mirrors my friendship with Adam, too.
Q: What’s the hardest or best thing about writing about young love?
Silvera:
It’s incredible writing about the love that I couldn’t necessarily experience as a closeted teen and knowing this story will exist for queer teens, and even the adults who were in the same boat as me.
Albertalli: I love writing about young love. I never dated in high school (though I desperately wanted to), and I think that’s part of why I’m drawn to romantically inexperienced characters. I love writing characters who fall in love for the first time — it’s such a big moment for some teens, and I love trying to capture that.
Q: What do you want YA readers to take away from your book?
Silvera:
That love is love. It’s really as simple as that.
Albertalli: What Adam said. And also, love is a broader, more inclusive concept than we sometimes give it credit for.