What books are similar to What If It's Us?

The 10 closest matches to What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli on ReadingList include Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Written in the Stars, Perfect Chemistry, Everything, Everything, and Girl, Stolen. Each is scored on shared themes (gays, fate and fatalism, and dating (social customs)), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like What If It's Us reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like What If It's Us

If you liked What If It's Us, read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Written in the Stars, or Perfect Chemistry — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Closest match: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

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Looking for books like What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of gays, fate and fatalism, and dating (social customs). The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agendagrades 9–12: Is by Becky Albertalli, the same author, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Written in the Starsgrades 9–12: Shares themes of dating (social customs), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Perfect Chemistrygrades 9–12: Shares themes of dating (social customs), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Everything, Everythinggrades 9–12: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Girl, Stolengrades 9–12: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Sun is Also a Stargrades 9–12: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Breathing Underwatergrades 9–12: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Define "Normal"grades 9–12: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Hanging on to Maxgrades 9–12: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
I Must Betray Yougrades 9–12: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like What If It's Us for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Zombies Don't Eat Veggies! by Jorge Lacera · grades K–2 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Books like What If It's Us for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

Best Friends by Shannon Hale · grades 4–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Ellie's Story by W. Bruce Cameron · grades 3–6 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Books like What If It's Us for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey · grades 6–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Best Friends by Shannon Hale · grades 4–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Ellie's Story by W. Bruce Cameron · grades 3–6 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Common questions

What books are similar to What If It's Us?: The 10 closest matches to What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli on ReadingList include Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Written in the Stars, Perfect Chemistry, Everything, Everything, and Girl, Stolen. Each is scored on shared themes (gays, fate and fatalism, and dating (social customs)), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like What If It's Us reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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