Book Review: Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Title: Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015)
Author: Becky Albertalli
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ+ and Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Release Date: 7th April 2015
Rating: ★★★★★
Reviewed by: Lois

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Review:

I wish I had read this book a long time ago! Simon Spier is a Georgia high school junior who is anonymously emailing “Blue“. Simon knows that “Blue” attends the same high school as him, lives in the same time as him. Both of them are gay and yet to come out to anyone. “Blue” and Simon talk exclusively though emails. This is where they discuss their deepest secrets without the fear of being judged. When Simon’s emails to “Blue” are accidentally discovered, Simon’s world starts to dismantle around him.

This is such a quick and easy read. I did not want to put it down. One of the best parts about this book is how believable the story is. It doesn’t feel forced and makes me think Becky Albertalli is secretly a teenager or is spying on us. This is the second Becky Albertalli book that I have read and both of them I have rated 5 stars. That is saying something, her books are incredible and you just don’t want to put them down. I love her writing so much I preordered “Leah on the Offbeat” as soon as I finished reading this book.

Simon is adorable! His character made me smile so much. His inner-monologues made me laugh out loud and reminded me of my time in high school. I was reading this book on my break at work and got a lot of weird looks for how much I was laughing. Simon’s character is hilarious and I couldn’t help it. Simon’s friends are lovely and I loved the part they played in the story. I’m excited to learn more about Leah in “Leah on the Offbeat“.

I was a huge fan of the way this book was set out. I loved the chapters that were just emails between Simon and “Blue“. They added a lot to the story and I kept sneaking a peak to see when the next email exchange would be.  I also loved the mystery behind “Blue”  and trying to work out who he was.

I am so excited to go and watch the movie adaptation of this book “Love, Simon“. Also, Becky Albertalli is an amazing author and I need more of her books in my life immediately.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is an endearing , heart-warming and funny story of a teenage boy discovering himself and learning about the world around him.

Thank you to Penguin for sending the TEENSgate bloggers copies of the movie-tie-in of this book. Also thank you to Kimi and Fiona for organising a wonderful blogger event.

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Until next time,