Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Becky Albertalli

Apr 2015 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this eBook

Now a major motion picture: Love, Simon, starring Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford! This edition includes new Simon and Blue emails, a behind-the-scenes scrapbook from the Love, Simon movie set, and Becky Albertalli in conversation with fellow authors Adam Silvera and Angie Thomas.

William C. Morris Award Winner: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year * National Book Award Longlist

"A remarkable gift of a novel."—Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle

"I am so in love with this book."—Nina LaCour, author of Hold Still

"Feels timelessly, effortlessly now."—Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Ever

"The best kind of love story."—Alex Sanchez, Lambda Award-winning author of Rainbow Boys and Boyfriends with Girlfriends

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 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.

Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli.

Plus don't miss Yes No Maybe So, Becky Albertalli's and Aisha Saeed's heartwarming and hilarious new novel, coming in 2020! 

Ratings and reviews

Simon Spier is gay, and not exactly out yet. The story opens with Simon being confronted by Martin, a classmate who has stumbled upon some email conversations between Simon and his anonymous internet friend, Blue. Martin threatens to out Simon and Blue unless Simon helps him get a date with the girl he likes. And thus, calamity ensues. We get to watch Simon and Blue falling in love (which is one of the most adorable things in the universe) and discovering what kind of person they want to be. Meanwhile, Simon has to deal with Martin (who is seriously annoying) and the chances of his friends and family finding out about his sexuality before he is ready. There are so many things to love about this book. The writing was quirky and funny and lighthearted, despite dealing with sexual identity and the acceptance (or lack thereof) of homosexuality in a high school setting. Important and serious topics were dealt with, but not in a way that made them feel like they were the only aspect of the book. Which is exactly as it should be. The LGBT aspects of the story were mixed right in with everyday things like discussions of Oreos and Simon's favorite singer, homework and drama rehearsal. Yes, Simon vs. is a story about a gay teen. But Simon is so much more than his sexual preference. Simon is....well, he's pretty much awesome. I think literally everyone can find something in Simon that they can relate to. Whether it's his sexual identity or his fear of his mom finding his dirty magazines, his odd sense of humor or his desire to be loved and accepted the way he is. Simon says things throughout the story that most of us have thought as some point in time, no matter our age, gender, race, or sexuality. Simon is in all of us. And he can help us to recognize that no matter who we are, we all just want a little happiness (and maybe some Oreos). I am normally someone who goes into a contemporary book kicking and screaming; I really don't enjoy romance and I have found very few contemporaries that I actually enjoy. But, boy oh boy, this one melted my ice cold heart. I still get a warm and fuzzy feeling thinking about Simon and Blue. I feel like they are friends of mine that I will never forget.

I watched the movie first (which I hate doing, always gotta read the book first) but the thing is: with movie adaptions, usually the closer the movie is to the book, the better the adaption but I kind of loved the changes in the movie; it didn't take anything away from the book, and the spin it had on other scenes just- worked (although I still prefer the book, no doubt). Anyway, it's an amazing story, honestly. I love Simon's character, it feels like he's somebody I went to school with, and I LOVE Bram in this, he has so much depth. Healthy, sappy, romantic LGBT novels like this are exactly what I hope for in novels and honesly it was executed so well, just. Wow, couldn't recommend this enough.

If there's one word that describes how I felt with this book, it'd be "underwhelmed." I know that's partially because of the hype and constant love for this book that's spread all over social media, but I just... didn't feel it. At times, I was actually bored with it. It wasn't a bad book, but it's not one I think I'll reread in the future. The book had some great moments. I loved that Simon had a life outside of his sexuality. He had interests and extra-curricular activities and friends - omg, so many friends. At times, it reminded me of my high school circle - friends dating friends, drama within the circle, etc. It was real and authentic, as was the voice of this book. His family was quirky but cool. But then there was so much this book lacked. Did Simon even have feelings? There was no serious panic over the blackmail. There was no serious panic over the Tumblr post during Christmas break. There was no real emotion, and I NEED emotion in books. I need to feel something. There was no real plot, no major action. Even the conflict was lackluster. Everything wrapped up too neatly and easily. It was so unrealistic. I live in the deep south. People aren't this accepting. (Some, yes, but the majority, no) It just all fell so flat. We walked through day by day life with Simon, watched him obsess over a boy while he had no other real feelings, and then we had this super lackluster Blue reveal. Like I said, it wasn't a *bad* book at all. I actually finished it, which says more for it than 75% of the books I attempt to read. It held my attention (for the most part), but about 160 pages in, it just started to falter. In all honesty, it didn't even feel like an LGBT book to me. It was just too light and breezy. It wasn't heavy, even in moments that could've (and maybe even should've) been heavy. For me, it's a one time read. If you're looking to branch into LGBT books, you can start here. It's not uncomfortable, and it fits the typical YA romance quota. Other people seem to absolutely love it.

About the author

Becky Albertalli is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of William C. Morris Award winner and National Book Award longlist title Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (now a major motion picture, Love, Simon); The Upside of Unrequited; Leah on the Offbeat; the Simonverse novella Love, Creekwood; What If It’s Us (cowritten with Adam Silvera); Yes No Maybe So (cowritten with Aisha Saeed); Kate in Waiting; and Imogen, Obviously, a Stonewall Honor Book. Becky lives with her family near Atlanta. You can visit her online at beckyalbertalli.com.