saluki's review against another edition
4.0
It's a weirdly subtle conversation. I almost don’t notice I’m being blackmailed.
We’re sitting in metal folding chairs backstage, and Martin Addison says, “I read your email."
The first page establishes Simon Spier is gay and his sexual identity is in danger of being exposed. This unfortunate incident is the catalyst for change as Simon increasingly feels pressure on the subject of coming out and how it would impact family and school friendships.
Teenage jealousy, loyalty, changes in friendships, crushes and first loves bring tension among Simon's friends. And, Simon is falling in love with Blue from the inside out... the problem is the mystery of Blue's identity. Blue is a student at his school. But who is he? I love the emails between [email protected] and [email protected]. Jacques and Blue are so open and honest with their thoughts and feelings probably because they are both anonymous.
Simon's parents and sisters are very present in the book and their close-knit relationships with all their squabbles and support are great to read.
This isn't challenging gay fiction, yet I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy because this story is so cute and funny and Simon (and his +one - no spoiler here!) are adorable.
nicolerathbone's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t planning on reading this book but when I saw it for 99p on my kindle I couldn’t resist and I’m so glad it did it was so fluffy and adorable and the romance was so perfect. I don’t think I’ll be reading Leah on the offbeat because just personally she was my least favourite character in the book but I loved it!
aaron_j136's review against another edition
5.0
Love, Simon
Book Review
Love, Simon basically follows Simon Spier a 17 year old boy who is trying to work out who he is and what he is to become. He emails fellow gay boy, the mysterious Blue and starts to fall in love.
One of Simon’s peers who goes by the name Martin Addison accidentally reads Simon’s emails talking with Blue. Martin thinks Simon doesn’t want people to know but he doesn’t really care saying ‘It’s a giant holy box of awkwardness, and I won’t pretend i’m looking forward to it’ on page 2. We find a little bit of information about Blue. Not much though besides the fact he lives in Shady Creek and goes to Simon’s school. Martin starts to blackmail Simon and threatens to do things with his secret unless he gets his friend Abby to date him. Personally from just hearing this readers tend to feel hate towards Martin. Simon should have the right to come out when he is ready!
Simon takes his dog Beiber named that by his older sister Alice to his friend Nick’s house. Also at nick’s house is slightly overweight Leah. Leah automatically goes to Beiber and pets him. Simon is a bit annoyed and Leah asks if he needs a scratch behind the ear too. We get a cute, funny, dialogue filled scene between the 3 before Simon reveals Leah is in love with Nick. Everytime Nick looks lovingly at a girl Leah gets peed off but she should just express her bloody feelings!
We then get to see some emails between our 2 gay lovers. Simon reveals his funniest moment was getting a girlfriend and hiding from her in a toilet cubicle. Blue says ‘the whole point of living is to find a shore worth swimming to.’ page 18. The relationship between this 2 is super funny and quirky. I just love it.
Meanwhile out of the digital world Marty continues to blackmail Simon which is really annoying. He honestly has a problem. Simon announces that he and Marty only hangs out in choir and rehearsals and Simon barely knows him. The cast rehearse their play and on page 32 Ms. Albright the producer introduces the scene and says. ‘You want to intimidate him and steal his crap.’ she is referring to a new nerd in the play Oliver!
Back to the digital world Blue ain't dressing up for halloween and Simon is pretty sad about it and Simon says in the email ‘Don’t you realise you’re throwing away the perfect opportunity to be someone else for an evening?’ This ticks me off because they are meant to be going out there and not hiding even know Simon means instead of being Average Anthony you could be a zombie or a unicorn princess.
Garrett a friend of Simon’s is hosting a halloween party and Simon invited Marty hopefully getting him and Abby together. Instead Simon gets minorly drunk upsetting Leah. Simon starts calling Leah irish and the group has a conversation about ancestry finding out Nick is Russian.
Gender Bender day comes along and the boys dress up as girls and boys as girls. I found this really odd. Do they actually do this in America. We should be proud of who we are!
Back on the computer Simon fantasizes about Oreos, his favorite snack.
The next day is Simon’s birthday and Leah finds him a vanilla cake and a chocolate cake to share with friends. There is no red icing on the cake because Leah knows Simon doesn't like red icing because it tastes too red. Did you know i don't like hot chips because they are too hot! LOL (a common word used by Simon’s younger sister Nora.)
Many other things happen like Simon calling Blue grammatical and cute, Simon’s family is the only southern family without a bible but things between Marty get more tense with Simon saying he F#@*ing hates him. But oddly they grow closer at a waffle house with Abby hugging Marty. His expression goes crazy and on page 122 Simon thinks ‘ Honest to God, he’s like a freaking anime character. I can almost see hearts popping out of his eyes. He catches my eye and his big banana mouth is just beaming.’ Simon tells Abby he is gay and later Abby rejects Marty and he gets peed off.
Then Simon and Blue talk and along comes the best quote in the book on page 146 by Simon. He says ‘don’t you think everyone should come out? Why is straight the default?’ Blue replies ‘straight people should really have to come out.’ This was probably the most impactful quote in the book. Why don’t others admit things. Everyone is different and should be happy that way.
Remember Marty and how he got mad? Well he posted on tumblr revealing Simon being gay. Simon’s little sister finds out and he tells his older sister Alice and his parents. He then goes and tells his friends Nick and Leah. Meanwhile Blue tells his parents. But still Simon doesn’t tell Leah about Marty blackmailing him when she asks about the tumblr incident.
At school some boy pretends to kiss him and people laugh like F#@*ing Elmo. Simon continues to get teased with a big sign saying what what- in tha butt. During rehearsal some boys tease simon and Taylor a goody 2 shoes nearly punches 1 of them. Ms. Albright gets really mad and says they will get suspended. Martin tries to apologise but it doesn't work. That whole chapter was super painful, full of anger and sadness. So sad. Like really sad
Oliver! Performances begin but someone alters the cast list and makes fun of Marty and Simon. Simon has had enough and walks away from Marty pissed off. Simon suspects Martin is Blue thinking Blue is fake. Simon gets drunk and grounded for 2 weeks and everyone worries about him. He can't even walk Bieber his dog. Simon has a conversation with his parents about being gay in more depth amd there is a true family moment. There are always people that look out for you no matter what.
Simon gets a note from Blue which has his phone number. Simon finds out Garrett’s friend Bram is Blue. which is a tad disappointing because Bram was just a side character not a main one. Their pinkies become close and the relationship begins. They go to the school talent show together and watch Abby dance and find out Leah and Nora are in a band.
The book ends with Simon saying ‘why would i want to watch other people kissing, when i could be kissing you.’ They kiss finally!
Book Review
Love, Simon basically follows Simon Spier a 17 year old boy who is trying to work out who he is and what he is to become. He emails fellow gay boy, the mysterious Blue and starts to fall in love.
One of Simon’s peers who goes by the name Martin Addison accidentally reads Simon’s emails talking with Blue. Martin thinks Simon doesn’t want people to know but he doesn’t really care saying ‘It’s a giant holy box of awkwardness, and I won’t pretend i’m looking forward to it’ on page 2. We find a little bit of information about Blue. Not much though besides the fact he lives in Shady Creek and goes to Simon’s school. Martin starts to blackmail Simon and threatens to do things with his secret unless he gets his friend Abby to date him. Personally from just hearing this readers tend to feel hate towards Martin. Simon should have the right to come out when he is ready!
Simon takes his dog Beiber named that by his older sister Alice to his friend Nick’s house. Also at nick’s house is slightly overweight Leah. Leah automatically goes to Beiber and pets him. Simon is a bit annoyed and Leah asks if he needs a scratch behind the ear too. We get a cute, funny, dialogue filled scene between the 3 before Simon reveals Leah is in love with Nick. Everytime Nick looks lovingly at a girl Leah gets peed off but she should just express her bloody feelings!
We then get to see some emails between our 2 gay lovers. Simon reveals his funniest moment was getting a girlfriend and hiding from her in a toilet cubicle. Blue says ‘the whole point of living is to find a shore worth swimming to.’ page 18. The relationship between this 2 is super funny and quirky. I just love it.
Meanwhile out of the digital world Marty continues to blackmail Simon which is really annoying. He honestly has a problem. Simon announces that he and Marty only hangs out in choir and rehearsals and Simon barely knows him. The cast rehearse their play and on page 32 Ms. Albright the producer introduces the scene and says. ‘You want to intimidate him and steal his crap.’ she is referring to a new nerd in the play Oliver!
Back to the digital world Blue ain't dressing up for halloween and Simon is pretty sad about it and Simon says in the email ‘Don’t you realise you’re throwing away the perfect opportunity to be someone else for an evening?’ This ticks me off because they are meant to be going out there and not hiding even know Simon means instead of being Average Anthony you could be a zombie or a unicorn princess.
Garrett a friend of Simon’s is hosting a halloween party and Simon invited Marty hopefully getting him and Abby together. Instead Simon gets minorly drunk upsetting Leah. Simon starts calling Leah irish and the group has a conversation about ancestry finding out Nick is Russian.
Gender Bender day comes along and the boys dress up as girls and boys as girls. I found this really odd. Do they actually do this in America. We should be proud of who we are!
Back on the computer Simon fantasizes about Oreos, his favorite snack.
The next day is Simon’s birthday and Leah finds him a vanilla cake and a chocolate cake to share with friends. There is no red icing on the cake because Leah knows Simon doesn't like red icing because it tastes too red. Did you know i don't like hot chips because they are too hot! LOL (a common word used by Simon’s younger sister Nora.)
Many other things happen like Simon calling Blue grammatical and cute, Simon’s family is the only southern family without a bible but things between Marty get more tense with Simon saying he F#@*ing hates him. But oddly they grow closer at a waffle house with Abby hugging Marty. His expression goes crazy and on page 122 Simon thinks ‘ Honest to God, he’s like a freaking anime character. I can almost see hearts popping out of his eyes. He catches my eye and his big banana mouth is just beaming.’ Simon tells Abby he is gay and later Abby rejects Marty and he gets peed off.
Then Simon and Blue talk and along comes the best quote in the book on page 146 by Simon. He says ‘don’t you think everyone should come out? Why is straight the default?’ Blue replies ‘straight people should really have to come out.’ This was probably the most impactful quote in the book. Why don’t others admit things. Everyone is different and should be happy that way.
Remember Marty and how he got mad? Well he posted on tumblr revealing Simon being gay. Simon’s little sister finds out and he tells his older sister Alice and his parents. He then goes and tells his friends Nick and Leah. Meanwhile Blue tells his parents. But still Simon doesn’t tell Leah about Marty blackmailing him when she asks about the tumblr incident.
At school some boy pretends to kiss him and people laugh like F#@*ing Elmo. Simon continues to get teased with a big sign saying what what- in tha butt. During rehearsal some boys tease simon and Taylor a goody 2 shoes nearly punches 1 of them. Ms. Albright gets really mad and says they will get suspended. Martin tries to apologise but it doesn't work. That whole chapter was super painful, full of anger and sadness. So sad. Like really sad
Oliver! Performances begin but someone alters the cast list and makes fun of Marty and Simon. Simon has had enough and walks away from Marty pissed off. Simon suspects Martin is Blue thinking Blue is fake. Simon gets drunk and grounded for 2 weeks and everyone worries about him. He can't even walk Bieber his dog. Simon has a conversation with his parents about being gay in more depth amd there is a true family moment. There are always people that look out for you no matter what.
Simon gets a note from Blue which has his phone number. Simon finds out Garrett’s friend Bram is Blue. which is a tad disappointing because Bram was just a side character not a main one. Their pinkies become close and the relationship begins. They go to the school talent show together and watch Abby dance and find out Leah and Nora are in a band.
The book ends with Simon saying ‘why would i want to watch other people kissing, when i could be kissing you.’ They kiss finally!
milkshakevoid's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolutely impossible to put down. From the first sentence I was in love with Simon and his friends and his problems and the magical clusterfuck that one email made his life out to be. I don't think I've ever seen so much swearing in a book before, and it had the same beauty to me as it did when I was in high school. It wasn't over the top, and it enhanced the chaos going on in Simon's mind versus everything else and I loved it. I also loved how many fabulous Harry Potter references are in this novel. I've never read about a character who loved Harry Potter as much as me, or who talked about it as much as me (notable exception being Fangirl which we can debate later), but it was entirely heartfelt and glorious. Every character had their own secrets and lives and there weren't any cardboard people in this book.
While I don't want to ruin the surprise twists and turns that the book takes on, I would like to congratulate Becky Albertalli for her kind, thoughtful and wondrous representations of so many different types of relationships and people. I'm quite pleased that non-traditional (what does that even f-ing mean?!) relationships are becoming more and more prevalent in the YA community, but I was also really pleased that this book features a multi racial cast as well. There wasn't that awkward divide that we sometimes see where there are a few black or hispanic or asian characters in the cast but those characters are sidekicks or villains or something other than core cast. This was truly an inclusive, beautiful story, and I whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who loves humor, awkward teen romance, drama and those who generally just want to have a great time with a fast read. I'll definitely be reading this one again, and I'll be purchasing a hard copy to go along with my digital. Fantastic story!
While I don't want to ruin the surprise twists and turns that the book takes on, I would like to congratulate Becky Albertalli for her kind, thoughtful and wondrous representations of so many different types of relationships and people. I'm quite pleased that non-traditional (what does that even f-ing mean?!) relationships are becoming more and more prevalent in the YA community, but I was also really pleased that this book features a multi racial cast as well. There wasn't that awkward divide that we sometimes see where there are a few black or hispanic or asian characters in the cast but those characters are sidekicks or villains or something other than core cast. This was truly an inclusive, beautiful story, and I whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who loves humor, awkward teen romance, drama and those who generally just want to have a great time with a fast read. I'll definitely be reading this one again, and I'll be purchasing a hard copy to go along with my digital. Fantastic story!
ttfa's review
5.0
Although I've only read a few books so far this year, this is the one where I was so invested and sped my way through it in a day.
It's one of those books that really manages to capture the voice of a teenager without sounding cringy. In a way it reminds me of Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, as this also mentioned emails and tumblr and threaded it in so it felt like a natural part of Simon's life and not 'gimmicky'.
Simon is so wonderfully snarky at times and also flawed - but it's great that he points these out in hindsight. The relationship with his family was given a good amount of depth as well. I'm glad it also shows his interactions with his friends and that messy, emotionally-strung drama that comes with teenage years. And the romance was just...so wonderfully warm :'). It's so important that a book like this has a happy ending.
One thing I was really glad to see was that wasn't redeemed (or at least, left ambiguous). I'm glad Simon was allowed to be (rightfully) angry and the narrative showed the weight of that action,
My only minor issue was that it felt quite short - I would have loved it to be a little longer and maybe flesh out the romance outside of the emails a bit more. But overall, I'm really glad I read this book - a wonderful example of YA at it's finest.
It's one of those books that really manages to capture the voice of a teenager without sounding cringy. In a way it reminds me of Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, as this also mentioned emails and tumblr and threaded it in so it felt like a natural part of Simon's life and not 'gimmicky'.
Simon is so wonderfully snarky at times and also flawed - but it's great that he points these out in hindsight. The relationship with his family was given a good amount of depth as well. I'm glad it also shows his interactions with his friends and that messy, emotionally-strung drama that comes with teenage years. And the romance was just...so wonderfully warm :'). It's so important that a book like this has a happy ending.
One thing I was really glad to see was that
Spoiler
MartinSpoiler
even if the person he truly remorseful at the end.My only minor issue was that it felt quite short - I would have loved it to be a little longer and maybe flesh out the romance outside of the emails a bit more. But overall, I'm really glad I read this book - a wonderful example of YA at it's finest.
louxisaxx's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is one of the best YA books ever! I loved all the characters, they were so realistic. And I loved the dilemmas Simon and Blue faced with realizing they were gay.
This is a book I'm getting for the library at the school where I teach, I think every teenager should read it.
I don't think there's much I can say about Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda that hasn't been said before. Simon is just the perfect character in a young adult story. He's a little awkward. A little obsessed with himself and his own problems - even if he loves his friends and his family. And he's more than a little hooked on Blue, a guy from his school. Whom he doesn't really know, but then again, maybe he does. And he falls in love with Blue through a whole lot of e-mails.
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda tackles a lot of topics teens deal with in our day and age. There is bullying. Homophobia. Just the growing up and feeling awkward about it. Having strong friendships that suddenly appear a more fragile. Underage drinking. Social media that isn't always used for good. And I think the way these themes are dealt with are astonishing! Of course, I fell in love with the theatre teacher. Because she shut down bullies from the get-go. Plus Simon's parents were delightful in their awkwardness to see their children growing up.
I won't say more, apart from if you haven't read this yet, you really, really should! Even if you think YA isn't for you. One thing that really stood out is how authentic all the characters were, which just made the whole story seem real.
Simon is the best male protagonist ever. He's funny - even when he doesn't mean to. And he asks himself a lot of questions about life, himself, being gay, and other things.
Nick is one of Simon's best friends, and I really enjoyed him, even if I didn't get to know him as well as I got to know other characters.
Abby is new to Simon's group of friends. And she's kind of amazing. She listens carefully, and she's loyal and supportive.
Leah is the friend who's a bit on the outskirts. She's in love with Nick. But Nick has a thing for Abby... However, there is none of the awful drama that could have come from this.
Blue. He was also an amazing character. Even if for most of the story, I only got to know him through his e-mail interactions with Simon.
First person point of view, from Simon's perspective. However, there are a lot of dialogues included, and the e-mails between Blue and Simon. The present tense makes everything that happens immediate, as if the readers are right there with Simon and his friends.
*sighs* I can't even. All the feels, for sure!
And I'm seriously not in the mood to deal with my family. I probably ha e about an hour until dinner, which means an hour of trying to spin my school day into a string of hilarious anecdotes. My parents are like that. It's like you can't just tell them about your French teacher's obvious wedgie. You have to perform it.
That was the summer I taught myself how to do laundry. There are some socks that shouldn't be washed by your mom.
Honestly, the weirdest part is how they made it feel like this big coming out moment. Which can't be normal. As far as I know, coming out isn't something that straight kids generally worry about.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is one of the best YA books ever! I loved all the characters, they were so realistic. And I loved the dilemmas Simon and Blue faced with realizing they were gay.
This is a book I'm getting for the library at the school where I teach, I think every teenager should read it.
Story:
I don't think there's much I can say about Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda that hasn't been said before. Simon is just the perfect character in a young adult story. He's a little awkward. A little obsessed with himself and his own problems - even if he loves his friends and his family. And he's more than a little hooked on Blue, a guy from his school. Whom he doesn't really know, but then again, maybe he does. And he falls in love with Blue through a whole lot of e-mails.
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda tackles a lot of topics teens deal with in our day and age. There is bullying. Homophobia. Just the growing up and feeling awkward about it. Having strong friendships that suddenly appear a more fragile. Underage drinking. Social media that isn't always used for good. And I think the way these themes are dealt with are astonishing! Of course, I fell in love with the theatre teacher. Because she shut down bullies from the get-go. Plus Simon's parents were delightful in their awkwardness to see their children growing up.
I won't say more, apart from if you haven't read this yet, you really, really should! Even if you think YA isn't for you. One thing that really stood out is how authentic all the characters were, which just made the whole story seem real.
Characters:
Simon is the best male protagonist ever. He's funny - even when he doesn't mean to. And he asks himself a lot of questions about life, himself, being gay, and other things.
Nick is one of Simon's best friends, and I really enjoyed him, even if I didn't get to know him as well as I got to know other characters.
Abby is new to Simon's group of friends. And she's kind of amazing. She listens carefully, and she's loyal and supportive.
Leah is the friend who's a bit on the outskirts. She's in love with Nick. But Nick has a thing for Abby... However, there is none of the awful drama that could have come from this.
Blue. He was also an amazing character. Even if for most of the story, I only got to know him through his e-mail interactions with Simon.
Writing style :
First person point of view, from Simon's perspective. However, there are a lot of dialogues included, and the e-mails between Blue and Simon. The present tense makes everything that happens immediate, as if the readers are right there with Simon and his friends.
Feels :
*sighs* I can't even. All the feels, for sure!
And I'm seriously not in the mood to deal with my family. I probably ha e about an hour until dinner, which means an hour of trying to spin my school day into a string of hilarious anecdotes. My parents are like that. It's like you can't just tell them about your French teacher's obvious wedgie. You have to perform it.
That was the summer I taught myself how to do laundry. There are some socks that shouldn't be washed by your mom.
Honestly, the weirdest part is how they made it feel like this big coming out moment. Which can't be normal. As far as I know, coming out isn't something that straight kids generally worry about.
uselessanna's review against another edition
5.0
I just love this book. It's really touching, cute, hear-warming and funny. The characters are (almost) all fantastic and well written. The storyline is so good, it makes me want to just burst in tears. One of the best teen fiction books I've ever read.
When Simon and Bram finally met each other in person, was the ultimate moment of wanting to cry and throw the book out of the window. The whole story of two boys having a (silent) crush on each other was great. The only thing that left me disturbed, was Martin. I don't get him but I don't think I have to.
When Simon and Bram finally met each other in person, was the ultimate moment of wanting to cry and throw the book out of the window. The whole story of two boys having a (silent) crush on each other was great. The only thing that left me disturbed, was Martin. I don't get him but I don't think I have to.
nicky7899's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0