Title: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Narrator: Michael Crouch
Publisher: Harper Audio
Run Time: 6 hours and 45 minutes
Category: Contemporary, Teen Fiction
At a Glance: What a gift this book is! If you like YA stories, it’s not to be missed.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: 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 with, 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: “Now a major motion picture from Twentieth Century Fox.” That is printed on the cover of the new, movie tie-in edition of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and I’m, as Simon would say, SO freaking excited! So excited for fans of this book, for author Becky Albertalli, and for this amazing story to just be out in the world in major release. It’s incredible. When I first read the book, almost three years ago now, the first notes I wrote down when I finished were, “So. Much. Perfection. Love, love, love this book!!!” Now I’ve just finished listening to the audiobook, expertly narrated by Michael Crouch, and my reaction is exactly the same. He took a story that was already perfect and elevated it to a whole new level of awesome.
Simon Spier is your pretty typical high school junior. He’s a self-professed drama geek but is just as comfortable hanging out with the guys on the soccer team as he is with the theater kids or his best friends Nick, Leah, and Abby. Things in Simon’s life are basically good, but Simon has a secret—and one careless moment might change everything. That’s a very general summary of the story. At its core, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is about friendship, family, change, young love, and, of course, coming out. And, for Simon, the idea of coming out, especially being forced to come out, is pretty daunting.
But I’m tired of coming out. All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways. I get a girlfriend. I have a beer. And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again.
I can’t adequately voice how wonderful this book is…how important and special this book is. Becky Albertalli tells Simon’s story with so much love and humor and care. It’s obvious how much she loves not only Simon but every character in the book. Simon’s parents are amazing. I loved his family dynamic. I loved his friends, and their individual and collective relationships. Every scene in the book, whether it was a scene at school, or a moment at home with the Spiers, or anywhere else, was so incredibly genuine I felt like I was right there in Shady Creek. Albertalli has a fabulous voice, and a true storytelling gift.
And, I can’t possibly end the review without talking about Blue, who I also totally adored. Simon and Blue’s relationship takes place almost entirely over email; we don’t find out Blue’s identity until almost the very end of the book. The not knowing is both torture and genius—but, mostly torture! Would I have liked more of Simon and Blue together in person? Of course. They’re adorable! But, the way it’s written is truly perfection. The emails between Simon and Blue are a huge part of the story and are impeccably narrated by Mr. Crouch.
I gave Simon to two of my nieces after I read it, and now I can’t wait to take them both to see the movie in a few weeks. 😊 What a gift this book is! If you like YA stories, it’s not to be missed. And, I highly, highly recommend the audiobook. Michael Crouch was the perfect choice to voice Simon. His pacing and inflection are spot on, and I loved his tone and the slight changes he made for each character. It was an absolute joy to listen to!
You can buy Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda here:
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