Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015)

Rating: 98% (4.9 stars)

Woah....just woah. This book was incredibly hilarious and easy to get into. I read it in a single night because I couldn't imagine sleeping. I fell so easily into this book and it was absolutely incredible. For one thing, I loved the characters and their interactions, they felt so right and easy. Another thing I noticed and really liked was the way the exposition was handled. The story just easily flowed without paragraphs upon paragraphs of exposition or unnecessary detail, and I think that played a big role in its ability to suck me in. ( )

The characters were cool, the romance was cute, Simon was funny and relatable - but there was no spark. Even after we found out who Blue was (I predicted correctly, which was pretty satisfying) I didn't feel any spark, anything particular about their relationship that was compelling. Even with the emails, I guess I didn't quite get their relationship. But maybe that's just me. Overall, fun read, would definitely recommend if you're looking for a light YA novel with LGBTQ characters/romance. ( )

I saw the movie first (I KNOW, I BROKE MY OWN RULE) and really loved it with all my heart. So reading the book was probably doomed to failure, but here we are. I'm not sorry to have read this book; it's a fast read, and I appreciate the growing prominence of LGBT teens in YA fiction. That said, I think the book was missing some things for me:
*a great deal of the humor from the film was just flat-out missing for me. I think the story is a good one, but the humor is not there in quite the same way, though there are some funny moments.
*The characters, too, feel much flatter (except for Martin, in a sense). My husband made a note that the book was plot-driven and the film was character-driven, and I agree. I especially think that Book-Leah is given far less time and attention, and I just did not connect with her.
*It just feels kind of weird that a married-to-a-man white woman gets famous for writing about a gay male character. Like, I know that she's a psychologist who specializes in LGBT teens, that empathy is important, etc. But as an ally, should I be telling someone else's story or giving them the tools to tell it themselves? This is something I wrestle with as a teacher, and I'm not sure how I feel about Becky Albertalli writing this (same with RJ Palacio and Wonder).
*This book contains very specific pop-culture references that are going to date it. Every YA novel has something that dates it, but the best ones are pretty coy about name-dropping. This one name-drops a bit.
I am glad I read this book. I will be interested to revisit this book someday if I ever teach an LGBT fiction and culture course, to see how it stacks up against other books by LGBT authors. 3.5 stars. ( )

4.5 Stars - OMG this was so stinking cute. I loved Simon and his band of friends. I cannot wait to watch the movie no. Highly recommend everyone ( )

Realistic fiction
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers and tries to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his big 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. This would constitute a realistic fiction book because of the characters especially. Simon's character, especially, is one of the most round characters I've ever read about; his change in personality and confidence, as well as his maturation as a young adult, is incredible and immensely relatable to any adolescent.