Comedy is always my favorite genre, and if it is a comedy that is out of everyday scenarios, I love it better. However, Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is not just a light comedy, but it does carry some social message too.
Book 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.
My Take on the Plot:
The story is convincingly simple, and it has no drama. Simon is gay, and no one knows about it, at least at the start of the novel. He is shy about his sexual identity, and he thinks he could keep it a secret. Fate has different plans, though; his e-mails to another gay guy from his school with the nickname Blue falls into the hands of Martin, another student.
[color-box color=” customcolorpicker=” rounded=false dropshadow=false]There are no major antagonists, no serious drama, and no out-of-the-world problems; there is Simon and everything around him – that justifies the title.[/color-box]
There starts an interesting series of events: Martin’s blackmails, Who-is-Blue, Simon’s dramatic parents, school musical, and what not. While you might think that the blackmail will take a front seat, you are in for a surprise because in this novel, everything except situational humor takes a back seat. There are no major antagonists, no serious drama, and no out-of-the-world problems; there is Simon and everything around him – that justifies the title.
How Simon handles the people around him, while trying to keep his sexual identity a secret, and how an average kid like him is coming out in this day and age forms the plot.
[color-box color=” customcolorpicker=” rounded=false dropshadow=false]The story doesn’t make people feel heavy, especially when the topic is something sensitive.[/color-box]
WOWS:
1. The story doesn’t make people feel heavy, especially when the topic is something sensitive. The author, instead, makes us feel comfortable and happy to read the story from Simon’s point of view. In short, the novel is a happy-light-read.
2. The emails between Simon and Blue are too heart-warming to read. Gay or not, you will fall in love with their chemistry.
3. Female author writing a gay teenage guy’s point of view without making it look obnoxious – Now, Albertalli nailed it.
OOPS:
1. This is Albertalli’s first novel, and it shows in bits and places. There are very few scenarios where she forgets that Simon is a 16-year-old gay. A second opinion with teenagers or any guys would have made her get rid of those tiny flaws.
Do I recommend? YES!
Bottom line: Gay or not, this simple, sweet novel of effortlessly cute story is worth a read.
Read my author bio to know more about me.
Book details:
- Author: Becky Albertalli
- Reading level: 14+ years
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Language: English
Be a good Samaritan: If you liked this review, please share it with others. If you did not, share it with us in the comments below 🙂
We regularly publish original book reviews which you can be read here. Contact us if you are an author/publisher and want us to review your work.
Our affiliates:
If you would like to purchase “Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli, you can do so from our affiliates at
Flipkart: Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Amazon (Paperback): Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Amazon (Kindle Ed.): Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Tell-A-Tale gets a small share of the purchases you make from the affiliate link, helping us bring you the stories you love to read.
Loved the review specially since it agrees with what I thought of the book. Such a sweet simple story with no real villains but interesting still.