Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

BOOK REVIEW: SIMON VS THE HOMOSAPIEN AGENDA by BECKY ALBERTALLIPosted by THATBOOKNERDYOUKNOW on 29 JUN 2018EDITTITLE: SIMON VS THE HOMOSAPIEN AGENDAAUTHOR: BECKY ALBERTALLIPAGES: 300 pagesPUBLISHER: PenguinISBN: 978-0141356099GENRE: Children and YA booksIF I COULD REVIEW IT IN A SINGLE LINE: A must readTHE BLURB:A feel-good, funny, poignant and perfectly written geek romance about falling in love for the first time and discovering who you are, Simon will make you forget age, gender and sexual orientation and sweep you off your feet.An irresistible and distinctive voice combined with will-they-won’t-they romance, perfect for fans of critically acclaimed YA fiction such as John Green, David Levithan and Rainbow Rowell.Straight people should have to come out too. And the more awkward it is, the better.Simon Spier is sixteen and trying to work out who he is -and what he’s looking for. But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated. Because, for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal.It’s a holy freaking huge awesome deal.THE REVIEW:This book is very special to me because of a simple reason that I have friends who are in the closet or have very recently come out of one. Any book dealing with LGBTQ+ themes I feel should be given a top priority because even in my generation there are several who are not very understanding of the same. The very idea of being in a closet suffocated; with people around you who think of you as someone you are very evidently not; crying to be let out.Simon you beautiful quick witted sloppy yet believable audacity of the perfect human. I wish atleast half the boys out there get the balls of steel you do (irony intended). Without much further ado I’ll get into the book. It is written by this brilliant psychologist who intended for this book to target an audience of 12-16 years but I feel everyone who is new to this theme or has very little knowledge of what actually goes inside the mind of a LQBTQ should have a go at it.The plotline is oh so novel and yet so sweet, I personally never like YA fiction stories but fell for this one. I’d wish I could get an autographed version of the same. Please do not misunderstand me it wasn’t just the theme that held me on but the story with every turn and Simon’s search for Blue is equally interesting and worth reading about.It’s a normal love story of the average teenager but with a catch that he is gay. The book also talks of how the teenager feels, his coming out and the repercussions of the same.Everything about this book was a 10 and I can’t wait to read the sequeal.Cover: 5/5Title: 5/5Characters: 10/5Language: 5/5Story: 1000000/5Writing and Presentation: 5/5Overall: 5/5I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book for @thatbooknerdyouknow; the review is entirely my own and not influenced by anyone.

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda happened to me at a time when I was in the deeeeeepest reading slump ever. And I am so glad I picked this book up now as no other time would have been as perfect. The best book for taking you out of your reading slump. Also, I wanted to read the book before I watch the movie.This book is about a sixteen year old boy named Simon(as you can obviously guess from the title). Simon is sweet, funny, romantic teen gay guy. He has amazing friends and a wonderful family but he is yet to "come out" with his sexuality to the world. He knows that his friends and family would accept him for who he is but the change-averse Simon wants things to remain as they are and his secret to be a secret forever.“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.”Simon has this secret email friend named Blue (his pen name; Simon goes by the name Jacques) who is also gay and they find solace in each other through their emails. Their emails are hilarious, endearing, flirtatious and also very very sweet. They talk about food, festivals, families, friends, feelings, and so many other this which is absolutely heart-warming. Blue goes to the same school as Simon and that is all they know about each other. They try to keep their personal details out of their conversations and it is this anonymity that helps them to be honest with each other and eventually fall for each other. I like the fact that they constantly support each other and ecourage each other to "come out" to their families.“Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it shouldn't be this big awkward thing whether you're straight, gay, bi, or whatever.”The story begins when a boy named Martin stumbles upon these emails and starts blackmailing Simon to get him hooked with his friend, Abby. Simon agrees to help Martin very reluctantly as he doesn't want to drag Blue's identity in all this mess, so he goes with the flow and the story takes its own turns which is so relatable. Everything in this book feels real, nothing being out of the world which is the beauty of this book. This book is a contemporary in its true sense.All the characters in this book are perfectly placed, aptly described and a delight to read. Leah, Nick, Abby, Nora and even Martin have their own lives and struggles and Simon seems to be perfectly present in their lives in just the right amount. These people are funny, cute, real, emotional, sometimes a little adamant and all other things 16 year olds are supposed to be.At the end, I would say that this is a must read book for everyone who is looking for a contemporary with some social message and a relatable story. This is such a light read it will take your mind off of any tensions and make you fall in love with the characters. It is an absolute page turner, so go for it Guys. I will give it a 5/5 stars.

It was a fun read. I always like Young Adult novels which are about family, friendship etc. I loved the friendship of Simon and his friends esp Nick, Abby and Leah.I was intrigued by the Simon's sister Nora and she came out to be just as I imagined her. I kind of liked that girl (silent and enigmatic type). Same goes with Leah. Abby was adorable and Simon was also likeable character but I was annoyed a tiny bit by him.Simon's parents were AWESOME. I would like to disagree with protagonist (Simon) here about not sharing stuff with his parents (giving the excuse that they make a big deal out of it), but they are parents and they are always keen to know about their children.Plot was also cool. Funny. Falling in love via email and message about homophobia. Most of all end was not tragic (I can't bare another tragic end because from past week I am reading tragedy only). But I must confess I guessed who Blue was and I was right( a little disappointed ). I would have liked to know more about Blue ( and not via emails between him and Simon). Don't want to spoil by revealing his identity here but I felt that author has neglected him ( other secondary character gets more attention than him). I guess I understand that author don't want it to make it obvious but still.Anyways Its again a fun Young Adult novel worth your time and recommended to all.