Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Genre

Young Adult LGBTQ+

Target Age Group

13+, 9-12 grade

Summary

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda follows a teenage boy named Simon as he develops an email relationship with a boy named Blue that he goes to school with, but is unaware of his true identity. One day Simon’s emails end up in the wrong hands, and his sexual identity is exposed to the whole school; this not only challenges his friendships, but also his relationship with Blue and their privacy. 

Justification for Choosing

I selected this book because it is a popular LGBTQIA+ novel that has received tremendous praise by readers and the ALA as it has been featured in lists such as the Rainbow Project Book List. This book was also adapted into a successful film in 2018 which brought more attention to Albertalli’s book.

Evaluation

For this review, I will be evaluating the book's plot, characters, and tension. 

Plot: 

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is fast paced and will leave readers guessing how the story is going to resolve. The story is relatable for young adult readers as multiple of the characters are discovering who they are and their sexual identity. The story develops fluidly as the main conflict is introduced at the beginning of the story, which then causes relationships to be tested and chaos to ensue. The story ends satisfyingly for readers as all of the reader’s questions are answered regarding Blue’s true identity and the main friend group is restored to the way it was at the beginning of the novel. 

Characters: 

The characters in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda are extremely relatable and complex. There are quite a few characters in this story, but each person has their own background, personality, and experiences some form of character development. The protagonist, Simon, and the love interest, Blue, are especially relatable for teens in the LGBTQIA+ community as they fear what their friends and family will think of them if they come out as gay. The insecurities and imperfections the characters display make them more relatable for young readers and easy to root for. The story’s exposition fully develops the characters and the reader is satisfied by the growth of each character by the end of the book. 

Tension: 

The tension develops from the beginning of the book as Simon begins to develop an online relationship with an unknown boy in his area. The tension grows as Simon is then blackmailed by a guy at his school who is threatening to out his sexuality and expose his emails to the entire school. Albertalli does a great job of introducing one problem after another to keep readers hooked and worried about what will happen to Simon and his relationship with Blue and his friends. As the characters are predominantly teenagers, they are often childish and act rashly which only increases the tension between characters. Blue's identity is not revealed until the very end of the story, keeping readers interested throughout the story as you continue to guess the identity of the main love interest.

Overall Rating: 4/5

References 

Albertalli, B. (2015). Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Balzer + Bray.