Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is a YA novel about a 16-year-old theatre kid named Simon, who finds himself being blackmailed by the class clown, Martin. When Martin finds Simon’s private romantic emails between him and another male classmate, Martin threatens to reveal Simon’s sexual identity if he doesn’t help to bring him closer to his beautiful friend Abby. As Simon worries about being outed before he’s ready, he continues to become close to the mysterious “Blue” through their flirtatious email exchanges.
Despite the enormous popularity of this book, I honestly hadn’t heard of it up until very recently, when I saw that the recent movie adaptation, Love, Simon, received positive reviews. But before seeing the movie, I thought I’d pick up the book, and I don’t regret it! Despite it being cliche and a little sappy, it’s an all around fast and fun read with a good message.
What makes this book so readable is its narrator. Simon is so charming and likable that you can’t help but root for him, even when he makes mistakes or says the wrong thing. Through his witty and playful narration, we get to know him quite well. We understand his anxieties, his relationship with his family, his passions, and even his taste in music!
Unfortunately, characters outside of Simon are underdeveloped. His lifelong best friend, Nick, is just kind of there. We don’t learn a whole lot about him besides the fact that he plays guitar. And his other closest friend, Leah, is so intriguing, yet she’s hardly explored. Simon refers to her as moody and sarcastic but, like Nick, she’s basically just there. For Nick and Leah supposedly being so close to Simon, they feel like a couple of cardboard cut-outs. While I’m looking forward to reading Leah on the Offbeat, I also feel like I shouldn’t have to pick up the sequel to get a good sense of an important character.
On top of the one-dimensional side characters, the storyline, although fun, is unoriginal. The idea of someone being blackmailed in exchange for help with one’s love life has surely been done before. Also, there’s lots of great build up/anticipation before Blue’s identity is revealed, but then, when he’s finally introduced, it feels rushed. The in-person romance happens abruptly and a little too easily.
What redeems this novel is how genuine and warm it is. The overall feel of the story remains upbeat and hopeful. Also, aside from being a joy to read, the book offers valuable lessons for its young readers. It touches on heavier subject matters, like bullying and homophobia. And it questions why certain “types” of people are often considered the default in our society.
All in all, Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is a young adult novel that’s worth your time. While lacking some character development, it remains a sweet, funny, profound, and all around enjoyable read.
Rating: 4/5
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