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katiey's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I enjoyed this book! It was relatively straightforward but still approached important topics of queerness and friendship and growing up.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
2.0
I've been looking for a YA book with a sapphic romance. [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|19547856|Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Simonverse, #1)|Becky Albertalli|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402915678l/19547856._SY75_.jpg|27679579] was fine and I'm even more interested in the adaptation. However, two girls repeatedly and maliciously disrespecting each other (especially the biphobic comment) doesn't give me the warm fuzzies. I wish the book would have explored Leah's relationship with her mom more. It needed something to make up for the lack of plot.
cozycoe's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
shmarvie's review against another edition
4.0
What can I say other than I absolutely adore this world Becky has created. I enjoyed every moment being back with these characters. This relationship was a little out of left field for me but I’m happy that it happened. It was cute. Also: I just connected with Leah so much, especially all of the self doubt, girl we’re on the same page!
Basically flew through this in a day. The ending was cliche but it was self aware so it just worked. If you read Simon you definitely don’t want to miss Leah!
Basically flew through this in a day. The ending was cliche but it was self aware so it just worked. If you read Simon you definitely don’t want to miss Leah!
leafblade's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly a 2/5 but I physically can't rate a Becky Albertalli book that low even if it's this much of a fucking mess. Okay I have a lot of things to say.
To get this out of the way, Simon and Bram are adorable and I'd read a thousand books about them. Just. Not this one.
Leah is fucking horrible. An awful person. Mean without a reason. Not like other girls in the worst way. Boycotting her own existence and blaming everyone else for it. Not suffering any of the consequences she should be suffering because of how much of a horrible human being she is. Constantly feeling like she's better than everyone else for not going to prom, not dancing, not drinking, not being rich, not being thin, not being straight. Having her friends put up with her when she literally doesn't even tolerate half of them.
I don't get why Becky would make her a character at all, let alone a main character. Having Langford on the acknowledgements didn't make it better.
Overall this book made no fucking sense.
First, a relationship that came out of nothing. We're told in half a page that all the slut-shaming and toxic jealousy from the first book was actually Leah being in love, and we're expected not to question it. I don't buy it and think this is just an attempt to make Leah redeemable, which at this point she isn't anymore.
This whole relationship also made her go WAY into the OOC realm. It either feels like her whole personality is fake or like she was just badly written, and I don't know which is worse.
I honestly would've bought the m/f relationship she was going into in the beginning! It's a totally organic thing to date your friend's boyfriend's friends, and it doesn't have to be a forever thing. He doesn't have to be the love of your life and it's okay. Some people date just bc it's fun or bc it would look good in prom pictures or whatever. It happens a lot and it's not inherently toxic.
The amount of times yaoi is mentioned absolutely grosses me out, given that Simon is Leah's best friend. Yaoi is literally about girls objectifying and fetishising gay guys and it's DISGUSTING that Leah is into it.
(That "YOU'RE EITHER BI OR YOU'RE NOT" deal made me want to punch a hole through her face with my bare fists) (Also that whole thing about her friend being racist, literally what the fuck)
I didn't even GET the prom was supposed to be the big culmination moment. The road trip was hyped so fucking much I thought that would be it. But it came and went in like two chapters and then??? They never speak about it again?????? Which felt weird and I can't even think how many pacing and storytelling devices went wrong for me to think the book would end with the road trip.
Nick was like the comic relief at best on the first book and it was bad enough but in this one he just somehow keeps getting worse. Mathematically impossible, I know, but believe me when I say it happens. Absolute tincho.
The stepdad element was not done well, as he didn't get enough page time and everything felt weird and pushed in like "it's getting late and I haven't talked about the dude in fifteen chapters I think we need to have him for half a scene now"
Most of the harry potter references were just too much. More so knowing this was written post-cursed child. You have to be brave and stupid to keep feeding people constant hp references and expecting them to love them. Leah says she's "the worst kind of slytherin" do you mean a fucking literal Nazi, dear? An abusive professor, at best? A genocide? A 50 something year old terf that keeps putting fake representation wherever she can for woke points? Would you mind to elaborate?
Unsurprisingly, even though we get overtold Leah DID NOT EVER slutshame Abby, they both slutshame Taylor. Of course they do, she's not nerdy.
She deadass said "you stole my first kiss" the way Simon said "you stole my coming out" Becky what the fuck were you thinking
Did I already say the ship made no sense?? THE SHIP MADE NO SENSE!!!! ALL OF MY BRAIN CELLS WERE TRYING TO IMAGINE THEM KISSING OR HOLDING HANDS AND I JUST COULDN'T COMPUTE!!! IF IT DOESN'T WORK IT DOESN'T WORK
TL;DR Leah you need therapy
To get this out of the way, Simon and Bram are adorable and I'd read a thousand books about them. Just. Not this one.
Leah is fucking horrible. An awful person. Mean without a reason. Not like other girls in the worst way. Boycotting her own existence and blaming everyone else for it. Not suffering any of the consequences she should be suffering because of how much of a horrible human being she is. Constantly feeling like she's better than everyone else for not going to prom, not dancing, not drinking, not being rich, not being thin, not being straight. Having her friends put up with her when she literally doesn't even tolerate half of them.
I don't get why Becky would make her a character at all, let alone a main character. Having Langford on the acknowledgements didn't make it better.
Overall this book made no fucking sense.
First, a relationship that came out of nothing. We're told in half a page that all the slut-shaming and toxic jealousy from the first book was actually Leah being in love, and we're expected not to question it. I don't buy it and think this is just an attempt to make Leah redeemable, which at this point she isn't anymore.
This whole relationship also made her go WAY into the OOC realm. It either feels like her whole personality is fake or like she was just badly written, and I don't know which is worse.
I honestly would've bought the m/f relationship she was going into in the beginning! It's a totally organic thing to date your friend's boyfriend's friends, and it doesn't have to be a forever thing. He doesn't have to be the love of your life and it's okay. Some people date just bc it's fun or bc it would look good in prom pictures or whatever. It happens a lot and it's not inherently toxic.
The amount of times yaoi is mentioned absolutely grosses me out, given that Simon is Leah's best friend. Yaoi is literally about girls objectifying and fetishising gay guys and it's DISGUSTING that Leah is into it.
(That "YOU'RE EITHER BI OR YOU'RE NOT" deal made me want to punch a hole through her face with my bare fists) (Also that whole thing about her friend being racist, literally what the fuck)
I didn't even GET the prom was supposed to be the big culmination moment. The road trip was hyped so fucking much I thought that would be it. But it came and went in like two chapters and then??? They never speak about it again?????? Which felt weird and I can't even think how many pacing and storytelling devices went wrong for me to think the book would end with the road trip.
Nick was like the comic relief at best on the first book and it was bad enough but in this one he just somehow keeps getting worse. Mathematically impossible, I know, but believe me when I say it happens. Absolute tincho.
The stepdad element was not done well, as he didn't get enough page time and everything felt weird and pushed in like "it's getting late and I haven't talked about the dude in fifteen chapters I think we need to have him for half a scene now"
Most of the harry potter references were just too much. More so knowing this was written post-cursed child. You have to be brave and stupid to keep feeding people constant hp references and expecting them to love them. Leah says she's "the worst kind of slytherin" do you mean a fucking literal Nazi, dear? An abusive professor, at best? A genocide? A 50 something year old terf that keeps putting fake representation wherever she can for woke points? Would you mind to elaborate?
Unsurprisingly, even though we get overtold Leah DID NOT EVER slutshame Abby, they both slutshame Taylor. Of course they do, she's not nerdy.
She deadass said "you stole my first kiss" the way Simon said "you stole my coming out" Becky what the fuck were you thinking
Did I already say the ship made no sense?? THE SHIP MADE NO SENSE!!!! ALL OF MY BRAIN CELLS WERE TRYING TO IMAGINE THEM KISSING OR HOLDING HANDS AND I JUST COULDN'T COMPUTE!!! IF IT DOESN'T WORK IT DOESN'T WORK
TL;DR Leah you need therapy
tishywishy's review against another edition
2.0
Disappointing. Did not enjoy the characters or the 'roll my eyes' story line.
vriendelijkeheks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0