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sukidookie's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Upon reflection, I have some gripes with this book. Overall, Simon Sort of Says is a good story. The plot was very light-hearted and charismatic. I enjoyed the subtle eclectic small town representation: Grin and Bear It, for example, was the name of the village, and the school was divided into scientists and farmers. I thought some of the scenarios the author cooked up were very cute and fun, like the alpacas getting loose and the astronomers chasing them, or "goat-birthing season." PTSD was depicted exceptionally well through Simon, despite being a little on the nose at times.
Now here's where the gripes come in: Agate did not feel like a real character. I understand that she was supposed to serve as autistic representation, but she fell too hard into the archetype and didn't feel real. She added nothing to the plot, and did nothing for Simon's character, except her representation. I suppose I could say that her literal take on things pushed him to be more comfortable with his trauma, and take it at face value - but it came across as strange to bank Simon's character development on Agate's surface level personality trait instead of having meaningful moral actions between the two characters. (For example, their fight was entirely dependent on Agate not taking context cues, because she's autistic. It wasn't any deeper than that, and it felt inappropriate.) Simon and Kevin's relationship, comparatively, had a lot more dynamics. Still, when they had their resolution, it felt like the author was stepping in and spelling out the moral lesson instead of the characters realizing it on their own. (Simon tells Kevin that doing nothing is worse than anything else).
The prose was also dry. There was a lot of telling, not a lot of showing. There was also something about the author's style that just didn't vibe with me - it's hard to describe, but it was like I was reading a Tumblr post. I could really see the author behind the words instead of getting lost in the story itself. For example, the end was all about stars, and Agate covers Simon in stars … but I don't see the point of this other than there were some astrology themes throughout the book. It's a meaningless symbol that represents nothing.
Something I did like about this book that stuck with me? Near the end, when they're trying to make the microwave radio thing, Simon talks about how he wants to "pull the trigger" and "press the button" that will fake the alien message. Then, once he does this, he says "This time it was me. I pressed the button." Which is obviously another way to say, "This time it was me. I pulled the trigger." What a daring thing to put in a middle grade book. It represents Simon reclaiming ownership of his life and reclaiming his agency. Something horrible happened to him which he had absolutely no control over, and pressing the button on the microwave to imitate an alien message is allowing him to take back some control. I wasn't expecting that, and it hit hard.
Now here's where the gripes come in: Agate did not feel like a real character. I understand that she was supposed to serve as autistic representation, but she fell too hard into the archetype and didn't feel real. She added nothing to the plot, and did nothing for Simon's character, except her representation. I suppose I could say that her literal take on things pushed him to be more comfortable with his trauma, and take it at face value - but it came across as strange to bank Simon's character development on Agate's surface level personality trait instead of having meaningful moral actions between the two characters. (For example, their fight was entirely dependent on Agate not taking context cues, because she's autistic. It wasn't any deeper than that, and it felt inappropriate.) Simon and Kevin's relationship, comparatively, had a lot more dynamics. Still, when they had their resolution, it felt like the author was stepping in and spelling out the moral lesson instead of the characters realizing it on their own. (Simon tells Kevin that doing nothing is worse than anything else).
The prose was also dry. There was a lot of telling, not a lot of showing. There was also something about the author's style that just didn't vibe with me - it's hard to describe, but it was like I was reading a Tumblr post. I could really see the author behind the words instead of getting lost in the story itself. For example, the end was all about stars, and Agate covers Simon in stars … but I don't see the point of this other than there were some astrology themes throughout the book. It's a meaningless symbol that represents nothing.
Something I did like about this book that stuck with me? Near the end, when they're trying to make the microwave radio thing, Simon talks about how he wants to "pull the trigger" and "press the button" that will fake the alien message. Then, once he does this, he says "This time it was me. I pressed the button." Which is obviously another way to say, "This time it was me. I pulled the trigger." What a daring thing to put in a middle grade book. It represents Simon reclaiming ownership of his life and reclaiming his agency. Something horrible happened to him which he had absolutely no control over, and pressing the button on the microwave to imitate an alien message is allowing him to take back some control. I wasn't expecting that, and it hit hard.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Blood
treylaura's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Trigger warning: Simon is a survivor of a school shooting. This is slowly revealed through the first half of the book. We read of the shooting details in small bits as Simon deals with his PTSD and making new friends who initially do not know of his past experience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Blood
ladysmoke's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Sometimes a book finds you at the perfect point in your life. It falls into your hands at just the right moment to have maximum impact, and I think that's what happened for me with this book. This story features Simon, sole survivor of his 5th grade class after a school shooting, trying to start over in a town with no internet, cell phones, tv, or anything else that may interfere with the Very Large Radio Telescope, and therefore, with no way of anyone in town finding out who he is and what he's been through. We follow Simon through some pretty silly situations that had me laughing out loud, and also some really tense moments of PTSD that had me sobbing. All the characters in this book were so alive; I loved them all.
As someone who works in the school system, and who is the mother of a 5th grader, I have plenty of experience coping the fear of a potential active shooter situation, and those parts of the story definitely hit me hard. But that impact was so purposeful, and it's clear the intended result was genuine compassion for families like Simon's. If ever there was a juvenile book that I think adults needed to read more than kids, this would be it. The chance of finding stories like this one is why I still shop the juvenile section at my library.
As someone who works in the school system, and who is the mother of a 5th grader, I have plenty of experience coping the fear of a potential active shooter situation, and those parts of the story definitely hit me hard. But that impact was so purposeful, and it's clear the intended result was genuine compassion for families like Simon's. If ever there was a juvenile book that I think adults needed to read more than kids, this would be it. The chance of finding stories like this one is why I still shop the juvenile section at my library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Fatphobia
This book is a tough read to be sure, but the content is handled expertly. The point is not shock value, horror, or disgust, but rather hope and perseverance, and friendships. The focus is not about what happened during the shooting, which is only described in brief flashes, but rather about what happens after, when they are trying to move on.imstephtacular's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Medical content, Sexism, Fatphobia, Ableism, Blood, and Vomit
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