A review by readingthestars
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

4.0

Spoiler

If I were a saint, I'd be patron of both school shootings and radio telescopes. I'd be Simon the Astonishing, who could fly. Simon from Now, with a whole past, and a whole future.

I really like how this book is geared towards middle schoolers, and tackles such a heavy topic. I think it's very important for kids to be exposed to these kinds of stories, but it is very disheartening that school shootings as a topic have become relevant enough for them to read about. This book handles the subject matter very well, mixing humor with the more weighty moments. This set-up works because it mirrors a kid's own thoughts, moving from one thing to the next, trying to grapple with a tragedy however they can.

I love familial relationships in stories, and the family in this one was just so wholesome, endlessly caring supportive of Simon. It was so nice seeing Simon make new friends who accept and understand him. Overall, this was a good and quick read, and handles the topic from a different perspective than I've seen before.