Review by svftsapphic - Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

svftsapphic 's review for:

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

3.75

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“I’m tired of coming out. All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways. I get a girlfriend. I have a beer. And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again.”

This book to me is just the definition of a comfort book. The type of book that I can read while curled up in blankets on a stormy night. This book is just so normal and I mean that as such a compliment. It’s realistic, it’s easy to imagine myself as Simon or within his friend group and they all just seem like such real people which so many book characters lack feeling like.

The main criticism I always see is that it “doesn’t mention the darker parts of being queer” or that it’s “made for straight people” and personally I heavily disagree with both statements. The book never claims to tell the experience of every single queer person, just one, Simon. Simon’s story is one that a lot of queer people will probably be able to see theirselves in, even in just a few aspects of it. And the claim that it doesn’t touch on the realities of being queer is a straight up lie. This book touches on homophobia and being outed. Both which are incredibly traumatising things and the book deals with both in a way that reflects my own experiences and i’ll forever be thankful for younger me having a book like this to see theirselves within.

Everything about this book is so engaging to me. The mystery element of not knowing who Blue is and overanalysing every interaction Simon has with someone looking for any hint whatsoever that they could be Blue. The whole dynamic with Simon’s friend group, they really just felt like a real group of friends, the dumb arguments especially felt so real (other than Abby getting mad at Simon that felt so out of character for her and really put me off her for a bit). Also the writing style is just so easy to read, the pop culture references can get a bit overbearing at times but luckily that’s not really something that puts me off books.

The romance in this book is so well done. Even though Simon and Blue don’t interact in person until like the very end of the book, you can still see their love for each other throughout their emails. Their romance is just so incredibly sweet and I hope everyone who wants a relationship gets one like theirs some day, they’re truly the blueprint.

Content Warnings