BOOK REVIEW: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda – by Becky Albertalli

Title: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
First published: April 7th 2015
Finished reading: November 13th 2015
Pages: 303

“He talked about the ocean between people. And how the whole point of everything is to find a shore worth swimming to.”

I want to hit myself in the head for not reading this one sooner, because Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is probably one of my favorite reads this year. People kept recommending tihs novel by Becky Albertalli to me and I can definitely see why: this book is simply brilliant. The characters, the plot, the prose… It’s hard to pick just one favorite element, because this story is without doubt a masterpiece. Simon and Blue are so cute together! And I loved how Becky Albertalli is able to switch seamlessly between funny moments and serious dialogue, addressing some very important topics. I have a lot of gay friends and I have experienced how people treat them differently just because they don’t fit the ‘standard’ norm. I just hate to see that glbt people or anyone who is different is forced to feel awkward and afraid they don’t fit in. Becky Albertalli explains my feelings exactly: “White shouldn’t be the default any more than straight should be the default. There shouldn’t even be a default.” If you are looking for a solid YA contempary novel, Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is more than recommended.

Sixteen-year-old Simon is gay, but he is not ready to share his sexual identity with the world yet. He has been writing emails with another gay teenager, and when an email falls into the wrong hands both identities are in danger. Simon is actually being blackmailed, and he wants to try and do everything to prevent anyone finding out about him and his Blue. Simon is slowly falling in love with Blue even though he doesn’t know his real identity, only knowing that Blue goes to the same school… And Simon spends his time not only guessing who Blue really is, but also dealing with his blackmailer and class clown Martin. Will Simon find a way to deal with it all?

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda turned out to be everything I was hoping for and more. This novel is brilliantly written and I absolutely loved the characters! It’s one of the best stories with glbt characters I’ve read to this date and I will be looking out for any future novels Becky Albertalli publishes. If you like the genre, you should definitely give this one a go! You won’t be disappointed.

WWW Wednesdays #65 – November 18th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is hosted by Sam at Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’ve decided to put Outlander by Diana Gabaldon on hold for now because I don’t seem to have enough time… So I’m currently reading only one book (it’s a miracle!): Winter by Marissa Meyer. I have been looking forward to this read ever since I finished Cress, and so far it’s just as good as I was hoping for.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Three finished titles this week; not bad at all!
* The first is George by Alex Gino, a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist and definitely worth reading even though the prose can come over a bit childish at points. It has a very strong message…
* I picked up Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli afterwards and I have to say I absolutely loved this read. I wish I had gotten a copy sooner, because this book is simply brilliant!
* The last book I finished is The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. I think romance fans will probably love this read, but I’m not a fan of the genre and thought part of the plot was quite predictable as well.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I will start Melophobia (ARC) by James Morris as soon as I’ve finished Winter. I also want to try and read The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings so I can finish another series, and I have been looking forward to Between Shades Of Gray by Ruth Sepetys as well. (I might actually read the second one first because it’s been I while since I’ve read a book during WWII.) And my next TBR jar pick is still Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

WWW Wednesdays #64 – November 11th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is hosted by Sam at Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I started The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes during the weekend because I needed a light read, but I wasn’t really overwhelmed by it… So I decided to finish Six Of Crows first before continuing with this one. At least it’s a fast read so I will probably finish it soon. I still haven’t picked up Outlander by Diana Gabaldon again; not because I’m not enjoying it, but there are a few other books I want to finish first before fully commiting to this giant.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Four books finished this week and three of them are over 400 pages… I guess I will have to “thank” the wisdom tooth extraction for extra free time. 😉
* The first is The Valentine Circle by Reinaldo DelValle. I got this one as a kindle freebie a few months back and it turned out to be an interesting, although not great read.
* I then picked up my copy of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell as pain medication, and it worked perfectly. I absolutely loved this read and I have the feeling it will end up on my 2015 favorites list.
* I needed another light read afterwards, so I decided to read Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. I don’t really watch her shows, but I enjoyed reading it anyway. Her essays are both funny and feel ‘real’…
* I decided to continue with Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo afterwards. The tricky names make it hard to follow the story in the beginning, but as always Leigh Bardugo doesn’t disappoint. Her prose is simply brilliant!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I have a new ARC lined up to be read: Melophobia by James Morris. I’m also probably going to ignore my November TBR and read Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli; I have been wanting to get a copy for ages and I can’t wait to finally read it. George by Alex Gino is high on my list as well, especially since it has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards… And my next TBR jar pick is still Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.