Melissa "Dog/Wolf Lover" Martin's Reading & Ramblings: Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

5 STARS

I love this book! I love Simon! I love Leah, Nick, Abby! I love the dog, Bieber! Okay, I love a lot of people in the book. Oh and I love Blue :-) ♥

I have said it once and I will say it again, I love when I finally read books that I have had for awhile and they just make my day! I was smiling and laughing and crying through this whole book.

And there are so many excerpts from the book I want to add but I would have to write the whole book so I will just add one or two. lol. Anyway! This book is about Simon obviously. He's gay but hasn't told any one. He has a secret online gay friend that he talks to every day and slowing they are falling in love. But... they don't know who the other one is, they are keeping it a secret for now. They do go to the same school and are really close to each other, that is all they know. It is really sweet reading them email back and forth to each other and see what forms.
Then one fateful day Simon just has to log onto his email at school and forgets to sign out of his gmail account. Yeah! This little dude named Martin reads it and saves it and blackmails Simon into getting him together with Simon's friend Abby. Of course Simon is speechless and hating on himself that he did not close his email. So a bunch of stuff goes on in that regard.

Simon is in a drama class with some of his friends and they have rehearsals and stuff every day. They have so much fun. I want to have them all as best friends! Simon thinks one of the guys in the group is Blue but he's not for sure. Can you imagine going around school looking at people and wondering if that is YOUR person. I might add I was thinking it was one of two different people at one time but something happens, a brief moment and then I knew who Blue was and I was right! Woot!

Moving on. I love how Simon and his friends are together. Nick he has known all of his life and Leah for several years, but he's only known Abby a few months but they get on so perfect together.

--->EXCERPT<---

"Watching videos," I say.
"Oh man. Perfect. I've got this song in my head."
"If it's by the Who," I inform him, "or Def Skynard or anyone like that, then no freaking way."
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say "Def Skynard."
I love messing with Nick.

At one point it get out that Simon is gay and he is so upset as you can imagine. I mean, he really wanted to be able to come out when he was ready and to tell his family and friends on his own time. So he has to tell them a little earlier. He does get some jerks at school that start teasing him but some of the teachers and his friends shut that down real quick. I absolutely loved how they all came to his defense. You shouldn't have to be bullied anywhere no matter what it is but unfortunately, that is life.

There are some sweet little revelations about each person in the book. I loved every one of them. I loved when Leah and Nora have their moment. I won't what they did but it was awesome. I was invested in each one of these characters. I loved the authors writing style. Simon had a way of talking that I understood.

--->EXCERPTS<---

"Okay, well, I'm taking over your bathroom now. Time for the transformation."
"Sounds good," I say. "I'll transform in here."
Nora looks up from her book. "Simon. Eww."
"It's a dementor robe over my clothes. I think you'll survive."
"What's a dementor?"
I mean, I can't even. "Nora, you are no longer my sister."
"So it's some Harry Potter thing," she says.

••••••

It's chilly and unnaturally quiet---if Abby weren't with me, I would have to drown out the silence with music. It feels like we're the last survivors of a zombie apocalypse. Wonder Woman and a gay dementor. It doesn't bode well for the survival of the species.

•••••••

I ignore her.
"I'm not leaving, bub. Because you're going to wallow. You're going to put on that playlist. What's it called?"
"The Great Depression," I mutter. It's like all Elliott Smith and Nick Drake and the Smiths. I already have it cued up.
"Right," she says. "The Great Depression. That romp. No way."
"Why are you here?"
"Because I'm your big sister and you need me."
"I need to be left alone."
"No way. Talk to me, bub!" she says. She slides toward me, squeezing in between my body and the wall. "This is exciting. We can talk about guys."

I just couldn't help adding a few more! So in the end we find out who Blue is and I was so excited for Simon. And so were his family and friends when they found out he had a boyfriend now. How sweet. ♥