YA Materials, Literature Log, Book #8: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Title: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Author: Becky Albertalli

Category: Book v. Movie Assignment


Simon Spier is a perfectly normal teenage boy in his small town outside of Atlanta - except for the fact that he's gay, and very much in the closet. It's all right, though, because he's been anonymously communicating with a boy from his school who is also gay, using the names "Jacques" and "Blue" to hide their identities. However, when another student with a crush on one of Simon's friends finds Simon's emails to Blue and threatens to expose him, Simon is forced to help this student with his crush, a task he greatly dislikes. After a falling out and Simon refusing to help the blackmailer, his secret is exposed, and Blue goes silent.


I feel this book is rather important, especially for young closeted kids. It's less of a coming-out story, which is common in queer media, and more of a story of high school drama that happens to have a gay main character. I enjoyed Simon as a character, and the mystery of who Blue was was fun to watch play out. I would center this book for teens during Pride Month in June, along with the movie, as a way to bring attention to these stories. 

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