Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda

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“I like no endings,” I say. “I like things that don’t end.” Just like Simon, I did not want this story to end! Simons vs. The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is such a funny, endearing, coming of age story that reflects what teens go through today, especially gay teens. This book is the heartwarming story we all need right now! It’s a must read!

The characters the Albertalli has created are absolutely adorable. They are so different and diverse yet come in and out of each other's’ lives in the right moments. Even the parent characters were so unique and fun, but so lovable. For example, his dad says, “Well I’m just going to put this out there, in case the message got lost somewhere. I love you. A lot. No matter what. And I know it’s got to be awesome having the cool dad.” “Ahem” says my mom. “Excuse me the cool parents. The hardcore, badass hipster parents.” Martin who Simon says “I’ve never met a nerd so beloved by the popular kids. I mean, I’m not going to lie. They kind of live to tease him. But there’s no bite to it. It’s like he’s their mascot.” And Blue, “If Blue were a real junior at Creekwood with a locker and a GPA and a Facebook profile, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be telling him anything. I mean he is a real honor at Creekwood I know that. But in a way, he lives in my laptop. It’s hard to explain.” Their relationship is different from the other characters in that they don’t know who each other are and talk through anonymous emails, but you can still tell a lot about Blue from those emails and the conversations that they have.

The dialogue between characters was so endearing and makes the reader feel like they are friends with the characters they are reading about. The way the dialogue can connect to the way the reader is feeling was amazing. For example, when Simon is talking to Leah, he says, “And no, I don’t have that kind of a history with Abby. But that’s what made it easier. There is this huge part of me, and I’m still trying it on. And I don’t know how it fits together. How I fit together. It’s like a new version of me. I just needed someone who could run with that.” I sigh. “But I really wanted to tell you.” How many of us has felt that? It’s so much harder to tell the people we love. The conversations with his sister are funny and lovely and shows the people we love care about us and understand more than we think they will sometimes. Alice says, “I mean, if you have the guts to tell them you’re gay, I should... “You should have the guts to come out as straight.” She cracks a smile “Something like that. You’re funny, bub.” “I try.” The relationships in this story are shown through the dialog between characters, and the dialog also helps tell a lot about the kind of people each character is.

Because this is a novel about high school students, their dialogue sometimes is littered with both sarcasm and figurative language and it’s what makes this book laugh out loud funny and so heartfelt. The way their feelings are sometimes described as a comparison to other things really makes the reader feel, how they feel in a full sensory experience. For example, “Bram was right: people really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other.” I think the fact that we can see into the souls of others and think we know them is so special, learning something new about someone or seeing them change can be just as spectacular. But sometimes life can be “like a tiny heartbreak. It’s like eleven o’clock on the night of your birthday, when you realize no one’s going to throw you a surprise party after all.” Everyone can relate to that feeling. The most sarcastic figurative language is when Simon is talking about Nick and Abby and he says, “And then she hugs him. Honest to God, he’s like a freaking anime character. I can almost see the hearts popping out of his eyes” This gives the reader such a great and hilarious visual.

While I really enjoyed Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda, I completely disagreed with the way a lot of students started bullying Simon after he came out. For example, a football player coming up and trying to pretend kiss him and then saying someone else wants a turn, or the two guys that had the sign at his rehearsals, “The first guy’s sign says How you doin’ Simon? And the guy in the skirt’s sign says, what what-in the butt!” and the guys are grinding. I know this is a frequent occurrence especially with teens, and i think that is what makes it so incredibly difficult for gay people to come out and be who they really are. I feel like hating and bullying someone just because they love people of the same gender is completely uncalled for. Hate like that is bullying someone for not liking the same pizza toppings as you. We are all different and we can’t control our tastes in food or in love. Society needs to be more accepting and compassionate because who’s to say, “straight is the default?” or even “white is the default?” I think this book being in the point of view of Simon as he is coming out and dealing with all this may help readers build empathy for others who may be going through the same things. I wholeheartedly enjoyed reading this and I give it five out of five stars! I highly recommend this book!

Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda was such a fabulous book! The characters drive this story and become so relatable that you feel as though they have become your friends as well. The dialogue between the characters that encompasses sarcasm and figurative language shows so much of the characters personalities and is so witty and heartfelt, that the reader will both laugh and cry at times, just like in life. This book is a great reflection of life as a teen, especially for gay teens, in today’s society. With Simon’s first person point of view, this book will have you falling in love with Simon and all his friends!

Albertalli, B. (2015). Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda. New York: Balzer + Bray.