Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 
Genre: LGBT+, Contemporary, Romance
Published by: Penguin
Pages: 303
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Author | Amazon

A while ago, I picked up this book because it had an interesting cover, an interesting blurb, and BookTube couldn’t stop talking about it. I was in the mood for a contemporary romance, and choosing Simon’s story was the best decision ever. Here are a few reasons to love this book, because, as you can see, my rating wasn’t less than perfect!

1. LGBTQA+ representation

For once, it was fun to read about a homosexual main character that didn’t make a big deal about his sexuality. On second thought, it was fun to read about a homosexual main character, period. My only other example would be ‘Will Grayson, Will Grayson’, which is one of my /least/ favourite books, so I didn’t have much to compare Simon too. I thought it was beautifully done, without constantly drawing attention to the fact Simon was gay, which is a pitfall for other books with minor LGBTQA characters. It was written very non-hetereonormative way, and I appreciated that.

2. Mystery

Who is Simon e-mailing, and falling in love with? I loved trying to figure it out along with Simon, using the clues the mysterious Blue was giving. If a mystery is added to a book, I want to read it 100% more.

3. Thought Provoking

Somehow, Albertalli managed to discuss some difficult topics in a way that was easy to respond to. How Simon’s peers and family members responded to him coming out was well dealt with. Not sugar coated, but what I think is a very truthful representation of society’s reaction. It really made me think about how realistic Simon’s situation was, and how I want society to respond. I love it when authors handle topics like sexuality, because it’s super important for teenagers to be exposed to those kind of issues as soon as possible.

4. Romance

It was just so darn cute. I swear, I was smiling through the whole book. Blue and Simon’s e-mails happened in between chapters, which added an exciting dimension to the story, but their interactions outside of the internet were the best thing ever. More like Simon and Blue, please, everyone!

Do you need more reasons than that? Well, that would include spoilers, so I recommend you pick up the book, and fast!