I finally read Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda this week. This book has been sitting on my shelf ever since the movie came out (which I absolutely loved). I really enjoyed this book, which is surprising because it’s not the kind of book that I would normally read.
Overall Simon was an enjoyable main character and it was easy to understand where he was coming from most of the time. His relationship with Blue is so adorable (#relationshipgoals). Admittedly, he could have handled the whole thing with Martin a lot better. One thing about his relationship with his friends is that we don’t really see him interact with them. I would have liked to of seen more of him, Leah, Abby, and Nick just hanging out and having a good time.
Speaking of his friends, I really didn’t like Leah’s character. She just seemed really mean and hateful all the time. Every scene with her it seemed like she had some sort of gripe with at least one other character. The fact that Simon, Abby, and Nick decidedly hang out without her speaks volumes. I can only hope that her attitude gets better in her book and that everything about why she is the way she is is explained in it.
This book was definitely more character driven then plot driven. Simon was definitely way more confident and sure of himself at the end of the book then he was at the beginning. Typically I need a book to have way more action and plot, but I’d still prefer to read a book that has great character development and an ok plot then the other way around.
I think I’d give this book a 4/5 star rating. It wasn’t exactly perfect in my eyes, but it’s a huge step forward in the inclusion of LGBT+ main characters in Young Adult fiction. I hope we get more characters like Simon and Abby and Blue in the near future!!!!
The Book Lover's Coffeehouse 