Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Simon vs. Homo Sapiens Agenda is a charming high school romance that also happens to be a coming out story. At its core, the story is about two high schoolers who found each other through tumblr and fell in love by emailing each other anonymously. The epistolary elements layer over Simon’s struggle with coming out to his friends and family and the added complication of an acquaintance, Martin, using that information to blackmail him into hooking Martin up with his friend Abby.

It’s a great setup for a romance, high school or otherwise. Albertalli has a comfortable writing style and treats her characters and their issues with respect. Even Martin comes off as sympathetic in the end. I can’t speak to whether the coming out angle feels authentic since it isn’t something I’ve experienced for myself, however it felt genuine to me.

I have a couple of students who love this book. It features short chapters and a tight linear plot structure. Despite having about six major characters, Albertalli sticks to Simon’s point of view.

Overall, good book. I would recommend it.

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