#TBT: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

It's Throwback Thursday, and I've decided to start posting reviews for some of my favorite books every Thursday for your reading pleasure. All of these reviews were originally posted on my personal blog, Caught Read Handed.

Author:  Becky Albertalli

Genre: Young adult, contemporary

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: April 7, 2015

320 pages, hardcover

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.

When one of Simon’s emails to Blue – an anonymous and not openly gay (like Simon) boy from his school – gets into the wrong hands, he’s blackmailed into helping this bully get the girl or his sexual identity will be out in the open for everyone. Even worse to Simon, Blue’s identity could be exposed to the school. Basically, Simon’s junior year is turning into a complicated disaster. Simon hates change but he has to find a way to adapt before he’s pushed out of his comfort zone.

I loved Simon. So much. He’s my kind of person – nerdy, funny, smart, sweet, and he’s got this brilliant dry sense of humor that had my “giggles keep escaping around the edges (ARC 237).” What a great quote, right? He doesn’t understand why white and straight are the defaults in our society. Why shouldn’t everyone have to come out – straight, gay, asexual, whatever. He just wants to be happy. I was rooting for him so hard the entire time. I wanted Simon and Blue to live happily ever after. I know nothing is that easy, but I wanted it for him. That’s how real he felt. A favorite quote from Simon:

I fall a little bit in love with everyone. (ARC 32)

Blue and Simon have been getting to know each other through emails for most of the school year. They don’t know who the other is, just that they are gay and not out. I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about how much I love books with letters or emails or other forms of communication before, so you can imagine how much I adored Blue and Simon’s emails. They get steadily more flirtatious as the book goes on and it was so cute to see how much they liked each other. Then when we finally get the big reveal and they meet each other? SWOON. I had been hoping most of the book that Blue was who I thought he was. I was SO HAPPY about it.

Other things I loved: realistic friendships that were supportive even through issues and change, Simon (yeah, I already mentioned him but I had to again), Simon’s parents, Simon’s outlook on life, Blue.

One thing I didn’t like: I wish we’d had more time with Blue and Simon after they meet in real life. I want to swoon over them some more.

The bottom line: Everyone needs to meet Simon. He’s so human that I feel like everyone would be more human after having met him. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but, basically, this book deserves to be read. It’s such a wonderful love story and it’ll make you feel all melty on the inside. I honestly can’t believe this is a debut.

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Want to check out Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda? We've got several copies in the CMRLS Catalog!

-- Stefani

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Book Review: Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell

Title: Goodbye, Rebel Blue

Author: Shelley Coriell

Publication date: October 2013

320 pages

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads!

Rebecca “Rebel” Blue has a serious attitude problem—at least, that’s what everyone tells her, so it’s no surprise when she ends up in detention. What is surprising is the presence of Kennedy Green, one of the biggest do-gooders Reb has ever met. Their assignment? To reach deep into their souls and create their ultimate bucket lists. Reb doesn’t take it seriously—that is, until Kennedy dies in an accident and Reb feels compelled to finish Kennedy’s bucket list, one good deed at a time. In the process, Reb realizes that her loner ways no longer suit her and finds herself reaching out to her family and potential friends. But how can she connect when she keeps screwing up everything good in her life?

This book practically flies by. It’s really well-paced and the characters are delightful and multilayered, which I wasn’t expecting. Rebel herself is great because her constant battle between wanting to connect with people and wanting to keep herself guarded is something a lot of us can identify with, and her dry voice allows that inner turmoil to simmer without boiling over into silliness. Her cousin Pen could have easily been written as a vapid, shallow prom queen, and I’m really pleased that Coriell gave Pen and the rest of Reb’s family room to be complicated instead of mere complications for Reb’s journey.

My love for Reb’s one and only friend, Macey, kind of snuck up on me (bless you and your pie therapy, Macey). Then there's Reb's unlikely love interest, Nate. He's cool and all, but his family is actually way more fun than him to read about, particularly his 10-year-old sassy fashionista sister, Gabby (or his youngest brother, who solemnly tells Reb every time she curses that she’s going to hell). The one thing I really wish we’d had more of is Kennedy herself. I understand that her purpose in the story is to guide Reb into being a better person, but I wish we’d gotten more insight into her life and personality instead of her death just being used as a plot device.

I’ve seen this book compared to Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why, and while the plot is somewhat similar, the tones of both books are wildly different. Mainly because Thirteen Reasons Why is a great book, but also a bummer. This one leaves you happy and satisfied, which is why I give it a solid B+. It’s really fun with some heavy moments, but it’s very well-balanced and the characters are spot on. Check it out and tell me what you think!

--Kayla

Want to check out Goodbye, Rebel Blue? Find it here on the CMRLS catalog and place a hold on it!

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