Making the Grade / Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Hi! When the Supreme Court announced its decision on gay marriage, I, along with the majority of the nation, was overjoyed; I couldn’t be happier that everyone will have the chance to marry their loved one, no matter what their sexual orientation or the state they live in. If you were looking to increase your LGBTQ reading, I can’t think of a better time than now to recommend Becky Albertalli’s debut, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Following the relationship between high school junior, Simon, and his fellow classmate, who writes under the pen name Blue, the novel is a significant contribution to the YA genre, one that challenges the typical contemporary romance in an honest and hilarious manner. The book suffers from the “hype monster,” as it has been nicknamed, but it lives up to its high praise. You can read my full review below!

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met. {Goodreads}

Need more convincing? Here’s what other reviewers had to say.
“Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is a majorly cute LGBT romance with awesome friends, many adorable moments, and a lot of laughs” {read the rest of the review at Pretty Books HERE}.

“I just want to say that this book lives up to the hype. Not only is it an incredible coming of age story, but it also ties in an intriguing plot involving a secret relationship with a mysterious boy under a pen name, Blue” {read the rest of the review at The Innocent Smiley HERE}.

“I am happy I read it and even happier that this book exists, because it shows just how important family and friends are when it comes to finding out who you are, even when they don’t always react in the right way and things might get messy for a bit. Support really is everything” {read the rest of the review at Paper Riot HERE}.

Let’s discuss! Have you read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda? If so, wasn’t it just the most adorable story?! Finally, do you agree that 2015 has been a stellar year for YA debuts? I feel like I have little to complain about in each one I read; hopefully, this debut trend continues into the fall.

Have an amazing rest of your day!
Bella