Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Spoiler Alert: To live your truth takes courage -- so you should never do it alone.

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Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is a sweet a meaningful coming of age tale that follows Simon Spier, and his journey of self-discovery. Despite being well-loved, and having a satisfactory social and family life, Simon is afraid to come out of the closet. When he begins corresponding with an anonymous boy from school, and is no longer able to deny their spark, he must face the music and decide what he is willing to risk for love. Full of bravery and important messages, this story will likely appeal to all audiences. While I am an avid reader, it was only in reading this book that I realized the utter lack of representation out there: primarily in young adult fiction. This book is the first bestseller I have come across with a gay protagonist. It was wonderful to see an LGBT youth be the star of his own story and not merely a background character. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in the stories we are told -- in fact this can be monumental when you are growing up. While this significance was not lost on me, I additionally found the story quite entertaining and relevant. Simon and his friends were realistic and authentic, if not a tinge cheesy. The book is also complete with lots of pop culture references and humor that not only amuse readers, but convince us further that Simon is a young person just like anyone else. Although coming out and finally gaining the courage to be vulnerable to be your fully authentic self terrifying for anyone, Simon was particularly lucky in that the characters surrounding him prove to be nothing but supporting and loving. While this may be slightly idealistic, it does teach a valuable lesson: being there for the ones you love and offering unconditional and unwavering support is not just admirable but necessary and important. In being accepted with open arms by his family and friends, Simon is finally able to live his truth and even pursue love. In Simon's journey, the audience can take away the idea that everyone should be allowed to be unapologetically themselves -- and that everyone deserves a love story. A sweet and important novel -- here's hoping it is the first of many.

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Favorite Quotes: "The way I feel about him is like a heartbeat, soft and persistent underlying everything." ~~ "Who are you to the world is pretty terrifying because what if the world doesn't like you?" ~~ "White shouldn't be the default anymore than straight should be the default. There shouldn't even be a default." ~~ "He talked about the ocean between people and how the whole point of everything is to find a shore worth swimming to." ~~ "Sometimes it seems everyone knows who I am except me." ~~ "People really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it's a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other."