Reading Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, you wouldn’t think that this was Albertalli’s debut novel. Normally a debut has a few problems here and there and the storyline isn’t quite up to the standard that is should be, but not with this book. No way. Albertalli has created something that is so powerful and moving that I started reading it again once I had finished it.

Simon Spier is sixteen and trying to work out who he is – and what he’s looking for.

But when one if his emails to the very distracting blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated.

Because, for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal…

When you start reading this book, you are thrown into the deep end straight away. You are given the characters and what the situation is in the first few pages and you learn about the characters as the book progresses.

All of the characters were so loveable and the friendships were so realistic. I loved how Leah, Simon, and Nick would just chill out and play video games and just talk about random things. The only character that I couldn’t really warm up to was Leah. I understood that she was very withdrawn and she sometimes felt a bit left out of the rest of the friendship group – because I have felt like that before – but to act the way she did towards Simon was completely uncalled for. I felt like she went out of her way to be difficult and to make situations more drastic than they should have been.

Does anyone else want to punch Martin? That is all I’m even going to say about him.

“White shouldn’t be the default any more than straight should be the default. There shouldn’t even be a default.”

– Becky Albertalli, Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda

I loved reading the emails between Simon and Blue. I just thought that they were so adorable and the flirting between them was just brilliant. But, they kept talking about Oreos and it made me extremely hungry and then I just kept craving Oreos the entire time that I was reading the book. (I never did get any in the end *sad face*) Every time I was introduced to a new male character, I kept thinking ‘THAT’S HIM! THAT’S BLUE! but ended up changing my mind every single time. The reveal towards the end of the book is amazing and the ending itself, well… Let’s just say that this book needs to made into a film because I need to see that ending right in front of me because it was just the cutest thing ever.

I just love how this whole book tackled the issue of identity, whether you’re straight, gay, bi, transgender, white, black… I am white and straight and yet I still related to the problems of identity that Simon and Blue had to tackle.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for so long and I’m so glad that I finally got the chance to. It will forever remain at the top of my list whenever someone asks me for a book recommendation. I just think that this is the perfect contemporary read about a gay character who just wants to figure out who he is and where he fits in. Such a magnificent read.

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by Social Book Co in exchange for an honest review. Social Book Co is an online company who find the cheapest price for the book that you’re looking for! Think of it as a comparethemarket type of thing… BUT FOR BOOKS! WHICH IS AMAZING! Who can complain about getting books for cheaper?