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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda  By  cover art

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

By: Becky Albertalli
Narrated by: Michael Crouch
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Publisher's summary

Now a major motion picture from 20th Century Fox: Love, Simon.

William C. Morris Award Winner: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year

National Book Award Longlist

"A remarkable gift of a novel." (Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle)

"I am so in love with this book." (Nina LaCour, author of Hold Still)

"Feels timelessly, effortlessly now." (Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Ever)

"The best kind of love story." (Alex Sanchez, Lambda Award-winning author of Rainbow Boys and Boyfriends with Girlfriends)

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 with, 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.

©2015 Becky Albertalli (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

Featured Article: The Best Young Adult Audiobooks to Listen to as a Grown Woman


For some reason, a lot of people equate "growing up" with "growing serious." But while interests may change over time, age does not have to be the deciding factor in what games you play, what movies you watch, or what books you enjoy. The young adult audiobooks on this list are truly timeless: grownup listeners can relate to YA classics in a whole new way or find new favorites among more recent offerings.

What listeners say about Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing, powerful, joyful book!

I went back and forth between smiling at what was happening and occasionally getting upset. Sometimes Simon just does the complete wrong thing and I just wanted to say nooooooooooo. But that’s part of what being a teenager is about. As this plays out over a few months, including the Christmas holidays, Albertalli gives us such full, dynamic characters that you feel the weight of the events on Simon, which is also helped by the use of first person/present tense. In the last forty five minutes, I smiled and cried because of the perfect ending that played out before my ears.

I suspect I'll listen to it again, and I might pick up the physical book as well because this story deserves to be savored and enjoyed

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37 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Crouch should be getting another award

I love everything about this book. It is sad. It made me furious. It is funny as heck. The characters are the kids next door. Sometimes you want to bang their heads together and say, “Really? F^cking really?” I’ll have to check out another Becky Albertalli book.

Michael Crouch does a superb job performing the book. He emotes well without overacting. His character voices are not extreme, yet recognizably different. He enhances the tale without distracting the listener at all. Not a lot of voice actors have the narrative ability Mr. Crouch does. He’s definitely a favorite reader.

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25 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Yes!!!!

Excellent. Heartfelt. Funny. Just RIGHT. I'm in love with this book. I want to feed it Oreos and hold its hand.

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24 people found this helpful

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  • GC
  • 04-09-15

Overflowing with Humor and Heart

Simon's personality is so distinctly drawn--every nook and cranny, every nuance--and the narrator is so perfectly cast, that you walk away from the experience feeling like you've gotten to know someone REAL. You haven't simply been told a story; you've gotten inside Simon's head and shared his experiences.

Along with Simon, Albertalli has crafted a team of three-dimensional characters filled with intriguing qualities. You may think you've mastered them (as Simon does), but as the story develops many of them turn around and surprise you. In both subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

A thoroughly engaging listen for Adults and Teens alike.

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18 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Am I having an online relationship with a stranger

For more about this book and my review, check out my page Inkish Kingdoms!

I might be too old for this cheesy-perfect-ending kind of books or maybe I am just too grumpy to see the reliability of such a story and plot. Being too moralistic, I find so “wrong” the idea of encouraging people to meet or establish a relationship over the internet or even applications. Opening yourself to such “adventures” is hoping too much for humanity, and we should not have so much hope. I also find a bit “annoying” the whole happy-ending of the “tortuous” situation that Simon put himself through, and when I say “annoying” I meant more like predictable. The new kind of fairy tale of happy ever after ending.

I am sure that teenagers curse a lot, but Simon has the mouth of a sailor. All the try-hard necessity of pushing cultural references of Harry Potter and Adventure Times… It is like trying too much to be cool and to reach that specific audience. The fact that he got “mad” at someone for not knowing what a Dementor is… it is ridiculous.

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderfully written, unique YA

Simon is a 16 year old closeted gay kid, who has been sending emails to another closeted kid in his high school who he knows only as "Blue." Unfortunately for Simon, one classmate gets a hold of the emails and begins to blackmail him with them.

What I appreciated about the novel - despite beginning with blackmails and secret identities - ultimately did not feel too sensational. Instead, it actually felt quite real, with well-developed characters (a lot of people have a sense of interiority even if it isn't fully explored in the book itself). The characters are DEFINITELY the strongest part of this book...as they really are fantastic and fascinating. Overall it's an interesting - and definitely for me - relatable take on the stakes of coming out when they do not involve family disownment and such. A lot of the conflict on that end comes from the inherent change in how others see you, no matter their intentions, and the desire for a stable identity...fake as it may be. It's a refreshing version of a coming out tale, but one I think that a lot of people can relate to. And, even if the stakes are lower than disownment, there are definitely still important stakes (and I think it's a testament to the author that she can pull off real stakes when already ditching the ones most people assume)

Crouch also is a fantastic reader. He gives Simon so much emotion and brings him to life in a way that allowed this book to hit me even more in the feels. I've already given it a second listen and will be listening much more, I'm sure.

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14 people found this helpful

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I am in LOVE!

I love this wonderful book, and all the unique, real characters, especially Simon. I laughed and cried as Simon navigated his world trying to be in love in a straight world, and for a high school kid even today, it is not easy. Michael Crouch's performance as Simon is perfect. He was so into the soul of Simon, that at one point in the book, I had to stop walking in my neighborhood I was crying so hard about a heartbreaking moment for Simon and his contrite friend. I am the mother of a gay son, and this important book helped me understand him on a deeper level. Thank you, Becky Abertalli and Michael Crouch!

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11 people found this helpful

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  • VN
  • 05-25-15

So delightfully conflicting and heartwarming

This story about Simon and his struggle was amazingly poignant and touching. I felt all the moments of pain and confusion as Simon experienced it and all the moments he felt loved. Because when you're 17 and trying to figure it out, everyone can be a little bit horrible and wonderful at the same time. Such a great listen!!

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8 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars

Mediocre and forgettable.

Filled with dated pop culture references, and the social media insight of a generation exer, this book reminds me of why I stopped reading YA.

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6 people found this helpful

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  • t
  • 03-18-18

Quite a disappointment

Having read all the good words about this book (and the movie) I was excited to listen to it. I have to say, I am majorly disappointed. There are SO many good m/m romance books out there, both for young adults and adults. They are so much better than this book it's crazy. And yet this one is the one people are going ga-ga over.

The writing is atrocious. We get no descriptions of characters, no descriptions that tell us who the characters are - we're just thrown names and have to try and decipher it from there. It's a continuous narrative with disingenuous dialogue thrown in.

There are some pretty huge insults vaulted from the main character's beliefs and yet that's supposed to be okay? No.

Do yourself a favor. Check out other lgbt books by less-well-known presses. There are some fantastic authors out there with incredible works that outshine this one by a million miles.

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5 people found this helpful