LGBTQIA+ representation in young adult literature is becoming more prevalent, especially after the turn of the twenty-first century. Junior Cole Powell expressed, “It’s important to include all people as equals in all art forms, and young adult novels are something that reach a large amount of teens.” A significant contributor to this long awaited subgenre is Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, a highly acclaimed novel with a 4.28 out of five rating on GoodReads. The novel follows a sixteen-year-old named Simon Spier, who has not come out to anyone except to a pen pal who goes by the pen name “Blue.” When one of his emails falls in the hands of his classmate, Martin, he is blackmailed into becoming a wingman for his peer.

 Albertalli developed inspiration for writing the novel by working as a clinical psychologist and a volunteer for gay and gender non-conforming teenagers. She describes this book as being a tribute to the teens she worked with for such a long portion of her life. She expressed a need for literature that deals with LGBTQIA+ issues head on.

 The story explores different formats, as parts of the novel shows the emails exchanged between Simon and Blue. It also features a complex view of Simon’s situation, as he is a gay teenager within a liberal household, within a conservative suburban neighborhood, within a liberal city, within a conservative region of the United States. With added humor and unique characters, including a female asexual character, a sexuality that is rarely explored in art forms, this story is sure to satisfy all readers.     

 On March 16, Simon will be hitting the big screen with the film adaptation of Albertalli’s novel titled Love, Simon (watch the trailer here). The movie stars actor Nick Robinson, who is known for his roles in Melissa and Joey, The Fifth Wave, and Jurassic World. Senior Alexis Pasca gushed, “I loved Nick Robinson in The Fifth Wave, and I’m sure that he will do a great job in Love, Simon.”

 Teen Vogue described this book as a cross between John Green and Rainbow Rowell. Any fans of either author will love this brilliant coming-of-age tale. So make sure to watch Love, Simon in theatres in March, and pick up Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda any time at your local bookstore!