Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
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''Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'' is a 2015 young adult novel and the debut book by American author Becky Albertalli. The coming-of-age story focuses on its titular protagonist Simon Spier, a closeted, gay, high school-aged boy who is forced to
come out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
after a blackmailer discovers Simon's e-mails written to another closeted classmate with whom he has fallen in love. Albertalli received the
William C. Morris Award The William C. Morris YA Debut Award is an annual award given to a work of young adult literature by a "first-time author writing for teens". It is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American ...
from the American Library Association, an annual honor for young adult literature, as well as internationally the
German Youth Literature Prize The (German Youth Literature Award) is an annual award established in 1956 by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to recognise outstanding works of children's and young adult literature. It is Germany's only ...
. The novel was also featured on the National Book Award Longlist and listed by the '' Wall Street Journal'' as one of the Best Young Adult novels in 2015. The name of the novel is a parody of the term "
homosexual agenda "Gay agenda" or "homosexual agenda" is a term used by sectors of the Christian religious right as a disparaging way to describe the advocacy of cultural acceptance and normalization of non-heterosexual sexual orientations and relationships. The ...
", a pejorative phrase that was commonly used by opponents of gay rights in the United States, until growing popular support for gay rights among the American public rendered the use of the term no longer socially acceptable. This is also a reference to a conversation between Simon and his e-mail pen pal, in which they discuss how they believe everyone should have to come out, not just gay people, jokingly referencing the aforementioned phrase and how their own version would be "the Homo Sapiens Agenda," since it applies to everyone regardless of sexuality. The book was adapted into a film titled ''
Love, Simon ''Love, Simon'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti, written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, and based on the novel ''Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'' by Becky Albertalli. The film stars Nick Robins ...
'', which was released by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
in the United States on March 16, 2018, and was met with critical and commercial success.


Synopsis

Simon Spier is a closeted, gay, 16-year-old student in his junior year of high school with a fondness for musical theater who lives in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Unbeknownst to his family and friends, Simon has been sending e-mails to a person going by the name of "Blue", Simon himself using the pseudonym "Jacques". As the two become closer, however, Simon's secret suddenly falls under siege; the e-mails sent between him and Blue are threatened to be released if he doesn't play wingman for Martin, the class clown, and coerce his friend Abby into falling in love with him. Now, his sexual orientation could be revealed and the privacy of his enigmatic digital confidant could possibly be compromised. Simon must find a way to step out of his comfort zone, before he is pushed out, and before he loses Blue, who only grows more flirtatious by the day, and who Simon, whether by choice or not, is on the cusp of encountering in person.


Characters

* Simon Spier: The 16-year-old gay protagonist who has yet to come out and is in an online relationship with a boy named "Blue". He goes by the pseudonym "Jacques," which is a reference to "Jacques a dit," the French counterpart to the widespread game Simon Says. He loves Oreos and has a passion for the music of
Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...
. He is fond of musical theatre and participates in his school's productions, even though he is frequently relegated to playing bit roles. He plays "Fagin's boy" in their production of ''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
''. Simon's secret e-mail that he uses to communicate with Blue is "hourtohour.notetonote". * Bram/Blue: Bluegreen118, commonly referred to as "Blue", is the boy Simon e-mails for five months. Simon met Blue on "creeksecrets", the school Tumblr page (referred to as "the Tumblr") after Blue posted a very intuitive and relatable post about being gay. He is Jewish-Episcopalian, has divorced parents (one of whom is an English teacher, the other an epidemiologist), likes superheroes and Reese's peanut butter cups, has excellent grammar, and is a very private person. Simon relays to him his utmost secrets, which is why it is difficult to prevent Blue from knowing of Martin's threats to release their private conversations into the public domain. At first, Simon believes Blue to be a classmate of his named Cal, but after sending him a series of questions pertaining to him, most of the answers sent back are a resounding "no". However, Blue discovers Simon's identity, and thus, their e-mails to one another begin to become tense. At the end of the book, Blue is revealed to Simon to be Bram Greenfield, a quiet kid who sits at Simon's lunch table. He plays soccer and is very smart. Simon previously thought him to be "actually kind of adorable," with "expressive brown eyes, light brown skin, soft dark curls and cute, knobbly hands”, and is "actually really funny inside his head", despite his shyness. Simon previously believed that Bram liked Leah romantically. * Nick Eisner: Simon's male best friend. Simon has known Nick since he was four. Nick has a crush on Abby and is a talented singer and guitarist, is Jewish, and plays soccer. Oftentimes, he finds himself struck by sudden philosophical moods, spinning off into existential tangents regarding rather abstruse subjects, such as the interpretations of his own dreams. Simon finds this irresistible. Nick's crush on Abby is quite obvious, with him switching seats to sit next to her at lunch, and his "lingering, lovesick eyes" that look in her general direction. He becomes Abby's boyfriend at the end of the book. * Leah Burke: Simon's female best friend. She is described as very "deadpan" and sarcastic and is shown to bottle up her emotions. She's very good at drawing and loves manga and anime. Simon believes Leah to be in love with Nick, and believes that she dislikes Abby due to her belief that she "intruded" upon their friend group. At the end of the novel, it is revealed that Leah has been learning how to play the drums for the past two years and is part of a band called "Emoji", in which Simon's sister is the guitarist, Taylor the vocalist, Anna the bassist, and Morgan the keyboardist. * Abby Suso: Simon's other female best friend, who moved from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, Georgia at the beginning of the junior year. They became friends after being required, due to partner assignments dictated by student alphabetization, to work together in their homeroom class. Abby is shown to be very conventionally attractive, perky, and well-liked. She is involved in many recreational clubs hosted at the school, such as those involving student council, cheerleading, and the theater production group assisting with the school musical, in which she plays the Artful Dodger. Simon comes out to her first, raising tensions between her and Leah. She is the object of Martin's (unreciprocated) affections. She and Nick become romantically involved at the end of the book. She is a cousin of twin sisters Molly and Cassie Peskin-Suso, the protagonists of Albertalli's novel '' The Upside of Unrequited''. * Martin Addison: The class clown. He has floppy brown hair, has a gay brother who goes to college in DC, and plays Fagin in the school production of ''Oliver!''. He is portrayed as a nerdy, entertaining, well-liked guy, with Simon referring to him as a sort of "mascot" for the popular kids. However, his darker aspects are revealed when he blackmails Simon into helping him attempt to found a romantic relationship with Abby after he discovers that Simon is gay. Martin believes Abby is interested in Simon romantically when he witnesses their platonic hug and impulsively discloses Simon’s sexuality on "creeksecrets," a Shady Creek Tumblr page. After Simon is subject to several acts of harassment driven by homophobia, Martin displays remorse for his actions, confronting Simon in a parking lot, and sending him an apologetic and heartfelt e-mail. It is revealed in the sequel novel ''
Leah on the Offbeat ''Leah on the Offbeat'' is a 2018 young adult novel by American author Becky Albertalli. It is the direct sequel to her 2015 debut novel ''Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'' and the third novel in the "Simonverse", the shared universe in which A ...
'' that Simon and Martin have reconciled, but Simon's friends and sister still dislike him. * Cal Price: The stage manager of the school production. Simon was once interested in him romantically. He is described as very cute, with "awesome bangs", blue-green eyes, and a Southern accent. Simon initially believes Cal to be Blue until Simon sends Blue a series of questions pertaining to Cal, of which the majority of his answers to are a resounding "no." After Simon is outed, Cal comes out to him as bisexual and expresses romantic interest in him, but Simon declines because he's in love with Blue. * Nora Spier: Simon's younger sister. She is a freshman. She has blonde curls and is described to be "under the radar cool." She is not very assertive and seems to be subject to peer pressure. She taught herself guitar and is part of a band called "Emoji" with Leah, Taylor, and Anna. * Alice Spier: Simon's older sister. She is a freshman at Wesleyan University and has dirty blonde hair. Alice has a boyfriend named Theo, who, for the first half of the novel, stays secret. She reveals their relationship to her family only after Simon encourages her after he himself comes out to them. * Jack Spier: Simon's father. He tries to be a "cool, hipster dad" but often tells homophobic jokes, much to Simon's discomfort. He is also "obsessed" with Simon's life, focusing his attention upon it frequently, which only adds to Simon's difficulty in coming out to him and his wife, Simon's mother. He and Simon's mother enjoy watching ''
The Bachelorette A bachelorette is an unmarried woman. Bachelorette may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Bachelorette'', a reality television dating show part of ''The Bachelor'' franchise with numerous versions: ** ''The Bachelorette'' (American TV ser ...
,'' and they (along with Simon) watch '' Love, Actually'' every Christmas. * Emily Spier: Simon's mother. She is a
child psychologist Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, ...
and seems to be incredibly involved in Simon's life, much to his annoyance. * Taylor Metternich: Simon's fellow actor in ''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
'' She plays the lead, Oliver. She is skinny and has "super brushed blonde hair". Simon describes her as a "dark side of perfection". Taylor is quite self-obsessed, often boasting about her talents and appearance. This both annoys and amuses Simon and his friends. Taylor has an intense emotional reaction to Simon's harassment following his coming out, almost physically slapping one of the perpetrators involved in his mockery. Taylor is the lead vocalist for the band "Emoji". * Ms. Albright: Simon's "moderately badass" theater teacher. She has electric red hair and is infuriated by others' harassment of Simon following his coming out, determined to bring it to a permanent cessation. * Garrett: A soccer player who sits at Simon's lunch table. Simon describes him as a "semi-douche." He is best friends with Bram and is romantically interested in Leah. * Anna: Simon's ex-girlfriend. She sits at his lunch table, wears black eyeliner, and reads
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
. She is the bassist for Emoji. * Morgan: Anna's best friend. Simon believes that she and Anna are practically interchangeable. She is the keyboardist for Emoji. * Peter: A college student who buys several drinks for Simon at an LGBT friendly restaurant/bar. He takes a drunk Simon back to Nick and Abby when he realizes Simon is still a high schooler. * Maddie: A girl who is a member of the student council. * Mr. Wise: Simon's English teacher. * Theo: Alice's boyfriend. * Carter Addison: Martin Addison's gay brother, who is attending college.


Special editions

* Love, Simon: A movie tie-in novel including a new cover featuring
Nick Robinson Nicholas, Nicky or Nick Robinson may refer to: * Nick Robinson (journalist) (born 1963), British political journalist * Nick Robinson (paperfolder) (born 1957), British origami artist * Nicky Robinson (rugby union) (born 1982), Welsh rugby player ...
, official stills from the set, an excerpt from the script of the opening scenes of the film, and a behind-the-scenes interview with Albertalli, Robinson, and director Greg Berlanti. * Special Edition Hardcover: A hardcover edition including previously unseen e-mails between Simon and Blue, a behind-the-scenes scrapbook of photographs taken by Albertalli on the set of ''Love, Simon'', and an exclusive interview between Albertalli and fellow YA authors Angie Thomas and Adam Silvera.


Awards and nominations

*
William C. Morris Award The William C. Morris YA Debut Award is an annual award given to a work of young adult literature by a "first-time author writing for teens". It is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American ...
: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year *
National Book Award for Young People's Literature The National Book Award for Young People's Literature is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation (NBF) to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers".< ...
: Longlist *Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults *Lincoln Award Nominee *
Goodreads Choice Award The Goodreads Choice Awards is a yearly award program, first launched on Goodreads in 2009. Winners are determined by users voting on books that Goodreads has nominated or books of their choosing, released in the given year. Most books that Good ...
Nominee: Debut Goodreads Author *
Goodreads Choice Award The Goodreads Choice Awards is a yearly award program, first launched on Goodreads in 2009. Winners are determined by users voting on books that Goodreads has nominated or books of their choosing, released in the given year. Most books that Good ...
Nominee: Young Adult Fiction * Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 2017


Sequels

A sequel focusing on the character of Leah (set in her senior year), titled ''
Leah on the Offbeat ''Leah on the Offbeat'' is a 2018 young adult novel by American author Becky Albertalli. It is the direct sequel to her 2015 debut novel ''Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'' and the third novel in the "Simonverse", the shared universe in which A ...
'', was released on April 24, 2018. In 2020, Albertalli announced the release of '' Love Creekwood'', the epilogue to both novels released prior.


Film

''
Love, Simon ''Love, Simon'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti, written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, and based on the novel ''Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'' by Becky Albertalli. The film stars Nick Robins ...
'' is the title of the film adaptation of the book. It stars
Nick Robinson Nicholas, Nicky or Nick Robinson may refer to: * Nick Robinson (journalist) (born 1963), British political journalist * Nick Robinson (paperfolder) (born 1957), British origami artist * Nicky Robinson (rugby union) (born 1982), Welsh rugby player ...
in the lead role, along with
Katherine Langford Katherine Langford (born 29 April 1996) is an Australian actress. After appearing in several independent films, she had her breakthrough starring as Hannah Baker in the Netflix television series ''13 Reasons Why'' (2017–2018), which earned he ...
as Leah,
Alexandra Shipp Alexandra Ruth Shipp is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence for portraying singer Aaliyah in the Lifetime television film '' Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B'' (2014) and Kimberly Woodruff in the Oscar-nominated film '' Straight ...
as Abby,
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. Jorge David Lendeborg Jr. (born January 21, 1996) is a Dominican actor. Early life Lendeborg was born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, and moved to Miami, Florida at around age four. Career He made his theatrical acting debut in the ...
as Nick, Keiynan Lonsdale as Bram, and Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel as Simon's parents. Jack Antonoff produced the soundtrack. The film was released in the United States on March 16, 2018. Development of the film by production studio Fox 2000 was first reported in October 2015, with Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker signed to write the screenplay. Openly gay writer, director, and television showrunner Greg Berlanti directed the film. The film has grossed $66.3 million at the box office worldwide, against a production budget of $10–17 million. A television series titled '' Love, Victor'', set in the same universe as the film, premiered on June 17, 2020, on
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
, with Robinson serving as the series' narrator.


References

{{Authority control 2015 American novels 2015 LGBT-related literary works American young adult novels American LGBT novels Gay male teen fiction American bildungsromans Novels set in high schools and secondary schools 2010s LGBT novels American novels adapted into films LGBT-related young adult novels 2015 debut novels Balzer + Bray books