Becky Albertalli’s “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” may have been released back in 2015, but the novel is about to have new life starting on March 18, when its anticipated movie adaption titled “Love, Simon” is released in theaters. The novel’s film adaptation is being written, produced, and directed by professionals involved with projects such as “The Fault In Our Stars” movie adaptation and the “This Is Us” television series. Die-hard fans of the book will be happy to know the movie seems to be in the hands of those who can give this story justice on screen. 
For those of you who are not yet a fan of Simon, or maybe haven’t even heard of the novel, I recommend giving it a read. Although it is a young adult novel, and its writing style seems to be geared toward the younger teens of this genre’s spectrum, it is unexpectedly powerful and has plenty of humor and wit with heartwarming moments in between. It is the perfect guilty pleasure read. All that Albertalli aims to represent and accomplish with her debut novel is executed wonderfully, and critics unanimously lauded her work. It was awarded the prestigious William C. Morris Award from the American Library Association and was on the long-list for the National Book Award. If you’re going to give a young adult novel a try, this is the one for you. 
Simon Spier is 16 years old and has a secret. Simon hides the fact that he is gay until a classmate at Creekwood High School discovers his secret email account where he communicates with a fellow anonymous classmate who has the same secret as Simon. Readers see Simon get blackmailed. Fearing that private parts of his identity will be exposed without his consent, Simon does what his despicable classmate asks of him. 
Admittedly, that scenario isn’t what makes “Simon” the read that it is. “Simon” will undoubtedly remind you of your high school days. So many young adult authors can miss the mark when writing about high school life, but that isn’t a problem for Albertalli. She writes about Simon making his way—sometimes stumbling his way—through high school life with a dynamic group of friends and a quirky, but overall loving, family. Along the way, we get a peek inside Simon’s secret love-emails that go back and forth between him and the anonymous Blue. Simon and his friends fall in love, argue, hang out, triumph, and fail all in the same ways you did in high school. It feels real. Thankfully, however, no failure is too damning in Simon’s universe, which comes as a relief to its many LGBTQ readers. 
“Simon” is essentially a “coming out” novel. It’s a novel with a gay protagonist, which is rarer than it should be in today’s literature, who begins his journey of sharing his sexual orientation for the first time with people. The supporting cast of characters is also diverse, all with their own struggles, feelings, and backgrounds. Representation is so important—arguably its the most important aspect of young adult literature—and the diversity represented here feels authentic. Albertalli doesn’t write in diversity for the sake of diversity, but rather seems to write individuals with so much love that it’s impossible for the reader not to share some of that feeling for the characters. You’ll love rooting for Simon, and you’ll love rooting for his family and friends along the way. 
This LGBTQ-coming-out-novel isn’t riddled with the same tragedies that its few peers are. This is a happy novel. It is at times a cheesy novel, but in the best way, and that’s coming from someone who never believed that cheesiness could be praised. Maybe everything comes together too perfectly at the end, and maybe it is even predictable, but this is exactly the novel that so many high schoolers who may have anxieties about their sexual orientation need. Thousands of heteronormative young adult romance novels are on bookshelves everywhere, but you won’t realize how bored you are of reading these played out stories until you read “Simon.” And don’t be fooled into thinking that a happy novel can’t be powerful. Watching Simon’s inner and outer journey as he shares his biggest secret with those closest to him is as rewarding as a read can get. Simon is brave from the first page of the novel to the last, even if he does a lot of growing and learning in between. Simon can be both a best friend and a role model to readers who need him. After reading “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” everyone will want a Simon in their life. 
Do yourself a favor and spend a lazy weekend reading this novel before seeing it in theaters. You won’t regret it.