Book Nerds Across America: Simon vs the Homo sapiens agenda

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Saturday, September 15, 2018

Book review: What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Book Summary
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

Flo's Review
I apologize in advance for this review, which is basically going to be a big, gushy mess. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH, Y'ALL. I think it's my favorite book I've read this year. Because I was 18% into it when I started reading it again last night and I literally couldn't put it down. I stayed up until 2 a.m. when I turned the last page with a huge smile on my face. The last time I remember a book having quite that effect on me was the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. (I stayed in one weekend and just read books 3 and 4. Like, that's all I did all weekend. Zero regrets.)

But this book. Oh my goodness! First of all, I love both of these characters so much. They are fun, smart, sassy, vulnerable, loyal, and brave. I wasn't to hug them both and then start a group hug with both of them. I want them to be my friends! I would have so much fun talking Hamilton and writing and pop culture with them.

I love how Arthur's ADHD was presented as part of him that he and everyone accepts and it's not stigmatizing. I love how the reality of ignorance and hatred is in there, honestly, as a little reminder that wow, it's 2018 and some attitudes and hearts can still open and grow more. I love how Ben is proudly Puerto Rican and calls out someone he loves on it from a place of wanting them to be better and not from a place of judgment. I love Dylan, but that guy is crazy! I loved seeing New York through Arthur's new eyes and the East Village through the eyes of Ben, who grew up there. I love that both boys had real and open relationships with their parents. I loved the scene where Arthur reads Ben's story and Ben listens to Hamilton for the first time -- the writing there, the wordplay, is so well done. I loved the reality in the way all the relationships -- the romantic ones and the friendships -- grew, developed, and morphed as time went on. I laughed out loud at several parts, and I wanted to cry at a few as well.

I could go on...and on...and on.

This book filled me with the same level of happiness of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and The Upside of Unrequited -- if not more. I definitely need to read all Adam's other books now.

What If It's Us comes out October 9, 2018 and oh my gosh, guys. In case you didn't get the gist of my review -- I love it so much! Get thee to the bookstore or the library and get your copy ASAP!!

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Audiobook review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Book Summary
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back.

There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

Flo's Review

This has been one of those "I want to read you, but you will remain on my shelf and somewhere on my TBR" books. Until a few weeks ago, when I found the audiobook at the library and decided to take the plunge. (Full confession: I wasn't loving the audiobook I was currently listening to, so it was an easy distraction!) I am happy to report that I simply adore this book! Adore. I'm super happy because I didn't love Leah on the Offbeat, but this gave me all the happy feels of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

What I loved most about it was this: it was 100% real. Molly is 100% real. In this day and age, so many YA books include these kickass protagonists who know exactly what they want in life and what they should do, and then they have no problem doing it. It's empowering and I absolutely love it. ...but was I like that at 17 years old? No. I was more like Molly. Molly who lives so much in her head. Molly who questions so many things. Not that Molly didn't know who she was, because she did. She had a great sense of self and was strong and loyal in her beliefs. But she also had the realistic hopes and fears of a teenager. And what I loved about her was this: Molly Peskin-Suso is quietly brave. She doesn't dismantle a dystopian society, no, but she steps outside of her comfort zone and she takes chances. I adore this girl.

Random funny note: the audiobook narrator was fantastic, but it was just funny hearing how she read Abby, because her Abby was nothing like Alexandra Shipp (who was Abby in the Love, Simon movie and is so now how I picture her.) But I also loved how the characters from Simon appeared a few times in this book. So fun!

This is the type of book you want to pick up and hug, because it's so adorable and so lovely. If you haven't had the chance to try Unrequited yet, I definitely recommend you do so!

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Book review: Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Book Summary
Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

Flo's Review
I adored Simon so hard. And I adore Becky Albertalli so hard. But I struggled a bit with Leah, for two reasons: 1) Leah is such an angsty teenager. She has every right to be. I completely understand why she is. But I didn't really have a lot of fun reading 300+ pages of angsty, stuck-in-own-head teen girl. 2) Seriously, everyone at Creekwood has a crush on the one same person?! Like, between the books and movie, how many people have been romantically interested in this one character?! And, yeah, she's cool, but... I found myself picking this book up every night and telling myself that I just needed to get through it. It felt really long and like I was reading it forever.

Okay, so now let's talk about the good stuff! Simon Spier is my favorite for life! This book had a LOT of Simon and his love interest in it and I was all here for it. That promposal though?! Everything. They are adorable. I love them. One of my friends wrote in her review that she loved all the pop culture references and would just love to hang out with this friend group and I agree! So much Harry Potter love and it was so great. I would have loved to do prom night with this crew.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda review here: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2017/11/book-review-and-trailer-simon-vs-homo.html

Love, Simon movie review here:
http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2018/02/movie-review-love-simon.html

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Movie Review: Love, Simon

Movie Summary
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for Simon it's complicated: no-one knows he's gay and he doesn't know who the anonymous classmate is that he's fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, scary and life-changing.

Flo's Review
I love Love, Simon. I recently made a point of reading the book Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda so that I would be ready for the movie. Man, did I love that book. (Read my review here.)

Last week, I was lucky enough to see an advance screening of the movie! It looked my expectations in the eye and said, "Oh, you think you know how good this movie will be? Hold my beer." I had hoped going in that it would be adorable like the book was adorable, but I honestly didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I seriously loved it so much!

Yes, it met the Adorable factor I was hoping for, that was in the book and raised it a level. But it was also really funny. I didn't expect to be cracking up as much as I was. I laughed and I cried and it made me nostalgic for my group of high school friends. You know, the ones that you'd just drive around town with listening to music and talking? The ones who knew you better almost as well, if not better, than you knew yourself? Simon's friends were all amazing in this and their relationship was perfect -- it felt genuine and not forced in the slightest. Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel as Simon's parents were also killer.

I think if you've read the book and you liked it, then you will like this movie. It did a good job of sticking pretty closely to the book. But I also really think this will be one of those book-to-movies that can stand on its own. I think it will be able to attract fans and viewers outside of those who have read the book, and that these fans will come to know and love the book through the movie first.

Love, Simon comes out March 16th in the U.S. and I already told a friend I would go with her and see it again. And I already can't wait.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Book Review and Trailer: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Book Summary
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, 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.

Flo's Review
5 out of 5 Double Stuff Oreos for this book! I was seriously thinking to myself, "Awww!" pretty much the entire time I was reading this. It is adorable. Becky is adorable, and Simon is adorable, and Blue is adorable, and this book is adorable. I just love it so much! I am left with all the warm fuzzies after reading this one. (As you can tell. I just finished it today and so far instead of giving a "review" of it, I've just been gushing. Let me try to say something other than, "I loved it so much!!" But I did, though. Love it so much.)

Who is Blue?!? For a good chunk of the second half, I was literally suspecting every single person mentioned. Lol. I was happily surprised with how it all turned out.

Of course this book is adorable, because Becky is adorable!

One thing I really liked about this book was the role of Simon's family. In that, they were main characters. They weren't background, secondary, or just around in the beginning or when Simon was at home. They were an integral part of the story and of how Simon acted and reacted to things. Which is real. So real. I love it!

This story takes place in Atlanta, which was fun for me because that's a city that I have spent a lot of time in and know well. So the roads and places mentioned were familiar and therefore easy to picture.

I listened to this one on audiobook, and the narrator was fantastic. He sounded exactly like I would imagine a 17-year-old boy sounding. He sounded exactly like I would imagine Simon sounding. I made sure to finish listening to it today because the audiobook was due back to the library -- but little did I know that today was also the day that the first trailer for the movie based on the book was revealed.

Love, Simon comes out on March 16, 2018 and here is the trailer that was released today:

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