Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli Reading Response

In the book Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Simon Spier is sixteen and gay but not out, because his family makes a big deal about everything and he dreads the reaction to them finding out he’s gay. Then a classmate blackmails him, threatening to tell everyone he is gay. He finds himself falling in love with an anonymous emailer named “Blue,” another gay-but-not-out boy at his school. He eventually comes around to the idea that everyone has secrets; everyone has things to “come out” about. And being himself and being in love might be something he wants to make a big deal about after all.

Simon doesn’t want to come out because his family makes a big deal about little things like drinking coffee. “If she thinks me drinking coffee is big news, it’s going to be quite a f---ing morning,” he thinks when he’s about to tell his parents that he’s gay. He’s also worried about how kids at his school will react and how his dad will react because he makes gay jokes. Simon says, “the word ‘fag’ isn’t exactly uncommon,” in his high school. He’s a little afraid of getting bullied.

Simon is closeted and he wants to stay that way which makes him susceptible to blackmail. When Martin finds one of Simons emails to Blue he says he’ll keep it quiet if he helps Martin get together with Simon’s friend Abby. Simon gets really stressed out. Simon is forced to invite Martin and Abby to go to the waffle house and he feels sad like he betrayed Abby. Martin is putting Simon in a bad position with Abby because he shouldn’t be trying to make Abby like Martin.

Simon starts to fall in love with Blue and realizes that everybody has secrets. Simon is forced to come out, because Martin was mad and posts on the school tumblr page that Simon is gay…. Leah who is Simons friend and Nora Who is his sister at the end both play in a band and are really good surprising Simon. Also Alice Simons other sister gets a boyfriend that she’s kept a secret and decides to introduce him to her family because Simon inspires her, with him coming out. Abby and Nick who are Simon’s friend also “come out” as a couple

In conclusion the author is trying to say that everybody has big secrets and feels like they don’t want them to be a big deal. But sometimes they are a big deal. And everybody has something to “come out” about and they will be scared to do it.