Since it is Pride month I was determined to squeeze an LGBTQ+ story in this month. I went to see Love Simon in a Cineworld Secret screening in 2018 and really loved it but for one reason or another never actually picked the book up. But when it was cheap on Amazon Kindle it was the perfect opportunity.

The book was initially called Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda but was renamed Love Simon for the movie. Usually this would really bug me (I hate they renamed Where Rainbows End to Love Rosie) but I had never even heard of the book until I saw the film, so apologies if it offends but that is what I call it.

Simon is a high school student, he has three best friends, isn’t in the popular clique but also isn’t a reject. He does musical theatre; which I guess sometimes is classed as dorky but other times it’s a cool clique to be in so I’m never really sure, and gets on well with his siblings. However, Simon is hiding a huge secret from everybody, he’s gay.

Following a tumblr post Simon reads, he starts an email relationship with another gay student from his school, however, he has no idea who it is. It’s all blossoming lovely, when Martin; a student who is also in the theatre production, sees Simon’s emails and begins to blackmail him threatening to ‘out’ him.

I assume lots of kids can totally relate to this book. A few times throughout Simon states that it would seem only fair that people had to ‘come out’ as straight as well as gay and I totally get that as it definitely only seems fair. As a straight white British woman I am definitely starting to have more of an appreciation for the societal privilege I have.

All in all, it’s a lovely story. A proper coming of age easy read. I really like the switch between the narrative and emails too, it gives it more fluidity and breaks it up well.

I’d give it a solid 5/5! And I actually don’t give them that often.