Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
At first, I was concerned this book would be all about a guy whose gayness would cause
him shame and embarrassment. The way the summary on the front flap is written sort of makes it
seems that way, but thankfully, this book surprised me. The characters are wonderful and
relatable for all teens, and the story offers interesting peeks into the lives of these varying teens.
It’s a sweet story that offers a little gushy romance and some dramatic plot twists. It’s hard not to
find yourself falling in love with the characters and their troubles… This book keeps you
guessing. It unfolds like a mystery, and I wish there had been more hints to the outcome than
there were— or maybe I just need to reread it. It’s definitely worth the time.
The Survival Guide to Bullying by Aija Mayrock
It’s, well, a survival guide. How hard could that be to write? I’m only joking; this book is
very well-written and helpful. What with everything happening in our lives these days, this book
offers a helping hand and lots of inspiration. For anyone feeling down or depressed, this book
offers a light to look up to. The “roems” (rap poems) Mayrock uses are a little cheesy to me and
don’t necessarily add to the book, but they distinguish it from other books that hope to help.
Even if you aren’t being bullied at school or at home, this book offers some nice general life
advice.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
Ooh, it’s a good read, and a long one, too. I’d only pick this book up if you’re a
ridiculously fast or relatively dedicated reader. It deals with some pretty heavy themes despite
the happy-looking cover, and I was… surprised. It’s a very emotional book. The story takes
place in the 90’s, which offers some interesting nostalgia with mentions of VHS tapes and other
classics of the era. I found myself lost, sometimes, in all that was going on; the story is almost
like life, in that sometimes, you just… need a break. I needed breaks in between some of the
story, it was so… real. So messed up, almost, that I thought about looking for something else to
read. That said, it’s a story of finding oneself and dealing with loss, mirroring some of the lives
we live now. The characters are fabulous and well-written, and even though it was difficult to
read, it was definitely worth reading.
(I would only recommend this book be read by juniors and up. I’m not trying to tell you what to
do, but the themes expressed were even a little much for me… and I’m a senior. Take caution,
my friends.)
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
This book deserves another sort of ooh. It’s written for middle school girls, I believe— or
maybe it just seems that way. The rather ridiculous transformation of a girl from “mildly geeky”
and “scrawny” to having a “knockout figure” in the span of a single summer stems right from
what many young girls hope to experience in high school. Though the concept of growth spurts
are definitely common, the language used— “she gained four inches and twenty pounds, all in
the right places”— is… not so much. The age of fifteen is a time of great change, but this may
give false hope to some who see growing up as just becoming desirable with hardly any work.
Another thing— this girl, a sophomore, gets a senior boyfriend in the span of just weeks of
starting school. Not only is this unrealistic, but it’s also pretty creepy. Some may claim two years
isn’t so much, but believe me, in high school, it definitely is. The character herself is rather
shallow in the relationship section, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the fact that she’s
involved with a seventeen-year-old at fifteen and talks about being in love for half of the book…
well, it may be accurate, but for me, it wasn’t so fun to read. Half of the book bored me. It wasn’t
until the actual plot of the story picked up that I became interested. Sadly, the good parts were
short and didn’t continue for a long enough amount of time. Honestly, this is not a great book for
“girl power”— at least, not my idea of it. Sure, she’s a “hot” girl with tons of smarts and
intellect, but it shouldn’t be about her gaining power just because she recently grew into her
body. That’s not my idea of girl power, but… go on, read it. Tell me what you think or start a
conversation among your peers. Maybe it’s worth it.
At first, I was concerned this book would be all about a guy whose gayness would cause
him shame and embarrassment. The way the summary on the front flap is written sort of makes it
seems that way, but thankfully, this book surprised me. The characters are wonderful and
relatable for all teens, and the story offers interesting peeks into the lives of these varying teens.
It’s a sweet story that offers a little gushy romance and some dramatic plot twists. It’s hard not to
find yourself falling in love with the characters and their troubles… This book keeps you
guessing. It unfolds like a mystery, and I wish there had been more hints to the outcome than
there were— or maybe I just need to reread it. It’s definitely worth the time.
The Survival Guide to Bullying by Aija Mayrock
It’s, well, a survival guide. How hard could that be to write? I’m only joking; this book is
very well-written and helpful. What with everything happening in our lives these days, this book
offers a helping hand and lots of inspiration. For anyone feeling down or depressed, this book
offers a light to look up to. The “roems” (rap poems) Mayrock uses are a little cheesy to me and
don’t necessarily add to the book, but they distinguish it from other books that hope to help.
Even if you aren’t being bullied at school or at home, this book offers some nice general life
advice.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
Ooh, it’s a good read, and a long one, too. I’d only pick this book up if you’re a
ridiculously fast or relatively dedicated reader. It deals with some pretty heavy themes despite
the happy-looking cover, and I was… surprised. It’s a very emotional book. The story takes
place in the 90’s, which offers some interesting nostalgia with mentions of VHS tapes and other
classics of the era. I found myself lost, sometimes, in all that was going on; the story is almost
like life, in that sometimes, you just… need a break. I needed breaks in between some of the
story, it was so… real. So messed up, almost, that I thought about looking for something else to
read. That said, it’s a story of finding oneself and dealing with loss, mirroring some of the lives
we live now. The characters are fabulous and well-written, and even though it was difficult to
read, it was definitely worth reading.
(I would only recommend this book be read by juniors and up. I’m not trying to tell you what to
do, but the themes expressed were even a little much for me… and I’m a senior. Take caution,
my friends.)
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
This book deserves another sort of ooh. It’s written for middle school girls, I believe— or
maybe it just seems that way. The rather ridiculous transformation of a girl from “mildly geeky”
and “scrawny” to having a “knockout figure” in the span of a single summer stems right from
what many young girls hope to experience in high school. Though the concept of growth spurts
are definitely common, the language used— “she gained four inches and twenty pounds, all in
the right places”— is… not so much. The age of fifteen is a time of great change, but this may
give false hope to some who see growing up as just becoming desirable with hardly any work.
Another thing— this girl, a sophomore, gets a senior boyfriend in the span of just weeks of
starting school. Not only is this unrealistic, but it’s also pretty creepy. Some may claim two years
isn’t so much, but believe me, in high school, it definitely is. The character herself is rather
shallow in the relationship section, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the fact that she’s
involved with a seventeen-year-old at fifteen and talks about being in love for half of the book…
well, it may be accurate, but for me, it wasn’t so fun to read. Half of the book bored me. It wasn’t
until the actual plot of the story picked up that I became interested. Sadly, the good parts were
short and didn’t continue for a long enough amount of time. Honestly, this is not a great book for
“girl power”— at least, not my idea of it. Sure, she’s a “hot” girl with tons of smarts and
intellect, but it shouldn’t be about her gaining power just because she recently grew into her
body. That’s not my idea of girl power, but… go on, read it. Tell me what you think or start a
conversation among your peers. Maybe it’s worth it.