American author Becky Albertalli’s YA romance and coming-of-age novel, Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015) tells the story of protagonist Simon Spier. Simon is blackmailed about his anonymous email relationship with another boy as a fellow classmate threatens to out him as gay if he doesn’t help them get a date with his friend. Albertalli, a psychologist who worked with LGBTQ children and teens, explores themes related to growing up and questions whose experiences are considered to be the standard. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is the first book in the Creekwood series, which includes Albertalli’s books The Upside of Unrequited (2017), Leah on the Offbeat (2018), and Love, Creekwood (2020). The series is also set in the same shared universe (the Simonverse) as Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give (2017) and Nic White’s Dear Martin (2017). Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda won the 2016 William C. Morris Award from the American Library Association. In 2018, it was adapted into a film, Love, Simon, by 20th Century Fox and a spin-off TV series, Love, Victor, is on Hulu. The novel contains profanity and references to sex. This guide follows the 2016 First Paperback Edition.

Plot Summary

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda relates the coming out and first love of Simon, a student at Creekwood High School in mid-2010s suburban Atlanta. The narrative is told from Simon’s first-person point-of-view, as well as through epistolary chapters made up of emails between Simon and his anonymous correspondent, Blue.

Simon’s classmate Martin mentions during rehearsal for the school musical that he read Simon’s email on the school computer. This causes Simon to panic. Simon has been emailing Blue, another student at Creekwood, through an anonymous account. They have been discussing their feelings about being gay, as well as other topics, without knowing one another’s identity. Martin tells Simon his brother is gay, and it’s not a big deal to him if Simon is. He also lets Simon believe that he took screenshots of the emails. Martin requests that Simon help him talk to Abby, one of Simon’s good friends, and Simon realizes this is blackmail. If Simon doesn’t help Martin with Abby, Martin will post the emails on the school’s gossip Tumblr, exposing Simon. Simon reluctantly agrees. He comforts himself later by playing video games with his best friends Nick and Leah, as well as his dog, Bieber.

In Chapter 2, Simon, writing under the name Jacques, writes emails back and forth with Blue. Simon shares when he realized he was gay, and they both discuss how terrible middle school was. Later, Simon reflects that he can’t tell Blue about the situation with Martin, and he has been able to talk to Blue about most things since they met online after Blue posted on the school Tumblr. When Simon’s family makes a video call to discuss The Bachelorette with his sister Alice at college, his dad makes a joke about someone on the show being gay, which bothers Simon. Meanwhile, at school, Simon has been avoiding Martin, but eventually suggests Martin go to Garrett’s Halloween party, where Abby will also attend.

In emails in Chapter 4, Blue and Simon discuss Halloween costumes, and Simon makes embarrassingly sexual autocorrect errors. Later, Abby, Nick, Leah, and Simon go to Garrett’s Halloween party, and they see Martin there. Simon has a beer at the party, which is not typical for him, and later he thinks about what that means. The next day, Blue and Simon email about Halloween candy and discuss homecoming. When Simon asks what costume Blue will wear for spirit week, Blue admits he fears Simon realizing his real identity. The next week is homecoming, and Simon and Nick decide to go to the game, upsetting Leah, who values their tradition of going to Waffle House instead. Simon enjoys the game, sitting with the drama kids, including blue-eyed Cal, whom he thinks is attractive. In Chapter 8, Blue and Simon email about Simon’s love of Oreos. Blue also says he likes to think about Simon fantasizing about sex. Simon is stunned to learn Blue’s interest is sexual, and he imagines Cal is Blue. The next day is Simon’s birthday, and Leah brings a cake at lunch, having forgiven Simon for their fight about homecoming.

Simon and Blue playfully discuss Simon’s lack of sleep and Blue’s excellent grammar. The day after Thanksgiving, Simon realizes how much he’s missed his sister Alice after she returns home from college. Once back at school, when Simon gets another boy’s quiz, he notices how cute the boy, Bram, is. In Chapter 12, Blue emails Simon and tells him that he has been listening to Elliott Smith because of the allusion to Smith’s lyrics in Simon’s email address. He also says he’s spending Hanukkah in a hotel room with his dad and is thinking about coming out to him. Simon is distracted in Chapter 13 thinking about Blue, but after Martin says something threatening, he agrees to go to Waffle House with him and Abby to practice lines for the musical. Later, Blue emails that he didn’t come out to his dad after he gave him a book by Casanova for Hanukkah. In his email response, Simon accidentally mentions his English teacher’s name.

Simon, Abby, and Martin go to Waffle House, and Simon likes Martin more than he expects. On the way home, Simon decides to come out to Abby, who responds supportively. In emails that night, Blue tells Simon he came out to his mom, and the two discuss the experience together. The next week, Simon discovers that it’s hard to come out to Leah and Nick because he’s known them so long, so he doesn’t. During a Saturday play rehearsal, Simon hangs out with Cal as well as Abby, which makes Martin furious, especially because Abby rejected him. Blue and Simon agree in emails that everyone should have to come out, as awkwardly as possible. Simon also tells Blue he thinks they should meet.

On Christmas Eve, Simon feels like something isn’t right, despite his family’s comforting traditions. Nick and Leah stop by for a strange visit, acting concerned, but don’t say why. After dinner, his younger sister Nora shows him an anonymous post on the school Tumblr outing him to the school, likely from Martin. Simon tells Nora he’s gay, and he comes out to the rest of his family the next morning at Christmas. Simon asks Blue if they can exchange numbers to text, but Blue doesn’t like the idea. On New Year’s Eve, Simon comes out to Nick and Leah, and Leah is hurt that Abby already knew. Over the next few days, Blue explains he’s too afraid to share his number because he doesn’t want to change things. Simon says he’s ready for the change, but that Blue should think about it.

Back at school, Simon is harassed in the hall by a boy pretending to kiss him. Later, rehearsal is interrupted when two boys come in to play a prank on Simon for being gay, and they’re chased down by Ms. Albright the drama teacher, Abby, and Taylor, who is in the play. Rehearsal ends early, so Abby and Simon go to watch soccer tryouts. Abby flirts with Nick, and Simon talks to Bram, who is shy. Martin tries to apologize to Simon, but Simon is angry, telling him he took away his ability to come out on his own terms. Martin leaves, crying.

Blue emails Simon that he thinks he knows who Simon, or Jacques, is. Simon responds that he thinks he knows who Blue is, too, and guesses traits belonging to Cal, which turn out to be wrong. Blue seems hurt by the wrong guess, and Simon feels bad. Later at school, Cal mentions wanting to hang out with Simon, but Simon finds he isn’t interested. Nick and Abby still tease him in English class about it. In an email later, Blue mentions things seem to be working out well for Simon. Simon writes if Blue isn’t attracted to him, he understands, but wishes they could go back to emailing.

Simon is hurt by Blue’s silence and tries to think of who Blue might be, but he realizes he doesn’t know much about his classmates. On Monday, Blue leaves him an Elliott Smith shirt on his locker. Simon wants to wear it, but he feels weird not knowing who Blue is. Abby does Simon’s makeup to perform the musical for the students. Before the afternoon performance, someone vandalizes Simon’s and Martin’s names on the cast list with an anti-gay slur. Simon starts worrying that Martin could be Blue. Later that evening, Abby and Nick take Simon out for an evening in Atlanta, deciding to leave Leah behind. They go to a gay restaurant and bar, and a college student buys Simon drinks and listens to his story. Abby and Nick take Simon back to his house, where his parents are angry to discover he is drunk. Simon, also angry, confronts his dad about making gay jokes in front of him. His parents ground him.

The next week at school, Simon learns that Abby and Nick began dating, but Leah is furious that she was ditched on Friday night. Simon’s parents talk to him, and to his surprise, his father apologizes for the gay jokes. Simon explains that it seems like his parents make a big deal of every small change. During opening night of the musical, Abby does Simon’s makeup, but confronts him about involving her in the Martin blackmail situation; she feels manipulated. That night, Simon rereads all of Blue’s emails.

Simon writes an email to Blue telling him that he’s going to the carnival, and he hopes Blue will meet him there. After the play ends, Simon drives home to put on the Elliott Smith shirt and discovers a note from Blue inside, including his phone number. He goes to the carnival and looks for Blue. At the last minute, he goes on the Tilt-a-Whirl, but assumes Blue won’t be there. Bram sits down in the car with him and compliments his shirt. Simon realizes Bram is Blue. After the ride, they talk, and Simon feels bad for not realizing Bram was Blue. He is attracted to Bram, and they hold hands.

The next day at school, Bram and Simon sneak off campus together and eat a lunch of Oreos. They kiss, and after discussion, they decide to be out as boyfriends to everyone. That night, they change their status on social media. Simon insists on talking to Leah, and they discuss their friendship. They both cry. Martin writes Simon an email again apologizing and trying to explain his point of view, but he doesn’t expect Simon to forgive him.

At the school talent show, Simon sits next to Bram and is shocked when Leah and his sister Nora play in a rock band together. Alice and her new boyfriend come to the show, too, but Simon turns down going out for food with his family afterwards so that he and Bram can have time alone at home for a while. Simon and Bram make out, and Simon thinks this could be more serious soon. At the end, he reflects that he’s now okay with more dramatic changes.