JUNE 2020 - AudioFile
This short and sweet novella on audio will satisfy fans of SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA and LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT. Michael Crouch, who narrated SIMON to excellent effect, is joined by three actors who are new to the series. Told entirely through emails, the story follows high school friends Simon, Blue, Leah, and Abby in their first year of college. Leah and Abby are roommates; Simon is struggling with being at a different school from his boyfriend, Blue. Even with the thankless task of reciting multiple email addresses again and again, all four narrators bring their characters’ personalities to life: Crouch’s Simon, funny and anxious by turns, will tug at listeners’ hearts, while James Fouhey’s Blue is supportive, Bahni Turpin’s Abby is enthusiastic, and Kate Rudd captures Leah’s loving snark. A hopeful coda to a favorite series. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"Fans of the Simonverse will laugh, cry, and swoon over the hilarious and tender exchanges between their favorite characters. Just as sweet—and sadly, just as fleeting—as a pack of Oreos." — Kirkus Reviews
JUNE 2020 - AudioFile
This short and sweet novella on audio will satisfy fans of SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA and LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT. Michael Crouch, who narrated SIMON to excellent effect, is joined by three actors who are new to the series. Told entirely through emails, the story follows high school friends Simon, Blue, Leah, and Abby in their first year of college. Leah and Abby are roommates; Simon is struggling with being at a different school from his boyfriend, Blue. Even with the thankless task of reciting multiple email addresses again and again, all four narrators bring their characters’ personalities to life: Crouch’s Simon, funny and anxious by turns, will tug at listeners’ hearts, while James Fouhey’s Blue is supportive, Bahni Turpin’s Abby is enthusiastic, and Kate Rudd captures Leah’s loving snark. A hopeful coda to a favorite series. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-06-25
Nineteen-year-old Simon and his boyfriend navigate their first year of college while struggling to maintain their newly long-distance relationship.
In this epistolary novella, Simon Spier is at it again—but now, he’s at Haverford College, and Blue, his boyfriend of two years, is in New York City. As they settle into their new college lives, Simon and Blue, along with Leah, Nick, Abby, Garrett, and Taylor, keep in touch via email in endearing, occasionally gossipy group threads and poignant private conversations. Infused with Albertalli’s signature humor and heart and arranged chronologically (complete with time stamps), topics range from roommates, parties, and classes to identity, agency, and the future. New readers beware: Practically every page contains a spoiler for the preceding novels, including Blue’s name and several other characters’ queer identities. Unfortunately, the individual characters’ voices at times do not feel distinct from one another; nevertheless, fans of the Simonverse will laugh, cry, and swoon over the hilarious and tender exchanges between their favorite characters. The story affirms long-term, long-distance love and friendship, addressing the complicated feelings that come from navigating new environments. Race is never mentioned in this installment; readers of previous books will be aware that the characters are White and Black.
Just as sweet—and sadly, just as fleeting—as a pack of Oreos. (Fiction. 12-18)
