Starred Review Simon's pretty sure no one will be upset when he comes out as gay. Though he lives in Georgia and kids at his high school can be cruel, his friends and family are all very accepting. But announcing that he likes guys is still a huge transformation. That's why he is so spooked when classmate Martin stumbles on secret, flirty e-mails Simon has been sending to Blue, a mysterious boy at his school, and gently threatens to reveal his secret. As the e-mail correspondence heats up, however, Simon is less concerned with keeping his sexuality a secret than he is with meeting the enchanting Blue. In Simon's affecting and authentic voice, debut author Albertalli supplies an exceptionally nuanced account of his coming-of-age. For Simon, coming out is less about negative repercussions as it is about what such a statement will change. After telling everyone he is gay, will he still be the same Simon? Though Martin's blackmail threats and Simon's dreamy romance with Blue are pivotal, compelling plot points, Albertalli shrewdly gives much more weight to Simon's emotional journey. Though they are certainly tied to his sexual orientation, Simon's worries will resonate with many readers coming to terms with something new about themselves. Albertalli's sensitive, incisive novel expertly gets at the complexity of identity, the difficulty of change, and the importance of growth.

Gr 8 Up-Simon Speir, high school junior, walks away from his computer at school for just a moment, and that is when his biggest secret is discovered. He has been emailing a boy in his grade anonymously ever since a poetic waxing on his high school's gossip Tumblr caught his eye, and now Martin Addison has taken a screenshot and has a powerful way to blackmail Simon into getting his friend, Abby, to date him. Although it is filled with trendy pop-culture and digital-age references (Tumblr, Justin Beiber, The Bachelor , etc.) that may not stand the test of time, the message will resonate. Rife with realistic, high school relationships and drama, with a laugh or two at every turn, this is a coming-of-age, coming-out, and defying-the-odds story with which many teens will identify. With a very tidy, feel-good ending, the book will appeal to readers who enjoyed Tim Federle's Better Nate Than Ever (2013) and Five, Six, Seve, Nate! (2014, both S. & S.) and will find a familiar, slightly more mature home with Simon. Brittany Staszak, St. Charles Public Library, IL

Sixteen-year-old high school junior, Simon, is not quite ready to let his friends and family know that he is gay. He has, however, begun an anonymous email relationship with another not-yet-out gay student at his school (Blue) for whom he is beginning to have romantic feelings. When Martin sees this correspondence on Simon's computer screen, he uses the information about Simon's sexuality to blackmail him. Meanwhile, the rest of Simon's close friends are struggling with typical teen problems of their own. The story alternates between Simon and Blue's correspondence and a more traditional narrative. All drama is resolved by the book's end and everyone gets their own happy ending, particularly an officially "out" Simon.What makes this title special is its focus on the sweet, romantic feelings associated with nascent romance so often missing in LGBTQ literature. Books in this category typically focus on the problems of being gay. While Simon is the object of some bullying, this is definitely a romance novel rather than a problem novel. The epistolary portions of the text allow Simon and Blue to deal beautifully with the unfairness of having to declare one's sexuality at all, pointing out that straightness (and, for that matter, whiteness) should not just be an assumed default. The characters are well fleshed out and relatable. Romantic and sweet, give this one to fans of David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy (Knopf, 2003/VOYA October 2003).Kristin Anderson.