SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA

Narrator Michael Crouch projects both vulnerability and verve in 16-year-old Simon Spier’s voice as he copes with being blackmailed over his sexuality. At the same time, he slowly falls in love with an unknown classmate through email. With obvious respect for the character, Crouch smoothly navigates Simon’s shifts from wry self-deprecation to unbridled anger at his situation and to complete candidness in his earnest confessions to his unknown crush. Even though listeners will instantly connect with the personable Simon, they may also find themselves pitying Simon’s blackmailer as Crouch voices him as more pathetic than cruel. This twist adds nuance to Albertalli’s refreshing novel. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2015]