I adored _Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda_ but this one kind of fell flat for me. It felt like Simon fan fic more than its own novel. Still, pleasant and enjoyable

3.5

The follow-up to Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda is no less enjoyable than the first book! All the characters I loved are back, seen from a different angle, and I still love them. :) Leah's pov deals with her bisexuality and how to come out, her noticeable lack of affluence compared to everyone she knows, her being fat, her perfectionism and insecurities, racism in her school community...but it's not A Book About any of those things. It's just about the senior year of a bunch of nerds, bandmates, soccer players, and theater geeks--complete with prom, college fretting, and changing friend group dynamics--and a crush. (And I shipped the pairing in this book *so much*. <3)

I appreciate how the book is as light and fluffy and cute a piece of queer YA as you'd expect from Becky Albertalli, yet feels true to Leah's personality, which is much more cynical and biting and "unlikable" than any of her other protagonists. It's great to see a personality like Leah's take the lead in a story and not be a bad thing (and get a fluffy romance :)). Her voice isn't gentle, but it's a delight.

Loved being back in the world of Simon and his friends - and especially love Leah's character. She's frustrating at times, but SO relatable and funny.

4.5 stars

I love Becky and I love her writing! Another good book, not my favorite overall, but I LOVED the ending. ***3.5 stars

There's something about Becky Albertalli's books that make you read them in one sitting, and Leah was no exception! I really really enjoyed it. Being back with the Creekwood gang was the best and even though I didn't remember just how acerbic Leah can be I liked being in her head. Garrett was more of a doofus than I remembered, Abby was adorable, and oh gosh Simon <3 It all felt very high schooly and drama llama in the best way, but it also felt like she retconned the characters' personalities a bit. I did love the prom part and the dresses!! There were a couple references that felt a little eye-rolly but the author is trying to capture that current Tumblr culture so I suppose it works even if it bugged me slightly. The story and romances and characters worked great even if the book felt rushed.

I didn’t mean to stay up until 11 pm on a Tuesday night reading this in one setting, but I couldn’t help myself. I love Albertalli’s characters and stories so much. Leah’s desire to set everything on fire before she has to say goodbye is simultaneously heartbreaking and relatable. I preordered this with the intention of lending it to a student right away, and I see so much of her in Leah.

I loved returning to the world of Simon, but I missed Simon’s voice and perspective.

Leah is a compelling character and I loved watching her relationships evolve and find confidence in herself.

This was literally everything I ever wanted. The only negative I could think of is that I am left with questions, but I feel like Becky will definitely answer them in upcoming novels.

Leah is such an amazing character. I know that people are going to delve into the sexuality side of things with this book (which is AMAZING WOO WOO BI VISIBILITY), but I also want to touch on the fact that this is the first overweight protagonist that I have ever read where there is not a butt-load of weight shaming and the entirety of the plot doesn't revolve around her weight-acceptance. Like, she's just an overweight character with SO MUCH MORE GOING FOR HER. As a pudgy individual, this was everything to me. There were some instances of acceptance, some instances of insecurity, but for the most part she was just a person finishing high school and I love that.

It is official. Becky Albertalli is my favourite contemporary author.