On Thursday, June 7, at 7 p.m., award-winning author Becky Albertalli will speak at the Library of Congress in D.C. about the far-reaching impact of her debut young adult novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
The book's protagonist, Simon Spier, may seem just like any other high school junior. He has a tight group of friends, loves his supportive family, and has all the anxieties of a teenager dealing with growing up. Except, he has a secret: he is gay and has not told a soul. Yet yearning to connect with someone like himself, he strikes up an email conversation with an anonymous boy named Blue. And when those emails fall into the wrong hands, Simon's world is shaken up, and he is forced to face the truth about who he really is.
The book, published in April 2015, is now also a major motion picture called Love, Simon. It came out in theaters in March 2018 and has developed quite the following. There's a fan-made music video, a Wikipedia page, and even a Buzzfeed quiz to determine which Love, Simon character you really are.
Becky is also very qualified to dive deep into the stormy seas of the teenage psyche. "As a former clinical psychologist who worked primarily with teenagers, Albertalli also has an innate understanding of the adolescent mind and its fundamental obsessions: sex, popularity, iPhones, sugar, yet she also adroitly portrays the quiet desperation and awkwardness that follow us all into adulthood." She also worked a lot with LGBTQ teens and adults, as well as gender nonconforming children.
The groundbreaking contribution of the book and movie is that they both draw attention to the LGBTQ community, and the amount of courage and freedom they both provide to individuals, especially teenagers, who, like Simon, are struggling with acceptance. Fans are sharing their powerful stories about coming out, all thanks to the impact this movie had on them.
The event, called "Love, Becky: A One-on-One with Author Becky Albertalli" is amazingly FREE to attend! A book signing will follow the one-hour discussion. So hit up Amazon, your local bookstore, or bring your already well-loved and twice-read copy with you for an autograph. Even though tickets are free (you'll need to register ahead of time here), registration does not guarantee admission, as seating is on a first come, first served basis. So get there early!
Becky has also penned a couple more books since Simon. The Upside of Unrequited was published in April 2017. Her most recent book, Leah on the Offbeat, which hit shelves this past April, landed in the No. 1 spot on the New York Times Children's Best Sellers List. The novel focuses on Leah Burke, Simon's best friend, and gives the character a chance to tell her own story in her own words, "as she grapples with changing friendships, first love, and senior year angst."
And for fans who have devoured all three books, don't worry! Her next book, What If It's Us, which she co-authored with Adam Silvera, will be available in October of this year and is available for pre-order on Amazon. Lastly, Love, Simon the movie is now available for purchase on both Amazon and iTunes so you can watch it from the comfort of your couch and no one will judge that box of tissues by your side ;) Because in the end, everyone deserves a love story.
Did you read the book? Did you see the movie? Will you be reading any of Becky's other books? We love all of our bookworms, so drop us a line below with your thoughts!
