What do you think?
Rate this book
Simon Sort of Says
Simon O’Keeffe’s biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he’d do anything to forget: the story in which he’s the only kid in his class who survived a school shooting.
Two years after the infamous event, twelve-year-old Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone—the only place in America where the internet is banned. Instead of talking about Simon, the astronomers who flock to the area are busy listening for signs of life in space. And when Simon makes a friend who’s determined to give the scientists what they’re looking for, he’ll finally have the chance to spin a new story for the world to tell.
From award-winning author Erin Bow, Simon Sort of Says is a breathtaking testament to the lasting echoes of trauma, the redemptive power of humor, and the courage it takes to move forward without forgetting the past.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2023
About the author
Erin Bow
10 books778 followersTEN THINGS ABOUT ME:
1. I'm a physicist turned poet turned YA novelist.
2. I am world-famous in Canada, which is kind of like being world-famous in real life.
3. I write books for young readers and people like me who didn't grow up. All my books will either will make you either cry on the bus or snort milk out your nose. I am dangerous to your dignity and should be stopped.
4. I needed WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS to have a happy ending, so I wrote a middle-grade book called STAND ON THE SKY
5. I needed a book with a Spock-like hero who was also a queer girl, so I wrote THE SCORPION RULES, and its sequel THE SWAN RIDERS.
6. I think cats can actually talk, but don't find us worthy, hence PLAIN KATE.
7. I hate horror, so I wrote a horror: SORROW'S KNOT,
7. I think Hufflepuff is the best house, Xander was the best Scoobie, Five was the best Doctor, and Spock was the best everything.
8. I am married to another novelist, and we can actually pay our bills. Our daughters want to be scientists.
10. My bookshelves will always be full.
1. I'm a physicist turned poet turned YA novelist.
2. I am world-famous in Canada, which is kind of like being world-famous in real life.
3. I write books for young readers and people like me who didn't grow up. All my books will either will make you either cry on the bus or snort milk out your nose. I am dangerous to your dignity and should be stopped.
4. I needed WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS to have a happy ending, so I wrote a middle-grade book called STAND ON THE SKY
5. I needed a book with a Spock-like hero who was also a queer girl, so I wrote THE SCORPION RULES, and its sequel THE SWAN RIDERS.
6. I think cats can actually talk, but don't find us worthy, hence PLAIN KATE.
7. I hate horror, so I wrote a horror: SORROW'S KNOT,
7. I think Hufflepuff is the best house, Xander was the best Scoobie, Five was the best Doctor, and Spock was the best everything.
8. I am married to another novelist, and we can actually pay our bills. Our daughters want to be scientists.
10. My bookshelves will always be full.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 965 reviews
December 31, 2023
I'm hoping and praying that this at least receives a Newberry Honor. This is one of the BEST and most EMOTIONAL books that I've read in 2023. I don't cry very often when I read, but this one did it. CW: school shooting, PTSD, anxiety, and grief
Simon Sort of Says follows Simon and his family as they journey to a new town after Simon's mother receives a new job. Simon is most excited about this new journey because it is located in the middle of nowhere where the residents don't watch TV, use microwaves, cellphones, or computers. It's a perfect situation because it means that Simon can escape the possibility of anyone finding out that he was the sole survivor of a school shooting at his previous elementary school. While in this new town, Simon is forced to confront a host of different things including his struggles with anxiety, grief, and survivors guilt. However, he also realizes his power to be able to move forward, his ability to love and be loved, and the importance of enjoying life without forgetting or disregarding the pain of the past.
What Worked: EVERYTHING. EVERY SINGLE THING. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book, but it did a number on my emotions. Erin Bow crafted this book in a way that made me reflect on the number of children who have lost their lives to senseless gun violence, but also the other children who have lived with the impact of witnessing the loss of their fellow peers and friends. It's important to have those conversations where we're thinking about the relentless trauma, anxiety, and survivors guilt that inflicts the individuals and their families. Not only did Bow showcase the impact on Simon, but also his parents who anxiously awaited the news of whether their son was alive or dead. As a parent, I find myself praying that I never experience those feelings. One thing that I find myself wanting to point out is this idea that Bow was able to create a balance throughout the entirety of the story. Yes, she address the struggles that Simon and his family face, but she also weaves in hope. That even in this great tragedy Simon is able to find friendship, joy, creativity. He has two amazing friends with who he experiences some pretty tough things, but the company, energy, courage, and love that they give to Simon and he gives in return is the ultimate proof that we can continue on. We never forget, a part of us will always hurt, but life can be lived after. Bow also gives us humor. There were moments where I would cry during one chapter and laugh in the next. It's the perfect illustration of the ups and downs of life. No moment whether good or bad lasts forever, but it is the culmination of these moments that make life worth living. I don't think I've ever read a novel this. It's been a while since I've read a book and then immediately had to the urge to read it again. This will easily be one of my favorite books of all time. From the tears I cried when Simon was at his lowest to the laughs I shared when his mother's funeral home accidentally lost a body, this is a book that will stay with me for an incredibly long time. Beautifully written with such vital, important messages. This is not a book that you want to miss.
Simon Sort of Says follows Simon and his family as they journey to a new town after Simon's mother receives a new job. Simon is most excited about this new journey because it is located in the middle of nowhere where the residents don't watch TV, use microwaves, cellphones, or computers. It's a perfect situation because it means that Simon can escape the possibility of anyone finding out that he was the sole survivor of a school shooting at his previous elementary school. While in this new town, Simon is forced to confront a host of different things including his struggles with anxiety, grief, and survivors guilt. However, he also realizes his power to be able to move forward, his ability to love and be loved, and the importance of enjoying life without forgetting or disregarding the pain of the past.
What Worked: EVERYTHING. EVERY SINGLE THING. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book, but it did a number on my emotions. Erin Bow crafted this book in a way that made me reflect on the number of children who have lost their lives to senseless gun violence, but also the other children who have lived with the impact of witnessing the loss of their fellow peers and friends. It's important to have those conversations where we're thinking about the relentless trauma, anxiety, and survivors guilt that inflicts the individuals and their families. Not only did Bow showcase the impact on Simon, but also his parents who anxiously awaited the news of whether their son was alive or dead. As a parent, I find myself praying that I never experience those feelings. One thing that I find myself wanting to point out is this idea that Bow was able to create a balance throughout the entirety of the story. Yes, she address the struggles that Simon and his family face, but she also weaves in hope. That even in this great tragedy Simon is able to find friendship, joy, creativity. He has two amazing friends with who he experiences some pretty tough things, but the company, energy, courage, and love that they give to Simon and he gives in return is the ultimate proof that we can continue on. We never forget, a part of us will always hurt, but life can be lived after. Bow also gives us humor. There were moments where I would cry during one chapter and laugh in the next. It's the perfect illustration of the ups and downs of life. No moment whether good or bad lasts forever, but it is the culmination of these moments that make life worth living. I don't think I've ever read a novel this. It's been a while since I've read a book and then immediately had to the urge to read it again. This will easily be one of my favorite books of all time. From the tears I cried when Simon was at his lowest to the laughs I shared when his mother's funeral home accidentally lost a body, this is a book that will stay with me for an incredibly long time. Beautifully written with such vital, important messages. This is not a book that you want to miss.
April 28, 2023
To start us off here, put yourself in my shoes. I’m on a plane headed overseas and I’m going to have lots of time on my hands. I review books for kids, yes, but I also write books for kids and I figured that this copious plane time would be ideal for tightening up this middle grade novel I’ve been working on. But, this being a plane, there are large swaths of time where a person isn’t allowed to keep their laptops open, so I’ve brought along this book Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow to read during the whole take-off proceedings. It was recommended to me by another librarian/author I trust, so I figure it’ll provide some light distraction until I’m able to get back to my own novel. I think you see where this is going. Reader, I devoured this book, practically in one sitting. My plans for working on my own book? Gone! Not least because I realized a mere 10 pages into this book that it was funnier than anything I could hope to conjure out of my own poor, decrepit, jet-lagged little cranium. That’s sort of the ideal way to read, Simon Sort of Says, by the way. I almost fear telling you too much about it, in case you don’t come to it with the same clean slate that I had. The fact of the matter is that Erin Bow has created a masterpiece of tone with this book. Combining a legitimately horrifying situation with humor, heart, and the occasional Jesus squirrel, this is both the funniest book you’ll read this year, and the best-written. Would that I were joking about that. In three words: I am not.
The story that Simon is going to tell the kids in his new school is that he and his family were forced to leave their home due to an incident at his dad’s church involving alpacas. Not entirely true but not entirely false either. And the great thing is, they’ll never be able to double check it because Simon and his parents are moving to the National Quiet Zone. That means no internet (or microwaves for some reason) because the scientists there are searching for signs of life in space. The internet? It interferes. But the more Simon tries to suppress the real reason he and his family have moved, the more dire it may become to tell the truth to his new friends.
So I’m just going to spoil the premise of this book. It’s not giving anything away, since it’s literally in the book’s description, but if you’re anything like me and you prefer to read a book without knowing anything about it, skip this paragraph. We good? Excellent. As I wanted to mention before, the whole premise of this book is that Simon is the sole survivor of a particularly brutal mass school shooting. So much so that as the only kid to survive, his name is synonymous with the event. The job of Erin Bow, then, is to figure out how precisely to introduce this fact. Now, sometimes if I’m really enjoying a book, I’ll write little notes to myself about it along the way. I was flipping back through this book just now and I saw that I’d written this sentence: “All right, students. Turn to page 34 to see a glorious example of how an author drops bread crumbs from chapter to chapter.” I don’t remember writing that, but I was intrigued enough to go to page 34 to see if I could figure out what I meant. Turns out, it was a section where a single off-handed statement intrigues the reader as quickly as it moves on. Agate, new friend of our hero, tends not to be around at lunch because she’s autistic and prefers to go to the school’s “Wellness Room”. Simons says, “It’s dim and cozy which is nice but it also has only one door, which isn’t.” Mind you, there’s a flipside to this kind of foreshadowing. An author has to be very careful with the number of hints and clues they drop before the reader starts to get tired of trying to follow along. Pace is key here, and that author had better play fair or they’ll start losing the readership. In the case of this book, the reveal came about 113 pages, or almost halfway, into the book. That might seem a bit later than in some titles, but in this particular case I thought that it worked.
How the heck is this a comedy then? Because that’s the twist that makes this particular book stand out from all the other middle grade tragedy-soaked sad fests we see in a given year. Balancing something truly horrific alongside jokes that don’t just land but are honestly good and original (so much so that the person next to me on the airplane may have thought I had some kind of congestion issue, I was snorting so frequently)? I mean, you can’t teach that. The trick lies in tone policing. You have to be able to turn on a dime, when called upon to do so, and deliver the right emotion or sentiment at the right time. The funny parts can’t touch the school shooting stuff. The school shooting stuff should in no way get anywhere near the humor. Yet both have to exist in the same book. It reminded me a bit of Dadaism’s response to WWI. When the world offers you horror that trips into absurdism, how do you NOT make a joke?
On that note, I’m going to do that thing where I pluck individual sentences that really liked in the book out of their contexts and make them fend for themselves. These were some of my favorite funny lines:
“I have enough self-consciousness to fuel the robot uprising.”
“The principal’s name is Ms. Snodgrass, and she looks like she’s spent her whole life trying to overcome being called Ms. Snodgrass … On her face she has that look owls always have, like she’s bored but barely suppressing suspicion and rage.”
On having an expensive chair in his room: “My mom bought it for the year I was homeschooled. She said I wasn’t going to be one of those people with widows’ humps who had to have their spines broken so they can lay flat in a coffin.”
On how schools cram in history at the end of the year: “I went to the bathroom during history class and I missed the Vietnam War.”
“Plus, Mom clearly loves coffee more than me.”
“Absolutely true … I would sell you to the fairies for magic coffee beans.”
And, of course, the line I keep quoting to people all the time about the squirrel that ate the consecrated host at Simon’s dad’s church: “That squirrel is now thirty percent Jesus by volume . . . It’s our new god.”
I also detected at least one Suzy Eddie Izzard joke in this book, which I appreciated, as well as a touch of Arrested Development. Maybe I’m wrong, but it sure felt that way anyway.
Craft talk time. Folks like to talk about the first sentence of a given book. They’ll say that it, or the first page, is the make or break portion of any novel. Now how many people say as many sweet things about the final line of the first chapter? Too few, sez I. That may have been the moment I first fell in love with Simon Sort of Says actually. I read through that first chapter and then reached its last sentence: “Anyway, that's what I tell people.” It’s just six little words but it has the ability to throw everything said before that moment into complete and utter chaos and confusion. Suddenly you have doubts where you didn’t have doubts before (and you’ve only just MET this narrator!). It’s a gutsy little move for a children’s book, and I have nothing but admiration for it. Is Simon an unreliable narrator? Maybe that’s something for child readers to discuss.
And if we’re going to talk craft seriously, let’s talk about character development. The book is written in the first person from Simon’s point of view. That’s great for getting into your main character’s head, but it sets up some natural roadblocks to diving quite as deeply into the heads of his friends and family. Happily, Bow knows how to show rather than tell. First off, there’s Agate. She on the autism spectrum and I was grateful that Bow had the wherewithal to have a fat character where that’s mentioned on occasion, but just so you understand that it’s just part of who she is and not making some kind of a point. Agate is the first friend Simon makes and Bow does a good job of not making her into some kind of magic pixie dream friend, solely there to support our hero. Agate has her own life, her own plans, and she can be darned annoying sometimes. I like that. Bow has a tougher row to hoe with Simon’s other friend Kevin. Kevin’s just a nice dude, but nice dudes can be a little harder to flesh out. Thank goodness for terrible moms then! Or, if not terrible, then at least really really thoughtless moms. It helps to define a guy. Finally, in terms of antagonists, to my infinite relief this book was pretty much bully free. I know that bullies exist, but I also know that they’re also de facto easy villains for lazy authors. It’s easy to make a bully a villain. It doesn’t require much skill in the writing department. Here, there’s a single news reporter who doesn’t even get much time on the page, so we can acknowledge her awfulness without having to see it firsthand. I am down for that.
My co-workers at the library like this book. Of course they do. But they have questions, and I find that when considering books for kids it is generally a very good idea to hear all sides on them. For most of my fellow library workers, the balance between the seriousness of surviving a school shooting alongside the humor of the narration mostly worked, but there were exceptions. For example, at one point Simon says of the goats of Agate, “… it’s making a noise like it’s getting murdered finds getting murdered kind of annoying.” Some folks wondered, not ridiculously, if a kid who was the sole survivor of a school shooting would toss out the term “murdered” quite as cavalierly as Simon has here. It’s a fair point. For other folks, they felt that the ending didn’t work for them. Either they thought it wrapped up far too quickly, or they thought that Simon suddenly had solved his problems in a potentially unhealthy way. Yet even for those folks who had issues with the ending, they loved the book overall. It’s interesting. I rarely see people discuss issues they’ve had with a piece of literature and then throw their weight wholeheartedly behind it anyway. It’s a testament to Bow’s writing. A testament to the book itself.
I’m a librarian by training, so when I read a book I really enjoy I immediately want to pair it with something similar. In this case, it isn’t an intuitive pairing, but one I’d like to make just the same. If you, or a kid you know, hasn’t read, Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone by Tae Keller, this would make an ideal companion novel to Simon Sort of Says. In both cases you’ve an unreliable narrator. A tragedy. Aliens. Science fiction (or is the book realistic fiction?). They’re made for one another.
I read a great deal of middle grade fiction in a given year. Much of it? Perfectly decent and forgettable. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that if we want to give our children books that are going to stick in their brains for years and years, long into adulthood, we need to find those stories that grab them and grab them hard. As more and more people read this book they create more and more discussions. I’ll freely admit that not everybody is on board with this title, and that okay. A range of opinions is what make a healthy literary ecosystem. This is for the kid who likes their humor to be complicated, their writing to be scintillating, and to never, ever, know what an author is going to do next. One and all, please be so good as to meet the most memorable book of the year.
The story that Simon is going to tell the kids in his new school is that he and his family were forced to leave their home due to an incident at his dad’s church involving alpacas. Not entirely true but not entirely false either. And the great thing is, they’ll never be able to double check it because Simon and his parents are moving to the National Quiet Zone. That means no internet (or microwaves for some reason) because the scientists there are searching for signs of life in space. The internet? It interferes. But the more Simon tries to suppress the real reason he and his family have moved, the more dire it may become to tell the truth to his new friends.
So I’m just going to spoil the premise of this book. It’s not giving anything away, since it’s literally in the book’s description, but if you’re anything like me and you prefer to read a book without knowing anything about it, skip this paragraph. We good? Excellent. As I wanted to mention before, the whole premise of this book is that Simon is the sole survivor of a particularly brutal mass school shooting. So much so that as the only kid to survive, his name is synonymous with the event. The job of Erin Bow, then, is to figure out how precisely to introduce this fact. Now, sometimes if I’m really enjoying a book, I’ll write little notes to myself about it along the way. I was flipping back through this book just now and I saw that I’d written this sentence: “All right, students. Turn to page 34 to see a glorious example of how an author drops bread crumbs from chapter to chapter.” I don’t remember writing that, but I was intrigued enough to go to page 34 to see if I could figure out what I meant. Turns out, it was a section where a single off-handed statement intrigues the reader as quickly as it moves on. Agate, new friend of our hero, tends not to be around at lunch because she’s autistic and prefers to go to the school’s “Wellness Room”. Simons says, “It’s dim and cozy which is nice but it also has only one door, which isn’t.” Mind you, there’s a flipside to this kind of foreshadowing. An author has to be very careful with the number of hints and clues they drop before the reader starts to get tired of trying to follow along. Pace is key here, and that author had better play fair or they’ll start losing the readership. In the case of this book, the reveal came about 113 pages, or almost halfway, into the book. That might seem a bit later than in some titles, but in this particular case I thought that it worked.
How the heck is this a comedy then? Because that’s the twist that makes this particular book stand out from all the other middle grade tragedy-soaked sad fests we see in a given year. Balancing something truly horrific alongside jokes that don’t just land but are honestly good and original (so much so that the person next to me on the airplane may have thought I had some kind of congestion issue, I was snorting so frequently)? I mean, you can’t teach that. The trick lies in tone policing. You have to be able to turn on a dime, when called upon to do so, and deliver the right emotion or sentiment at the right time. The funny parts can’t touch the school shooting stuff. The school shooting stuff should in no way get anywhere near the humor. Yet both have to exist in the same book. It reminded me a bit of Dadaism’s response to WWI. When the world offers you horror that trips into absurdism, how do you NOT make a joke?
On that note, I’m going to do that thing where I pluck individual sentences that really liked in the book out of their contexts and make them fend for themselves. These were some of my favorite funny lines:
“I have enough self-consciousness to fuel the robot uprising.”
“The principal’s name is Ms. Snodgrass, and she looks like she’s spent her whole life trying to overcome being called Ms. Snodgrass … On her face she has that look owls always have, like she’s bored but barely suppressing suspicion and rage.”
On having an expensive chair in his room: “My mom bought it for the year I was homeschooled. She said I wasn’t going to be one of those people with widows’ humps who had to have their spines broken so they can lay flat in a coffin.”
On how schools cram in history at the end of the year: “I went to the bathroom during history class and I missed the Vietnam War.”
“Plus, Mom clearly loves coffee more than me.”
“Absolutely true … I would sell you to the fairies for magic coffee beans.”
And, of course, the line I keep quoting to people all the time about the squirrel that ate the consecrated host at Simon’s dad’s church: “That squirrel is now thirty percent Jesus by volume . . . It’s our new god.”
I also detected at least one Suzy Eddie Izzard joke in this book, which I appreciated, as well as a touch of Arrested Development. Maybe I’m wrong, but it sure felt that way anyway.
Craft talk time. Folks like to talk about the first sentence of a given book. They’ll say that it, or the first page, is the make or break portion of any novel. Now how many people say as many sweet things about the final line of the first chapter? Too few, sez I. That may have been the moment I first fell in love with Simon Sort of Says actually. I read through that first chapter and then reached its last sentence: “Anyway, that's what I tell people.” It’s just six little words but it has the ability to throw everything said before that moment into complete and utter chaos and confusion. Suddenly you have doubts where you didn’t have doubts before (and you’ve only just MET this narrator!). It’s a gutsy little move for a children’s book, and I have nothing but admiration for it. Is Simon an unreliable narrator? Maybe that’s something for child readers to discuss.
And if we’re going to talk craft seriously, let’s talk about character development. The book is written in the first person from Simon’s point of view. That’s great for getting into your main character’s head, but it sets up some natural roadblocks to diving quite as deeply into the heads of his friends and family. Happily, Bow knows how to show rather than tell. First off, there’s Agate. She on the autism spectrum and I was grateful that Bow had the wherewithal to have a fat character where that’s mentioned on occasion, but just so you understand that it’s just part of who she is and not making some kind of a point. Agate is the first friend Simon makes and Bow does a good job of not making her into some kind of magic pixie dream friend, solely there to support our hero. Agate has her own life, her own plans, and she can be darned annoying sometimes. I like that. Bow has a tougher row to hoe with Simon’s other friend Kevin. Kevin’s just a nice dude, but nice dudes can be a little harder to flesh out. Thank goodness for terrible moms then! Or, if not terrible, then at least really really thoughtless moms. It helps to define a guy. Finally, in terms of antagonists, to my infinite relief this book was pretty much bully free. I know that bullies exist, but I also know that they’re also de facto easy villains for lazy authors. It’s easy to make a bully a villain. It doesn’t require much skill in the writing department. Here, there’s a single news reporter who doesn’t even get much time on the page, so we can acknowledge her awfulness without having to see it firsthand. I am down for that.
My co-workers at the library like this book. Of course they do. But they have questions, and I find that when considering books for kids it is generally a very good idea to hear all sides on them. For most of my fellow library workers, the balance between the seriousness of surviving a school shooting alongside the humor of the narration mostly worked, but there were exceptions. For example, at one point Simon says of the goats of Agate, “… it’s making a noise like it’s getting murdered finds getting murdered kind of annoying.” Some folks wondered, not ridiculously, if a kid who was the sole survivor of a school shooting would toss out the term “murdered” quite as cavalierly as Simon has here. It’s a fair point. For other folks, they felt that the ending didn’t work for them. Either they thought it wrapped up far too quickly, or they thought that Simon suddenly had solved his problems in a potentially unhealthy way. Yet even for those folks who had issues with the ending, they loved the book overall. It’s interesting. I rarely see people discuss issues they’ve had with a piece of literature and then throw their weight wholeheartedly behind it anyway. It’s a testament to Bow’s writing. A testament to the book itself.
I’m a librarian by training, so when I read a book I really enjoy I immediately want to pair it with something similar. In this case, it isn’t an intuitive pairing, but one I’d like to make just the same. If you, or a kid you know, hasn’t read, Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone by Tae Keller, this would make an ideal companion novel to Simon Sort of Says. In both cases you’ve an unreliable narrator. A tragedy. Aliens. Science fiction (or is the book realistic fiction?). They’re made for one another.
I read a great deal of middle grade fiction in a given year. Much of it? Perfectly decent and forgettable. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that if we want to give our children books that are going to stick in their brains for years and years, long into adulthood, we need to find those stories that grab them and grab them hard. As more and more people read this book they create more and more discussions. I’ll freely admit that not everybody is on board with this title, and that okay. A range of opinions is what make a healthy literary ecosystem. This is for the kid who likes their humor to be complicated, their writing to be scintillating, and to never, ever, know what an author is going to do next. One and all, please be so good as to meet the most memorable book of the year.
May 10, 2023
I had the extraordinary privilege of reading this years before release, and there isn't a single thing about it that I don't love and that doesn't impress me. Hopeful and true, laugh-out-loud funny and deeply empathetic, justice-seeking without ever being didactic, this book toes the most incredible line to present a story of finding friendship and absurdity in the wake of even the worst of experiences. It's not heart-wrenching BUT hilarious but rather heart-wrenching AND hilarious—and in being that, it serves as a road map for anyone who finds themselves trying to navigate out of darkness. Look for the light.
September 10, 2023
I found this book when I was doing a library search for books with dogs as “central” characters – or at least in the story. When this book cover came up, I found myself interested.
One of the cover reviewers said…
“With an abundance of humor, vibrant characters, and a gentle approach to hard truths, this book strikes a perfect balance of fun and meaning. A remarkable achievement.”
Hmmm…
I was ready to read.
It was a quirky tale of friendship and survival.
But…
Not exactly an easy-to-read story.
This actually is a very in real time kind of story. And I will say it right up front, it is tragic, but, ultimately uplifting.
It is a story about a 12-year-old facing regular middle school problems.
And…
Most importantly…
He is the survivor of a notorious school shooting.
His mother is a mortician, his father is a Catholic deacon and they have now moved to an internet free town where nobody knows their story. The intention is to live in peace, and heal.
The story provides a sense of humor. Sometimes off humor, that can literally put readers off.
But…
Friendship, kindness and empathy are strong themes, as Simon’s new friends provide the bonds that he needs – while he heals.
The trauma can’t be ignored, and that will come out, along with other issues that make growing up difficult.
There is some educational value in the story line – prime numbers – the planets, raising animals.
There are some strong positive messages of acceptance and empathy and willingness to make amends, and diverse representation throughout the book.
Still…
I cannot emphasize enough the violence and scariness that may come out in this book about Simon being the sole survivor of a school shooting while in the 5th grade.
And even as I say that, I am reminded of the many school shootings that have happened in our own towns that we still read about in the news – unfortunately, almost daily.
The flashbacks, conveying the horror and long-lasting trauma, this may be difficult to read, as much as it may put a light on the tragedies of gun violence.
There will also be other things that occur in the book – assorted injuries and things happening to animals. The author will utilize humor when these things occur, but readers still can’t ignore the act that occurred.
Because…
These are real feeling circumstances that do happen, and it may not be easy-to-read.
After all I have said, I don’t want to discourage readers from considering this book. It is a book that age 10+ can read. And it does deal with relevant every day issues that occur for kids growing up.
And...
Unfortunately, school shootings in classrooms, can’t be avoided. Isn’t that a sad commentary on our society. Perhaps that is the message of this author.
Afterall…
This is an escape book – trying to help her characters find healing through friendship, community and kindness.
Can we?
One of the cover reviewers said…
“With an abundance of humor, vibrant characters, and a gentle approach to hard truths, this book strikes a perfect balance of fun and meaning. A remarkable achievement.”
Hmmm…
I was ready to read.
It was a quirky tale of friendship and survival.
But…
Not exactly an easy-to-read story.
This actually is a very in real time kind of story. And I will say it right up front, it is tragic, but, ultimately uplifting.
It is a story about a 12-year-old facing regular middle school problems.
And…
Most importantly…
He is the survivor of a notorious school shooting.
His mother is a mortician, his father is a Catholic deacon and they have now moved to an internet free town where nobody knows their story. The intention is to live in peace, and heal.
The story provides a sense of humor. Sometimes off humor, that can literally put readers off.
But…
Friendship, kindness and empathy are strong themes, as Simon’s new friends provide the bonds that he needs – while he heals.
The trauma can’t be ignored, and that will come out, along with other issues that make growing up difficult.
There is some educational value in the story line – prime numbers – the planets, raising animals.
There are some strong positive messages of acceptance and empathy and willingness to make amends, and diverse representation throughout the book.
Still…
I cannot emphasize enough the violence and scariness that may come out in this book about Simon being the sole survivor of a school shooting while in the 5th grade.
And even as I say that, I am reminded of the many school shootings that have happened in our own towns that we still read about in the news – unfortunately, almost daily.
The flashbacks, conveying the horror and long-lasting trauma, this may be difficult to read, as much as it may put a light on the tragedies of gun violence.
There will also be other things that occur in the book – assorted injuries and things happening to animals. The author will utilize humor when these things occur, but readers still can’t ignore the act that occurred.
Because…
These are real feeling circumstances that do happen, and it may not be easy-to-read.
After all I have said, I don’t want to discourage readers from considering this book. It is a book that age 10+ can read. And it does deal with relevant every day issues that occur for kids growing up.
And...
Unfortunately, school shootings in classrooms, can’t be avoided. Isn’t that a sad commentary on our society. Perhaps that is the message of this author.
Afterall…
This is an escape book – trying to help her characters find healing through friendship, community and kindness.
Can we?
January 16, 2023
This is what middle grade should be: warm and witty and unfailingly well-written, a book that treats kids as real people with real problems. Simon’s PTSD is handled sensitively and honesty, and the approach never feels like “trauma porn.”
April 1, 2024
4.5 stars
This was such a multi-layered book.
Opening Sentence-“People are always asking why my family came to the National Quiet Zone.”
Young Simon’s answer to that is that they were driven out of Omaha by alpacas. His father, a Catholic deacon, did not make it clear recently which animals should be allowed at the Blessing of the Animals. After chaos ensued during a situation with alpacas and a preying owl, he was fired, so the family moved to Grin and Bear It, Nebraska.
With the way this hilarious scene is written, it might appear that this book will be just a light-hearted romp, and there were many parts that caused me to giggle.
There were others that brought a lump to my throat…
Another, more serious reason was the cause of Simon’s family moving. He is the only person to walk out of his fifth-grade class alive after a school shooting. As the book progresses, more details unravel about what this child and his parents had to endure in the aftermath of the tragedy. Unsurprisingly, it’s heart-rending to read about. At the end, the author discusses why she came to write on this subject.
Trigger Warnings:
Details about a school shooting are revealed, though not graphically detailed. The main character has anxiety attacks as a result of trauma. Simon’s mother works in a funeral parlor, and some aspects of her job might be upsetting for younger readers to learn about.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 234)-“There was this one reporter, Kathy Catchpole from KNUB, who kept filming at the front door of the funeral home. Until Mom got so angry that she put on her best Professional Face, granted Kathy an exclusive, and hauled her away from her camera and into the basement, to show her exactly what was involved in an open-casket prep following an incident with a high-powered rifle.”
**So sad that this book was written about so timely a subject.**
This was such a multi-layered book.
Opening Sentence-“People are always asking why my family came to the National Quiet Zone.”
Young Simon’s answer to that is that they were driven out of Omaha by alpacas. His father, a Catholic deacon, did not make it clear recently which animals should be allowed at the Blessing of the Animals. After chaos ensued during a situation with alpacas and a preying owl, he was fired, so the family moved to Grin and Bear It, Nebraska.
With the way this hilarious scene is written, it might appear that this book will be just a light-hearted romp, and there were many parts that caused me to giggle.
There were others that brought a lump to my throat…
Another, more serious reason was the cause of Simon’s family moving. He is the only person to walk out of his fifth-grade class alive after a school shooting. As the book progresses, more details unravel about what this child and his parents had to endure in the aftermath of the tragedy. Unsurprisingly, it’s heart-rending to read about. At the end, the author discusses why she came to write on this subject.
Trigger Warnings:
Details about a school shooting are revealed, though not graphically detailed. The main character has anxiety attacks as a result of trauma. Simon’s mother works in a funeral parlor, and some aspects of her job might be upsetting for younger readers to learn about.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 234)-“There was this one reporter, Kathy Catchpole from KNUB, who kept filming at the front door of the funeral home. Until Mom got so angry that she put on her best Professional Face, granted Kathy an exclusive, and hauled her away from her camera and into the basement, to show her exactly what was involved in an open-casket prep following an incident with a high-powered rifle.”
**So sad that this book was written about so timely a subject.**
July 25, 2023
I thought I was going to love this book. I love humorous books that are funny. It’s (mostly) funny so one star for that. I think the topic of school shootings isn’t taboo. We are going to have an entire generation of adults who grew up traumatized by them, having to practice lockdowns and peeing in a bucket while being absolutely terrified they were going to die. Let’s start discussing and dismantling these feelings and emotions. But not with this book.
I had trouble with quite a few things. While I’m not going to chronicle every single thing, my major problems were the author describing Kevin’s mother as “his mom turns out to be the whitest of white ladies: blond, Karen haircut, mom jeans, the whole package.” Derogatory, insulting, politically charged, and dating this book pretty quickly. So many other ways to show the mom being a total white privileged jerk instead of using an insult that I absolutely despise. And frankly some kids won’t know. The stupid t-shirt about the school shooting was not funny. The hoax they tried to pull off was ridiculous. The author’s foreshadowing about the shooting that some people seem to love, was useless as the inside flap gives up the “surprise.” Wouldn’t it have worked better if the author assumed the reader knew what happened and we followed along as Simon desperately tried to keep it a secret from everyone else? Lots more, but that is enough bashing of a book that I frankly never do. But this is getting rave reviews and in my opinion doesn’t deserve them.
I had trouble with quite a few things. While I’m not going to chronicle every single thing, my major problems were the author describing Kevin’s mother as “his mom turns out to be the whitest of white ladies: blond, Karen haircut, mom jeans, the whole package.” Derogatory, insulting, politically charged, and dating this book pretty quickly. So many other ways to show the mom being a total white privileged jerk instead of using an insult that I absolutely despise. And frankly some kids won’t know. The stupid t-shirt about the school shooting was not funny. The hoax they tried to pull off was ridiculous. The author’s foreshadowing about the shooting that some people seem to love, was useless as the inside flap gives up the “surprise.” Wouldn’t it have worked better if the author assumed the reader knew what happened and we followed along as Simon desperately tried to keep it a secret from everyone else? Lots more, but that is enough bashing of a book that I frankly never do. But this is getting rave reviews and in my opinion doesn’t deserve them.
March 4, 2023
If you asked me to rate this book out of fifteen, I would still give it all the stars and feel like it wasn’t enough. This is honestly the best book I have read in a good long while. Simon Sort of Says is beautifully written and perfectly paced. The characters are vivid and real, the story is funny (at many points, laugh out loud funny) while still handling the trauma of Simon’s past (and it’s lasting effect on him and on his parents) with delicacy and sensitivity. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It deserves the widest possible audience.
May 6, 2023
This had TONS of potential, especially being a storyline i’ve never heard about! But it didn’t really reach the heights I was hoping it would.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a good book and i’d totally recommend it. It had strong characters, excellent depiction of trauma, and a decent storyline!
The side characters were almost TOO fleshed out and their storylines started to take over the main plot line. I really wanted more about Simon and his internal monologue and his experiences. But we got some extra science and space stuff with the side characters that felt really overwhelming. Agate was a really unrealistic character that I couldn’t really image ever being a real person. Kevin was a GREAT friend and I loved that relationship.
I also couldn’t get past the religiousness. The book would’ve remained the exact same had there been no mention or discussion of religion. as a reader that feels strongly against religion, I felt really weird reading it. especially in a middle grade book where there the attempt to make THIS religious leader “cool” and “hip”. Gross.
This was a bit longer than it needed to be. cut out some side character plot and extras, and 250 pages would’ve been plenty.
I’ve already mentioned, but I feel like we didn’t get enough Simon, past and future.
There is also something to say about trying to capitalize on something as serious, traumatic, and life altering as a school shooting. Not saying i’m for or against, but it’s an interesting discussion of ethics!
Don’t get me wrong, it was a good book and i’d totally recommend it. It had strong characters, excellent depiction of trauma, and a decent storyline!
The side characters were almost TOO fleshed out and their storylines started to take over the main plot line. I really wanted more about Simon and his internal monologue and his experiences. But we got some extra science and space stuff with the side characters that felt really overwhelming. Agate was a really unrealistic character that I couldn’t really image ever being a real person. Kevin was a GREAT friend and I loved that relationship.
I also couldn’t get past the religiousness. The book would’ve remained the exact same had there been no mention or discussion of religion. as a reader that feels strongly against religion, I felt really weird reading it. especially in a middle grade book where there the attempt to make THIS religious leader “cool” and “hip”. Gross.
This was a bit longer than it needed to be. cut out some side character plot and extras, and 250 pages would’ve been plenty.
I’ve already mentioned, but I feel like we didn’t get enough Simon, past and future.
There is also something to say about trying to capitalize on something as serious, traumatic, and life altering as a school shooting. Not saying i’m for or against, but it’s an interesting discussion of ethics!
March 15, 2024
Could a school shooting be written a comedy? Based on incidents from her own children's lives, that's exactly what Erin Bow attempts in this story that embraces the (recently discontinued) Nebraska travel slogan, "Nebraska, honestly it's not for everyone." Science and physics meets farms and rural life in this story about Simon, a school shooting survivor and his parents who move from Omaha to a small Nebraska town in an attempt to fly under the radar and move on with their lives. With a mother who is an undertaker and a dad who is a Catholic deacon and both having unique sense of humors, this is easier said than done. Could creating another newsworthy event be the solution to moving on? How will can Simon move pass being known as the boy who survived the shooting and how can his parents move past being known as the family's whose son survived? With the help of new friends and classmates who do not know his past, Simon and his family might have a chance.
Give this to anyone who embraces the Nebraska travel slogan or likes quirky characters in their stories. This story had me laughing out loud more than once.
Give this to anyone who embraces the Nebraska travel slogan or likes quirky characters in their stories. This story had me laughing out loud more than once.
January 20, 2024
3.5 stars
As I write this review, I still feel befuddled about how I would approach properly rating this book, because I enjoyed reading this book and admired how Bow incorporated humor into a situation that was very serious and flesh out a family that managed to make the best of a major situation, but yet there were instances where the voice in which this story was being told was not as powerful and sometimes felt indecisive. Of course, this book is targeted to middle grade readers, so certain curse words and outbursts would need to be watered down, but this book deals with a 12-year-old boy named Simon O'Keeffe that moves with his family from Omaha, Nebraska, to a smaller town in the National Quiet Zone called Grin and Bear It, Nebraska in order to hide from the world around him. The fact that there is no internet in this town should help... but it is also where radio astronomers do plenty of research looking for space life.
Why did Simon move to a smaller town with his Deacon father, Martin, and his mother, Isobel, who owns a funeral home? They felt that it would be best for Simon after he was a lone survivor of a school shooting. Upon moving to Grin and Bear It, though, nobody knows about this, and Simon wants to keep it this way. He wants to clean his slate, though he knows that with PTSD, there are interior aspects of what happened that will never go away. As he starts at his new school, he befriends an autist named Agate Van der Zwaan, whose first question to all of her potential friends is about the most disgusting thing they know and Kevin Matapang, who is from a family where his mother is strictly about science and his father owns the Hello Hello cafe. He does his best to fit in, just as his parents want, and start a life that is fresh from what he left. Perhaps helping Agate out with sending an alien message would help? She is sure persistent about doing so. The direction of this book is mainly driven by Simon and his ability to navigate into this stage of life with PTSD and having survived the traumatic event the way he did.
I felt that Erin Bow was very invested in telling this story and I felt very engaged as a reader. I felt like the characters were very fleshed out and there was something very authentic about them. The voice, though, in which the story was being told was not entirely clear. This novel is written in first person and Simon is telling this story, be it the sequence of events that are taking place in his life or the side notes that he inserts about relevant subjects pertaining to the events at hand.
Simon never tells a complete story about the shooting.
By that, Simon will refer to what happened the day of the shooting in little snippets and how he was the only survivor, but if you are looking for a chapter in the book where Simon talks about that May 15th where he went to school and what happened when the shooter approached their room, you are not going to find it. Perhaps this may be intentional? If left me wondering if Simon was directing his voice to a certain subject. Perhaps this is a more honest approach of what we should expect if someone from the real world was telling us about our experience? As a reader, though, we feel as if a voice like Simon is confiding in us and we would want for him or whomever is in his circumstance to be as honest as possible about what happened. He did tell stories about being chased out of town by alpacas due to an event that took place at his church where his father was a deacon, but this was a coping mechanism. There were aspects of this piece that made it to the point of being mind-boggling, but being a part of this world was still a very thrilling experience!
I will say that Agate Van der Zwaan is probably one of the strongest supporting characters I have seen in a book and one that had a huge impact on the steering of a book. She pulled Simon into helping her with her alien message and also pulled him into caring for a service dog, Hercules, that would play a pivotal role in this book. She was very well written as a character on the autistic spectrum.
It is also worth noting that Bow does a fine job filling me the reader in with details that were fictional and non-fictional at the back of the book.
Simon Sort of Says was an engaging, thrilling read even if the voice and the organization was not always the clearest.
As I write this review, I still feel befuddled about how I would approach properly rating this book, because I enjoyed reading this book and admired how Bow incorporated humor into a situation that was very serious and flesh out a family that managed to make the best of a major situation, but yet there were instances where the voice in which this story was being told was not as powerful and sometimes felt indecisive. Of course, this book is targeted to middle grade readers, so certain curse words and outbursts would need to be watered down, but this book deals with a 12-year-old boy named Simon O'Keeffe that moves with his family from Omaha, Nebraska, to a smaller town in the National Quiet Zone called Grin and Bear It, Nebraska in order to hide from the world around him. The fact that there is no internet in this town should help... but it is also where radio astronomers do plenty of research looking for space life.
Why did Simon move to a smaller town with his Deacon father, Martin, and his mother, Isobel, who owns a funeral home? They felt that it would be best for Simon after he was a lone survivor of a school shooting. Upon moving to Grin and Bear It, though, nobody knows about this, and Simon wants to keep it this way. He wants to clean his slate, though he knows that with PTSD, there are interior aspects of what happened that will never go away. As he starts at his new school, he befriends an autist named Agate Van der Zwaan, whose first question to all of her potential friends is about the most disgusting thing they know and Kevin Matapang, who is from a family where his mother is strictly about science and his father owns the Hello Hello cafe. He does his best to fit in, just as his parents want, and start a life that is fresh from what he left. Perhaps helping Agate out with sending an alien message would help? She is sure persistent about doing so. The direction of this book is mainly driven by Simon and his ability to navigate into this stage of life with PTSD and having survived the traumatic event the way he did.
I felt that Erin Bow was very invested in telling this story and I felt very engaged as a reader. I felt like the characters were very fleshed out and there was something very authentic about them. The voice, though, in which the story was being told was not entirely clear. This novel is written in first person and Simon is telling this story, be it the sequence of events that are taking place in his life or the side notes that he inserts about relevant subjects pertaining to the events at hand.
Simon never tells a complete story about the shooting.
By that, Simon will refer to what happened the day of the shooting in little snippets and how he was the only survivor, but if you are looking for a chapter in the book where Simon talks about that May 15th where he went to school and what happened when the shooter approached their room, you are not going to find it. Perhaps this may be intentional? If left me wondering if Simon was directing his voice to a certain subject. Perhaps this is a more honest approach of what we should expect if someone from the real world was telling us about our experience? As a reader, though, we feel as if a voice like Simon is confiding in us and we would want for him or whomever is in his circumstance to be as honest as possible about what happened. He did tell stories about being chased out of town by alpacas due to an event that took place at his church where his father was a deacon, but this was a coping mechanism. There were aspects of this piece that made it to the point of being mind-boggling, but being a part of this world was still a very thrilling experience!
I will say that Agate Van der Zwaan is probably one of the strongest supporting characters I have seen in a book and one that had a huge impact on the steering of a book. She pulled Simon into helping her with her alien message and also pulled him into caring for a service dog, Hercules, that would play a pivotal role in this book. She was very well written as a character on the autistic spectrum.
It is also worth noting that Bow does a fine job filling me the reader in with details that were fictional and non-fictional at the back of the book.
Simon Sort of Says was an engaging, thrilling read even if the voice and the organization was not always the clearest.
May 12, 2023
Simon Sort of Says was a heartwarming tale of rediscovering oneself after traumatic events and starting anew. This was a very comforting and cosy read, despite the subject matter. The protagonist, Simon, befriends Agate, a loving girl with a great sense of humour and a penchant for facts and knowledge. Kevin was also such an amazing character. Our protagonist, Simon, copes with trauma by blocking it out entirely. The way the author deals with his trauma is fantastic. Simon has anxiety and PTSD, something he struggles with a lot. My only critique for this entire book is that I wanted it to be darker and even more visceral, although this is more of my personal preference. This is a good read that deals with heavy topics in an empathetic and caring way.
🆗PLOT
✅CHARACTERS
🆗PLOT
✅CHARACTERS
February 14, 2023
This was one of my 2023 most anticipated reads and I really wanted to like it. I just didn’t. I couldn’t get through it. All of the Science talk was so boring to me and I didn’t like the writing style. I ended up DNFing it about halfway through.
January 17, 2023
As depressing as it is that this book needs to exist, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Laugh-out-loud funny, and still heartbreaking, this book will hit you in the feels and not let go.
Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone two years after a major trauma in his life. Here the internet doesn't exist (the scientists are too busy looking for aliens) and no one knows his name. As Simon begins to settle in, we slowly learn his family's story. The characters are realistic and well-drawn, the dialogue feels real, and the shenanigans of the 12 year old kids are believable and understandable. There's nothing not to like about this book. Seriously, aliens, baptizing squirrels, and a peacock on the rampage bring a dose of humor to a book about trauma and resilience and the whole thing is just beautiful. I recommend this book for all middle grade readers.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #DisneyHyperion for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone two years after a major trauma in his life. Here the internet doesn't exist (the scientists are too busy looking for aliens) and no one knows his name. As Simon begins to settle in, we slowly learn his family's story. The characters are realistic and well-drawn, the dialogue feels real, and the shenanigans of the 12 year old kids are believable and understandable. There's nothing not to like about this book. Seriously, aliens, baptizing squirrels, and a peacock on the rampage bring a dose of humor to a book about trauma and resilience and the whole thing is just beautiful. I recommend this book for all middle grade readers.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #DisneyHyperion for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2022
As an educator and a reader, this book will be a forever favorite of mine. Erin Bow has taken an incredibly delicate topic and given it a powerful voice.
Simon is the survivor of an all-too-real tragedy. His family has relocated to an area without cell phones, internet, or TV. He is grateful for his new found anonymity and the reluctant new kid in seventh grade. Simon’s story is equal parts hysterical and heartbreaking. I cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves in January 2023. I’m rooting for Simon Sort of Says to win all the awards and takeover the best seller lists.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #DisneyHyperion for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Simon is the survivor of an all-too-real tragedy. His family has relocated to an area without cell phones, internet, or TV. He is grateful for his new found anonymity and the reluctant new kid in seventh grade. Simon’s story is equal parts hysterical and heartbreaking. I cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves in January 2023. I’m rooting for Simon Sort of Says to win all the awards and takeover the best seller lists.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #DisneyHyperion for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2023
Okay okay okay I laughed and I cried and someone give this book a crap ton of awards please
May 11, 2023
I read this with Liv. Such a good story. Heart-wrenching yet funny. The main character is the sole survivor of a school shooting so there is a part where he recounts what happened (tissues needed). The retelling of it is very short. I loved all the characters. Love the service dog. The friendships. How the author does such a good job with how she handles such a traumatic event for a kid (and the parents). The PTSD is heartbreaking, but not sure that a kid reading would pick up on all of it. Liv and I were both loving this book the whole way through. Sad to see it end. For a book that has focus on PTSD it is not a sad book. The author does have other books, but they're all drastically different. This is a middle school book so some crude humor is in it but otherwise clean.
Read
September 24, 2023This book will win all the awards.
June 14, 2023
This book was so good. So so so good. It is a great book. Period. End of story.
Yes, it is about very current, scary, discussions-needed-for-kids-of-all-ages topics. But I just think that makes it even better. It shows that even after scary, traumatizing things, kids can go back to being kids. They can go back to doing silly things like pulling pranks on scientists and making friends. They can put in the work to do their best to overcome what happened to them and live beyond that. They can still do funny things, have normal hobbies, get a puppy, go to school, etc. And I think that it's important to see that. To see that not every story about scary things has to be fear-mongering and have huge messages about how they're wrong and awful even though they still happen. And this book takes that all in and produces a well-written, fun, surprisingly normal story. And I love it so much.
All that aside oh my god all the little catholic things. Hilarious. Also thought provoking; that aside on saints at the end? Wow. Where was that when I was in the DPCDSB? Jesus squirrel has been the talk of almost all of the group chats I'm in. We love them. Blasphemous as they might be. Such good liiiiinnnneeesss!
Yes, it is about very current, scary, discussions-needed-for-kids-of-all-ages topics. But I just think that makes it even better. It shows that even after scary, traumatizing things, kids can go back to being kids. They can go back to doing silly things like pulling pranks on scientists and making friends. They can put in the work to do their best to overcome what happened to them and live beyond that. They can still do funny things, have normal hobbies, get a puppy, go to school, etc. And I think that it's important to see that. To see that not every story about scary things has to be fear-mongering and have huge messages about how they're wrong and awful even though they still happen. And this book takes that all in and produces a well-written, fun, surprisingly normal story. And I love it so much.
All that aside oh my god all the little catholic things. Hilarious. Also thought provoking; that aside on saints at the end? Wow. Where was that when I was in the DPCDSB? Jesus squirrel has been the talk of almost all of the group chats I'm in. We love them. Blasphemous as they might be. Such good liiiiinnnneeesss!
August 24, 2023
Simon and his family move to the only area in America where the internet is banned because it interferes with signals from outer-space. This is apparently a good thing. Even if they have to live in the back half of a funeral home with a homicidal peacock. Even if Simon has to deal with being the new kid at school (he tells his classmates they were forced to leave their home due to an incident at his dad's church involving alpacas). Being normal. Doing normal things, like going to school and making new friends. Erin Bow skillfully drops hints that something isn't quite right, until someone finds out and Simon has to deal with the fallout. Faintly amusing with wonderfully developed characters and "silly" but funny small town doings (like the squirrel that ate the consecrated host at Simon's dad's church and got nicknamed the "Jesus Squirrel", the escaped emus and the prank*). The service-puppy-in-training is a nice addition to the story. I did feel the book ended too abruptly, but then the book has to end somewhere. A lovely book that deals gracefully with some difficult topics.
*Don't take the science too seriously, folks!
*Don't take the science too seriously, folks!
June 19, 2023
I’ve had trouble getting and keeping copies of this book. I finally listened to the audio but had to wait for the hard copy again as I heard the epilogue was important. This book reminded me of Wink- serious content peppered with scenes and dialogue that will have your sides hurting while laughing. That is so difficult to do and this author does it masterfully. We all need to find joy and humor in difficult times. The other main reason this is such a strong Newbery contender for me is that it held tight to its themes. This story could have easily fallen to the didactic lure that so many middle grade authors do. There is serious trauma that the characters are dealing with and that is just it- it focuses on the family dealing with the trauma (not revealed until later in the book- great choice) instead of the cause of the trauma. Keeping tight to the effect rather than the cause was brilliant and really made this a great book. While some of the book and its premise are quite serious, the author has also written in hilarious scenes and lines. This is a perfect read for very sensitive readers- great balance. You can tell the author spent tremendous energy creating authentic characters. Students will walk away knowing some strategies- I found myself practicing some breathing techniques while reading! The panic attack scene was written very well- this will give insight and empathy to readers that have never experienced something like this while at the same time not traumatizing readers. Her Autistic character was portrayed so well. At the end of the book, the author explained the lengths she went to while writing this story and to make it authentic and it shows. This is in my top tier right now for Newbery 2024- there had not been many contenders so far- this is a stand-out with its themes, pace of story, and character development.
February 10, 2024
I had to revisit this after it was awarded the Newbery Honor because I was so close to being right! The audio version was just as delightful and my heartstrings were still tugged.
2023
This is the type of book that deserves to win a Newbery award. Because it felt like it was genuinely written *for* kids, and it all seemed so authentic. When I say I laughed out loud, I mean that literally, and I felt my heart burst just as much for these kids, and their heartaches and triumphs. I adored the parents, which is always a hit or a miss, and it heavily featured a guide-dog-in-training named Herc that tipped me right over the edge. If you have a kid in your life, or have ever even known a kid, I'd highly recommend reading this.
2023
This is the type of book that deserves to win a Newbery award. Because it felt like it was genuinely written *for* kids, and it all seemed so authentic. When I say I laughed out loud, I mean that literally, and I felt my heart burst just as much for these kids, and their heartaches and triumphs. I adored the parents, which is always a hit or a miss, and it heavily featured a guide-dog-in-training named Herc that tipped me right over the edge. If you have a kid in your life, or have ever even known a kid, I'd highly recommend reading this.
July 31, 2023
I think this is a wonderful topic and story to explore. And I think the author did a good job with it not being to serious or scary. I also think that, if you're going to read this you need to go into it ready to 'chew and spit' meaning there are parts that don't need to be consumed. Much like you would be careful not to swallow a chunk of fat or bone you need to be careful not to swallow a lie or misguided fact. The main character's father is a Catholic decon who gives several biblically incorrect sermons in the story. There are also some 'gross facts' the characters share with each other that go just beyond the line of appropriate. So as I said, I think this is a great topic and a great story but you have to be careful not to swallow the bone.
May 26, 2024
Simon Sort Of Says was both humorous and eye-opening. This book has made me laugh and snicker and cry and cry. Bow’s approach to the idea of one child who lives through the trauma of a school shooting while also having to deal with the stress of moving to a town with people he’s never met in a town that has no Wi-Fi because of S.E.T.I (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence). I feel this book is important for many kids to read because it can make you feel many emotions, and a book that makes you cry is a good book. The characters in this book are amazingly written and are very diverse and feel emotions that seem real. No book has moved me so much since Fighting Words, I highly recommend Simon Sort Of Says.
January 17, 2023
To be honest, this book was hard for me to read. The depiction of trauma and PTSD was well written but as someone who works at a school and has been at a university while there was a shooting there was an unease while I read this.
It is also hard to read about a fictional school shooting without feeling a little like it is capitalizing on something truly traumatic.
It had it's humorous moments but quite honestly Not to dismiss the author's experience with her children but I would turn to reading about voices of people who went through the shootings themselves..
It is also hard to read about a fictional school shooting without feeling a little like it is capitalizing on something truly traumatic.
It had it's humorous moments but quite honestly Not to dismiss the author's experience with her children but I would turn to reading about voices of people who went through the shootings themselves..
July 5, 2022
I really liked this book. It’s surprisingly funny (like I literally laughed out loud several times) but also heartfelt and sincere without being maudlin. The characters are so vivid and realistic—highly recommend!
Received a free advance reader copy from ALA 2022
Received a free advance reader copy from ALA 2022
June 3, 2024
I adored this. Friendship!!! Trauma!!! Space!!! Jesus squirrels! Incredibly moving, sensitive, balanced, tender, funny, and really honors the complexity of who kids (and all people) are. Will Collyer's audiobook narration was perfect.
March 28, 2023
Ten stars. This may be my favorite book of the year and yes, it’s only February and I’m still saying it. Funny, sad, timely, with an excellent cast of characters.
May 20, 2023
Balancing trauma and humor is not the norm, but this mostly worked. Rampaging Emus are always going to be good fun.
Popsugar23: #46 - A book with a pet character
Popsugar23: #46 - A book with a pet character
June 2, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️How can a book be both hilarious and heartbreaking?? Read this story and find out. Simon and his parents moved from Omaha to a remote town full of radio transmitters. Because of them (the transmitters, not the family), the town allows no internet, no TVs or radios, and no microwaves. This is fine with Simon, because one of the reasons they moved was to get away from the trauma and subsequent publicity Simon experienced almost 2 years before. He wants a fresh start—and he seems to be able to have one in Grin and Bear It, Nebraska. He also may have actual friends—a quirky redhead named Agate, whose family owns a goat farm, and a goofy science nerd named Kevin. But he learns that a person can’t totally escape their past, although, with the help of his friends and his service-dog-in-training, Hercules, he may be able to figure out how to push through it. I loved this book. The humor in it is clever and sarcastic—my favorite kind. But it’s also sweet and horrible. I’d recommend it for ages 10 and above, with adults reading it too, in case there needs to be discussion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 965 reviews