Back to reading YA – Simonverse Books

AFF – There is a book link for which I would get a cut if you purchased this book (at no expense to yourself).

When I set up this little blog it was to share book reviews and write about the environment. This year I want to make sure that I spend a lot more time doing what I love best – reading books. Today I thought I would start with the first kindle book that I have finished this year, ‘Love, Creekwood’ by Becky Albertalli. Let me take you into the world of the Simonverse books.

I fell in love with Becky’s style of writing when I first read her brilliant LGBTQ story which was turned into a cool movie – ‘Love, Simon.’ I previously mentioned how amazing Becky was in this post about my fave YA writers.

Following on from the Simon novel I was pleased to see that his best friend, Leah, got her own story told in the very entertaining ‘Leah on the Offbeat’ (reviewed here). The writing in this book was chatty and inclusive, making me feel as though as I was one of her friends, totally involved in the storyline. It revealed her own insecurities about being bi and the dilemma she faced when posed with two potential suitors.

Love, Creekwood

It is fair to say that as soon as I saw ‘Love, Creekwood’ available on Apple Books I snapped it up straight away. I cannot get enough of Albertalli’s clever, cool writing style and so this was a no-brainier for me to get into. At 70 pages long on kindle, it is a quick but highly satisfying little book.

Becky chose to write this story as a series of back and forth emails between the main characters from the Simonverse. I just just mention that the Simonverse is the environment that was created for these stories, centring around a secondary school called Creekwood High. This same surrounding was used in the ‘Love, Victor’ TV series which continues to explore all sorts of issues with reference to Simon and his legacy. In fact, the actor who played Simon in the movies, Nick Robinson, is a producer of the show alongside Becky.

Finding out how Simon and Bram manage a long distance relationship whilst at different universities is interesting. Similarly Leah and Abby are exploring their relationship whilst being roommates at their university. The other friends come into the story too and we find out more about their journeys after leaving their home towns, whilst often returning for catch-ups.

For some, the idea of reading a load of emails might seem weird but believe me, you will love it. The anecdotes, tribulations and funny general banter make this gem unmissable. I totally recommend trying one of her other books first or checking out the movie, but you can probably appreciate this also as a stand alone novella. Once you have tried Becky’s Simonverse books I am sure you will be a fan.