Thank you so much for an ARC of this title. This touched me deeply. The topic of school shootings is timely, and it was handled so well. Simon's (and his parents') path to healing is so realistic in its non-linear path. A heavy subject is handled with humor and grace.

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.

This is a really interesting book, based on some very sensitive subject matter. Simon Sort of Says, by Erin Bow, tells the story of a 5th grade student who was the only one in his class to survive a school shooting, and the survivor guilt he is struggling with as he recovers from the traumatic event. He is given the opportunity to move to a place where there are no tvs, radios, internet etc and hopes this is his opportunity to press restart on his life. There are some really great themes woven throughout and an important focus on trauma, however, I'm not sure how comfortable most teachers and some parents would be to have middle graders reading this book. As a Grade 3 teacher I definitely could not recommend this book to my students, but perhaps there is a place for this book in older grades. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

This one took me a while to get through because it deals with some tough subject matter. Trigger warning—school shootings are addressed (and the aftermath and guilt and trauma of being a survivor of one). While I ultimately enjoyed the book and found it hopeful and heartfelt, I also wasn’t able to zip through it like so many other books. If you’re a teacher or parent sharing this book with your child or students, be forewarned that it may take some time to get through, but I do believe it was worth pushing through the tough stuff.

I don't know if anyone else has been waiting with bated breath for years for a new Erin Bow book, but I was so thrilled to see this I downloaded it instantly and read it all in one sitting. Everything from the slow reveal of what exactly precipitated Simon's family's move to the incredible characterization of his parents (parents being actual people? and not simply archetypes? incredible.) and the matter of fact introduction of Agate as autistic (and her beautiful family!) to the weight on Kevin's shoulders - you laugh and you cry and you're not sorry to do either one more than the other.
It's the kind of book that makes you feel like the author has (big if true) actually met a child. The kids are all right, folks! Most of them are actually pretty decent! And more worried about things like the earth blowing up or being shot at school than whether or not someone's wearing braces or is trans, and what a gift this book is in showing us that.

I recieved an eARC from this book so I could read and review it. Thank you to NetGalley and Disney/Hyperiom for the opportunity.

Some books are excellent. Some are necessary. This one is both.

Simon is a survivor. The only survivor from his 5th grade class of a school shooting, he welcomes the opportunity to move to the National quiet zone, an area where anything that might affect radio astronomy is forbidden, which means no TV, Cell phones. Microwaves, or internet. Which, to Simon, means a chance to hopefully leave his past behind. This is a realistic and ultimately hopeful look at a trauma which is all too real to kids today, who may not have had Simon's experience, but have grown up with the idea that such things can happen, and who, like Simon, need to move into the present.

This is a book which truly should be shared with children, to give them the opportunity to discuss their own fears and experiences. Sadly, it is also a book that it is likely schools will not be allowed to teach. I strongly recommend that parents do so.

I very much enjoyed this book. The story was imaginative enough to keep your attention, but real enough for the kids to relate (I brought a few hamsters to the St-Francis service at my childhood Parish.

The aspect of the book that I loved most of all, was how the author managed to get inside a 7th grader's head. It's impressive and makes the book a sure fire win.