This was such a wholesome and heartwarming middle-grade novel. I loved the storyline and the narration only added to the experience.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
I found myself drawn in by Simon and his friends. The characterizations of various animals had me laughing out loud. And yes, there is a lot of science and math, but if that's not your thing (like me) that is what skimming is for. It aids the crazy quest, one that is just as outlandish as many other children's books.

I loved this book!

As a pastor’s kid, I’ve never identified more with a character than with Simon, the son of a Catholic deacon and mortician. That was so much fun for me!

The big reveal may be triggering to some readers, as it has to do with a school shooting, so that is something to be aware of.

I also loved the friendship storyline. I’m so glad that Simon found Kevin and Agate in Grin and Bear it. 🥰

Thus book was an odd mixture of light hearted fun and traumatic events. I work in a school. Shoot shootings are a huge trigger for me. This book was hard for me to read because of that. I enjoyed the unique town but overall it was too much for me.

This book was beautiful! Heartbreaking, but heartwarming. I love a book that can make me laugh out loud and also cry and this book does that. I fell in love with Simon and his friends, I enjoyed the small town elements, and the hijinks made me smile. I appreciated the tenderness that the trauma was addressed with; this story is so important and the details were stark, but relayed in a way that spoke to the heart of the character and his choices and motivations. I also appreciated that Simon's journey was emotional and messy and depicted a specific journey through grief and trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just so lovely and perfect. It was serious and hard and raw but also endearing and funny and hopeful. It was all the things and it gave me all the feels. The writing and wittiness remind me of TJ Klune - which is a huge compliment. I absolutely adore how Simon and his family care for each other and their growing circle of friends.

I feel like this is a hard book to review because I cannot convey the emotions of this story as well as I need to. This starts out and you think it is a funny book but this is a much deeper book than that as the story slowly reveals just what Simon has been through and why they are living where they are. (that is the only problem I had with this book does this quiet zone exist? Or is this a dystopian/fantasy place) I was a little confused about the town but it didn't take away from Simons story.

This book is well written and tells an important story that unfortunately there will be kids who can relate.

This book needs to be in your library collections as I am guessing it's going to win some awards in the future.

Narrated by Will Collyer who truly brought the emotions to this one and brought Simon and everyone else to life.

4 Stars

I received this book from the publisher Disney Audiobooks and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Simon Sort of Says is a contender for next year's Newbery. It is thoughtful, funny, and charming. It is also deeply sad and a commentary on our culture of school shootings in 2023. I cried while listening to this audiobook and I also laughed out loud. The author handles grief and levity with such a careful hand, that this never feels maudlin or a cheap attempt at empathy. This book was honest, and it allows us to grieve for fictional children while understanding the healing that we need to do. I highly recommend this book as a class read aloud for all middle grade teachers because there is so much discussion and thoughtful reflection that this book invites.

I am completely surprised that more people aren't talking about the Jesus squirrel. I am also completely heartbroken for Simon.

I was not sure what to think about this book given the trauma suffered by the lead. But I thought it was handled in a sensitive way while giving us a neurodiverse best friend and typical tween behavior. I enjoyed the story, but feel like it is aimed more at 5th to 7th grade rather than elementary, I would feel comfortable with this in our middle school but not our elementary libraries.

Simon Sort of Says was so well written. Erin Bow balanced the emotions of this story beautifully. There were several times in the story when I actually laughed out loud, and then there were times when the subject matter was so heartbreaking I wanted to cry. Yet, even through the humour and sorrow, there was hope.
If I was creating a read-alike list with this book, I’d say it’s in the same class as The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling, and Starling by Kirsten Cram. If it was a movie, it would sit beside one of my all time favourite cult classics Saint Ralph.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
#SimonSortofSays #NetGalley

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow takes a dive into the fallout from a school shooting and the trauma experienced by survivors. The story does not focus on the actual events of the school shooting - you only see snippets of it as Simon has brief flashbacks of the day it happened. Instead, it is set 2 years after the shooting and focuses on Simon - the sole survivor of a 5th grade class that was gunned down by a school shooter. He has PTSD and survivor's guilt and has serious panic attacks whenever he feels confined or hears loud noises. He has finally found a place where he feels comfortable enough to try and make friends again.
Simon and his family are dealing with a serious issue and that issue is handled with care and responsibility throughout the story. There are definitely light-hearted moments and quirky characters that make you laugh - Todd the beer drinking golden retriever & Pretty Stabby the violent but beautiful peacock are just a few - but at the heart of this story is a serious topic that unfortunately has become too common.

I already have a copy of the physical book in the middle school library, but was unable to red it before adding to circulation. However, this wonderfully narrated version came in clutch. Now I can happily recommend the wonderful book to patrons looking for something in the same style of a Kate DiCamillo story.

Title: Simon Sort of Says
By: Erin Bow

Excerpt:
“In the tabernacle did the [squirrel]--"
"Eat the Host?" says Dad. "Yes he did."
"And was it--"
"Consecrated?" says Dad. "Yes it was."
...
"What, uh, happened to the squirrel?"
"That squirrel is now 30% Jesus by volume," says Mom.”

Age Recommendations:
8th - Young Adult
14 and up

Red Flags:
School Shooting, Trauma, a smidge of Profanity

Summary/Review
Simon O’Keeffe and his family have left behind the big city life of Omaha and moved to Bear
and Grin It, Nebraska. A small town where Astrophysicists dwell which means no television, internet or smart phones, exactly the fresh start the O’Keeffe family desires. Simon quickly makes a couple of new friends, Kevin and Agate, and together they take on the aliens with a large radio telescope. The character of Simon is relatable, funny, and yes, he even has a serious side struggling with PTSD. Agate is a girl who is Autistic, and Kevin is the Brainiac. The author creates a funny, light story, with laugh out loud antics, while managing to bring the effects of serious trauma to light. A fun, light, yet intentional read!

Thank you to Erin Bow, Disney Audio Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#NetGalley #ErinBow #Simonsortofsays #middlegradefiction

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow, narrated by Will Collyer.
Simon Sort of Says is a book that shows the power of friendship. Simon wants to be invisible. He has already made front page news, and now that he is in a new town, he wants to blend in and be unnoticed. Simon also struggles with PTSD and tries hard to keep his emotions in check. Two unlikely friends help him understand that we all have our own stories, and the value of being true to yourself.

This book wrecked me and then stitched me back together with its warmth, humor and friendship in the face of extraordinary life circumstances. It's so well written even when it carries such weight and trauma. I laughed out loud, I cried, I wanted to reach through the pages and hug all the characters (except maybe the emus and the Jesus squirrel).

Trigger warning: this book depicts my worst nightmare: a school shooting. It is depicted in a sensitive way and is not the focus of the book, but it is the source of Simon's PTSD.

I can't say I would react differently than the majority of characters in Simon's life because I, too, want to give him a puppy that will turn out to be the perfect service dog for him AND give him all the hugs. This story shows just how very important and therapeutic a therapy dog/service dog can be and the process of training one and that brought me joy.

While all the characters are flawed and dear to my heart, Simon, Hercules, Agate and Kevin will hold a special place in my reading heart. Okay, Stan the Viking dad is pretty epic too.

Please read this with care and seek out someone to talk to after. Its' a handle with care book, but in the best way possible.

This is in my top 5 reads so far of 2023.

Thank you Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this great book. This warm, well-written middle grade novel brilliantly tackles difficult topics of school shooting and its aftermath. At times laugh out loud funny, this is a great, very enjoyable read. 4 1/2 ⭐️

12-year-old Simon O'Keefe and his parents just moved to middle-of-nowhere Nebraska. Literally. Grin and Bear It, NE is a National Quiet Zone -- a town without internet, cell phones, or television. This is the perfect place for a fresh start, especially for Simon, who is eager to escape his internet notoriety following a tragic event at his old school. For a while, things are going well in Grin and Bear It. Since no one can google him, Simon is able to disappear into the weirdness of his new small town with relative anonymity. Simon makes friends, helps to birth goats, chases escaped emus and an attack peacock. But, eventually, his secret comes out and spirals to catastrophe.

It is a rare book that manages to be hysterically funny and heartbreakingly sad in equal measure -- but this is that book. Simon, and his friends Kevin and Agate, are characters that readers will root for -- whether they are engaged in madcap adventures or managing anxiety and trauma. Simon's traumatic secret, he survived a school shooting that took the lives of his friends and classmates, is sensitively handled and is balanced out in the book by madcap adventures of life in a small town. The overall message of healing is well-delivered.