Author of 'Love, Simon' Book Inspiration Reveals the One Thing She Would Change in the Novel, Talks About New Projects
People all over the world are falling for "Love, Simon," a movie centered on a gay teenage boy named Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) as he tries to figure out how to come out to his family while finding out the identity of the person he fell in love with online.
For the uninitiated, the movie, which is the first gay teen romance by a major studio and is currently getting positive reviews, is based on the book "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli.
Those who loved "Love, Simon" and already want to dive deeper into the world of the character, would love to know there is so much content to chomp on.
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This April 24, Albertalli will release a new book set in the same universe titled "Leah On the Offbeat" putting the spotlight on Simon's best friend. The titular character in the new novel was played by "13 Reasons Why" star Katherine Langford in "Love, Simon."
Leah happens to be bisexual, unbeknownst to Simon, who, in the book, was under the impression that it is easier for girls to come out become some men have the fetish for lesbian and bi women.
In a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), Albertalli admitted that if there is one thing she could change in "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" if she had the chance, it will have to do with this.
"If I could change anything in Simon, it would be that one paragraph near the beginning of the book, where Simon speculates that girls have an easier time coming out, basically because men fetishize lesbians and bi women," she wrote.
"This is, of course, a misconception, but this worldview is never challenged on the page. So if I could have a do-over, I think I'd either remove that part or push back against it in the text," she went on to say.
Albertalli got the chance to at least explore this in "Leah On the Offbeat," explaining that she did so "in a way that I hope will ameliorate some of the hurt I caused." She goes on to say that it was important for her that Leah would be bi but not out to Simon.
"I think that's part of the same conversation, you know? Simon's here thinking that it's no big deal for girls to come out. Meanwhile, he's literally missing the fact that Leah hasn't come out to him. And it's not an easy thing for Leah," she wrote.
With the positive reception "Love, Simon" has received so far, there are already talks about the possibility of a sequel or at least a spinoff. After all, there is so much material to pull from.
Robinson himself joked about the next one being "Love, Leah" and with "Leah On the Offbeat" in the offing, that might just actually happen. There is also one focused on Molly, Abby's cousin, titled "The Upside of Unrequited."
Albertalli has also revealed in the same Reddit AMA session that she is "drafting a new book right now," although she did not go into detail about it.
Either way, fans will have so much to look forward to from the person behind the inspiration for "Love, Simon."
