This book took such a unique lens on such a difficult topic (school shootings/PTSD). I really appreciated how it was handled (focusing on the aftermath years after the event and not the event itself) and that Simon felt like a fleshed out person, not just a canvas for his experience. I also appreciated that it didn’t sacrifice a bit of Simon’s middle school angst and spunk on the alter of the message. I could have stayed in this world, and with Simon’s distinct voice and sense of humor, as well as his quirky friends (including fabulous autism representation) and offbeat community, for much longer. I hope authors take a cue from this book on how to deal with tough topics for middle grade readers and I hope it gets lots of recognition come awards time. 

I rarely laugh out loud at books, but this one got me several times with its humor. I loved the sincerity of its voice, the uniqueness of its premise, and the power of its writing. It also has some of the most genuinely likable and human characters I’ve read in a long time. I could see enjoying a reread of this.