Leah on the Offbeat

Narrator Shannon Purser proves to be a great match for the wry, anxious, funny, self-deprecating, snarky, and longing inner voice of Leah (Simon's BFF in SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA). It's her senior year of high school, and Leah is dealing with a lot--from graduation worries to unrequited crushes. Her whiplashing emotions are always front and center for the listener, which feels endearing, exhausting, and relatable. While Purser taps right into the essence of Leah's character, she doesn't differentiate voices for other characters, and listeners may find themselves confused about who is speaking during scenes with unattributed dialogue. Still, the story is Leah's, and as prom approaches, listeners will worry right along with her about whether everything is, indeed, going to turn out okay. J.M.D. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Leah Burke is perched on the precipice of change in the final months of senior year, before everyone in her diverse friend group scatters off to become their college selves. Leah, Simon Spier's best friend in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015), takes center stage in this sequel. She knows she's bisexual, but she's only out to her mom, not her friends, not even to Simon, who is gay. Leah's cynical and socially awkward but also confident in herself. She's unapologetically fat. She's a talented artist and a ripper on the drums. She's also fierce when called for. When a white friend implies that their classmate Abby Suso only got accepted to her college because she is black, Leah, also white, calls out her bias directly (Abby is not present for this conversation), sparking a nuanced subplot on racism and white allyship. Mostly, though, senior year is characterized by Leah's aching crush on Abby, the oh-so-beautiful and oh-so-straight girlfriend of Leah's good friend Nick. When the prom-scene ending finally arrives, even the most Leah-worthy cynics will be rooting for her. With complex characters, authentic dialogue, and messy-but-beautiful friendships, this sequel is more than capable of standing on its own. A subversive take on the coming-of-age romance that will leave readers feeling like witnesses to a very special moment in Leah's life and filled with gratitude for sharing it. (Fiction. 14-18)

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