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Educating Simon
Is the letter Z always dark purple? Have you ever wished the agonizing death of the blue ringed octopus' bite on anyone?
And if you were gay, would that help you understand a young transgender girl?
Everything sixteen-year-old Simon Fitzroy-Hunt loves is in England.There's his school, his boyfriend, his cat, and especially OxfordUniversity, which Simon plans to attend just as his beloved late fatherplanned. But all of Simon's certainties come crashing down when hismother remarries and drags him to Boston with her.
Furious andunforgiving, Simon finds plenty to resent in America. His stepsister,Persie, is overindulged by her father and struggling with Aspergersyndrome. And Simon's school project--coaching a young student for thenational Spelling Bee--hits a complication when eleven-year-old Tobymakes a there's a girl trapped inside his body, and her name is Kay.
Helping Kay find her way begins changing Simon too,opening him to different perspectives, revealing a strength that's goneuntapped until now. And as the life he's known and the future heenvisioned slip further away each day, he realizes he can either losehis direction entirely or forge a new--and perhaps even better--path.
Find out what happens. Scroll up and order your copy today.
Praise for the novels of Robin Reardon
"Real and honest." --VOYA on The Revelations of Jude Connor
"Mesmerizing. . ..A rare book that will appeal to young adults and adult readers alike." -- Publishers Weekly on The Evolution of Ethan Poe
And if you were gay, would that help you understand a young transgender girl?
Everything sixteen-year-old Simon Fitzroy-Hunt loves is in England.There's his school, his boyfriend, his cat, and especially OxfordUniversity, which Simon plans to attend just as his beloved late fatherplanned. But all of Simon's certainties come crashing down when hismother remarries and drags him to Boston with her.
Furious andunforgiving, Simon finds plenty to resent in America. His stepsister,Persie, is overindulged by her father and struggling with Aspergersyndrome. And Simon's school project--coaching a young student for thenational Spelling Bee--hits a complication when eleven-year-old Tobymakes a there's a girl trapped inside his body, and her name is Kay.
Helping Kay find her way begins changing Simon too,opening him to different perspectives, revealing a strength that's goneuntapped until now. And as the life he's known and the future heenvisioned slip further away each day, he realizes he can either losehis direction entirely or forge a new--and perhaps even better--path.
Find out what happens. Scroll up and order your copy today.
Praise for the novels of Robin Reardon
"Real and honest." --VOYA on The Revelations of Jude Connor
"Mesmerizing. . ..A rare book that will appeal to young adults and adult readers alike." -- Publishers Weekly on The Evolution of Ethan Poe
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
10 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Robin Reardon
23 books180 followersI'm an inveterate observer of human nature, and my primary writing goal is to create stories about all kinds of people, some of whom happen to be gay or transgender—people whose destinies are not determined solely by their sexual orientation or identity. My secondary writing goal is to introduce readers to concepts or information they might not know very much about. On my website, robinreardon.com, see individual book pages for “Digging Deeper” sections that link to background information and research done for the novel.
My motto is this: The only thing wrong with being gay is how some people treat you when they find out.
Interests outside of writing include singing, nature photography, and the study of comparative religions. I write in a butter yellow study with a view of the Boston, Massachusetts skyline.
My motto is this: The only thing wrong with being gay is how some people treat you when they find out.
Interests outside of writing include singing, nature photography, and the study of comparative religions. I write in a butter yellow study with a view of the Boston, Massachusetts skyline.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 2, 2014
Simon is a London teenager looking forward to his last year of school before (hopefully) heading to Oxford. His father died a few years ago, but he's still grieving, partly because there's an emotional distance between him and his mom. He has a cat, his main comfort and support, and an imagination which is both help and hindrance.
Then his mother tells him she has met someone, an American man, they're getting married, and she and Simon are moving to be with her new husband and his daughter in Boston.
Simon is devastated in a lot of ways. He's leaving his home, the city he's comfortable in, and his plans for the next year. He has to leave his cat behind too. There is a new man taking his beloved father's place. And he will have a younger step-sibling who has severe Asperger Syndrome, and whose special needs will have to be accommodated.
Frankly, at the beginning of the book, I didn't much like any of the main characters. The mom was cool, and selfish. (I spent over a year after getting engaged 1000 miles from my fiancé, with only a couple of visits, in pre-Skype days. It wasn't easy, but it made the rest of our lives work. All the rationalizations about why they couldn't wait a year to be together so that one child could avoid major disruptions, especially loss of a beloved pet, felt pretty hollow.) Similar things applied to her new husband. He wasn't as cold, but at the same time he made it clear that Simon's needs would have to be secondary to his daughter's. That's not unrealistic - a child with her situation does dominate the household simply by virtue of needing, not wanting, a workable life. But again, waiting a year would have been simpler for her too in enough ways that his rationalizations about not waiting seemed selfish. So there was that.
But Simon is, for his age, whiny and melodramatic, and an unreliable narrator. He has genuine complaints, and I sympathized, but the way he went about it seemed designed to scream his immaturity, as opposed to potentially addressing his situation. So I kind of wanted to smack him too.
But then I read on...
The action moves to America. And here, the characters begin to fill out in complexity. Simon's mother becomes a bit more sympathetic, Simon turns out to be more confused than he appeared, and Ned, a mentor of sorts, appears, who will be instrumental in keeping Simon from a fast crash and burn...
In the end, Simon grows amazingly through this book. Both in his emotional maturity and in his understanding of other people and what motivates them. In truth, if I had one issue with the book it was the degree to which Simon changes over the span of one year.
The mentors, teachers, and experiences are there, of course, but when I discovered later in the story that he was in fact only 16, not 17 as I had thought, I was a bit more tolerant of his early immaturity, and similarly a little more skeptical of his final emergence from adolescence.
I admit, it also gave me more pause about Ned.
The addition of a transgender secondary character was done well, and gave the story interest. The autism-spectrum issues of Simon's step-sister Percie were a big focus, and both of those kept the book from feeling like simply another gay-boy-coming-of-age book. I occasionally wished toward the end that Simon would put a foot wrong in the murky waters of dealing with both those characters, for the sake of realism, but in general I was engaged with the book, and eager to see how it came out.
I really like the story line with Michael. It didn't go where I expected, it felt real, and I think it added to the plausibility of the story as a whole.
So in all, another interesting book by a favorite author, with multiple story lines that came together to hold my interest, and a main character who started out a little annoying and redeemed himself by the end.
Then his mother tells him she has met someone, an American man, they're getting married, and she and Simon are moving to be with her new husband and his daughter in Boston.
Simon is devastated in a lot of ways. He's leaving his home, the city he's comfortable in, and his plans for the next year. He has to leave his cat behind too. There is a new man taking his beloved father's place. And he will have a younger step-sibling who has severe Asperger Syndrome, and whose special needs will have to be accommodated.
Frankly, at the beginning of the book, I didn't much like any of the main characters. The mom was cool, and selfish. (I spent over a year after getting engaged 1000 miles from my fiancé, with only a couple of visits, in pre-Skype days. It wasn't easy, but it made the rest of our lives work. All the rationalizations about why they couldn't wait a year to be together so that one child could avoid major disruptions, especially loss of a beloved pet, felt pretty hollow.) Similar things applied to her new husband. He wasn't as cold, but at the same time he made it clear that Simon's needs would have to be secondary to his daughter's. That's not unrealistic - a child with her situation does dominate the household simply by virtue of needing, not wanting, a workable life. But again, waiting a year would have been simpler for her too in enough ways that his rationalizations about not waiting seemed selfish. So there was that.
But Simon is, for his age, whiny and melodramatic, and an unreliable narrator. He has genuine complaints, and I sympathized, but the way he went about it seemed designed to scream his immaturity, as opposed to potentially addressing his situation. So I kind of wanted to smack him too.
But then I read on...
The action moves to America. And here, the characters begin to fill out in complexity. Simon's mother becomes a bit more sympathetic, Simon turns out to be more confused than he appeared, and Ned, a mentor of sorts, appears, who will be instrumental in keeping Simon from a fast crash and burn...
In the end, Simon grows amazingly through this book. Both in his emotional maturity and in his understanding of other people and what motivates them. In truth, if I had one issue with the book it was the degree to which Simon changes over the span of one year.
The mentors, teachers, and experiences are there, of course, but when I discovered later in the story that he was in fact only 16, not 17 as I had thought, I was a bit more tolerant of his early immaturity, and similarly a little more skeptical of his final emergence from adolescence.
I admit, it also gave me more pause about Ned.
The addition of a transgender secondary character was done well, and gave the story interest. The autism-spectrum issues of Simon's step-sister Percie were a big focus, and both of those kept the book from feeling like simply another gay-boy-coming-of-age book. I occasionally wished toward the end that Simon would put a foot wrong in the murky waters of dealing with both those characters, for the sake of realism, but in general I was engaged with the book, and eager to see how it came out.
I really like the story line with Michael. It didn't go where I expected, it felt real, and I think it added to the plausibility of the story as a whole.
So in all, another interesting book by a favorite author, with multiple story lines that came together to hold my interest, and a main character who started out a little annoying and redeemed himself by the end.
November 28, 2016
I honestly don't think I can overstate how much I loved this book. That it isn't considered a YA classic is simply criminal to my mind.
Reardon sets herself a very formidable task with Educating Simon because when you first meet sixteen year old Simon, your most likely reaction will be want to get the hell away from him. Yes, he's only sixteen and yes, his entire world is being turned upside down. But his acerbic, furious reaction to it is pretty hard to take. But it also sets up Simon for a personal journey that at the end had me teary-eyed and cheering for him -- all without being the least sappy or sentimental. Reardon earns every bit of the book's emotional truths with resorting to cheap tricks.
She also does an amazing job of weaving together a diverse tapestry of subjects and storylines -- the history of Boston, the ins and outs of Asperger's Syndrome, life as a prep school student, the requirements to get into Oxford, gay life as a teenager, both closeted and out, the psychology of cats, transgender issues, into a deft narrative that all serves to propel Simon's growth as a person.
That she does so without missing a beat is all that much more impressive.
If you only read one book this year, Educating Simon should be it.
Reardon sets herself a very formidable task with Educating Simon because when you first meet sixteen year old Simon, your most likely reaction will be want to get the hell away from him. Yes, he's only sixteen and yes, his entire world is being turned upside down. But his acerbic, furious reaction to it is pretty hard to take. But it also sets up Simon for a personal journey that at the end had me teary-eyed and cheering for him -- all without being the least sappy or sentimental. Reardon earns every bit of the book's emotional truths with resorting to cheap tricks.
She also does an amazing job of weaving together a diverse tapestry of subjects and storylines -- the history of Boston, the ins and outs of Asperger's Syndrome, life as a prep school student, the requirements to get into Oxford, gay life as a teenager, both closeted and out, the psychology of cats, transgender issues, into a deft narrative that all serves to propel Simon's growth as a person.
That she does so without missing a beat is all that much more impressive.
If you only read one book this year, Educating Simon should be it.
January 7, 2022
Wow.
Like, wow.
And I never use the word "like" like that.
Just when I think that Robin Reardon has pulled out all the stops, that I couldn't possibly be more in awe of her than I already am, I read the next novel and see how wrong I am.
I have now read all her novels during 2017 (with the exception of Throwing stones, which I read twice in 2016, will read next in my 'start to finish' project, and keep in the space of warmth reserved for one's first love). I was most personally moved by A question of manhood, and I think the deepest delving into a main character's psyche is present in The revelations of Jude Connor (republished in January 2018 as And if I fall). I believe these two novels had that impact on me because in both the main character had to struggle with homosexuality being OK. In Question the straight Paul had to deal with his brother's sexuality, and after Chris was killed in the Vietnam War, Paul's process was very complicated. Jude had to break free from the teachings of a very strict Christian doctrine.
In the other novels, the leads are all gay, and they are by and large content in themselves with that fact. The response of their loved ones may not be great, but then that becomes a focus in the novel, with self-acceptance an established given. This causes a certain lightness in the novel, which does not mean that the main character has an easy ride.
Simon's story is an excellent example. It actually takes on the form of the ancient comedy, which was not necessarily funny, as we understand the term now. The main character starts in a particular status quo, which is set into chaos by circumstances. The chaos is made more complex by a series of added intricacies, and the interference of 'evil' characters, but then directed towards calmer waters by 'good' assistants, fairy godmothers, and the like, until a new and satsfying status quo is reached, leaving the reader exhausted but satisfied.
Take Simon. He lives a great life in England, is super-bright, has synaesthesia (he sees letters as particular colours, making his spelling excellent) and is set on a wonderful university career at Oxford, because he is attending an excellent school to prepare him, and his grandfather studied at Magdalen College.
Then his dad dies. This is a great shock, but Simon and his mother seem to weather that storm. But then his mom is remarried to an American who has a daughter with Asperger's syndrome, and to accommodate her, Simon and his mom have to move to Boston. He has to leave his beloved cat, his school, his all-but-set-in-stone academic career behind, not to mention his boyfriend, England and good tea. His life is ruined.
His stepfather is doing rather well as architect, so Simon does not really want for much. He is enrolled in a school with an excellent record of preparing students for schools, including Oxford. But of course, nothing is good enough: it's not England. Fortunately there is Ned, who supplies lots of perspective, good advice, good food and an eye pencil. This kind of grounding is important, because Simon has to tutor eleven-year-old Toby for a national spelling bee. But Toby-the-boy is actually Kay-the-girl - what should Simon do with this kind of personal information? And with interesting characters like Michael, and Luther, and Daren?
Of course, things are settled satisfactorily in the end - the new status quo is reached. Is it what the reader expected? Well, yes and no - you'll have to wait and see. Reardon readers will also recognise her ability to make her main characters' lives incredibly complex, but in such a convincing way that one does not mind in the least. In Simon's story she adds in bits from real life that throw serious curve balls into the mix - one can only wonder about how these events changed real lives that were involved.
Complex, convincing, entertaining, laugh-inducing, tear-jerking, satisfying - a novel written by Robin Reardon at her best. I can hardly wait to read it again and again.
(Just in the interests of honesty: you did realise my first three lines were a quote, didn't you?)
Nes ek dink Robin Reardon het my klaar verras, dan lees ek die volgende boek en staan van voor af verstom. Hier gooi sy die arme Simon se lewe in Engeland lelik deurmekaar. Sy ma hertrou en hulle trek Amerika toe. Daar moet hy met 'n stiefsuster met Asperger-sindroom en 'n jong transseksuele protegé werk, belangstelling van interessante mans die hoof bied, en alles in die stryd werp om sy akademiese toekoms te verseker. Eind goed, alles goed - maar plek-plek was 'n mens nie mooi seker daarvan nie. Nog 'n uitstekende, vermaaklike, ontroerende verhaal deur die immer knap Robin Reardon.
Like, wow.
And I never use the word "like" like that.
Just when I think that Robin Reardon has pulled out all the stops, that I couldn't possibly be more in awe of her than I already am, I read the next novel and see how wrong I am.
I have now read all her novels during 2017 (with the exception of Throwing stones, which I read twice in 2016, will read next in my 'start to finish' project, and keep in the space of warmth reserved for one's first love). I was most personally moved by A question of manhood, and I think the deepest delving into a main character's psyche is present in The revelations of Jude Connor (republished in January 2018 as And if I fall). I believe these two novels had that impact on me because in both the main character had to struggle with homosexuality being OK. In Question the straight Paul had to deal with his brother's sexuality, and after Chris was killed in the Vietnam War, Paul's process was very complicated. Jude had to break free from the teachings of a very strict Christian doctrine.
In the other novels, the leads are all gay, and they are by and large content in themselves with that fact. The response of their loved ones may not be great, but then that becomes a focus in the novel, with self-acceptance an established given. This causes a certain lightness in the novel, which does not mean that the main character has an easy ride.
Simon's story is an excellent example. It actually takes on the form of the ancient comedy, which was not necessarily funny, as we understand the term now. The main character starts in a particular status quo, which is set into chaos by circumstances. The chaos is made more complex by a series of added intricacies, and the interference of 'evil' characters, but then directed towards calmer waters by 'good' assistants, fairy godmothers, and the like, until a new and satsfying status quo is reached, leaving the reader exhausted but satisfied.
Take Simon. He lives a great life in England, is super-bright, has synaesthesia (he sees letters as particular colours, making his spelling excellent) and is set on a wonderful university career at Oxford, because he is attending an excellent school to prepare him, and his grandfather studied at Magdalen College.
Then his dad dies. This is a great shock, but Simon and his mother seem to weather that storm. But then his mom is remarried to an American who has a daughter with Asperger's syndrome, and to accommodate her, Simon and his mom have to move to Boston. He has to leave his beloved cat, his school, his all-but-set-in-stone academic career behind, not to mention his boyfriend, England and good tea. His life is ruined.
His stepfather is doing rather well as architect, so Simon does not really want for much. He is enrolled in a school with an excellent record of preparing students for schools, including Oxford. But of course, nothing is good enough: it's not England. Fortunately there is Ned, who supplies lots of perspective, good advice, good food and an eye pencil. This kind of grounding is important, because Simon has to tutor eleven-year-old Toby for a national spelling bee. But Toby-the-boy is actually Kay-the-girl - what should Simon do with this kind of personal information? And with interesting characters like Michael, and Luther, and Daren?
Of course, things are settled satisfactorily in the end - the new status quo is reached. Is it what the reader expected? Well, yes and no - you'll have to wait and see. Reardon readers will also recognise her ability to make her main characters' lives incredibly complex, but in such a convincing way that one does not mind in the least. In Simon's story she adds in bits from real life that throw serious curve balls into the mix - one can only wonder about how these events changed real lives that were involved.
Complex, convincing, entertaining, laugh-inducing, tear-jerking, satisfying - a novel written by Robin Reardon at her best. I can hardly wait to read it again and again.
(Just in the interests of honesty: you did realise my first three lines were a quote, didn't you?)
Nes ek dink Robin Reardon het my klaar verras, dan lees ek die volgende boek en staan van voor af verstom. Hier gooi sy die arme Simon se lewe in Engeland lelik deurmekaar. Sy ma hertrou en hulle trek Amerika toe. Daar moet hy met 'n stiefsuster met Asperger-sindroom en 'n jong transseksuele protegé werk, belangstelling van interessante mans die hoof bied, en alles in die stryd werp om sy akademiese toekoms te verseker. Eind goed, alles goed - maar plek-plek was 'n mens nie mooi seker daarvan nie. Nog 'n uitstekende, vermaaklike, ontroerende verhaal deur die immer knap Robin Reardon.
February 23, 2016
Simon Fitzroy-Hunt has inherited a few things from his late father. His synesthesia, (the ability to see letters as colors), his academic ability and his desire to go to Oxford. Unfortunately his mother has met a new man (from Boston) and since the man has an Asperger's afflicted child, they've decided that it's Simon who'll have his life up-rooted. The family is moving to Boston despite Simon's objections. Simon's even losing his beloved cat because the man's daughter is unable to deal with animals.
Educating Simon is another of Robin Reardon's titles that suggests that there may be more than one way to interpret the title. For the most part, Simon seems to be largely educating himself -- admittedly with the help of his parents, his school councilors and with his friends and life experiences. And its a good thing too. He's smarter than most of those around him (if not always wiser)
This is a fascinating look at one transplanted Brit gay boy's transition from "wingeing" schoolboy to capable adult. In Boston, his Britishness is just another way he's different. There's a reason that most good bildungsroman feature a MC that's just moved. Moving gives one a chance to redefine and re-invent one's self and for Simon that works out to being a good thing.
As it's the author's home, the Boston location informs this story more than the locale in her other works. The story even features the Boston Marathon bombing but that tragedy doesn't shanghai the story or feel like it was just a prop. It's just another organic part of the tale and it contributes to Simon's development and that of his new sister.
The supporting characters in this tale; Toby/Kay, the 12 year old trans-gendered spelling prodigy that Simon tutors, Percy, his Asperger's afflicted sister, Toby's father and mother, even Ned the cook, are all given more development than supporting characters in many modern works and as a result they make the main character's journey even more interesting.
Even Simon's decision to lose his virginity is dealt with in an interesting way that serves the overall thread of Simon's growth into adulthood. Michael, the ex-possibly gay, now straight edged, Italian Art Student, and Luther, the obviously experienced but a bit selfish bi-guy, both had me rooting for them at one point neither is painted as just a two dimensional . The contrast between the two just served to make the romantic aspects of the story even better.
Simon's character grows. He's continually examining his own life and his POV changes as he attains a more adult perspective. So much so that I was surprised when I went back to an earlier part in search of a plot detail that I'd missed.
I highly recommend this. Robin has crafted another smart, charming read about a teenager on the cusp of coming into his own. It works as a coming of age story. It works as a character's coming out story and the romance angle is there as well. It's yet another of Robin's tales where the story reaches a logical end but we would be content to see the story continue.
Two confessions...
I've always been a bit of an Anglophile so Simon had my sympathy from the start
and two
I got a free copy of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Educating Simon is another of Robin Reardon's titles that suggests that there may be more than one way to interpret the title. For the most part, Simon seems to be largely educating himself -- admittedly with the help of his parents, his school councilors and with his friends and life experiences. And its a good thing too. He's smarter than most of those around him (if not always wiser)
This is a fascinating look at one transplanted Brit gay boy's transition from "wingeing" schoolboy to capable adult. In Boston, his Britishness is just another way he's different. There's a reason that most good bildungsroman feature a MC that's just moved. Moving gives one a chance to redefine and re-invent one's self and for Simon that works out to being a good thing.
As it's the author's home, the Boston location informs this story more than the locale in her other works. The story even features the Boston Marathon bombing but that tragedy doesn't shanghai the story or feel like it was just a prop. It's just another organic part of the tale and it contributes to Simon's development and that of his new sister.
The supporting characters in this tale; Toby/Kay, the 12 year old trans-gendered spelling prodigy that Simon tutors, Percy, his Asperger's afflicted sister, Toby's father and mother, even Ned the cook, are all given more development than supporting characters in many modern works and as a result they make the main character's journey even more interesting.
Even Simon's decision to lose his virginity is dealt with in an interesting way that serves the overall thread of Simon's growth into adulthood. Michael, the ex-possibly gay, now straight edged, Italian Art Student, and Luther, the obviously experienced but a bit selfish bi-guy, both had me rooting for them at one point neither is painted as just a two dimensional . The contrast between the two just served to make the romantic aspects of the story even better.
Simon's character grows. He's continually examining his own life and his POV changes as he attains a more adult perspective. So much so that I was surprised when I went back to an earlier part in search of a plot detail that I'd missed.
I highly recommend this. Robin has crafted another smart, charming read about a teenager on the cusp of coming into his own. It works as a coming of age story. It works as a character's coming out story and the romance angle is there as well. It's yet another of Robin's tales where the story reaches a logical end but we would be content to see the story continue.
Two confessions...
I've always been a bit of an Anglophile so Simon had my sympathy from the start
and two
I got a free copy of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2015
Educating Simon is a story about a gay young man who is arrogant, self-centered, rich and entitled, who then experiences all kinds of personal tragedies. He faces many challenges and we get to explore how that changes his persona over the course of his senior year of high school in a new country. He has to face his failings in order to meet his deceased father's wishes of getting I to Oxford. I will admit that unlike many of Robin Reardon's books I had a very hard time getting into this and getting past the first 50 pages. I just had a difficult time grabbing the threads and wanting to know where they were going. But I've read enough of her books to know that it was going to become amazing, and that's exactly what this book ends up being, with certain flaws. The main characters of Simon, his mother, his new stepfather, and Ned are all interesting and fleshed out people to me. Michael does not seem as realistic or important to the story as even Simon reports that he is when he says that the day they met changed his life forever. I really enjoyed the changes that ended up occurring for Simon, but think there were so many factors beyond Michael that brought them about. A very interesting part of this book was Simon's theory about autism and training and how it relates to feline behavior, rules, and being open and sensitive to another being's needs. His stepsister was an incredibly intriguing character. The sub plot about Kay, a transgender spelling bee contestant, grew intense, as did any scenes about suicide ideation and bullying. I had a problem with the over age boys taking Simon, the 16-year-old, out to parties where there's booze. Ned seemed so much more responsible before this. I also thought Simon displayed too much self control in emotional situations on one hand, only to completely lose control in easier scenarios. It's obvious from her books that Robin is an intelligent person. This novel seemed to give her a perfect opportunity to explore that intelligence, having Simon be gifted and discussing his higher learning in some detail. I really felt bad for the pressure these people have with high academic expectations. I want to say they're lucky for having opportunities and on the other they're pushed beyond reason to study all the time in order to be able to be accepted at a big school. Overall, this was a page turning character driven piece about growing into true self acceptance.
January 10, 2015
The premise of a gay teen tutoring a transgender pre-teen has a great deal of potential, and Simon's fish-out-of-water situation lends itself well to the self-examination in this journal-format novel. Simon, however, seems to be preternaturally mature with little to no comprehension of popular culture and his stepfather swings between overly conservative and allowing his teen stepson unfettered access to alcohol. Compounded with characters that rely too much on stereotypes bordering on caricature, this book may leave readers unable to root for anyone in Simon's year of discovery.
Summary: Simon's mother falls for an American and moves them both to her new husband's home of Boston. Without his cat, his Oxford-focused prep school, and his boyfriend, he's convinced he's lost everything. Things get worse once he starts school in Boston when his required courses include tutoring a transgender pre-teen whose secret he's promised to keep. Simon realizes Boston is changing him, but he's not sure if it's for the better or worse.
Summary: Simon's mother falls for an American and moves them both to her new husband's home of Boston. Without his cat, his Oxford-focused prep school, and his boyfriend, he's convinced he's lost everything. Things get worse once he starts school in Boston when his required courses include tutoring a transgender pre-teen whose secret he's promised to keep. Simon realizes Boston is changing him, but he's not sure if it's for the better or worse.
June 9, 2019
At first, I found 16-year-old Simon to be arrogant and annoying. He’s highly intelligent and has synesthesia (he sees letters as colors). He’s a bit of a brat in his native London where he wants to follow in his late father’s footsteps of attending Oxford.
Simon's world is upended when his mother announces her engagement to Boston architect Brian and they're moving to his Back Bay home in Boston. Simon is forced to leave behind his prep school, his cat Tinker, his straight boy crush, and everything he loves and knows in life.
Complicating matters, Brian's daughter Persie has Asperger’s and her needs come before Simon's, hence the move to Boston.
As miserable as Simon is in Boston in his first couple of months, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery thanks to Robin Reardon's gradual introduction of an eclectic cast of supporting characters and storylines. There’s Ned, the house chef who serves as an older brother/mentor to Simon and serves as his soundboard. Ned helps him adapt to Boston and introduces him to a slice of the gay scene and what could be. There’s Toby/Kay, the 11-year-old transgender girl that Simon is assigned by his school to mentor for a spelling bee championship. And then you have a potential friend in Michael, a college student who may or not be gay, and Luther, a bi college student who helps Simon explore sex.
I enjoyed following Simon as he grew and matured over the course of the year and learning about his super busy academic schedule and projects. As the story moved along, Simon became more likable especially in how he helped Kay with her spelling lessons and connecting her with resources of transgender people so she wouldn’t feel so alone. Simon was a support system for Toby/Kay.
I also appreciated his complicated relationship with his step sister Persie. Because of his love of cats and innate understanding of their psychology, he formed a special bond with Persie that no one else had in the house. Simon had a way of knowing her needs and how to relate to her just as he does with cats. That connection also helped deepen Simon's relationship with his mother who is also trying to connect in any way with Persie as well as Simon. Whether he realizes it or not, he bonds more with his mom and as they try to help Persie establish more of her independence.
Reardon has a special and rare way of channeling the inner voices of young gay men and she succeeds again in this book. This time around, she nails the British voice. As I read along, I could hear Simon's British accent (as if he were sitting right next to me) and his colorful expressions in his journal entries.
Since most of the book was set in Boston, where I lived for 10 years, I instantly recognized the neighborhoods and places Reardon deftly references (Copley Square, Boston College, Boston Library, etc.) She places the reader in the Hub.
By the end of the story, I was rooting for Simon and for the next chapter in his life. I was left wondering what the future holds for him, his family and friends. Perhaps a future sequel?
Simon's world is upended when his mother announces her engagement to Boston architect Brian and they're moving to his Back Bay home in Boston. Simon is forced to leave behind his prep school, his cat Tinker, his straight boy crush, and everything he loves and knows in life.
Complicating matters, Brian's daughter Persie has Asperger’s and her needs come before Simon's, hence the move to Boston.
As miserable as Simon is in Boston in his first couple of months, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery thanks to Robin Reardon's gradual introduction of an eclectic cast of supporting characters and storylines. There’s Ned, the house chef who serves as an older brother/mentor to Simon and serves as his soundboard. Ned helps him adapt to Boston and introduces him to a slice of the gay scene and what could be. There’s Toby/Kay, the 11-year-old transgender girl that Simon is assigned by his school to mentor for a spelling bee championship. And then you have a potential friend in Michael, a college student who may or not be gay, and Luther, a bi college student who helps Simon explore sex.
I enjoyed following Simon as he grew and matured over the course of the year and learning about his super busy academic schedule and projects. As the story moved along, Simon became more likable especially in how he helped Kay with her spelling lessons and connecting her with resources of transgender people so she wouldn’t feel so alone. Simon was a support system for Toby/Kay.
I also appreciated his complicated relationship with his step sister Persie. Because of his love of cats and innate understanding of their psychology, he formed a special bond with Persie that no one else had in the house. Simon had a way of knowing her needs and how to relate to her just as he does with cats. That connection also helped deepen Simon's relationship with his mother who is also trying to connect in any way with Persie as well as Simon. Whether he realizes it or not, he bonds more with his mom and as they try to help Persie establish more of her independence.
Reardon has a special and rare way of channeling the inner voices of young gay men and she succeeds again in this book. This time around, she nails the British voice. As I read along, I could hear Simon's British accent (as if he were sitting right next to me) and his colorful expressions in his journal entries.
Since most of the book was set in Boston, where I lived for 10 years, I instantly recognized the neighborhoods and places Reardon deftly references (Copley Square, Boston College, Boston Library, etc.) She places the reader in the Hub.
By the end of the story, I was rooting for Simon and for the next chapter in his life. I was left wondering what the future holds for him, his family and friends. Perhaps a future sequel?
January 14, 2017
Educating Simon
By Robin Reardon
Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2014
ISBN: 9780758284761
Five stars
So, the second Robin Reardon book to which I’ve given five stars, and not just because of the adorable redhead on the cover, whom I assume is Simon Fitzroy-Hunt, the protagonist and narrator for this novel-as-journal.
What I love most about this book is Reardon’s clean writing style and her grasp of detail. That’s crucial here because she throws a lot of detail into this teen-angst-coming-of-age story. There’s the Big Plot (16-year-old torn from the London he loves and moved to Boston he hates); and then the various sub-plots (autistic stepsister, transgender adolescent, closeted college boy, burgeoning sex life). It’s a lot to manage, and Reardon handles it more that deftly – she orchestrates it into something rather powerful and, ultimately, transformative for the reader (at least this one).
Most interesting is that, other than being beautiful, Simon is a schmuck. But in some ways he’s no worse than most sixteen-year-old boys. The real oddity is that he’s preternaturally smart, and determined to go to Oxford. He’s also torn up, understandably, about the sudden death of his father a few years back. In fact, Simon is a hot mess, even more than we are given to understand from his surface anger at the forced move to Boston. All of this is woven into the different subplots as Simon’s education, intellectual and emotional, moves forward.
There are a lot of important characters in this book besides Simon. His mother, Emma; his stepfather Brian, the family’s chef, Ned; the child Simon is tutoring, Toby…and more. This is a rich array of interesting, complex people, and each one of them becomes a counterpoint to Simon’s shifting persona.
Another thing that appealed to me very much is that Simon and his family are rich. And this is handled matter-of-factly, rather than turned into something that either makes them special or implies that they’re nasty. Simon’s financial privilege is the background for his difficult character, and while it is not ignored, it isn’t turned into any sort of focus for the plot.
There is probably a little too much sexual activity in this book for a YA “rating,” although as far as I can say (again, I’ve got two kids), it’s the kind of book I’d want my high school student to read. They know all about sex, believe me. But they don’t always know about moral strength.
So far, Robin Reardon seems to focus her books on the question: how can one be a good person? That’s a much more difficult question than one might think.
By Robin Reardon
Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2014
ISBN: 9780758284761
Five stars
So, the second Robin Reardon book to which I’ve given five stars, and not just because of the adorable redhead on the cover, whom I assume is Simon Fitzroy-Hunt, the protagonist and narrator for this novel-as-journal.
What I love most about this book is Reardon’s clean writing style and her grasp of detail. That’s crucial here because she throws a lot of detail into this teen-angst-coming-of-age story. There’s the Big Plot (16-year-old torn from the London he loves and moved to Boston he hates); and then the various sub-plots (autistic stepsister, transgender adolescent, closeted college boy, burgeoning sex life). It’s a lot to manage, and Reardon handles it more that deftly – she orchestrates it into something rather powerful and, ultimately, transformative for the reader (at least this one).
Most interesting is that, other than being beautiful, Simon is a schmuck. But in some ways he’s no worse than most sixteen-year-old boys. The real oddity is that he’s preternaturally smart, and determined to go to Oxford. He’s also torn up, understandably, about the sudden death of his father a few years back. In fact, Simon is a hot mess, even more than we are given to understand from his surface anger at the forced move to Boston. All of this is woven into the different subplots as Simon’s education, intellectual and emotional, moves forward.
There are a lot of important characters in this book besides Simon. His mother, Emma; his stepfather Brian, the family’s chef, Ned; the child Simon is tutoring, Toby…and more. This is a rich array of interesting, complex people, and each one of them becomes a counterpoint to Simon’s shifting persona.
Another thing that appealed to me very much is that Simon and his family are rich. And this is handled matter-of-factly, rather than turned into something that either makes them special or implies that they’re nasty. Simon’s financial privilege is the background for his difficult character, and while it is not ignored, it isn’t turned into any sort of focus for the plot.
There is probably a little too much sexual activity in this book for a YA “rating,” although as far as I can say (again, I’ve got two kids), it’s the kind of book I’d want my high school student to read. They know all about sex, believe me. But they don’t always know about moral strength.
So far, Robin Reardon seems to focus her books on the question: how can one be a good person? That’s a much more difficult question than one might think.
December 22, 2014
Brilliant, Wonderful, Marvelous. I really loved this book. Okay, so the protagonist was a bit of a prick, but the story was terrific. I'll probably read it again, maybe starting tomorrow.
UPDATE
I have in fact read this story again. Obviously it's not possible for a book to better the second time around, but this book is absolutely marvelous. Simon is still a bit of a prick, but only to his mother. He is a delight otherwise. I loved this story every bit as much as the first time.
Five stars plus, and I cannot recommend it too highly
UPDATE
I have in fact read this story again. Obviously it's not possible for a book to better the second time around, but this book is absolutely marvelous. Simon is still a bit of a prick, but only to his mother. He is a delight otherwise. I loved this story every bit as much as the first time.
Five stars plus, and I cannot recommend it too highly
September 28, 2014
Excellent book...merging Boston and the angst of leaving...and coming.
October 25, 2014
I'm not even going to try to do justice to this book with a review. It was just so bloody brilliant.
Pleassssee let there be a sequel. I fell in love with Simon's cantankerous ass.
Pleassssee let there be a sequel. I fell in love with Simon's cantankerous ass.
Read
November 2, 2014I loved the book can't wait to read more from her.
March 27, 2018
Don't get it twisted, Simon is an extremely unlikable character. Self indulgent, arrogant, obnoxious and downright mean, but sometimes books aren't about likable characters.
It's weird, because on one hand I have nothing in common with Simon (upper middle class public school boy, with his eye set on Oxford. Snobbish, rude and entitled) but I also felt like I could relate to him (a sure sign of a decently developed character) He may be bratty, but he also keeps a lot of emotion inside. He may be a little over the top, but a lot of shit DOES go wrong in a short space of time, and to top it all off, he absolutely adores his cat! I don't think I've ever read a more realistic reaction to having to leave a pet behind.
So, we start off with Simon being ripped out of his life - his mum marries an American, uproots him from England, makes him leave behind his cat and expects him to accept it. Cue major teenage angst and bitterness.
Through out the book we meet a whole host of characters who are extremely diverse. This is one of the books winning aspects. Simon, our main character is gay and has Synesthesia (a condition where letters have colours, music can have shapes and sounds can have tastes) His new step father Brian has a daughter - Persie - with Asperger Syndrome (I'm not an expert in this field, but it felt authentically written) Simon is assigned as a spelling tutor to an 11 year old, who knows she is a girl trapped in a boys body, and one of the main side characters Ned is a black gay man.
Quite a few times I found myself putting the book down to go and read up about interesting aspects, whether it was the Synesthesia (surprisingly this wasn't the first book I've read that explores this phenomenon) or an artist who's work is used quite a lot to build the foundations of Persie and Simon's interactions. We also get nods to real life events, which make this diary-esque story more grounded and believable.
Finally I just want to commend Reardon for making Simon correct people when they refereed to him having a 'British' accent - although his reasons were slightly aggressive (in a 'don't lump me into the same category as those peasants in Wales' type way) it is a pet peeve of mine when people (in real life and in books) say 'British accent', when what they really mean is 'That one small part of London where people talk the Queen's English'. So I was cheering him on whenever he had to have that conversation!
It's weird, because on one hand I have nothing in common with Simon (upper middle class public school boy, with his eye set on Oxford. Snobbish, rude and entitled) but I also felt like I could relate to him (a sure sign of a decently developed character) He may be bratty, but he also keeps a lot of emotion inside. He may be a little over the top, but a lot of shit DOES go wrong in a short space of time, and to top it all off, he absolutely adores his cat! I don't think I've ever read a more realistic reaction to having to leave a pet behind.
So, we start off with Simon being ripped out of his life - his mum marries an American, uproots him from England, makes him leave behind his cat and expects him to accept it. Cue major teenage angst and bitterness.
Through out the book we meet a whole host of characters who are extremely diverse. This is one of the books winning aspects. Simon, our main character is gay and has Synesthesia (a condition where letters have colours, music can have shapes and sounds can have tastes) His new step father Brian has a daughter - Persie - with Asperger Syndrome (I'm not an expert in this field, but it felt authentically written) Simon is assigned as a spelling tutor to an 11 year old, who knows she is a girl trapped in a boys body, and one of the main side characters Ned is a black gay man.
Quite a few times I found myself putting the book down to go and read up about interesting aspects, whether it was the Synesthesia (surprisingly this wasn't the first book I've read that explores this phenomenon) or an artist who's work is used quite a lot to build the foundations of Persie and Simon's interactions. We also get nods to real life events, which make this diary-esque story more grounded and believable.
Finally I just want to commend Reardon for making Simon correct people when they refereed to him having a 'British' accent - although his reasons were slightly aggressive (in a 'don't lump me into the same category as those peasants in Wales' type way) it is a pet peeve of mine when people (in real life and in books) say 'British accent', when what they really mean is 'That one small part of London where people talk the Queen's English'. So I was cheering him on whenever he had to have that conversation!
September 7, 2015
There is more to Education Simon by Robin Reardon than a simple surface read. This is a well-crafted novel that deserves and encourages close-reading and re-reading. Educating Simon demands readers’ attention on an entertaining level and lends valuable opportunity for the educational levels. Since falling in love with the outspoken and determined Simon, I have introduced this well-crafted and beautifully written depiction of today’s teens into the curriculum at Antioch University Midwest School of Education. Teacher candidates explore the depth and breadth of Reardon’s richly developed characters to incorporate inclusion, differentiation, and safe learning environments for these characters.
Teens are complicated and are not easily clumped into neat categories. Reardon’s brave, honest, and clearly developed depictions are the closest fictional representations of today’s teens I’ve read in quite some time. Simon’s angst for perfection and entitlement rings truthful during his constantly challenged journey. Toby/Kay’s mental and physical explorations reveal the voices of many teens today and are forcing educators to listen, adapt, and reflect in order to provide the needed assistance. Persie’s situation is no longer an unrecognized secret in our society, but we are still struggling to determine the best practice for these children. Even the minor characters in Educating Simon portray the internal and external struggles that teens are facing now, with the constant development of technology that is creating new vernaculars and challenges that parents and teachers have never before confronted.
The most remarkable theme throughout Educating Simon is love. Sometimes love seems to be missing in the fast paced technological advanced world teens confront on a daily bases. Reardon reminds readers that love may be the simple solution to bridge the ever widening gap between teens and adults.
Education Simon is a classic and a must read for everyone. This is not only a novel about discovering sexual orientation, it is a novel about discovering and accepting the true person inside.
Teens are complicated and are not easily clumped into neat categories. Reardon’s brave, honest, and clearly developed depictions are the closest fictional representations of today’s teens I’ve read in quite some time. Simon’s angst for perfection and entitlement rings truthful during his constantly challenged journey. Toby/Kay’s mental and physical explorations reveal the voices of many teens today and are forcing educators to listen, adapt, and reflect in order to provide the needed assistance. Persie’s situation is no longer an unrecognized secret in our society, but we are still struggling to determine the best practice for these children. Even the minor characters in Educating Simon portray the internal and external struggles that teens are facing now, with the constant development of technology that is creating new vernaculars and challenges that parents and teachers have never before confronted.
The most remarkable theme throughout Educating Simon is love. Sometimes love seems to be missing in the fast paced technological advanced world teens confront on a daily bases. Reardon reminds readers that love may be the simple solution to bridge the ever widening gap between teens and adults.
Education Simon is a classic and a must read for everyone. This is not only a novel about discovering sexual orientation, it is a novel about discovering and accepting the true person inside.
November 9, 2019
When was the last time a book had you laughing through tears of sorrow?
This as an epistolary novel. Simon, in his final year of secondary school, is forced to leave his beloved London for tiny Boston when his mum remarries to a Boston architect, with an 11-year-old daughter with Asperger's Syndrome. Fortunately for us, the sulky sprat keeps a journal.
Simon's interactions with his step-sister and his tutee Toby, another 11-year-old, transform our self-absorbed anti-hero into a caring young man. But he has a guide. For in the kitchen of his step-father's Back Bay brownstone, is Ned, the family chef, who also happens to be gay, and whose sensitivity to the young ginger transplant literally saves him.
This is a textured, intelligent, YA novel, though there are a few glossing sexual scenes. The writer reminds us we are reading journal entries, but honestly the story-telling is so good, the reader is likely to forget. Much terrain is covered, from the care of those with Asperger's syndrome, to the treatment of both sexual as well as gender minorities.
The education of Simon is multi-leveled: social, academic, and sexual. In one year, we witness a maze transform into a labyrinth, a detour become a hejira. And, by the end, we feel blessed to have joined the pilgrimage to Oxford. (Though it was never about the place.)
This as an epistolary novel. Simon, in his final year of secondary school, is forced to leave his beloved London for tiny Boston when his mum remarries to a Boston architect, with an 11-year-old daughter with Asperger's Syndrome. Fortunately for us, the sulky sprat keeps a journal.
Simon's interactions with his step-sister and his tutee Toby, another 11-year-old, transform our self-absorbed anti-hero into a caring young man. But he has a guide. For in the kitchen of his step-father's Back Bay brownstone, is Ned, the family chef, who also happens to be gay, and whose sensitivity to the young ginger transplant literally saves him.
This is a textured, intelligent, YA novel, though there are a few glossing sexual scenes. The writer reminds us we are reading journal entries, but honestly the story-telling is so good, the reader is likely to forget. Much terrain is covered, from the care of those with Asperger's syndrome, to the treatment of both sexual as well as gender minorities.
The education of Simon is multi-leveled: social, academic, and sexual. In one year, we witness a maze transform into a labyrinth, a detour become a hejira. And, by the end, we feel blessed to have joined the pilgrimage to Oxford. (Though it was never about the place.)
September 22, 2014
A coming-of-age story about a 16-year-old gay boy who is forced to move from London to Boston when his mother remarries. During this year he comes out, starts dating, and experiences a lot of personal growth in a new educational and social environment, particularly as regards his new stepsister who has severe Aspergers
Perhaps you have had to BE a child who was dragged from their native country for a year, fought against it (including the loss of pets; I suspect our pets, which were given to the Humane Society and not a new owner who sent pictures, didn't survive), and then learned to find their place in it, to sympathize with Simon at the beginning of this book. Having been there (though at a younger age) I certainly felt his misery, even though its manifestations were cruel and counterproductive at times. I really enjoyed reading about him coming into his own, and learning to deal (or, deal better) with all the problems his life kept throwing at him. This is exactly the kind of story I like (although to be honest, I haven't read anything by Robin Reardon that I didn't love). I read it in one sitting. And I might read it again!
Perhaps you have had to BE a child who was dragged from their native country for a year, fought against it (including the loss of pets; I suspect our pets, which were given to the Humane Society and not a new owner who sent pictures, didn't survive), and then learned to find their place in it, to sympathize with Simon at the beginning of this book. Having been there (though at a younger age) I certainly felt his misery, even though its manifestations were cruel and counterproductive at times. I really enjoyed reading about him coming into his own, and learning to deal (or, deal better) with all the problems his life kept throwing at him. This is exactly the kind of story I like (although to be honest, I haven't read anything by Robin Reardon that I didn't love). I read it in one sitting. And I might read it again!
January 19, 2015
Maybe my favorite novel by Robin Reardon.
I have read all of Ms. Reardon's books, except one. (And its on my list to read.) She is one of those authors that I can't wait for her next novel. Although her books are technically YA novels, the characters and story lines are more complex than your usual YA novels. Unlike most YA novels, that I can read through in just one or two sittings, her novels always take me some time. I have to slowly digest them as I read. (She reminds me a lot of J.H. Trimble, another author I impatiently await their next novel.)
This novel is no different. Other posts have sufficiently described the plot, so I will not re-hash it again. But needless to say, she has another winner here. I loved the characters, who are never one-dimensional. I love the story line, which although it ends well, her novels never have the truly "happily ever after" feel. Because her stories are so complex, they just can't be all wrapped up in a tidy little bow at the end. Just like life.
As always, the question I have when I finished this novel.... When's her next one out?
I have read all of Ms. Reardon's books, except one. (And its on my list to read.) She is one of those authors that I can't wait for her next novel. Although her books are technically YA novels, the characters and story lines are more complex than your usual YA novels. Unlike most YA novels, that I can read through in just one or two sittings, her novels always take me some time. I have to slowly digest them as I read. (She reminds me a lot of J.H. Trimble, another author I impatiently await their next novel.)
This novel is no different. Other posts have sufficiently described the plot, so I will not re-hash it again. But needless to say, she has another winner here. I loved the characters, who are never one-dimensional. I love the story line, which although it ends well, her novels never have the truly "happily ever after" feel. Because her stories are so complex, they just can't be all wrapped up in a tidy little bow at the end. Just like life.
As always, the question I have when I finished this novel.... When's her next one out?
December 24, 2014
I am so blown away by this book! Every book I read by Robin gets better and better and this one is no exception.
The narrative of this book is so teenage and so (sometimes) relatable that you just keep reading on, Simons sarcasm is such a fantastic read also, the only downside was when truly English Simon americanised in his narrative, that however can be completely forgiven as it is a fantastic read, there is so many twist and turns, true surprises and times were you're completely egging him on that you cannot put it down!
Completely recommended!
The narrative of this book is so teenage and so (sometimes) relatable that you just keep reading on, Simons sarcasm is such a fantastic read also, the only downside was when truly English Simon americanised in his narrative, that however can be completely forgiven as it is a fantastic read, there is so many twist and turns, true surprises and times were you're completely egging him on that you cannot put it down!
Completely recommended!
January 5, 2016
I feel that this book represents a classic Reardon story of a young man trying to find himself in the world has to reimagine his surroundings and his understanding of how the world is presented. I especially liked the part about helping a young GBLT find her self as a young woman in a men's body.
May 15, 2019
I enjoyed aspects of this book more than others. I really enjoyed the relationships with Persie and Kay due to the issues around being transgender or having aspergers syndrome. However I found Simon's narrative arrogant and quite pompous most of the time which made it quite hard to read sometimes.
July 19, 2022
It isn't easy being a seventeen-year-old gay male, but life is about to become especially difficult for Simon Fitzroy-Hunt, the clever to a fault yet not always likeable narrator of "Educating Simon," the latest novel from Robin Reardon, author of such profound, compelling works as "Thinking Straight" and "The Evolution of Ethan Poe."
"Educating Simon" is an especially engaging and ultimately moving portrait of an angry young male who has no choice but to accept the new home, family and life that are all forced upon him.
Having worked his entire life to get into Oxford, where his late father attended, highly intelligent Simon is not your average London teenager. The summer before his senior year, his mother, Emma, falls in love with and marries an attorney from Boston, so Simon has to relocate to the States and leave behind the only home he has ever known, as well as his beloved cat, Tink, and his boyfriend, Graeme.
Furious at his mother, dismissive of his new stepfather, and perplexed by his stepsister, Persie, who has Asperger's, Simon isolates himself in his schoolwork, counting the days until he can return home to London to attend Oxford. An extracurricular project as the tutor for a spelling champ proves particularly challenging when his student, eleven-year-old Toby, confides in Simon that he is really a she.
If this seems like an awful lot to digest, his journey is just beginning. Still longing for Graeme, Simon becomes acquainted with several young gentlemen, including Michael, an attractive stranger unsure of his sexuality, and Luther, an openly bisexual college senior. Yet the one person Simon grows closest to is Ned, their chef, who introduces him around and offers sage advice.
Considering the novel represents only a year in the life of Simon, I could argue that perhaps too much happens for it to be believable. Other random events include a stroke, a suicide attempt, and several remarkable breakthroughs with Persie. Nevertheless, the pages turn with ease, the story flows and most importantly, Simon evolves from boy to young man, and in the end, you can't help but care what happens to him.
With "Educating Simon," the author adds another intriguing character to the literature canon, one who truly makes a difference in the lives of others. Given his ambition, drive and passion, Simon makes for a refreshing example and a welcome addition to the coming-of-age genre.
"Educating Simon" is an especially engaging and ultimately moving portrait of an angry young male who has no choice but to accept the new home, family and life that are all forced upon him.
Having worked his entire life to get into Oxford, where his late father attended, highly intelligent Simon is not your average London teenager. The summer before his senior year, his mother, Emma, falls in love with and marries an attorney from Boston, so Simon has to relocate to the States and leave behind the only home he has ever known, as well as his beloved cat, Tink, and his boyfriend, Graeme.
Furious at his mother, dismissive of his new stepfather, and perplexed by his stepsister, Persie, who has Asperger's, Simon isolates himself in his schoolwork, counting the days until he can return home to London to attend Oxford. An extracurricular project as the tutor for a spelling champ proves particularly challenging when his student, eleven-year-old Toby, confides in Simon that he is really a she.
If this seems like an awful lot to digest, his journey is just beginning. Still longing for Graeme, Simon becomes acquainted with several young gentlemen, including Michael, an attractive stranger unsure of his sexuality, and Luther, an openly bisexual college senior. Yet the one person Simon grows closest to is Ned, their chef, who introduces him around and offers sage advice.
Considering the novel represents only a year in the life of Simon, I could argue that perhaps too much happens for it to be believable. Other random events include a stroke, a suicide attempt, and several remarkable breakthroughs with Persie. Nevertheless, the pages turn with ease, the story flows and most importantly, Simon evolves from boy to young man, and in the end, you can't help but care what happens to him.
With "Educating Simon," the author adds another intriguing character to the literature canon, one who truly makes a difference in the lives of others. Given his ambition, drive and passion, Simon makes for a refreshing example and a welcome addition to the coming-of-age genre.
February 23, 2020
This was honestly my favorite out of any book so far. Simon goes through many tough patches. This book has a lot of meaning in between the lines but also in plain sight. I hope to read more from this author in the future!
April 26, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read.
February 6, 2019
I wish I had come across a book like this when I was still a teenager. Just marvelous!
September 28, 2016
I liked the media representation of the different groups in this book. it got wordy in some parts, but I read the 35-65% & the 65-100% parts in 2 separate binges separated by several months. I've been craving the media representation of groups in this book though, and that's how I finished it. there is a bit more sex than the other Reardon book I read before this (The Evolution of Ethan Poe) and so while it was explicit but not pornographic/titillating, I kind of wonder if/how this book got into YA libraries. But the book was good & growing up is done hard shit, and the book was like a fairy tale in the opportunities afforded to Simon, so yeah IDK how to feel about that, but survivalist thinking can screw over strategy, hence socialization problems yet wide representation & exposure.
February 19, 2015
Robin Reardon's novels are usually as much about ideas as they are about characters and their stories. Educating Simon is no exception to this. It is also one of the things I truly love about Reardon's writing.
Educating Simon is also a great example of a "Bildungsroman" or in plain English a true coming of age story. It is laid out very much like the Hero's Journey and I am pretty sure if I were to make an analysis in detail I could fill all the Hero's stages. When the story starts we're still in Simon's ordinary world in his quite upper-class home in London, the call has come - his mother has remarried and Simon and she is about to move to Boston - but he is very much refusing to hear it. In fact he is doing all he can to make the plans change, to no good at all. Once he reluctantly lands in Boston and his new step-father's home he is introduced to the mentor (or possibly two mentors as there are in fact two persons along the way that help guide Simon on his way to adulthood, his step-father's chef and his school mentor). Once he has crossed the threshold he is tested with one ordeal after the other and forced to grow as he tries to work his way forward.
Despite this layout, Simon Fitzroy-Hunt is not a character every reader will love, or even like. He is also an unreliable narrator (we are in fact reading his journal). That he is unlikable is one of the things I like about him (or perhaps something I like about Reardon - to few authors have the courage to make unlikable or unapproachable characters, but it is something that I love to read). Along the course of the story he matures and becomes a bit more pleasant as a person, less rigid, less arrogant, but to me he is still as much a snob if somewhat better at disguising it at the end than he was at the beginning - and that is good too. He's most likely not someone I would like to get to know in real life, but as a fictional character he is very much enjoyable. As are all of the supporting characters, there's quite a few of them. Percie, the step-sister with Asbergers Syndrome is one of them; she has a journey of her own. As do Toby/Kay, the transgender twelve-year-old that Simon is put to tutor as part of a school project. If gay youths' difficulties have become better represented in media and culture over the last decade (though I'm not saying it is enough,not at all) then transgender youth and older are not yet so lucky. But here's so much to do. If anything I wish as a reader I could have gotten much more insight in Kay's situation, what we get is good and a start, but I wanted more. This is an area where I need to learn more.
I still have a couple of Robin Reardon books yet unread. I'll probably need some time to melt Simon's story and the very ideas about life that this book presented, before I continue to The Revelations of Jude Connor and A Question of Manhood. They are on my to read list.
Educating Simon is also a great example of a "Bildungsroman" or in plain English a true coming of age story. It is laid out very much like the Hero's Journey and I am pretty sure if I were to make an analysis in detail I could fill all the Hero's stages. When the story starts we're still in Simon's ordinary world in his quite upper-class home in London, the call has come - his mother has remarried and Simon and she is about to move to Boston - but he is very much refusing to hear it. In fact he is doing all he can to make the plans change, to no good at all. Once he reluctantly lands in Boston and his new step-father's home he is introduced to the mentor (or possibly two mentors as there are in fact two persons along the way that help guide Simon on his way to adulthood, his step-father's chef and his school mentor). Once he has crossed the threshold he is tested with one ordeal after the other and forced to grow as he tries to work his way forward.
Despite this layout, Simon Fitzroy-Hunt is not a character every reader will love, or even like. He is also an unreliable narrator (we are in fact reading his journal). That he is unlikable is one of the things I like about him (or perhaps something I like about Reardon - to few authors have the courage to make unlikable or unapproachable characters, but it is something that I love to read). Along the course of the story he matures and becomes a bit more pleasant as a person, less rigid, less arrogant, but to me he is still as much a snob if somewhat better at disguising it at the end than he was at the beginning - and that is good too. He's most likely not someone I would like to get to know in real life, but as a fictional character he is very much enjoyable. As are all of the supporting characters, there's quite a few of them. Percie, the step-sister with Asbergers Syndrome is one of them; she has a journey of her own. As do Toby/Kay, the transgender twelve-year-old that Simon is put to tutor as part of a school project. If gay youths' difficulties have become better represented in media and culture over the last decade (though I'm not saying it is enough,not at all) then transgender youth and older are not yet so lucky. But here's so much to do. If anything I wish as a reader I could have gotten much more insight in Kay's situation, what we get is good and a start, but I wanted more. This is an area where I need to learn more.
I still have a couple of Robin Reardon books yet unread. I'll probably need some time to melt Simon's story and the very ideas about life that this book presented, before I continue to The Revelations of Jude Connor and A Question of Manhood. They are on my to read list.
December 23, 2015
From AntonySimpson.com
Sixteen year old Simon’s life is turned upside down when his mother announces that she’s met and is marrying her new partner. Brian, Simon’s future step-father is from Boston, USA. Brian can’t move to England to because of his daughter Persie.
So Simon is forced to give up Tinkerbell, his cat and Graeme, his imaginary boyfriend. Moving to Boston puts the shared dream of Simon going to Oxford University at risk. The dream being shared by Simon and his deceased father.
In Boston, Simon’s new life is busy both with school work and socially. As part of his school work he is assigned Toby/Kay to Mentor for a Spelling Bee. Toby/Kay is an eleven year old trans, who feels like he was born in the wrong body and wants to start hormone replacement therapy before he hits puberty.
Educating Simon was an idea with a lot of potential, but unfortunately none of it’s potential was realised.
Main character Simon writes the story from his perspective in diary entries. His character is un-relatable and doesn’t cause the reader to care about him. The character was also inconsistent. Reardon sometimes getting the mentality, emotional maturity and behaviour of 16 year old Simon spot on and other times getting it completely wrong.
All the other characters felt two-dimensional. Toby/Kay’s storyline lacked depth and felt more like it was about having a trans representative than truly telling her story.
Educating Simon is overwritten with pacing that crawled along like a snail. The book doesn’t really get started until at least fifty pages in.
The sense of relief when the book finally ends was the main sense of enjoyment. It’s not the worse book I’ve ever read, but it’s pretty close. This isn’t Reardon’s first book and I would be willing read another one of his books, but would have low expectations and be wary.
Sixteen year old Simon’s life is turned upside down when his mother announces that she’s met and is marrying her new partner. Brian, Simon’s future step-father is from Boston, USA. Brian can’t move to England to because of his daughter Persie.
So Simon is forced to give up Tinkerbell, his cat and Graeme, his imaginary boyfriend. Moving to Boston puts the shared dream of Simon going to Oxford University at risk. The dream being shared by Simon and his deceased father.
In Boston, Simon’s new life is busy both with school work and socially. As part of his school work he is assigned Toby/Kay to Mentor for a Spelling Bee. Toby/Kay is an eleven year old trans, who feels like he was born in the wrong body and wants to start hormone replacement therapy before he hits puberty.
Educating Simon was an idea with a lot of potential, but unfortunately none of it’s potential was realised.
Main character Simon writes the story from his perspective in diary entries. His character is un-relatable and doesn’t cause the reader to care about him. The character was also inconsistent. Reardon sometimes getting the mentality, emotional maturity and behaviour of 16 year old Simon spot on and other times getting it completely wrong.
All the other characters felt two-dimensional. Toby/Kay’s storyline lacked depth and felt more like it was about having a trans representative than truly telling her story.
Educating Simon is overwritten with pacing that crawled along like a snail. The book doesn’t really get started until at least fifty pages in.
The sense of relief when the book finally ends was the main sense of enjoyment. It’s not the worse book I’ve ever read, but it’s pretty close. This isn’t Reardon’s first book and I would be willing read another one of his books, but would have low expectations and be wary.
June 25, 2016
Of all of Reardon's books, I love this one the most. Cat behavior, IB curriculum, Boston and London, Asberger Syndrome, synaesthesia with letters, food and wine, and etymology are some of the things that made this book so intriguing. Add the adorable Simon, unique Toby/Kay, special Persephone, and loving parents made for a heartwarming story. As will all of Reardon's books, there are things to "teach the teacher" which I enjoy. I love a novel that challenges my knowledge, forcing me to want to know more. I am sad that it is done, but left with a satisfied mind.
lurking-in-kindleland
October 26, 2014YA LGBT group's book of the month - August 2014
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