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Simon Says: A YA Novel About an Aspiring Artist and a Famous Teen Author Drawn Into a Clash of Wills
Aspiring young artist, Charles Weston has enrolled in a private arts high school soley to meet the "famous" Graeme Brandt, a student whose recently published novel touched a chord deep within Charles. But Graeme is not at all what Charles expected, and soon the two teen prodigies are drawn into a clash of wills that threatens to destroy them both.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
5 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Marie Alphin
27 books29 followersI was born on 30 October 1955 in San Francisco, California, and attended Lafayette Elementary School in San Francisco. Then my family moved to New York City, where I attended William H. Carr Junior High School. This is a school picture of me from my junior high school days. After that we moved to Houston, and I went to Westchester High School and on to Rice University.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 5, 2016
I read this story when I was younger and remember loving it. It was exactly what I needed at the time; trying to learn more about my own sexuality and because I was suffering through depression. The depth in the characters is so honest and believable. It is easy to relate to the situations and the thought process demonstrated. It has a morbid touch but it is equally balanced by a satisfying ending.
July 11, 2013
Intense. Where does a misfit fit in? And what becomes of him when he's too afraid to do so?
Charles is an artistic prodigy whose art has always scared people-- his parents, his teachers, his peers. Charles has learned to hide his true self in order to get along, but he no longer wants to play "Simon Says" all the time. His idol is a young author whose novel seems to indicate that he understands what Charles is going though... but when they finally meet, they develop a dark and complicated friendship, with both young men asking far too much of each other.
The only thing I disliked about this book was how everyone seemed to be able to read so much in each other's eyes, smallest actions, art, etc.-- as though the characters could all almost read one another's minds any time they were in the same room. This is something I see often in books, and for years it confused me terribly, because I assumed others would be able to know as much about me without my telling them; a dangerous assumption that is bad for friendships.
Despite this, I enjoyed the book a lot. It has an almost gothic feel to it in spite of the modern setting, and is full of philosophy, tough questions, and discoveries.
Quotes:
"I shrug uncomfortably, thinking of the way I've drawn so many teachers over the years. It's true-- I knew just what to draw to hurt them the way they'd hurt me. I still hate them, and the kids who attacked more bluntly, but I wish I could find a way to deal with them other than stooping to their level and hurting them back. What I draw is true, even if it hurts, but hurting people doesn't make them change." p 88
"[Adults] think they know everything, but they've forgotten it all, instead." p 128.
Charles is an artistic prodigy whose art has always scared people-- his parents, his teachers, his peers. Charles has learned to hide his true self in order to get along, but he no longer wants to play "Simon Says" all the time. His idol is a young author whose novel seems to indicate that he understands what Charles is going though... but when they finally meet, they develop a dark and complicated friendship, with both young men asking far too much of each other.
The only thing I disliked about this book was how everyone seemed to be able to read so much in each other's eyes, smallest actions, art, etc.-- as though the characters could all almost read one another's minds any time they were in the same room. This is something I see often in books, and for years it confused me terribly, because I assumed others would be able to know as much about me without my telling them; a dangerous assumption that is bad for friendships.
Despite this, I enjoyed the book a lot. It has an almost gothic feel to it in spite of the modern setting, and is full of philosophy, tough questions, and discoveries.
Quotes:
"I shrug uncomfortably, thinking of the way I've drawn so many teachers over the years. It's true-- I knew just what to draw to hurt them the way they'd hurt me. I still hate them, and the kids who attacked more bluntly, but I wish I could find a way to deal with them other than stooping to their level and hurting them back. What I draw is true, even if it hurts, but hurting people doesn't make them change." p 88
"[Adults] think they know everything, but they've forgotten it all, instead." p 128.
April 16, 2013
Do not read this book. It is a complete waste of time. It's an attempt at a deep, philosophical story that falls horridly short and goes hideously wrong. I can't even begin to describe how frustrating it was to have the main charcater argue with himself constantly and be so narrow-minded when all he had to do was just accept himself for who he was and not be scared of other people's judgement. It was like the book went on an entirely unnecessary journey to find a solution to the main issue, while the answer to the problem was a simple step. So please, just save yourself a head ache and don't read it.
November 4, 2023
I didn't like this book, but I also didn't not like this book.
I went into Simon Says with very few expectations and even when I was partway through the book I didn't want to know anything from Goodreads or anywhere else. I will say that the cover and the characters led me to think this was a different genre, even most of the way through the book.
I don't think I would have liked this book at any other point in my life, and I can't see myself getting a lot from it in the future either. However, right now it fits where I am in my life. I kind of avoided books like this in high school (think All the Bright Places ), so I wouldn't have enjoyed this then. But the way it's written... it is the kind of book that's for me now, and not then, and likely not in the future.
I had to remind myself that the characters were high school students. The setting read so much more like high school, and I do wonder why Elaine Marie Alphin chose to make it an arts boarding school high school instead of an arts college. I don't think there would have been much a difference in the plot, and as someone just out of college who is facing all the things Charles faced, I feel like a college setting would be more applicable. The human brain also isn't developed enough in high school for everything in this to fit into that setting, and college seems more like the time when this would happen and these questions would be explored. But I don't think I would have gotten a lot out of this in college, while I was living it. I think it's a good perspective for a post-graduation book, for a very recent graduate. This is why I can't see myself enjoying this book or getting a lot out of it at any point in the future, or having enjoyed it at any point in the past.
So would I recommend this book? Yes, to a very specific audience.
I went into Simon Says with very few expectations and even when I was partway through the book I didn't want to know anything from Goodreads or anywhere else. I will say that the cover and the characters led me to think this was a different genre, even most of the way through the book.
I don't think I would have liked this book at any other point in my life, and I can't see myself getting a lot from it in the future either. However, right now it fits where I am in my life. I kind of avoided books like this in high school (think All the Bright Places ), so I wouldn't have enjoyed this then. But the way it's written... it is the kind of book that's for me now, and not then, and likely not in the future.
I had to remind myself that the characters were high school students. The setting read so much more like high school, and I do wonder why Elaine Marie Alphin chose to make it an arts boarding school high school instead of an arts college. I don't think there would have been much a difference in the plot, and as someone just out of college who is facing all the things Charles faced, I feel like a college setting would be more applicable. The human brain also isn't developed enough in high school for everything in this to fit into that setting, and college seems more like the time when this would happen and these questions would be explored. But I don't think I would have gotten a lot out of this in college, while I was living it. I think it's a good perspective for a post-graduation book, for a very recent graduate. This is why I can't see myself enjoying this book or getting a lot out of it at any point in the future, or having enjoyed it at any point in the past.
So would I recommend this book? Yes, to a very specific audience.
September 6, 2019
It was pretty great
April 23, 2018
I just didn't enjoy this all that much.
Charles is a 'tortured' artist. He shows no one his paintings because no one gets them. Everyone resents him for being better than they are at art. He goes to a fancy boarding school not because he wants to get better at art, or even because he thinks that there, he can finally be around people like him, or people who will accept him and his art. No, he goes because he wants to meet Graeme Brandt, who wrote a book he really connected with, who he thinks can teach him how to be his true self, or something like that. Imagine his surprise when Graeme is just another guy, who is even less true than Charles himself.
I really, really hated how narrow minded Charles was. How he assumed everyone hated him because he was 'better' than them, instead of the fact that they didn't get his art, or it made them uncomfortable. He just saw himself as better, and greater because he refused to play 'simon says' with his life, and go along with the rules and stipulations that everyone else did. It didn't make him better, it just made him lonely and resentful himself. He showed the wrong people his art and then decided that no one would ever get him, and locked it all away and hinged everything on one guy who wrote a book... and then his whole life revolved around getting to this school, meeting him, and... then what?
I don't know. It just seemed like a lot of pretentiousness disguising itself as meaningfulness.
Charles is a 'tortured' artist. He shows no one his paintings because no one gets them. Everyone resents him for being better than they are at art. He goes to a fancy boarding school not because he wants to get better at art, or even because he thinks that there, he can finally be around people like him, or people who will accept him and his art. No, he goes because he wants to meet Graeme Brandt, who wrote a book he really connected with, who he thinks can teach him how to be his true self, or something like that. Imagine his surprise when Graeme is just another guy, who is even less true than Charles himself.
I really, really hated how narrow minded Charles was. How he assumed everyone hated him because he was 'better' than them, instead of the fact that they didn't get his art, or it made them uncomfortable. He just saw himself as better, and greater because he refused to play 'simon says' with his life, and go along with the rules and stipulations that everyone else did. It didn't make him better, it just made him lonely and resentful himself. He showed the wrong people his art and then decided that no one would ever get him, and locked it all away and hinged everything on one guy who wrote a book... and then his whole life revolved around getting to this school, meeting him, and... then what?
I don't know. It just seemed like a lot of pretentiousness disguising itself as meaningfulness.
July 19, 2025
(Repressed) gay angst + more than a hint of mental instability, good times. (Perhaps this school should require psychological assessments for its prospective students.)
A very literary book -- I can definitely see hints of the author's mention that she wrote the first draft of this story at the end of college, presumably in the 70s-- that I suppose also grapples with general adolescent concerns of identity and self-expression through art.
But also, these dudes are kinda just weirdos.
A very literary book -- I can definitely see hints of the author's mention that she wrote the first draft of this story at the end of college, presumably in the 70s-- that I suppose also grapples with general adolescent concerns of identity and self-expression through art.
But also, these dudes are kinda just weirdos.
September 19, 2018
A very deep theme, narrated in a non-usual style. Enough plot twists to keep the story going, even if sometimes you get mad at the protagonist. Highly recommended for a ligth yet thoghful read.
November 3, 2016
I would have rated this a 4 or even a 5 star, but...I finished only 80% of this. Read a bit of the ending, but I stopped on part 2 right after reading Graeme's letter. I really liked Graeme throughout the whole story until he decided to kill himself. His death was sudden and, in my opinion, made absolutely no sense.
Charles was real, yet unreal. I actually think someone like him can exist, because I feel his world awareness level was honest and sincere. This book kind of resembles The Great Gatsby and a bit of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, too, with the protagonist being tired of all the "fake" people and all.
I think this is a worthwhile read, however, even if I didn't finish all of it. I'm honestly surprised I even read this without being required to as it's not my usual kind of book; I was probably pretty bored. lol If you want to read something light and somewhat of a coming-of-age story, give this a try.
Charles was real, yet unreal. I actually think someone like him can exist, because I feel his world awareness level was honest and sincere. This book kind of resembles The Great Gatsby and a bit of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, too, with the protagonist being tired of all the "fake" people and all.
I think this is a worthwhile read, however, even if I didn't finish all of it. I'm honestly surprised I even read this without being required to as it's not my usual kind of book; I was probably pretty bored. lol If you want to read something light and somewhat of a coming-of-age story, give this a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 7, 2013Alphin captures the angst of loneliness in this teen drama. Picture the Chocolate War meets The Fountainhead. Charles is accepted a prestiguous boarding school that focuses on art. He's been an artist forever, but has realized that people do NOT like what he really paints, so he's made sure to paint enough of the "other stuff" to keep them quiet. He never shows anyone his work. Never. He applies to the school because he's read a book - by a teen no less - that captures exactly what he feels. He's sure the author, Graeme Brandt, will understand and provide him with the secret of how to survive in a world that hates the creations you love to paint. But once at school, he finds Graeme is not at all what he expected, and he still can't bring himself to share his work with anyone. At once defiant in his dare to disturb the universe, and proud in his unique artistic temperment, Charles is a character teens can readily relate to.
May 16, 2009
I LOVE this book. As soon as I read it from the library I knew I was going to buy it. I'm not usually into teen-angst kind of stories, but this one was very expressive. It wasn't trying to put out that all teens have these problems that no one understands, it was just saying that people in general have their own personal issues, and they have to learn to deal with them. It also goes into detail about the unrealistic expectations the modern world has for us. The book followed two different teenage guys, each doing their own thing, and trying to make sense of everything around them--trying to find a comfortable place in their own world--and how they reacted to each others world. It was simple, direct, and sweet. Not really innocent, but full of young curiosity. I will love this story forever.
January 4, 2012
This book was wonderful. I absolutely loved the whole idea of "the game". I received it from the library in the morning, started it when I got home, and couldn't put it down. It was one of those books that made me really think, which I really enjoy, one of those being Thr3e by Ted Dekker. My favorite character was Charles, of course, and I found him a little relateable, because I also LOVE art! Although I didn't like the twist at the end in a way, I believe it was also necessary. I feel like the author gave aspects of every reader inside each character, such as Rachel who enjoying taking things apart, figuring things out, which I think can be found in anyone. If I had to really choose something I disliked about the book though, I would have to say some parts of different character's personalities/who they were/what they thought about kind of weirded me out. . .
December 25, 2009
I really liked this book. The narrator was believable and I could relate to him. The story was intriguing because it did not try to be a fake, glittery teen book. I liked how the different characters had different artistic abilities.
The one thing that bothered me about this book was the oddly high rate of gay people. I'm not saying that I hate gay people or anything; it just seemed that half the characters were gay. That did not seem realistic. It was not a huge deal, though. I really recommend this book.
The one thing that bothered me about this book was the oddly high rate of gay people. I'm not saying that I hate gay people or anything; it just seemed that half the characters were gay. That did not seem realistic. It was not a huge deal, though. I really recommend this book.
October 12, 2021
this book is for every artist who doesn't know what to do with their art, how to hide it, or who to show it to because they're simply afraid of peoples judgement. I was inspired to put aside people's expectations, and create my art as if no one will ever see it but me, because thats how real art is made.
(ps: art is not just drawing)
(ps: art is not just drawing)
January 8, 2013
This book showed me how all life was, was just a big game of Simon says. You can play the game and make everyone who plays Simon happy. Or, you can lose. Once you lose though, the Simons will be upset and you'll be out of the game.
August 22, 2014
I'm giving this 3 stars because, while the ending was uplifting and the book did a bit of a turn around for me, it took me a very long time to get into it. At times I found myself zoning out while reading because the writing got a bit monotonous. But overall, it was a good read.
August 13, 2010
I learned that some people don't know who they can open up to and isolate themselves very easily. Yet there will always be that one person who would understand their story instead of running away
October 17, 2012
so... basic teen. snobby voice and boring. unoriginal "i don't belong" storyline. wasn't any fun to read.
December 14, 2012
not what i expected
made me rething a lot of stuff
made me rething a lot of stuff
September 6, 2013
Eh. 3.5 stars. Took me such a loooooong time to finish it though. Dragged. But a great and heart moving story!
February 6, 2014
Her writing is captivating but I had a hard time relating and thought the ending to be a little anticlimactic. I would read another of her books in a hot second though.
February 22, 2016
I'm a little split on this book-
Likes: artist main character, topic of acceptance and being who you are no matter what
Dislikes: slow, heavy, Kindle version had lots of distracting typos
Likes: artist main character, topic of acceptance and being who you are no matter what
Dislikes: slow, heavy, Kindle version had lots of distracting typos
May 21, 2024
Gave to my nephews and they loved it.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews