Where to Start: The Simonverse / Creekwood Series
If you are new to Becky Albertalli's books, the absolute best place to begin is her debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. This is the book that launched the highly popular "Simonverse" (officially referred to as the Creekwood series). The Creekwood books are set in the same suburban Atlanta high school universe, sharing characters, relationships, and continuity. While you can read some of these books out of order, you will get the most emotional payoff and avoid spoilers by reading them in chronological order.
Simonverse Chronological Reading Order
Becky Albertalli recommends reading the Creekwood series in the order of their publication, which also aligns with their chronological timeline:
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015): The core book focusing on Simon Spier, a closeted teenager who is blackmailed after his emails to a mysterious classmate named "Blue" are discovered. This novel won the William C. Morris Award and was adapted into the 2018 movie Love, Simon, which subsequently inspired the Hulu spin-off series Love, Victor.
- The Upside of Unrequited (2017): A companion novel centering on Molly Peskin-Suso, the cousin of Abby Suso (one of Simon's best friends). While it is a spin-off that takes place in Maryland rather than Georgia and features a different main cast, characters from the first book make minor cameos, and it fits neatly into the timeline between Simon's and Leah's main stories.
- Leah on the Offbeat (2018): A direct sequel to Simon's story, focusing on Simon's best friend Leah Burke during her senior year. Leah navigates friendship friction, senior milestones, college choices, and her own bisexuality.
- Love, Creekwood (2020): A short novella epilogue that takes place during the characters' first year of college. Written in an epistolary format through emails, it wraps up the Creekwood group's stories and acts as a final farewell to the cast.
The "What If It's Us" Duology (Co-Authored with Adam Silvera)
Outside of the Simonverse, Becky Albertalli teamed up with bestselling YA author Adam Silvera (author of They Both Die at the End) to write a contemporary romance duology set in New York City. This series is entirely separate from the Creekwood universe and must be read in order:
- What If It's Us (2018): The story of Arthur and Ben, two teenagers who meet by chance at a New York post office. The novel follows their alternating perspectives as they try to figure out if the universe wants them to be together.
- Here's to Us (2021): The sequel that picks up years later, reuniting Arthur and Ben as they navigate their college years, new relationships, and their lingering feelings for one another.
Becky Albertalli's Standalone Novels
Albertalli has also written several standalone contemporary YA novels that showcase her signature empathetic, humorous, and inclusive writing style. These books do not share characters or storylines with the Simonverse or each other, meaning they can be read in any order:
- Yes No Maybe So (2020): Co-written with Aisha Saeed, this story follows Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman as they team up for local political campaigning, dealing with activism, cultural identity, and first love.
- Kate in Waiting (2021): A theater-geek story focusing on best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker, who have a history of sharing crushes but find their friendship tested when they both fall for the same guy.
- Imogen, Obviously (2023): A New York Times bestselling novel exploring straight-ally identity and self-discovery. Imogen Scott has the queer alliance handbook down to a science, but when she visits her best friend Lili at college, she begins to question her own sexuality.
What to Know Before You Start
Becky Albertalli's writing is heavily grounded in her background as a clinical psychologist working with LGBTQ+ teens, giving her characters a deep sense of authenticity. While the Simonverse books have direct continuity, The Upside of Unrequited can easily be skipped if you want to focus strictly on the main Creekwood high school gang. However, reading it adds extra flavor and depth to the family dynamics of the characters. Standalones like Imogen, Obviously and Kate in Waiting serve as excellent entry points if you want to sample her solo writing style outside of the multi-book universes.