Love, Creekwood provides a huge welcome back hug to lovers of Becky Albertalli’s Love, Simon universe! This novella picks back up with the “Simonverse” gang, Simon, Bram, Leah, and Abbey, who are all in college now. They are dealing with all the usual stressors that come with college life: fitting in, homesickness, adjusting to a college schedule, and long distance relationships, both romantic and platonic.
This novella is told entirely in emails, the modern day (love) letter, and it was such a wholesome experience. The emails between Simon and Bram made me all kinds of happy as their clear adoration and longing for one another shone from the pages. Their emails are lavish and extravagant and reminded me of Love Letters of Great Men. Leah and Abbey are navigating the world of being roommates as well as girlfriends and their emails offer insight into their dynamic and how they are learning to be vulnerable with one another. There are holes between some of the emails and this is when the characters have met up in person but despite this the novella still maintains a cohesive storyline that is easy to follow and welcomes you into this wonderful friend group to share in their experiences.
Like the previous books in the series, Love, Creekwood doesn’t shy away from any topics. It focuses on the fact that it is at times hard to make new friends and to fit in in new situations. You won’t always get along with your roommate, for example, and it is okay to miss your old life and the routines you once had. The emotion that Albertalli has packed into this short novella is impressive and I genuinely couldn’t stop myself from grinning the entire time I was reading. Love, Creekwood is like a warm hug from old friends and it was a joy to be back with these much loved characters.
The only downside to this novella is that it is ONLY 111 pages! Honestly, I could have read an entire novel’s worth of emails between this bunch. While I may forever be saddened that there isn’t more of Love, Creekwood, it was a beautiful and unexpected treat from Albertalli who was on the record saying that there would be no further books in the “Simonverse”.
This novella is a must for lovers of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Leah on the Offbeat, but for readers yet to experience the Simonverse, I recommend grabbing the other books first before diving into the complete and utter adorableness that is Love, Creekwood.
One final thing I would like to mention is that Albertalli has announced that she is donating 100% of the English language royalty advance to The Trevor Project, the leading national organisation providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning younger people under 25. For more information, you can visit their website.
Love, Creekwood is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up Love, Creekwood? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Fall in love all over again with the characters from the bestselling Simonverse novels in this highly anticipated epilogue novella. Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, the movie Love, Simon, and the new Hulu series spin-off, Love, Victor!
It’s been more than a year since Simon and Blue turned their anonymous online flirtation into an IRL relationship, and just a few months since Abby and Leah’s unforgettable night at senior prom.
Now the Creekwood High crew are first years at different colleges, navigating friendship and romance the way their story began—on email.
