IT’S SO ADORABLE… and now I’m crying.
Name: Love Creekwood
Author: Becky Albertalli
Published: 2021
Fall in love all over again with the characters from the bestselling Simonverse novels in this highly anticipated epilogue novella.
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.
Synopsis from Goodreads
I’m simultaneously very happy and very sad that I’m reviewing this book. Ever since I read ‘Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda’ a few years ago, I’ve been following the Simonverse through its various successors and I’ve loved it all all the books (we don’t talk about the film). So, it both warmed and broke my heart when I heard about ‘Love Creekwood’ because it’s an epilogue novella but at the same, IT’S AN EPILOGUE NOVELLA! This happens every time I finish a series, but I don’t want to think that there will not be any more books about these gorgeous, funny characters. Or will there? (Becky Albertalli I will pay you so much money for more books).
Anyway. The novella purely consists of emails. At first, I thought I might get bored of just one format, but the style and length and recipients of the emails ranges enough to keep you engaged. In ‘Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda’, the emails between Simon and Blue were one of the highlights of the books for me and I think that Albertalli is excellent at writing them.
“When we say we want to freeze time, what we mean is that we want to control our memories. We want to choose which moments we’ll keep forever. We want to guarantee the best ones won’t slip away from us somehow. So when something beautiful happens, there’s this impulse to press pause and save the game. We want to make sure we can find our way back to that moment.”
– LOVE CREEKWOOD
I’m not sure how to feel about how the timelines for the Love Simon spinoff, Love Victor, intersects with this novella. I can’t comment on how many Easter eggs or references to the show there are in Love Creekwood because it’s on Hulu; I haven’t been able to watch it as I live in the UK. However, I do know that the long-distance relationship problems faced by Simon and Blue in the novella are resolved when they’re shown in Love Victor, so at least some of the show is set after this novella. Which I find a bit weird, especially as this is supposed to be the epilogue of these characters. I guess I’m always going to be biased towards the books, but I’d prefer if they were different timelines?
My only other criticism is that I wanted a more succinct, clear ending. Whilst it was pretty conclusive, this is the last book ever (feel sad just typing that) so I want a really clear, preferably happy, future for Simon and Blue. Although, that may be the aftershock of finishing this series and it being OVER (still processing, sorry!). Another thing is that you have to pay attention to the little details. Multiple times, there’s references to previous sections of the novella (I only figured out one quite literally whilst writing this post) which are freaking adorable if you were paying attention, but I had to do some looking on Reddit for explanations. Hint: look at the subject lines! But, once I’d worked it out, just thinking about it makes me smile because it’s so. Freaking. Cute.
Look at Spongebob. Spongebob is me reading Love Creekwood. There are so many references and inside jokes to the other books – which I love as an avid fan, but make sure that you read Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda and Leah On The Offbeat first. You can find links to my reviews by clicking on the title. But it’s so domestic and gay and THEY HAVE PET NAMES FOR EACH OTHER. Leah and Abby are hilarious. It’s too short. That’s it – I could read an entire book of these adorable emails, but so much is crammed into 100 pages. It’s not all happiness. Love Creekwood looks at the difficulties of long term relationships and how the change from high school to university can be tough. Also, it puts down the age-old trope of finishing a series with an engagement – which I agree is often stupid with the characters’ ages, but my heart for a moment. Wow.
To sum up, Love Creekwood is an adorable book. Whilst the characters have dilemmas, it’s very fluffy and a perfect read for Valentine’s Day. And just Valentine’s Day, because I read this in one sitting. Love Creekwood is so cute and sad and real that I’m caught between laughing and smiling through tears. Becky Albertalli has been consolidated as one of my favourite authors, and I just I really, really love this squad. Happy Valentine’s Day 🙂
Hundreds & Thousands of Books 
Your review reminded me I needed to finish Love, Victor. I felt like that one was going to be a harder watch, though, because his family doesn’t seem like they’re going to be as accepting.
I actually liked the move Love, Simon lol that might be because I watched it before I read the book.
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That’s interesting! I think on its own, the movie is good but I didn’t like how it was different to the book. Like how Leah doesn’t have a crush on Simon in the book and some of my favourite scenes were cut out (so maybe I’m a little biased!). And I supposed I read, and loved, the book before watching it so I’m always going to prefer it haha. It’s an interesting one! But I really really want to watch love victor and I hope you enjoy it too!
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That’s valid. Reading the book first almost always guarantees that I’m not going to enjoy the movie as much. It’s hard to beat all that can be packed into a book with a movie.
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I totally agree! And the actors are never going to look the same as you want them too in your head, but then it kind of messes up the vision of them that you did have?
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I had that happen with Harry Potter. None of the actors looked like what I imagined them to be.
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Yeah? It’s funny how it works out haha
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I think I need to read this! I haven’t seen the tvshow either but I do quite like the film!
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Hope you enjoy it! It was a great ‘pick me up’ read, very sweet 🙂
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