Leah Character Analysis in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Leah is one of Simon's best friends. She joined the friend group with Nick and Simon in sixth grade, and she spends many afternoons hanging out with Nick in his basement, playing video games. She's very into manga and even introduced Simon to yaoi, a genre of manga drawings that depict homoerotic relationships between different TV or book characters. She's also responsible for introducing Simon to the world of gay Harry Potter fanfiction. Leah is generally prickly in nature and is often self-conscious and snappy. Simon attributes this to Leah's very obvious but unrequited crush on Nick. Because of this Leah also doesn't like Abby very much, given that Nick clearly has a crush on Abby. It's implied that Leah doesn't dress in a particularly feminine way, given that her interpretation of gender-bender day during Spirit Week is to dress in an extra feminine way. Despite Leah's difficult nature, she's extremely caring and loves celebrating her friends—she started the tradition of bringing in birthday sheet cakes for people who sit at her lunch table. When Leah finds out that Simon came out to Abby before he came out to her, she's extremely hurt though she tries to pretend otherwise. When Simon is finally able to talk to her about it, he discovers that Leah sees Abby as an upgraded version of his female best friend and believes that Simon is pushing her away in favor of other female friends. She does eventually forgive him. At the school talent show, Simon and Nick discover that Leah is the drummer in a band called Emoji along with Taylor, Nora, and two other girls. Leah admits that she spent two years teaching herself to play the drums.

Leah Quotes in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

The Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda quotes below are all either spoken by Leah or refer to Leah. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Leah once said that she'd rather have people call her fat directly than have to sit there and listen to them talking shit about some other girl's weight. I actually think I agree with that. Nothing is worse than the secret humiliation of being insulted by proxy.

Related Characters: Simon Spier (speaker), Leah, Alice Spier, Nora Spier, Mom, Dad

Page Number and Citation: 17

Explanation and Analysis:

I hate feeling so distant from Nick and Leah. It's not like keeping a normal crush a secret, because we never talk about our crushes anyway, and it works out fine. Even Leah's crush on Nick. I see it, and I'm sure Nick sees it, but there's this unspoken agreement that we never talk about it.

Related Characters: Simon Spier (speaker), Leah, Nick

Page Number and Citation: 133

Explanation and Analysis:

The problem is, I'm beginning to realize I hardly know anything about anyone. I mean I generally know who's a virgin. But I don't have a clue whether most people's parents are divorced, or what their parents do for a living […] And these are my best friends. I've always thought of myself as nosy, but I guess I'm just nosy about stupid stuff.

Related Characters: Simon Spier (speaker), Blue / Bram, Abby Suso, Leah, Nick

Page Number and Citation: 211

Explanation and Analysis:

Leah Character Timeline in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

The timeline below shows where the character Leah appears in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Family, Change, and Growing Up Theme Icon

...as does the familiar sight when he arrives at his friend Nick's basement. Nick and Leah are sprawled in armchairs, playing video games, just as they do every afternoon. He feels... (full context)

Nick and Leah are drinking sweet tea from Chick-fil-A, and Simon admits he feels weird eating there after... (full context)

...blackmail, but decides he's not ready to be out in small-town Georgia. He thinks about Leah's hobby of drawing yaoi (manga that depicts gay relationships between pop culture characters) and his... (full context)

...insists that contestant is gay and a "one-man Pride Parade." Simon thinks he agrees with Leah that it's terrible to be insulted by proxy, but reasons that if his dad is... (full context)

...to Abby. He does his best to avoid Martin by sticking close to Nick and Leah. One morning, Nora asks if something is up when Simon insists on sitting in the... (full context)

...and Abby comes home with him after school so they can carpool with Nick and Leah to Garrett's party. As Abby cuddles with Bieber in her Cleopatra costume, Simon notices that... (full context)

...alcohol, while he's used to parties with junk food and the game Apples to Apples. Leah declines Garrett's offer of alcohol, while Simon accepts a beer and Abby asks for vodka... (full context)

...over the piano keys. Nick returns with a guitar and sits down. Simon, Abby, and Leah sit on the floor nearby. As Simon drinks, he thinks his beer isn't so bad.... (full context)

Simon starts twisting Leah's hair. He thinks it's pretty and smells wonderful, thanks to the beer—which he now thinks... (full context)

...then proceeds to dance by herself, leaving the boys to bob and sway near her. Leah watches this and tells Simon that this is more painful than what happened at Nick's... (full context)

At midnight, Leah drops everyone off at Nick's house and Abby and Simon walk to Simon's house. He... (full context)

...arrives late to class, laughs at the boys on the couch, and accuses Simon and Leah of not dressing up. Simon explains that Leah always dresses extra feminine to be subversive,... (full context)

...lunch, Simon pointedly avoids Martin and sits down in the middle of an argument between Leah and Garrett. Nick sits down and suggests they go to the game later instead of... (full context)

...and Simon return to school that evening for the parade, they discuss that they're on Leah's "shit list." It's both boys' first time at a football game, and Simon is struck... (full context)

Monday is Simon's birthday. Leah grabs him in the morning, gives him a mix CD, and Simon apologizes for ditching... (full context)

...even worse, and he feels like he's on the outside of everything when he sees Leah leaving Nick's house. (full context)

...and Abby climb into Simon's car, he feels strangely electric and excited. They listen to Leah's birthday mix and discuss that while Martin is cute, he's not Abby's type or Simon's... (full context)

Simon grabs his dog Bieber and walks to Nick's house. He runs into Leah just pulling into Nick's driveway, and Leah and Simon head into the basement. Nick and... (full context)

...over the fact that he didn't take any of his chances to tell Nick and Leah that he's gay this past week, and tries to not think about how flirtatious Blue... (full context)

Simon gets a text from Leah that she's outside. He goes to let her and Nick in and finds them standing... (full context)

...for the administrators to take the post down. He says he thinks that Nick and Leah already know, and he insists he doesn't want to deny the fact that he's gay.... (full context)

...sleeping over in the future, which makes Simon angry. Regardless, the party proceeds as Nick, Leah, Abby, and Simon's parties usually do. Nick pulls out a guitar and in a lull,... (full context)

...response. She suggests that Nick say something supportive or hold Simon's hand like she did. Leah is upset to learn that Simon already came out to Abby, and Simon rushes to... (full context)

Abby and Leah shoot dirty looks at anyone who looks at Simon funny throughout the day. At lunch,... (full context)

...them better. He thinks that Bram is cute, even if he's a mess about liking Leah. Bram and Simon smile at each other and blush, and Simon feels a little like... (full context)

...The first performance goes perfectly, and Simon is excited to wear his makeup to lunch. Leah loves it, and Simon notices Bram staring. After lunch, he heads back to the auditorium.... (full context)

As Abby and Simon peek at the audience and point out Nick and Leah, they notice Cal frowning about whatever he's being told through his headset. After a minute,... (full context)

Abby and Simon meet Nick in the parking lot. Abby asks if they've talked to Leah, and Nick carefully suggests they not invite Leah. Simon knows she'd be weird, self-conscious, and... (full context)

...the weekend, so there are two sheet cakes at lunch. Simon is confused, however, because Leah isn't there and wasn't in classes either. Another girl tells Simon that Leah is at... (full context)

Simon feels antsy and upset when he gets home. He thinks that Leah is often mad, but this feels worse than normal, and he's never seen her cry... (full context)

...declines to explain why. He hears Nora get home and is surprised to see that Leah drove Nora home. Mom insists that Simon can't go outside to talk to her since... (full context)

Simon tries to apologize and asks if their friendship is over. Leah accuses Simon of being platonically obsessed with Abby and calls Abby an upgraded female best... (full context)

...called Emoji. The curtain opens to five girls on instruments. Simon is shocked—the drummer is Leah, the singer is Taylor, and Nora is playing lead guitar. (full context)

...her a bouquet, and they all join one huge group with Bram, Abby, and Theo. Leah admits to Simon that she's been teaching herself drums for two years. When Mom and... (full context)