Simon Sort of Says

Simon O’Keeffe tells a lot of stories: like how his family was driven out of Omaha by alpacas. And how his church-deacon dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. And how his undertaker mom occasionally has to wrangle emus.

But the story Simon doesn’t tell is the one he’d do anything to forget: Simon is the only survivor of a school shooting. That story has followed him everywhere — everywhere except his new home in the National Quiet Zone, where the internet is banned so radio astronomers can listen for signs of life in space.

Then Simon meets a kid who wants to give the astronomers what they’ve been looking for . . . and he finally gets the chance to tell a new story about himself.

This is that story.

Hilarious, heart-wrenching and ultimately hopeful, this story is about finding your friends, healing your heart and speaking your truth.