The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Albertalli, Becky. Love, Creekwood. Balzer + Bray, 2020.

Love, Creekwood is a 111 page novella written entirely through emails of the characters, the first of which is written by Simon Spier to his boyfriend, Bram on August 28th at 10:09 p.m. entitled, “I DON’T LIKE THIS.” That morning, Simon drove Bram into Manhattan where he is a first-year student at New York University (1-3). Simon, however, does not go to college in New York City. Instead, he is a freshman at a school in Philadelphia. The couple hardly survive their first day apart and decide to revert to communicating largely through email, although they also text and video call regularly, much like the beginning of their relationship which remained a secret for five months during their junior year of high school. The regression from seeing Bram every day to communicating through archaic email at first seems confusing to Simon, and on page one he declares, “I’m not doing this right. I’ve forgotten how to do emails.” The two FaceTime right after Simon sends the email, but as only the characters’ emails are provided, the reader is left to glean the gist of the conversation through Bram’s email, such as when he mentions a Pennywise poster previously unmentioned (3).

Personality-wise, Simon and Bram are quite different. Protagonist Simon’s moods are more erratic than Bram’s as Bram has a slightly more subdued, serious personality. Simon’s emotions are easily affected by the distance from his partner, and at times he either becomes overly peppy in an attempt to cover up his moodiness or overfills his schedule in order to avoid thinking about how the person he loves more than anyone is “117 and a half miles away” (1). That is not to say that Bram is not emotive, however. In fact, Bram often reciprocates, or even initiates, love letters with Simon. Bram, however, adjusts to college life more easily than Simon and at one point is even tentative in telling Simon how much he enjoys playing on his intramural soccer league (28-29). Afterward, Simon makes more of an effort to join in school activities and to get to know his classmates and hallmates. He attempts to make a Real Life at school by hanging out with his roommate, Kellan, eating lunch with a kid from psychology, and attending two of his friends' a capella rehearsals regularly (91-92). He is well-liked by his college mates, but ultimately, it is too difficult to enjoy life 100% unless Bram is around.

Simon does not communicate through email only with his boyfriend, however. Two other main characters who email both Simon and one another are Simon and Bram’s former high school friends, Leah and Abby, romantically involved roommates struggling to say the “L” word while in their first year at the University of Georgia (11). The girlfriends email one another during class or when the other is studying, sleeping, or simply sitting right beside them. They have completely different personalities - Abby is the all-in, pretty, perky girlfriend who enjoys socializing and social media, and Leah has a much more pessimistic, sarcastic side. The disparity in their relationship can be observed well when the two make their own Valentine’s Day Bingo game in which the prize depends on the winner - if Abby wins, Leah has to post every gift on social media, and if Leah wins, Abby is not allowed to post any love-themed pictures for the entire day (90).

Of the girlfriends, Leah communicates with Simon the most frequently as they were close friends in high school. Leah often supports Simon throughout his struggles regarding his long-distance relationship with Bram. She reads deeply into his emails and consults Abby when she is concerned for him, such as when Simon sends an overly upbeat email and Leah tells Abby that she believes that he might be falling into an “unprecedented downward spiral” (87). In another instance around Bram’s birthday, Leah asks Simon some pointed questions regarding his intentions with Bram, and Simon fails to reply for three months as he contemplates Leah’s insightful email. In the end, Simon realizes that Leah was able to see the truth about his relationship more clearly than he was originally able to himself (107-108).

Throughout an emotionally tumultuous year, Leah and Abby grow ever closer as roommates and partners while Simon and Bram’s emotions ride a roller coaster on which happiness depends largely on proximity to one another. Over holidays, breaks, and birthdays, the boyfriends spend some of the most romantic, momentous days with one another, yet are heartbroken the moment they return to their respective schools. Whereas Bram adjusts a bit more readily to NYU than Simon does to Philly, both wonder if the distance apart is worth it. Their love for one another does not falter, however, and they never consider splitting up as an option. Instead, Simon keeps a big secret from Bram for several months - he applies to NYU knowing that another three plus years away from his partner would be unbearable. The book ends with Simon emailing Bram an email on March 31st entitled, “I MUST REALLY LIKE YOU.” in which Simon finally comes clean and tells Bram of his intentions of potentially moving to New York City so that the two can spend the rest of their college lives together fostering their relationship (109-111).