Brande, Robin (2007). Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature. New York, New York: Knopf Books. IBSN: 9780440240303
272 pages
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 15-19
Stars: 5 stars
Subjects: Religion, Evolution, High School, Popularity, Science
Reader's Annotation
Mena is starting the school year as an outcast in school and among her friends for having blown the whistle on a religious campaign to reform a supposedly gay schoolmate and then later for speaking out when the unit on evolution comes up in science class and she takes a stand against her former church and friends.
Summary
Although the reveal is slow, it is clear that Mena starts the school year as an outcast. It gradually becomes clear that she blew the whistle on a campaign by her former youth group for persecuting a supposedly gay classmate, trying to reform him. This results in a lawsuit against several members of her church and leaves her with no friends and many questions about her identity at the beginning of high school. She feels that they were the ones who did wrong, but she is being punished for speaking out, and this goes against her inner moral compass as she tries to reconcile the past with her religion. She finds an ally in her biology lab partner, a genius who likes her for who she is. When the topic of evolution comes up in biology and her former church friends take a stand against it and the teacher, Mena must decide where she stands. She tries to reconcile religion and evolution, and comes up with biblical support for her biology teacher that leaves her none-too-popular with her former church crowd, but she finds support in a new circle of friends as she tries to earn back her parents respect and
Notes
For anyone who has ever wondered about the issue of religion and evolution, this book presents a logical argument that answers as many questions as it creates. The character of Mena is immensely likable not only because she is an outcast but because, among a group of friends who claim to be religious but act in decidedly un-Christian ways, Mena's refreshing adherence to her inner morality is a breath of fresh air. She is easy to relate to and as she struggles with right and wrong, religion and science, the reader is carried along as well.
Awards
2007 Book Sense Children's Pick
ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2008
2008 Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults
2008 Thumbs Up! Award
Author Information
