Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande, published by Alfred A. Knopf.
The perfect time to read a new book? On vacation! There's plenty of time while traveling to sit down with a good book and just relax. For example, I read this book while at the airport during my layover. It was an amazingly quick read (which actually was unfortunate later on when I ran out of books!). Mena Reece is the main character in this novel. She is a religious character which is unusual for me. I'm not a religious person and haven't read a lot of literature with female Christian protagonists. I've read Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah which featured a Muslim protagonist (another book I highly recommend) and of course, The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank with a young Jewish protagonist. However, this was my first novel with a Christian main character; it allowed me the experience to learn about what it's like to grow up with faith-driven parents and knowledge of the Bible.
What was truly interesting about Robin Brande's portrayal of Mena Reece was her positive and negative experience with people of the church. First off, Mena is introduced as being a hated member of New Advantage High School. She lost her best friends, her parents are angry with her, her former friends' parents are being sued because of her, and she was kicked out of her church. However, we aren't told why. Once we finally do learn the reason for this (you'll have to read to find out!) it reinforces some Christian stereotypes by non-Christians: they're not accepting of popular culture, they are stuck-up, they believe homosexuals are sinners, and they are part of a pack-mentality. But what's nice about Brande is that she doesn't stop there, she adds a complex layer of factual information about Christians from Mena's perspective, thus allowing the reader to have a dual perception of Christians. Now the religion is multi-faceted and three-dimensional, there are rights and wrongs, but most importantly, it allowed me to make up my own mind about how I felt on certain topics and see how Mena's upbringing shaped her understanding of the world. She's not a bad individual, we all make mistakes, and I learned to respect her for her beliefs.
The character I really fell in love with in this novel was Casey Cooper. He's Mena's adorable yet brilliant lab partner. They become closer when they decide to do a science project together to get on Ms. Shephard's blog. There's a lot of science involved, as well as religion, mainly due to an evolution debate that becomes a catalyst for Mena to step out of her shell. There are jokes about gravity and Darwin, tidbits on natural selection and breeding, and a lot of arguments based around evolution versus a more conservative/faith-centered approach. Some characters will surprise you, while others, such as Pastor Wells, will simply astound you. He may be a villain in this novel but he doesn't quelch Mena's love for God or her connection to the Bible, which I absolutely respect.
Favorite quote: "He saw me. And his eyes changed. They went from being open and curious and ready to take it all in like they always are to suddenly looking all soft and sleepy..." (pg 164).
I recommend this if you're looking for an informative, yet mysterious quick read or if you're eager to check another Teen Book Festival title off your list.
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