Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature

Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature
By Robin Brande
272 pages
6 hours and 29 minutes listening time

Grade A

I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. It was another young reader, however that is not why I liked it. I liked it because Mena, the main character, showed a lot of strength and courage for being only 15. She showed that ignorance is not always bliss. And she showed that people can change.

Mena is a 15 year old girl that is just starting her freshman year of high school. She thought high school would be very fun and enjoyable, however at the end of her 8th grade year, she lost all her friends. The book doesn't tell you until the dead center of the book why she lost all her friends, and I won't say here why either so that it won't give it away, however, although she struggles, she still manages to stay positive.

She finds comfort in her biology class, and I absolutely LOVE the character of her teacher. The author goes into the controversy of evolution vs. intelligent design, and Mena's struggle with what she wants to believe, what she should believe, and in the long run, what she does believe. I admire her character, because I was not as attuned to things as she is at 15. I also admire her strength for standing up for what she believes in, and how she copes with all of it.

Anyway, another very quick read, trust me, some long ones are coming up. I am still reading my paperbook, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and I have a dozen audio books that are going to take me about 30 hours each. However, I will note here, that I like the short ones because it makes me feel like I am actually accomplishing something :)