This book is incredible! Mena Reece starts her freshman year of high school, a year she had been looking forward to for some time. But this is not how she imagined it. Her friends hate her. Her crush hates her. Her parents won’t speak to her. And she’s been kicked out of her church. Her lab partner, Casey, and her crazy science teacher, Ms. Shepherd are the only redeeming features of this nightmare-ish start to the year. Then the unit on evolution starts and things really get interesting.
Mena grew up in a super-conservative Christian family. She was not allowed to watch TV or read books that had to do with anything non-Christian, especially wizards and magic. (No Harry Potter or J.R.R. Tolkien, poor girl!!) Her ex-church friends stage a sit-in of sorts against the teaching of evolution. Problem is, this science stuff makes sense to conservative-Christian Mena. Will she be able to balance her belief in God with her belief in science? What about the horrible things her “Christian” friends do? Not to mention this crush she’s developing on her Tolkien-reading lab partner…
I think Christians and non-Christians alike will be able to appreciate this book. I personally agree with Mena and her belief in both. And if nothing else, the crazy antics of the science teacher are enough to make anyone laugh out loud!
