Fly your freak flag
I've been waiting all week to post this, so happy that I'm becoming more regular in my posting. I'll also have a free bit of time next weekend, so we'll see about then, too.
I found this in my school library's YA section, which up until now hasn't really impressed me with its selection. But after one look at this cover I knew I had to try it out.
Mena is just starting her freshman year of high school, and things could not be worse. All her old friends treat her like scum, her parents don't want to interact with her, and she has been cast out of her church. Armed with a fuzzy notebook, Mena plans to blend in, become a good student, and someday win back her parents' trust. A light at the end of the tunnel comes in the form of biology class, which introduces Mena to the brilliant and independent Mrs. Shepard (a renowned scientist) and to Casey (a straight-up, unapologetic nerd). She and Casey are assigned as partners to conduct an experiment, and slowly Casey gets Mena to come out of her shell and get to know his family: his laid-back mother and his go-getter older sister Kayla. Then Mena's old church friends protest against Mrs. Shepard teaching evolution in class, even calling their pastor in to complain during class time, and Mena finds herself on the side of science and Mrs. Shepard. But while she's making headway in school, she finds herself falling for Casey while feeling incredibly guilty about lying to her parents (she's not allowed to go over to a boy's house). But there's one thing Mena doesn't second-guess, and that's her relationship and her faith in God.
This is different from most YA novels, which tend to ignore religion in general (and come to think of it, science class). But Mena is an incredibly likable and sympathetic character, and her devotion to God is more of a character trait than anything else. She's smart and curious and tries to do right by God and her parents. We learn that a letter she sent to a boy who'd tried to commit suicide has triggered her fall from grace, and the reveal of this cryptic story is not left until the very end - which is good. When the book begins, there is much tension as she butts heads with her ex-friends and is left entirely alone (her own father won't even look at her!). But this slowly eases once Mrs. Shepard, Casey, and Kayla come onto the scene. All three characters are hilarious in addition to being well-rounded and interesting. Kayla is the editor for the school paper and completely against the protest and delights in pointing out the hypicrosity of the anti-evolutioners. But she can also be frustrating in that she's bull-headed and demanding, especially of Mena. Casey loves Lord of the Rings and is appalled when Mena says she's never even heard of it. Like his sister, he is persuasive, funny, and genuine. The unrequited love subplot was allowed to grow organically, rather than awkwardly inserted into the story, which overall gave the book and especially Mena a more dynamic story. And I was quite happy to see a school subject as a major plot point rather than cast aside, as it's usually done.
I'm in two minds of how things ended between Mena and her parents: it's a bit of a gray area. Frankly, I wish Brande has spent more time fleshing them out. However, she does a pretty good job in her portrayal of the Christian community. There is a part where Mena singals out one of her old friends as being a true Christian and praises her for it. I'm sure Brande has either lived her life as a Christian or know some quite intimately.
This is one of the best books out there about a controversial subject or an unexpected love story. Highly recommended for both Christians and non-Christians, which should cover just about everybody. Rating: 4.5 puppies out of 5.