The Evolution of Ethan Poe

by Robin Reardon

In the space of a few months, sixteen-year-old Ethan Poe's life has become a complicated mix of facts, theories, and hypotheses. Things he knows beyond doubt: his parents are divorcing, his older brother Kyle is exhibiting alarming behavior, and his best friend is turning into a spiritual fanatic. Then there are the shifting uncertainties, including his feelings toward his father and his desire to both blend in and stand out in his rural Maine hometown. Most pressing of all, there's his attraction to Max Modine, a boy he wants to know much better than he does.

Despite Ethan's initial reluctance, he gets pulled into a heated and sometimes violent conflict about whether to introduce Intelligent Design into science classrooms. Family and friends are turning against each other, school is a battleground, and Ethan will have to take a stand. Because some facts are irrefutable and some bonds unbreakable, even when they can't be seen.

And once Ethan finds the courage to become who he was meant to be, the outcome could be absolutely extraordinary...

Genres: LGBT, Young Adult, M M Romance, Gay, Fiction, Queer, Realistic Fiction

379 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2011

About the author

I'm an inveterate observer of human nature, and my primary writing goal is to create stories about all kinds of people, some of whom happen to be gay or transgender—people whose destinies are not determined solely by their sexual orientation or identity. My secondary writing goal is to introduce readers to concepts or information they might not know very much about. On my website, robinreardon.com, see individual book pages for “Digging Deeper” sections that link to background information and research done for the novel.

My motto is this: The only thing wrong with being gay is how some people treat you when they find out.

Interests outside of writing include singing, nature photography, and the study of comparative religions. I write in a butter yellow study with a view of the Boston, Massachusetts skyline.

Reviews

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 2.75 stars ✰

“I think now that I was confusing balance with neutrality. Because you don’t know what balance is until you’ve experienced what it feels like to lean away from it.”

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎An ambitious idea that somehow got lost on its way to the finish line, when the plotlines themselves devolved, allowing only a certain one to prevail. 😕​ Ah, it's a messy and complicated argument; one that honestly I believe really does not have a real concrete definitive right answer, thus leading to the argument being lost in translation. ​Or in this case, being lost in the midst of a more pressing matter.​ 😥

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎The question being how much of a part does God play in science? How much influence is religion allowed to dictate school studies upon the impressionable youth? Is evolution based on theory or fact? Can Intelligent Design successfully be introduced into public school science without raising an eyebrow by the Church?​ 🧐

“I doubt that we’ll ever be so smart that the faith part will disappear entirely, but even if it does—the line itself is still God. Science will never replace God.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎We fear that which we cannot control. We fight that which we cannot reason. And for ​sixteen-year-old Ethan​, it's one of many conflicts that he will have to confront. 😔​ ​Whether it was finding a common ground for science meeting religion, or embracing and announcing his sexuality to his father or best friend, or worst of all, finding sense to why his older brother​, Kyle was behaving so violently against himself, is enough to start off The Evolution of Ethan Poe, in a fashion most reminiscent of his namesake and distant relative, Edgar Allen Poe.

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Kyle's story was --- disturbing and alarming and upsetting and troubling.​ 😓 I had never heard of BIID before; how his mind had such a control over him, from simply the views of his religious stance was... I cannot even expect him to snap out of it, till the oppressive limb that was causing him so much grief and pain was severed from him. It’s also a reflection of how during a difficult time he turned to God for peace and comfort, only for it to turn into something so deeply concerning.​ 😞

“So what am I supposed to do? I’m surrounded by some people who want me to believe that there’s no way God created everything just like it is, and others who want to convince me that’s the only way it could be! And if that’s not enough, there are people on both sides who think everyone should be just like them, and no one should be gay!”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎And yeah, in a way, I did sympathize with Ethan's struggles; it’s an uncalled burden, caught between a rock and hard place is the story of his life.​ 🥺 He wants a boyfriend in Max, who was hesitant to be open about them, he wanted to assist Etta, whose vocal opinions caught her in the crossfires, he wishes his brother could shake himself free of this affliction causing him so much pain and grief, he hopes his parents can get back together, but not at the expense of who he is, he wishes to save his best friend, who may have more troubles than just him being gay, and he wants that tattoo that speaks of a balance, which sadly seems to be missing in his life...​

That's rough, buddy, seems almost too small a phrase for him.

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎​Sadly, as much as the burden was taxing, so too was the reading experience. It felt unbearably long. The writing was stiflingly smart at times when certain concepts flew over my head. It made my head hurt! The attack on religious values also felt a bit draining and a tad too extreme for me to even be tolerant of. 😟​ Maybe I was not quite prepared for ​that much​ discussion on God, which felt too challenging even by my religious standards. Max's ambivalent reluctance​ also grated on me at times.

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎The final blow (literally)​, however, was what happened to Two, Etta's power animal, her precious pit bull. U - N - F - O - R - G - I - V - E - A - B - L – E​!!! ​Spurned by hatred and led by willful ignorance​ - 'terror often begets violence - unable and unwilling to see how cruel and just wrong their actions are… So uncalled for! It was heartbreaking and also completely unnecessary…​ 💔💔

“Balance isn’t enough. Not for me. I want what you get when you know what out-of-balance feels like, and you know what to do about it.

And that’s more than balance. That’s poise.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎​Not​ to say that I do regret reading it; it just was a lot. ​And the fact remains that it was unable to reach a consensus on the argument that set it all off proves that it really has no clear basis for right or wrong – impossible to reach a proper verdict to this never-ending discussion. Just as the only solution to save Kyle was, well, what had to be done. I hoped it could have gone another way; but the extent of BIID was so severe that....​ 😢

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎For what it is worth, I did appreciate how Ethan’s relationship with his mother was kind of the backbone of the plot.​ 🫂 How she first casually dismissed him being gay as a phase he'd outgrow, but as he grew to be her shoulder and support through thick and thin - how she saw the anger and violence and just the overwhelming crushing defeat of being unable to save her eldest son from the torment from within, made her more accepting of Ethan and be his strongest advocate. A fitting image of how people can change their perspective, which, ultimately, may have been the objective all along... It was --- *searches for the word* heartwarming, as much as it was kind, too. 💟

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be the best book that I have EVER read!!

This book had more than a couple moments of sexual activities. Do not tell my mother! ...Oh that's right, she's in my friends list. Hi mum! *Waves with nervous laughter*

I purchased this book after reading the description, which is the following:
In the space of a few months, sixteen-year-old Ethan Poe's life has become a complicated mix of facts, theories and hypotheses. Things he knows beyond doubt; his parents are divorcing, his older brother Kyle is exhibiting alarming behavior, and his best friend is turning into a spiritual fanatic. Then there are the shifting uncertainties--includding his feelings toward his father and his desire to both blend in and stand out in his rural Maine hometown. Most pressing of all, there's his attraction to Max Modine, a boy he wants to know much better than he does.
Despite Ethan's initial reluctance, he gets pulled into a heated and sometimes violent conflict about whether to introduce Intelligent Design into Science classrooms. Family and friends are turning against each other, school is a battleground, and Ethan will have to take a stand. Because some facts are irrefutable and some bonds are unbreakable, even when they can't be seen.
And once Ethan finds the courage to become who he was meant to be, the outcome could be absolutely extraordinary... (end of description.)

This book literally blew me away. The drama, the unfortunate events and the description of emotions towards those of the same sex were impeccably right on, without going overboard and without sounding pathetic. This has to be the best book that I have ever read. I loved when it went into depth describing pheromones, and also the description of how the voters really got out of hand during the election. Not that they got out of hand, but how it was described. My favourite part was when Ethan's mother had to retort, or felt compelled to more or less. I just had to add that as a quote. I'll share that here as well:
"The police move around again, and the crowd gets just quiet enough so that we can hear the guy holding the sign calling Pagans Athiests say, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." Mom pops up out of her seat, turns in that direction and shouts, "Professing themselves to be Christians, they commit violence."

Along with saying this is the best book I have ever read, I must also say this is the smartest $15 that I have ever spent. 5 out of 5 stars. Robin Reardon is one hell of an author!! Did I mention I couldn't put this book down? :D

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan is a young man who prides himself on being an outlier. One who chooses to NOT fit in and yet tries to have a positive image of himself despite the judgement of others. He is, as his soon to be boyfriend first notices, a charmer. Ethan's gay and his best gal pal is a disapproving evangelical Christian. His older brother has also turned to the church life and his mother is going through a divorce after kicking her sometimes too childish husband out of their home.

Ethan's also "gone goth" partly in tribute to his distant relative Edgar Allen Poe.

This is another smart, charming read about a teenager on the cusp of coming out and coming into his own. It works as a romance and a coming of age story. At the same time it raises thought provoking questions about the whole Evolution vs. Intelligent Design debate, the reasons that some folks turn to religious zealotry and the harm that they often inflict on themselves, their familes and their communities. As dark as some of the events are this one ends on a hopeful note as Ethan learns about his own inner strength and comes to understand himself better.

Overall a great read. I knew almost nothing of BIID before I read it and it's a great story on many levels. It has a few dark moments but is mostly hopeful and ends on an upbeat note while leaving you plenty to think about.

BTW clueless Max gets the best line in the the entire novel. And the best malaprop of the year... It's an erectoral vote.... it doesn't mean dick.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book because I thought it mediocre and, having read and not particularly liked other of Ms. Reardon's efforts at preaching too, and domesticating gay teens to lives of 'decency and decorum', repression in my book, I saw no need to waste any time on this novel. I am, no doubt, the wrong age, living in the wrong country and have ideas of what it means to be gay that are grossly at variance with what writers like Ms. Reardon would appreciate - I think of it as the castrated school of YA gay writing because the last thing they want is for any boy to think about, let alone do something with, his constantly stiffening cock. These kinds of books are written for adults choosing books for teenagers and the last thing they want is for any young gay boy to do is go out and explore his sexuality. Total dross.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduces us to Ethan, who at the beginning of the story is an isolated 16 year old. He has one friend, Jorja, who shares his voluntary "outlier" status. His father recently moved out, his brother is becoming more and more religious and strange, and his mother, while trying to cope, doesn't really understand who he is. He's gay, in the closet, and his town is showing stirrings of evangelical Christianity which add even more pressure. Reardon writes really good teen boys, and Ethan is no exception - intelligent, compassionate, confused and imperfect.

This book suffers a little bit from its overlong involvement with the issue of Intelligent Design. There's clear concern about evangelical Christianity's desire to get religious doctrine into American schools. The concept of "Intelligent Design" was created to try to use quasi-scientific language to give the illusion ID is a competing theory to evolution. Church proponents have used pressures of various kinds to try to get teachers and schoolboards to include ID in science curricula, and have even sometimes succeeded. Reardon is clearly one of those people frustrated by the fact that ID is based on "Because the Bible says so" and is not amenable to any real scientific techniques, and yet there is this movement to claim it as a science.

I understand her frustration. No amount of evidence and logic can make a dent in "God made it that way to test our faith." Trying to convince people that the same principles of science that led to their cell phones, and their electrical church marquees, also leads to evolution, is futile against "The Bible says." I live in the US heartland, where this stuff is trotted out in casual conversation. But while I sympathize with her attempt to refute it here, it runs a bit long as part of a work of fiction.

There is also just a little too much going on to traumatize the characters in this book. So many serious issues are raised it feels a bit like being punched over and over. The fact that Ethan is still standing at the end of it is more than impressive. The part with his brother was fascinating, but i thought the issues of Jorja's were one extra layer too much.

Having said that, I want to add that I did like this book a lot. I loved Ethan. I liked that his eventual boyfriend Max is human and imperfect. I think that Reardon has a handle on exactly (in my opinion) the right amount of detail in sex scenes about sexually-active teen boys. Enough to make them clear, not enough to be erotic. And that the progression of the relationship was well-done. I thought Ethan's parents were very human and realistic and pretty balanced. So I do recommend it and will probably reread it. This is the second book of Reardon's where she tackles the anti-LGBT attitude of the Christian faith community and I liked Thinking Straight a little better, but this book has its charms as well. This is the story of a boy finding himself, his balance, his identity, and the place where he wants to stand, and finding friends and a sense of family and community along the way. The end has real warmth.

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reviewer often has more than one possible opening gambit. In the case of Robin Reardon’s The evolution of Ethan Poe I can think of at least three, and I’m going to use them all.

Firstly: I hope and trust the world is ready for excuses like “I’m sorry that I’m so sleepy / that I didn’t complete the marking / report / task – I am reading the next Robin Reardon after all!” There were some 01:30 bedtimes during the reading of this novel. One just has to know.

Secondly: when I finished chapter 15 and realised there were still three chapters to go, I thought to myself: “Have these people not been through enough?!” Then I was reminded of the emperor who told Mozart (in the imagination of Peter Schaffer in Amadeus) that his opera contained too many notes. Mozart responded (Schaffer again) by asking which notes he should remove.

I would not be able to answer that question. I would not want to lose anything from this novel. I definitely could not do without Ethan’s romantic development; his tattoo; his involvement with the religion vs science debate (the backbone of the narrative and the religious setting Reardon has chosen for this novel); the social repercussions of this debate; Ethan’s complicated friendship with his female friend Jorja, with whom he explores the outlier identity of being Goth; his link to the horror writer Edgar Allan Poe; the psychology of his brother Kyle; the complex nature of his parents’ relationship; the unusual and healing friendship with one of the candidates in the school board election, Etta; the introduction of the concept of power animals; Ethan’s attempts to reach enough supervised driving hours for his driver’s license; and the complexities of being a teenager at high school.

Despite the fact that a list like this may seem that the novel carries too heavily in terms of issues, Reardon has managed to weave them all into a coherent whole that remains convincing at all times. (There is one point where the timing is not accurate: Etta picks Ethan up at school on a Monday and he has supper with her; they discuss the election and say there is still a full day available for campaigning before the election, which is on a Tuesday. Small thing.)

Thirdly: the traditional meaning of the word “comedy” is not laugh-a-minute: it has to do with the ending of the narrative. Although some situations in this novel are funny (like Ethan’s mom’s divorce lawyer, who is incredibly hot), most of the intricacies are rather serious, including some harrowing medical aspects. At the end of the novel a new equilibrium is created – the sign of a traditional comedy. The characters have grown through all their trials and tribulations and a new status quo is reached.

Of course there are many aspects that are not totally resolved, enough to occupy the reader in imagining certain developments after the end of the novel. In fact, it seems as if Reardon is inviting fan fiction – someone could retell the story from Jorja’s point of view, and extend her narrative beyond what Reardon gave us, to help her reach a new equilibrium in her difficult life. Max could also be a focus of a fan-fic version; so could Etta, or one of the teachers. This speculation demonstrates the richness of Reardon’s narrative.

In some YA fiction about teens or people in their early twenties I am struck by how these characters understand their lives and situations psychologically. Their insight is so clear, so perfect, that one wonders why they experience issues and problems at all. Reardon’s characters are much more realistic in this respect, and perhaps of all Ethan is the one who also makes mistakes, who also responds inappropriately, who misreads situations and intentions and needs guidance and advice. This adds to the realism of Reardon’s novel.

By now (and from previous reviews) others should know how highly I rate Robin Reardon’s oeuvre. After this novel I have to go back to all those tasks I have neglected (marking, reading Elias Canetti’s Auto da fé, etc) – fortunately her next novel, The revelations of Jude Connor, is not available in Kindle format: I have to wait for the Book Depository delivery. That will give me some time until I have to lose some more sleep because of Reardon’s beguiling stories. There are only two novels left before I’ve read everything she has published up to now. Then I can start rereading for the first time …

Hoewel ’n leser dalk mag voel dat Robin Reardon haar karakters se lewens laai en selfs óórlaai met kwessies en komplikasies, weef sy alles so vaardig tot een meesleurende narratief dat sy my uit die slaap én die werk hou. ’n Mens is skoon verlig aan die einde wanneer die karakters ’n nuwe ekwilibrium bereik. Maar natuurlik sal ek haar stories periodiek herlees – die interessante en aantreklike karakters, die fassinerende geloofskwessies wat ondersoek word en die boeiende situasies waardeur die karakters moet werk, verseker dat dit in die toekoms uitstekende herleesplesier sal verskaf.

[Becka · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first review on Goodreads, and I am a little sad that I'm starting out negatively. Here we go.

I really enjoyed the other books that I read by this author. (Thinking Straight and A Secret Edge, hereafter referred to as TS and ASE.) This one was not written badly; in fact the only reason I hesitated to give this one a one-star was because of the writing and the few plot developments I didn't find enraging. Reardon is good at taking complicated issues and mixing them in with the plot in ways that feel believable. In TS, it was being gay and religious. In ASE, it was violence versus pacifism (and everything in between). Here in The Evolution of Ethan Poe, it's all about Intelligent Design and evolution.

And I say, Bravo! It's nice that an author is writing books with young, intelligent gay characters who think about these things. The whole ID plot is treated nicely, I believe.

Where I started getting annoyed, and later just plain mad, was when I saw several of the same plot points repeated from Reardon's other books. Remember that pheromone study from TS and ASE? It's back. Remember how Jason Peele's uncle reacted to him coming out in ASE? Ethan's father says pretty much the same dialogue. (Paraphrasing: "It's like I don't know you." "I can't relate to you anymore." "I just don't get how you can be attracted to men, etc.") Look, it's not that those are unrealistic reactions from a parent/guardian to their child coming out. However, a little variety would be nice.

Also, while I love Will and Taylor from TS and I eventually grew to adore Jason and Raj from ASE as well, the main couple here never really touched me. I believe this is because Max is really a jerkwad, and he is portrayed as such for at least 85% of the book until he.. I don't know.. has some kind of personality transplant towards the end? He's all of a sudden sweet? I just don't ever see what Ethan likes about Max, except for the physical stuff. I mean, they're in high school. It's not like they have to be in True Love, Let's Get Married. Sex is great, and showing young men having safe and healthy sex is awesome. I just wish I felt like Max deserved the benefit of the doubt from Ethan, because he sure seems to get it a lot.

I suppose I wouldn't find any of this so annoying if I hadn't been looking forward to this book so much. The disappointment I felt upon finishing just added to my irritation. I hope that this author gets some new material for her next work. Can one plagiarize oneself?

[Alannah Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very definitely 5 stars for this YA novel about Ethan Poe, a relative of Edgar Allan Poe (yes, THAT one). Ethan is a gay teen whose older brother Kyle has been exhibiting strange behavior, whose parents have separated, and who befriends an older lady and her dog. There is so much going on that I can't give this book justice by trying to describe everything that has enamoured me to it. Just trust me when I say, READ THIS! You don't need to be a young adult to be affected by Ethan's story. This is a great read for anybody.

My only criticism is that the religious people here are portrayed mainly as fanatics and nuts. In the end some of them show their humanity or are shown to have reasons for their behavior, but I would have liked some balance early on. I know many Christians who have a firm belief in their faith, but they show it by volunteering at soup kitchens, donating to charities, knitting and crocheting items for the homeless or for animal shelters, sponsoring families for Thanksgiving by donating the fixings for a meal, etc. It seems unreal to me that friends would turn against friends, a school would be up in arms, etc., due to a school board candidate wanting to include creationism into science class while the other candidate opposes it. When I was a teen, I had other interests and would have left that debate up to the adults.

Still...despite my reservations about the faith issue, I was so caught up in the rest of Ethan's story that I am putting this book with my small reserve of "keeper" books - the ones that will stay in my book stash forever. It is that good.

Read it!

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 / 5)

This was almost a five star read for me, despite some of the faults I was willing to overlook for what was an enjoyable book which tackled some big issues and didn't result to easy solutions.

Ethan Poe is gay, has a boyfriend that is too scared to acknowledge him in public, his parents have just separated, his brother is convinced that his hand may be possessed by a demon (although bizarre, a real-life disease), and a best friend who thinks he can get rid of the gay if he lets Jesus into his life. So, pretty much a life filled with teenage angst.

Yet the author pulls it together. At times a bit heavy-handed, and prone to little bits of infodump here and there, but the spirit within the story can't be denied and in the end that is what makes it so likable. All of the main characters are shades of grey; granted, some may be upset with the depiction of the fundamental Christian characters... but these people exist, and if you are one of those people on the receiving end of their hatred you probably wouldn't feel that charitable about them either.

Reardon also gives points for not wrapping everything up in a little bow at the end. Not every plot point is resolved. And I really like that.

But then there's the last page, where something happens that is really a little bit over the top and saccharine, and it ALMOST negates the bittersweet pages before it. Maybe the author wanted to leave us with one extremely happy image at the end of the book, but I think she would have been better off the way she had been going.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

well written, and an engaging story. The characters were well thrashed out, and I felt the appropriate sympathy for them...

I guess my biggest complaint (if it really is that strong of a complaint) is that most of the christian characters are all so extreme... like there is very little middle ground, it finally works out that way, where they finally calm a bit, but the book didn't show any extreme pagans, or extreme atheists/agnostics... I feel like that would have been a better cross-sectional representation...
the book read a bit like... all of those that go to church are rabid, brim-stone/hellfire/damnation extremists... and all those that didn't were reasonable people...

I guess my other complaint is that the sex-scenes... feel... not real... not sincere... like a woman writing how she thinks a man feels during sex... it left me feeling disconnected.

[R.J. Seeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I do not know where to begin.

This book was a definite interest to me, especially with me being a Christian who believes in evolution, but this book became so much more than that. Of course, I am a keen reader of Reardon, I love all her work. But this one, this one was almost different.

Yes I loved it, it was thought inducing, funny, sexy and as sad as ever, but I don't know, I felt a different kind of vibe with it.

I loved Ethan's voice, I loved Max, I loved Etta and Two, there was so much to love! I was interested all the way through, I think it's safe to say I was hooked!!

Another brilliant book by Reardon!

[Mackenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am officially confused. Impressed, but freaking confused.

And I'm not afraid to admit that. :)

Reading this book - as it usually happens with Robin Reardon's works - gives me a lot of things to think about. I loved her first book, A Secret Edge, not only because it was a very well-rounded book that entertained and also roused my thought processes, it also has an Indian guy as one of the two main characters. Afterwards, I read Thinking Straight. This one, for me, is also a good book... but there was too much emphasis on religion in it so that I couldn't immediately wrap my head around it.

Religion is not something I usually enjoy having in the stories that I read, simply because the topic has the potential to create potential and, when opinions are made, it's likely that people would argue/debate about it. So let's just say that it's not a topic I enjoy discussing anywhere and I certainly don't usually enjoy stories where people's faith - mine or someone else's - is put on the spotlight.

I think many authors can write about religion in fiction successfully. We have popular works such as C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia and Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code as examples, and both are adored and criticized in equal parts by their readers. Michael M. Knight's Taqwacores is another that comes to mind for when I think about novels that have religion as its central theme. All of these are great books and I would recommend them to people who are interested in the subjects, but I'm afraid they're just not for me. I've read them all and I think they are exceptional pieces (well, TDVC seemed to be more like a controversy fodder, but for what it's worth, Dan Brown had guts publishing that and my admiration for him stems from the fact that that book managed to get people talking) but it would never be as easy for me reading books with religion in it than it would for me to read books about, for example, capitalism or human rights issues.

I'm not going into tangents into why I feel the way I do, but that is where I'm coming from. In relation to The Evolution of Ethan Poe by Robin Reardon, I'm drawing on my background because I just thought that there was TOO MUCH religion in it for me to be able to 100% enjoy the book.

I don't know the first thing about ID (Intelligent Design) which, from my understanding is kind of the Human Evolution Explained By Religion (read: Christians in America), and I had to look it up on Google. Hence, my first confusion with the story. I still don't understand the 'theories' proposed by Intelligent Design and I'm afraid I won't understand it anytime soon, even after the length Ms. Reardon went through in her book to explain it to the readers.

In fact, half of Ethan Poe is basically a book about the conflict between Intelligent Design versus Real Science. The length alone is intimidating, but then it's also presented like a lecture in a university classroom. There were many times I felt like I went back to Philosophy 103 in my university in Perth, Australia, with obnoxious classmates and dour-faced serious professors around me. This? Not a good feeling. Personally, it brings back bad memories to me and I didn't appreciate being made to feel this way by a book. Not enough to make me stop reading, of course, but I admit that it lost its charm a little bit when the characters went on and on and on and on and forever on about the issue.

The lecture-style and preachy tone of the book about this topic did not help some of the characters either. Some of them came across as very one-dimensional (e.g. Ethan's best friend Jorja and his biology teacher Sylvia). It was like they sat on either side of a fence and we were forced to look at them from their profile. We can't see their whole face, just one side of it. It's frustrating because most of the time when we read, we want to invest on a character and relate to them. I certainly want to do that all the time I'm reading, but I just couldn't this time and I got really annoyed by that. Sylvia and Jorja, of course, are just minor characters and they're only two of many people surrounding the main character, Ethan, so this should not be a problem. Except that I felt that their one-dimensionality is a problem because Reardon dropped hints that they had a story way beyond their views on the topic. As I am a perpetually curious person about what it is that makes a person tick, I didn't enjoy being "teased" by the hints and ending up not getting what I want from the story.

My confusion then doubles because another huge part of the story involves Ethan Poe being a confused teenager himself. It's his voice that we're listening to (first person POV) and it's his thoughts we're reading. Don't get me wrong - I like Ethan. Out of all Reardon's characters, Ethan is the one who intrigues me the most. He seems more interesting because he's a mix of potentials, power, teenage attitude and an ancestry worthy of a thousand boasts. He's a very mild version of Bart Yates' character Noah York (Leave Myself Behind), so although Ethan will never reach Noah's level of genius, he is a familiar enough "type" for me to relate to.

But, see, Ethan's mind is kind of a jungle. He doesn't go off on tangents and veer off the path with his thinking, but the situation around him pulls him in different directions and, many times, he lets himself drift there. He wants to please everyone - his mom, his dad, his adult friend Etta Greenleaf, his semi-boyfriend Max Modine (Sylvia's brother), Jorja - so his reactions to these people's action are frustrating enough to read.

We start out by discovering that he's very into Max, but then we also find out that Ethan doesn't agree with Max with a lot of things. Despite that, he still wants him, so he stays with him while we stew over the fact that Max is acting like a jerk and he doesn't deserve Ethan. It's the same with Ethan's friendship with Jorja. The girl, being one-dimensional to me, gives the impression of being judgmental, stubborn and annoying. So I wanted her out of the picture, just be gone and leave my boy Ethan alone, but Ethan himself wants her in his life. We see Ethan trying to make Jorja happy, make amends with her when things crack between them, and even save her when she got in trouble. Ethan is that way with everybody around him and sometimes I just want to grab him and say, "Dude, stop. Just stop."

Then again, therein lies the brilliance of the book for me. Robin Reardon portrays what being a teenager is like to a perfect tee in this book, even more so than in her previous books. A lot of authors try to portray what being a teenager is like, but a lot of characters in those authors' books (particularly the ones in real Young Adult genre) are simply living the preposterous life of a teenager. Teenagers are young, flippant, carefree one moment, serious the next, self-absorbed and also still vulnerable. They can be idiots and do stupid things, but they're also still kind of sweet and untouched by the worries of the world. Hi-tech gadgets and being popular are serious business for them in the way mortgages and earning salary are serious business for adults. Everyone was a teenager once and I'm sure everyone knows how that feels like. Reardon captures that "woes and joys of the teenage years" perfectly in this book through Ethan. That's why, despite the confused feeling I get from reading his thoughts, I adore the character and want to root for him. And in turn, the character makes me like the book so this is why, despite my confusion, I still like the story.

Finally, my confusion triples because after all the things I said above, I still don't get why Reardon buried the gem that is Ethan Poe's life story under the muddy layer of The Epic Religion Vs Science Debate. The debate, of course, provides an interesting background and adds substance to the otherwise your run-of-the-mill coming-of-age story. But the topic is heavy and the presentation of the topic is rigid and heavy-handed. My discomfort about it threatens to override my enjoyment of following Ethan's journey. These conflicts in the tone of the book completely puzzles me, as I am now torn between loving it and hating it.

It's a pity that the book couldn't have been more straightforward (or stylish) in its execution. Or balanced. There doesn't seem to be a smooth melding between the serious topic and the actual narration of the story so it's an exhausting book to read. I don't regret reading it, but The Evolution Of Ethan Poe, unlike A Secret Edge, most likely won't be a re-read material for me. It's just too tiring to go through all that again. Again, this is a pity because I love Ethan and would love to revisit him again one day.

If anyone is confused reading this review, I don't blame you. After getting all of that out of my system, I still remain where I was an hour ago when I started this review: impressed, but freaking confused.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, oh, man, do I love dramatic YA contemporaries. This hit the spot.

Inspired by that lovely time in our nation when evolution and creationism were butting heads in science classrooms, this book threw me back into a debate I almost forgot happened while also addressing questions of identity, religion, sexuality, and how all three can intersect. I liked how the relationship between Ethan and Max played out (realistic romantic relationships in YA novels are so hard to come by) and all the scenes between Kyle and Ethan trying to navigate Kyle's newfound, maniacal religiosity (especially once the twist hits a hundred pages in).

Even though the cover awakens my love for Avril Lavinge, I would highly recommend this.

(Maybe I would recommend it because it awakens my love for Avril Lavinge...)

[Andrew Leavitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book I had ever read by Robin Reardon, so though I have heard some of the plot details in "Ethan Poe" seem recycled from her other books (mainly through reviews on Goodreads), I can't speak to that one way or the other. I had actually never even heard of Robin Reardon until I happened to see this book on the top shelf in the adult fiction section of a Barnes and Noble. While I picked it up in the adult section, there can be little doubt that the intended audience of this book is, in fact, teens. And likely those dealing with their own sexuality while growing up. And it certainly seems like a great book for that particular audience.

When I first started reading this book, I was amazed at how similar Ethan's initial situation was to my own high school years. He is an outsider by choice, enjoying a somewhat gothic existence, while people close to him have existential and spiritual crises and try to drag him in. He lives in Maine (like I did) and goes to school with a mix of students on either side of the growing issue of teaching Intelligent Design in school. Enough of this was close to my own teen years that I was able to immediately connect with Ethan, and that quick connection helped power me through sections of the book when his character seemed a bit too distant or ignorant. I never came to hate Ethan, but there were times when I wanted to throttle him and tell him how silly and self-centered he was being. But it is hard to blame him; everyone else in the book seems to be suffering from the same problem.

The romance between Ethan and Max is interesting and a good example of blossoming romance and sexuality. But it is also a good example of a teen romance that the reader can't hope to last. At least, I couldn't. There is so much dissonance in their relationship that I couldn't be brought to root for their happily-ever-after. I kept hoping that another boy would show up who would be better for Ethan or at least offer the promise of someone better. That does happen, but it seems like Reardon either dropped the character and plot or never intended it to go very far in the first place. Either way, it left me a bit disappointed at the end.

The family relationship was great for an estranged, disjointed family dynamic, but it almost felt like the resolution of that plot line was a bit unresolved as well. In fact, any plot path in the book that wasn't dealing with ID in the classroom and religion vs science was sort of pushed to the side, and because of that characters and interesting moments were lost in the wake. While the main plot was certainly captivating, it wasn't exactly enough to keep me moving forward. Not the way the minor details I kept scraping together did. She also dipped into interesting spiritual areas from time to time, but never stuck around long enough to develop them fully.

Did I like this book enough to recommend it to others? Yes. Would I probably read other books by Reardon? Definitely, as she has shown herself to be a very good writer. But I have to think that her other books are probably better than this one.

I will say, however, that it was very refreshing to read a book where none of the gay characters were stereotypes and they never fell into stereotypical femme/butch/self-hating territories. They all felt real and their development felt smooth (from a reading standpoint) and believable. Definitely a good book if you're looking for a positive look on homosexual youth.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Evolution of Ethan Poe is a great book that has three story lines, one of which I can't say because it would (I think) count as a spoiler. The second one is about Ethan, and his life as a gay person. The third one is the one that got my attention: whether or not to get ID (Intelligent Design) involved with science.

I the first and second stories are the main part in the beginning, so I'll talk about them first. The second one, I think that there is a bit too much, "Get in the back of a car and make out" in the book, but other than that, all three story lines are amazing, and really well written.

The third one really starts after you get almost halfway into the book. There are plenty of pretty interesting conversations about ID.

I like the fact that the main character is gay in this book, because as some of you know, the bible forbids people from being gay, therefore adding an interesting twist in the storyline.

[Gavin Stephenson-Jackman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting fictionalization of some very scary events and a very compelling read. It amazes me that so many people are willing to believe something because they are told to and the violence that some will go to in their efforts to suppress their opponents. Having an open mind and engaging in rational thought seems beyond some people as illustrated by the supporters of ID in this story. As wonderful as the story was I'd still have liked to see an additional chapter or two dealing with the relationship between the main characters Ethan and Max, particularly about how they come to terms with their relationship at school.

[Derreck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't quite expect to like this as much as I thought. It started out intriguing, then got boring for me, then it intrigued me again, and then it took off.

Sadly we do not live in a world that is open minded enough to allow this in high school classrooms. Like for literature reading. Or you could call it English Class, because this book really has the potential. I feel like this was a great read, but so underrated. And that makes me sad. Perhaps one day, that will change. Until then, I advise curious readers to please give this book a try.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Evolution of Ethan Poe
By Robin Reardon
Kensington Books, 2011
Five stars

“I don’t pay a lot of attention; it’s not something I care about.”

How did I miss this for nine years? Now, I’ve read a lot of YA books with LGBT main characters. What prompts me to give any given book five stars is individuality – of style, of character, of setting, of plot arc. This is one of those books that stands out, because the title character, Ethan Poe, undergoes a dramatic transformation during the few months in which the story unfolds, while at the same time remains exactly what he is the whole time: a sixteen-year-old boy.

Ethan’s life seems to be crashing down around him: his parents, his best friend, his brother – all of them seem to be going off the rails. Then his little rural Maine town stumbles into a separation of church and state fracas over the teaching of evolution in the local high school, and Ethan is pushed to the edge of his ability to ignore things that make him uncomfortable. Add onto this the sudden apparent interest of a handsome boy he’s been yearning for, and the added complication that adds to his life, and you can imagine the veritable monsoon of emotional storms battering Ethan Poe.

There are some really difficult topics dealt with in this book – mental disorder, abuse, religious intolerance, community violence, teen sexuality – and Reardon handles them all with humor, plausibility and intelligence. What she gets especially right is the teenagers themselves. Ethan, to me at least, is as authentic as any teenager I’ve read about – because I hear my own voice from 49 years ago in him. Part of growing up – maybe the hardest part – is stepping outside of the self-absorbed tunnel in which all of us live when we’re teenagers. Mind you, not one single detail in Ethan Poe’s story is like anything in my own life, but the general sense of catastrophe at sixteen resonates completely. It’s hard enough to process being gay at sixteen, even in this “it gets better” world, without other disasters cropping up. I finally accepted that I was gay at 16, too, but that was in 1971 and I had lost two siblings and all of my grandparents in the last three years. I know what it is to feel totally terrified and adrift…and the way Reardon moves Ethan through his personal evolution is spot on – more than that, it’s filled with love and respect for what it is to be a teenager. She is tough but forgiving. We come to understand Ethan’s mind, and sympathize with his reactions, even as we root for him to move on and be “better.”

Indeed, nearly everybody gets a sympathetic hearing in Reardon’s story. She doesn’t try to make wrong right, or injustice justifiable, but she helps us understand what’s behind things. Human fallibility is something most teenagers haven’t got much training in, and Ethan Poe gets a whole lot of it as part of his evolution into a fuller, wiser, and more big-hearted teenager. It’s an amazing transformation, leaving the reader as surprised as Ethan himself.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more of a 3.5 to me. Can't really put my finger on it, the idea of power animals is super interesting, but I almost feel like they were a bit too on the nose with the descriptions and the scenarios lined up a bit too perfectly and it kinda took me out of the story a bit.

Likewise, Ethan's journey through the story is said to be about balance in his life when it seems incredibly obvious that there are "right" and "wrong" sides to each of the issues he faced, eventually evolving into "transformation" which wasn't as heavily expanded on and it seemed a bit unsatisfying. Overall there were a lot of good characters in this book, even if some weren't likeable, most were multi dimensional and interesting. The only exception being the love interest who I think I was supposed to root for but just HATED through the whole story.

Better than a lot of lgbt YA but not the best thing I've read

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really loved watching Ethan's character growing throughout this book. I understood the power animals thing but at the same time it was a little weird. The whole ID/Evolution debate throughout the book and the violence it brought was very thought provoking and interesting. Of all the things I could have disliked about this book...there was only one thing I actually did dislike and that was Max. I just...hated his character for some reason.

[Isahb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book. This is one of those books you couldn't put it down until you finish it. Character development or 'evolution' of this story is brilliant. This book deserves more spotlight. I loved it.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking back on this novel probably a decade later, it taught me a lot of stuff I’ve never seen represented in a novel before, mainly the body integrity dysphoria, as well as how getting a drivers licence in America works when you’re a teen 😊

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally as I read a book, I think about this site and what rating I am going to give it. This book went through a sort of 'evolution' as I read more of it. Or is that devolution? At first, the book was good and had some interesting and different ideas, like Ethan's friend Jorja and the problems with his brother Kyle. It was hovering around a 4 star rating. Then everything the book was leading up to happened around the middle of the book. Very unsatisfying and the rating dropped to 3 stars. Then I started hating every minute of reading time I spent on it. So I settled on 2 stars.

--It felt like it was written by a 16 year old (funny, that is the age of the character) who wasn't an author. I don't mind feeling the character and having him tell the story in his own voice, but the two didn't mesh at all.

--There were too many subjects tossed at me, and a lot felt like they were 'preaching to the choir'. I like it when books talk about different subjects that I don't know much about, like the ID stuff and the Spirit Animals. But, there was so much info tossed at me that I don't care to research it and expand my horizons. Less is more and I felt like I was reading a history book much of the time. The stuff about the father not accepting his son has been done to death, and...I'm not even sure how he 'got over his prejudices'. It just kinda happened because the story was close to ending.

--Why was this book so damn long? So many unimportant details! Like the middle of the book...everything was leading up to the big meeting and the clash between the ID people and those for Etta...and there were 2 pages (at least) devoted to telling who was at the meeting, who sat behind Ethan, some thoughts about what all was going on...Then a couple pages later and the meeting was over. We were never given a 'scene' that showed what happened. Just Ethan telling us what happened. Which brings me to my next point:

--I need scenes! The most interesting bits were glazed over and the other stuff was expanded on so much that I got bored. Some parts I really wanted to 'see', aside from the meeting: After Ethan talked to Kyle when Kyle knew Ethan was gay. There had been talk of an uncomfortable dinner soon and that was why Kyle needed to be told. But there was no scene or even mention of how the dinner went. That would have been a great opportunity to weaken his Dad's bad feelings towards him. And Max coming to dinner for the first time. 1 Paragraph! Seriously?

--Who is Ethan exactly? I never felt one twinge emotion from him. He told us a lot what he thought about things, but I didn't feel reactions from him. Granted he is not your normal teenager, but still. When his dad finds out about Max, and corners Ethan, all we get are some thoughts about condoms and Ethan's phone. Not fear or worry or the panic that makes him run out of the room. Just so detached from this character.

--Ethan didn't seem sure of things. Just some little things that bugged me: 'We walked on this kinda trail through the field', 'Dad breathed heavily through his nose or his mouth, I couldn't be sure', 'The dog was tied on a stake that I hadn't seen before', etc. Call it a trail. Pick one. I don't care if you've never seen the stake.

Sorry for the rant, I'm just frustrated that the writing quality was so bad. I have another of the author's books on my 'to read' shelf. Thankfully, the book is about the third of this one, but I don't plan on reading it for a long while.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Robin Reardon, whose previous works include "A Secret Edge" and "Thinking Straight," has become the gay literature scene’s expert on coming-of-age novels. Her latest, "The Evolution of Ethan Poe," continues the trend, and she may have crafted her most well-adjusted gay teen to date, Ethan Poe, whose feelings of heartache and angst stem from the behavior of those around him, rather than himself.

Sixteen-year-old Ethan from Maine is a distant, far-removed relative of the legendary author, Edgar Allen Poe. Well aware and unashamed of the fact that he likes boys, Ethan considers himself an outlier--much like the scribe--and adopts a gothic style to match his beard best friend, Jorja. His love interest, Max, is hardly ready to hold hands in public, yet he’s much less shy when they’re alone in the back seat.

As a religious fundamentalist, Jorja condemns Ethan’s unnatural desires, and his just-as-fanatical brother, Kyle, deliberately self-inflicts pain on his right hand to help cleanse his soul. Furthermore, Ethan’s parents, Charlene and Dave, have recently separated. The only person Ethan confides in is Etta Greenleaf, an eccentric older woman in the neighborhood who takes him for driving lessons.

This novel tackles a veritable smorgasbord of social issues and surprisingly, the trials and tribulations of being a gay teen is not the most critical or consequential. Religion is at the forefront when the community becomes divided over teaching intelligent design in school, meanwhile, Ethan’s family struggles with mental illness and the possibility of divorce.

With Ethan, Reardon has created a worthy role model who never judges, is remarkably self aware, and perhaps most importantly, exemplifies loyalty. The author also introduces a new age theme in which everyone is connected or assigned to an animal or creature that releases power and strength on our behalf. It lends itself well to Ethan’s Goth image, especially since his power animal is a bat, but overall, the story is strong enough and would have stood well without it.

The author’s frank, earnest writing style and the sincerity of her extremely likeable lead character make "The Evolution of Ethan Poe" an impressive, entertaining summer read.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan Poe is a 16 year old who dresses goth and likes being a outsider at school. Ethan’s only friend and his older brother are extremely religious.His parents are getting a divorce. He gets pulled into a debate on intelligent design that he didn't want anything to do with.Ethan deals with all of that while also being in the closet and falling for a boy from his school.

The book was a much slower read for me. This book was very tense throughout.The conflict was so real and varied.Each plot point worked together and not against each other.I did not feel like the story was missing anything. Each point of conflict had some sort of resolve by the end.

Ethan is self centered and naive.He doesn't seem to recognize what is going on around him even if you can figure it out from reading what he experiences. It bothered me for some of the book, but didn't ruin it for me at all.He's a teenager and is really just discovering himself. I do think it factored into why the second half of the book moved a lot faster for me.

The striking language used and the depth of the characters were two of my favorite things in the book. There were so many brilliant characters in the book.Characters that surprised me with how they changed over time, characters that wanted to change but either couldn't or didn't know how, and characters that I felt needed to change but that wanted to stay right where they were.

Robin Reardon’s books can incite different emotions in you. The Evolution of Ethan Poe caused tears, anger, anxiousness, moments of glee, and much more. This book can make you care and that’s a wonderful thing.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all of Robin's books because her characterizations are pretty spot on and she makes me want to keep reading to find out what is going to happen next. In this one I rooted for Ethan as he searched for meaning and love and acceptance. The religion debates were interesting as a backdrop for this coming of age/coming out story as it often is a true backdrop. I wondered if the power animal angle, which was almost a religion and is part of some religions, was used in this manner as a counterpoint to the Christian themes, even though it isn't compared to religion. The struggles they all go through with dealing with some truly insane situations is heartfelt and believable. This book reminded me a little of A Question of Manhood with the dog training aspects, but it reminded me of it rather than made me feel like I'd read this before. The Etta character pulled at my heartstrings as well as her dog, Two did. And we all hope we meet someone who can guide us as much as Etta and Shane do for Ethan. As I put the book down I am still pulling for Ethan, Max, and even Kyle, and especially mom, who reminded me so much of my own mother, smoking her cigarette and telling people how it is, while applying her unconditional love. This book seemed to go a little farther with its outright portrayal of sexual situations, versus what other YA novels do. It wasn't too far but gets a bit more direct and steamy in places. I recommend this book very highly. It even has a discussion group guide in the back that asks interesting questions.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I wasn't impressed. The author is not particularly subtle about his agenda; here's what a reader gets out of this book: 1. Anyone believing in Christianity (eg, anyone who believes the Bible and lives a Christ-centered life) is a. ignorant b. afraid c. close-minded and d. likely to resort to violence instead of reason; 2. Ditto anyone believing in Intelligent Design; 3. Most believers are that way because they have a real problem (mental illness, being abused by their step-father) that could be solved without religion - that's their "duck blind"; 4. Liberals/libertarians are sensible people who believe in a vague idea of God, accept evolution without question and only use violence to defend themselves; 5. All the cool people believe in power animals and have guided, grounding experiences - or something to that effect. And they wear ear-cuffs.

IF he'd been subtler, talking reasonably about the ID/evolution debate and religion and homosexuality, I'd have liked it more. As it is, I'm not sure many of my gay students would read this (I don't see them
relating to the issues raised by being in a small, conservative town) and I think people that could get something from this aren't going to find the book in their local library or bookstore.

Oh, and only those not from New England order sprinkles on their ice cream. The rest of us order jimmies.

Copy provided by publisher.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you start reading this book, you won’t put it down, it’s that engaging. The author mixes together some really interesting topics and comes out with a five star book. Lesser writers would have a jumble, but Reardon makes it work, she makes you love fall in love with the main character and lets you watch over his shoulder as he pulls his stuff together. Extra bonus, somehow, and I’m not sure why, Ethan’s mother reminds me of Cher (From Mermaids). Which makes the book that much better.

Trigger warnings: Contains references to really awesome people, harm and self-harm caused by religion, child-abuse, tattoos, new age stuff and romance, but not in that order. Also contains M/M sex acts. The self-harm occurs “on-screen” and the child abuse occurs “off screen”, but both are integral to the plot. In spite of all the ‘triggers’, it’s a really good book that by the end left me inspired.

Robin Reardon is a gifted writer. Picking the best Reardon book is a lot like choosing the best example of a Michelangelo artwork. It can be done, but it’s arbitrary. This is one of her best. It’s like the statue David, or is it the Sistine Chapel ceiling…

This book is well worth your time.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading Thinking Straight, I was looking forward to Reardon's The Evolution of Ethan Poe. Unfortunately, I was not impressed, and often annoyed while reading.

Reardon based this book on the debate in Dover, PA about Intelligent Design, and sensationalized it. From what I remember of the debate that occurred only a few counties away from my hometown, there was a good deal of verbal confrontation and editorials in the paper, but not physical violence. In her book, Reardon portrays supporters of ID as one-dimentional individuals who only know how to turn to violence in order to get their points across. Arriving on the heels of Thinking Straight, a book with well-developed characters and an over-the-top climax, I felt as though she took a few steps backwards. It is as though she had the ideas that she wanted to portray and an image of character types, not individual characters.