The Evolution of Ethan Poe

The Evolution of Ethan Poe

Authors

Robin Reardon

Publisher

Kensington Books

Publication Year

2011

ISBN

9780758246806

Pages

352 pages

Genre

realism

Format

novel

Item Type

Fiction

Annotation

Ethan Poe, sixteen and gay, struggles for balance while his life conspires to pull him in many different directions. His parents are divorcing; his older brother Kyle is damaging his right hand in the name of purity; his best friend is a Jesus freak who prays for him to be straight; he's desperate to get his driver's license, but he can't seem to get enough supervised driving time. He's just starting to see light in the form of Max Modine, a boy he wants to know much better than he does, when his rural Maine town begins to explode around him. Against his intentions he gets pulled into a pitched and sometimes violent conflict about whether to introduce Intelligent Design into science classrooms. Friendships end, families are torn apart, and the school becomes a battleground. Always seeking elusive balance, Ethan finds his way through a maze of lost friends, new love, and the mysteries of tattoos and power animals, with help from quarters where he never expected to find it. And he gains something better than balance.

Grade Level

6-8; 9-12

Diversity Topics

Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Divorce; Gay/Lesbian; divorced parents; gay; gay teenager

Main Character

male teenager

Race/Ethnicities

White

Family Formation

divorced parents

LGBTQ+

gay male

Awards

Rainbow List, 2012 Young Adult Fiction

Keywords

LGBTQ youth; interpersonal relations; religion; Maine; Evangelical Christianity; intelligent design theory; coming out

Diversity Impact

direct

The Evolution of Ethan Poe

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