The Evolution of Ethan Poe
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
STARS Citation
Reardon, Robin, "The Evolution of Ethan Poe" (2011). Diverse Families. 1422.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1422