****7 stars***
Dedication: "For Amanda and Matthew"
Liked it...perhaps because, like our narrator and heroine, I also believe in God *and* evolution.
Didn't love it, though...the characters seemed a little flat and stereotypical. The only person wrestling with conflict in the book seemed to be the narrator. The love interest, who has lost a parent, never adequately discussed or expressed that loss, even after his girlfriend opened up about the things that weighed on her heart. Christians, until the last chapters of the book, are almost always shown as hard or mean-spirited or unquestioning followers, and I've found this to be exactly the opposite. (In my personal experience, people of faith--any faith--are the ones who are more likely to seek meaning and be kind-hearted and routinely examine their leaders to see if they're worth following.) The reactions of her parents at the start and end of the book seemed a little improbable, as well. So, I give this one a C+.
Enjoyed the puppies and love interest story lines. Liked that our heroine loved God and church and could still find room to have faith in her Creator. (In the Acknowledgments at the end of the book, Ms. Brande thanked Dr. Kenneth R. Miller, author of Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution, which is now on hold for me at the public library.) I do NOT agree that Creationism and Intelligent Design are one and the same...and am looking forward to reading more about this topic!
Interested in a podcast with Ms. Brande? Go here and choose your link.
