Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature

I knew today would be ugly…

It’s the first day of high school for Mena, and already her world looks bleak: she’s an outcast, all her former friends hate her, even her parents barely speak to her anymore.

Why? Because she tried to do the right thing. And then everything went wrong.

But can a cute, nerdy lab partner; his bossy, outspoken sister; and an unconventional, imaginative science teacher be just what Mena needs to turn her life around?

Or will the combination of all of them only make things worse?

As Mena is about to find out...

It’s the freaks of nature who survive.

*Named Best Fiction for Young Adults by the American Library Association

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:
Q: You've written several science-oriented young adult novels: EVOLUTION, ME & OTHER FREAKS OF NATURE; FAT CAT; and the PARALLELOGRAM series. Have you always been interested in science?A: Not at all. I am a late-blooming science geek. I was afraid of science when I was young--I never thought I was "good at it." I didn't realize that someone could be interested in and fascinated by science without having to be good at it. That's one of the reasons I write books featuring teen girls who are excellent at science. It's the ultimate role playing for me!Q: You also write a lot of books featuring animals--dogs, in particular: EVOLUTION, ME & OTHER FREAKS OF NATURE; DOGGIRL; the PARALLELOGRAM series. Are you a dog-lover in real life?A: Absolutely! And again, it stems from my childhood. I was one of those unfortunate children whose parents wouldn't let her have any pets. Whenever I went to the library, I checked out every single book I could find that had a dog on the cover (I was also partial to any that featured a horse).  Now that I'm an adult, I make sure I always have a few dogs in my life, and I also love writing them into my books.Q: What's coming up next?A: I'm very excited about my new series, THE BRADAMANTE SAGA, which is unlike anything else I've written. It's an epic historical medieval fantasy featuring a tough, fearless girl warrior. It's a series I've wanted to write for decades! The first book, BOOK OF EARTH, was recently released, and several more installments in the saga will follow this year.  Q: Any message you'd like to share with your readers?A: First of all, thank you. I know as well as any of you that there are only so many entertainment hours available to us every day, and they need to be split among our favorite shows, some movies here and there, and then that big stack of books we all keep adding to every month. So I appreciate whenever someone spends some time with characters I've created.Second, please never be shy about reaching out to me. I try to answer every email. If you take the time to write to me, I'll take the time to answer!And last, I love to reward my readers with news, freebies, and random giveaways. The best way to get all three is to subscribe on my website at robinbrande.com.Now back to writing more stories for you!