Eve (Adapted for Young Adults)

December 15, 2024
A researcher with a Ph.D. in the evolution of narrative and cognition explores evolution, gender, and biological sex. Bohannon largely successfully adapts her 2023 book for adults, Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, for teen readers. The concise, intriguing chapter titles-- "Milk," "Womb," "Tools," "Brain," "Love"--are engaging and offer clear roadmaps to the sometimes-dense text. Tongue-in-cheek section headers ("The Truth Is We Should Have More Vaginas") and dramatic turns of phrase ("It turns out the mammalian uterus isn't a lush pillow--it's a war zone") are delightfully fun. However, some scientific terms would have benefitted from being explained in context or in a glossary (likewise, the omission of source notes is a significant oversight). Other parts drag due to excessive detail that detracts from the book's larger goal (this is especially true in the chapter "Perception," about our senses). Topics of high interest to many young people--for example, why female biology proves to be an advantage in endurance sports, why female bodies develop "fatty hips" (and the possible risks of liposuction), and the evolutionary influences behind sexism--would have benefitted from deeper treatment. Bohannon makes a concerted effort to be inclusive and mindful of trans people, making this work a thoughtful examination of gendered bodies that will be of interest to readers interested in the intersection of science and social attitudes. A powerful if somewhat overstuffed look at the science of female bodies.(Nonfiction. 14-18)

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January 1, 2025
Grades 9-12 Teens who enjoyed Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens (2015) will find similar ground covered from an evolutionary biology perspective in this young-readers version of Bohannon's New York Times bestseller. Spanning 200 million years of history, roughly chronological, the author describes several "Eves," like Morganucodon (not a direct ancestor, but an early lactating mammal, a cross between a weasel and a mouse) and Ardipithecus ramidus (the first-known bipedal hominin) to explain the evolution that led to changes in women's bodies (such as breasts, fat, and a uterus), their brain development, their perception (such as hearing and smelling), their use of tools, and more. Although Bohannon employs slang and everyday language to make topics more relatable to teens, particularly when talking about sex and mating, her detailed narrative will be appreciated most by sophisticated readers. And while a chapter on menopause may seem incongruous to readers still going through puberty, its focus on longevity, as well as its successive and final chapter on love and relationships, will still resonate with those eager to understand their bodies, minds, and place in time.

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