the family reacts to Evolution

Fan art by Bev

So The Evolution is now, officially, out in the world. You can read it if you want to. And I really hope you want to. 

I have no idea what your reactions will be, because very few people read the sequel with the exception of my agent and my editor. Even my family only just read it in the past few weeks. I thought about writing a personal post about what it feels like to publish your second book with lots of feels and stuff, but then I saw their reactions. 

I decided to post those instead. 

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CAST: 

Jeremy (the brother)

Brother 2 (the other brother)

Stepbrother (the stepbrother)

Gbob (Grandfather)

Grandma (self explanatory)

Aunt (ditto)

Mom (you get the picture)

SCENE: 

Various undisclosed locations across the country.

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Jeremy: This is a lot scarier than the first…

Brother 2: Mich, this is actually really good.

Jeremy: This entire chapter is porn.  

Me: That chapter is entirely dialogue. They are literally just talking. 

Jeremy: I know. But I felt dirty after reading it. 

Gbob: Your grandma and I both liked this better than the first. 

Me: Why?

Grandma: It was scarier. 

Gbob: It was sexier. 

Mom: I like how you portayed Mara’s mom in this one much more. She’s a really fascinating character. 

Grandma: I did not expect [REDACTED] or [REDACTED] at ALL. 

Gbob: The girls are going to hoot and howl, boy oh boy.  

Stepbrother: Okay, I’m oddly sucked in, despite being a thirty-year-old high fantasy obsessed male. I just blew through 250 pages in 3 hours…WTF? 

Jeremy: I’m only mentioned on 52 pages of the book.

Me: Actually, you're not in this book at all. 

Jeremy: I did the math. That means 9.8%. Less than 10%!!!! Your fans are going to be very disappointed, and that's nothing compared with my fans.  And Brother 2 is on 92 pages!!! 

Me: Neither of you are in this book. 

Jeremy: That’s almost double me!!

Stepbrother: Did you put crack in here? 

Aunt (via voicemail): Michie, I LOVED your book, but can you pretty please not leave copies around where your very innocent 13-yr-old cousin can read it before I have a chance to redact the language? Love you so so much my darling, darling niece! 

Brother 2: Why are you so obsessed with that James Hogg book? Why?

Jeremy: HAHAHA that slow clapping scene!!! Pure amazingness. 

Stepbrother: Alright, so Noah is making me question my sexuality. Not sure I’m comfortable with this.

Grandma: I was SHOCKED by [REDACTED]. I can’t believe [REDACTED REDACTED]. 

Brother 2: Interesting take on the Freud/Jung dichotomy. Nice. 

Sister in law: MICHIE IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!

Mom: _____ is exactly what I would have done in Mara’s mother’s situation. She is absolutely right. 

Brother 2: Yikes, creepy book is creepy. 

Stepbrother: HILARIOUS BOOK IS HILARIOUS. 

Gbob: I really feel that this is an epic love story, Michie. Absolutely epic. 

Sister-in-law: [REDACTED REDACTED] BROKE MY HEART!!!! I WAS CRYING!!!!

Gbob: Like Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara. 

Brother: The carnival synecdoche is really brilliant. 

Jeremy: Do you have literary license to end a sentence with a preposition?

Brother: Do you know why it’s brilliant? Do you understand what you wrote? 

Gbob: Except Mara is much more fun than Scarlet. Nuts, though. 

Stepbrother: Oh man. Shit just got real. 

Brother: Jamie’s T-shirt; clever. I think he might be your best character. 

Gbob: You really do have a superb vocabulary. Just superb. 

Jeremy: Free Willy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grandma: I’m going to buy copies for everyone at the beauty parlor. 

Brother 2: Great book, Mich. Well done. 

Jeremy: Hold me. Like the River Jordan. 

Stepbrother: asdfghjklklhkjjhj

Mom: I'm just blown away by your characterization, Michie. Mara’s mother is so complex!

Me: Do you have feelings about any other characters? 

Mom: I think Mara would be a dom. 

Me:  What?

Mom: A dominant. 

Me: What the— 

Mom: I’m reading this book—

Me: I DON’T WANT TO KNOW THIS. 

Gbob: Listen, Michie. I have an idea for your next book. There’s this volcano…

FIN.

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(I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did, and I hope you enjoy the book even more. If you spot Evolution or the Unbecoming paperback out in the wild today, I'd love it if you shared a picture on Tumblr (#mara dyer) or on Twitter @MichelleHodkin. It would totally make my day. 

And now--off to Tampa! Miami, Austin, Chicago, Milwaukee, and New York: I will see you soon.