Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Algonquin Books, and Bill Schutt for the audiobook ARC.
 
Review:

I would trust Bill Shcutt with my grade 9 science class. He may not like it (fourteen-year-olds are cutthroat) but his writing indicates a digestible (pun intended) lecturing style that balances facts with comparative examples. While still putting the scientific push on a pillar, Schutt gives readers of all educational backgrounds the tools needed to understand. At no point do readers feel dumb nor does Schutt dumb-down any of the information. 

For the most part, each chapter was split into two or three sections that focused on specific animals. I especially enjoyed the snake chapter and a look back at the transitional fossils that led to the connection between birds and dinosaurs.

The only part that really stood out as not cohesive were the chapters dedicated to human teeth. And I know, it’s in the title! Listening, for almost an hour, about George Washington’s dentures was not what I had signed up for after learning so much interesting information prior. It felt out of place, in a way that I can’t necessarily pinpoint. 

Each chapter had a witty title and an associated quote, which framed the upcoming. Part of me wished that I had access to the digital or physical copy, as I would have loved to see some images along with descriptions. 

As for the production of the audiobook -- the narrator did a great job! In my notes, I wrote that “the narrator’s voice is really even and holds my interest; it’s read almost like a fictional story -- there’s a natural rise and fall, making it feel like I’m tuned in to a conversation.” I must mention though, that hearing the full addresses of a handful of website links was jarring. The sound quality is crisp and easy to consume for long periods!

Overall, Bite takes a simple topic (teeth) and expands it into two complex directions (science, history), while still making the information chewable (pun-intended) for anyone looking to conquer their fear of the density (or interested in evolutionary biology). I have added Schutt’s other books (Cannabilism, Pump, and Dark Banquet) to my TBR and I look forward to picking up a copy for my classroom’s library.