The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Mary E. Pearson, Book

Synopsis

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

This fascinating novel represents a stunning new direction for acclaimed author Mary Pearson. Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity. Mary Pearson's vividly drawn characters and masterful writing soar to a new level of sophistication.

Publishers Weekly

Sometime in the near future, Jenna Fox, 17, awakens from an 18-month-long coma following a devastating accident, her memory nearly blank. She attempts reorientation by watching videos of her childhood, "recorded beyond reason" by worshipful parents, but mysteries proliferate. Jenna can recite passages from Thoreau yet can't remember having any friends. As memories return, however, Jenna starts picking at the explanation her parents have spun until it unravels. Pearson (A Room on Lorelei Street ) uses each revelation to steadily build tension until the true horror comes into focus. Even then Pearson does not stop; she raises the ante in unexpected ways until the very last page. Clues are supplied by the supporting cast: Jenna's father, who made his fortune in biotechnology; a classmate whose loss of limbs has turned her into a crusader for medical ethics; Jenna's Catholic grandmother, who is hostile to her. A few lapses in logic- if Jenna's father is world-famous and the family in hiding, why does she enroll in school under her real name?-can be forgiven in favor of expert plotting and the complex questions raised about ethics and the nature of the soul. Ages 14-up. (Apr.)

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Biography

Mary E. Pearson is the author of three other novels for teens--A Room on Lorelei Street, David v. God, and Scribbler of Dreams. She writes full-time from her home in Carlsbad, California, where she lives with her husband and two dogs.

Customer Reviews

Number of Reviews: 6
Average Rating:
Write a Review

Increadable!!
A reviewer (fairywingsrok@aim.com) , a fantasy and scifi fan., 08/17/2008

This book was great! Not only was it imaginative and made a point, it was also very touching. I laughed and I cried at Jenna's thoughts and actions and strugles. The character development was very good and so was the plot. This is a definite must read. Definatly a definite must read!!

Also recommended: Twilight, Violet eyes, and Enchanted forest series

Liv's Book Reviews
LivLovesBooks, a YA book reviewer, 08/15/2008

I adored (haha) this book so much. I think the main thing that made the whole story work was that it covered an extremely interesting topic and dealt with the difficult subject of mortality in a manner that didn�t force an opinion and yet still kept the book intriguing and semi-light. When you write about a heavy subject, it has a tendency to bring the book down and sometimes that�s a good thing, but in The Adoration of Jenna Fox, the story was written in such a way that it forced you to think and still kept the story moving. And it wasn�t just the topic of the book that made it so good, it was also the whole style of it writing and otherwise. I liked how there were little poems and dictionary excerpts dispersed throughout the book. It helped to keep everything interesting and fresh which is always good. The writing style of the book was perfect too. It was flowing, smooth, and fit the whole book perfectly. It�s not often that you find a writing style that compliments and enhances a book rather than just tell the story. I also loved, loved, loved the cover. You�re never going to see a book cover much more beautiful than this one. Don�t you think? And that�s really a huge factor in a book because that�s the first thing you see. I think the whole �don�t judge a book by its cover� thing is actually rather misguided because the cover is a big part of how people are going to perceive a book. If it has a cheesy or bad cover, that�s what people are going to expect of the story and that�s probably actually a good assumption because if the publishing people haven�t spent a bunch of time on the visual aspect of the book, why would they pay attention to the writing? I�m rambling though. For me, the whole entire book was marvelous and couldn�t be improved any more. It was addicting, interesting, valuable, and pretty much just fabulous. I�m sad that I waited this long to read it! I highly recommend that you go out and pick up a copy soon I�m sure it�ll be worth it.

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From the Publisher

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

This fascinating novel represents a stunning new direction for acclaimed author Mary Pearson. Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity. Mary Pearson's vividly drawn characters and masterful writing soar to a new level of sophistication.

Publishers Weekly

Sometime in the near future, Jenna Fox, 17, awakens from an 18-month-long coma following a devastating accident, her memory nearly blank. She attempts reorientation by watching videos of her childhood, "recorded beyond reason" by worshipful parents, but mysteries proliferate. Jenna can recite passages from Thoreau yet can't remember having any friends. As memories return, however, Jenna starts picking at the explanation her parents have spun until it unravels. Pearson (A Room on Lorelei Street ) uses each revelation to steadily build tension until the true horror comes into focus. Even then Pearson does not stop; she raises the ante in unexpected ways until the very last page. Clues are supplied by the supporting cast: Jenna's father, who made his fortune in biotechnology; a classmate whose loss of limbs has turned her into a crusader for medical ethics; Jenna's Catholic grandmother, who is hostile to her. A few lapses in logic- if Jenna's father is world-famous and the family in hiding, why does she enroll in school under her real name?-can be forgiven in favor of expert plotting and the complex questions raised about ethics and the nature of the soul. Ages 14-up. (Apr.)

Children's Literature

Jenna Angeline Fox has ostensibly just awakened from a year-long coma, supposedly the result of a serious accident, and she cannot remember anything about her prior life. Her parents assure her that will change. They are living in a crumbling California house with her maternal grandmother, Lily, who seems inexplicably hostile, although Jenna feels sure that was not always the case. Jenna's memory does begin to come back, but in strange ways. She can remember things that happened when she was much too young to have clear memories (her baptism), and yet she cannot remember if she ever had any friends. Her parents have documented her life in hours of video recordings, and Jenna watches them in an effort to recover her life and herself. What she finds is that her parents adored her, almost to the point of obsession. Can someone love you too much? As a parent, what would you do to save your child? This is a speculative novel set in perhaps a not-too-distant future when biogenetics can preserve and even promulgate life. Science has run amuck, and millions have died or been maimed by antibiotic-resistant germs. The backlash has created government mandates about what some see as life-saving technology. Jenna's narrative as she gradually uncovers the mystery of her history and existence is haunting and compelling. The other characters—family members, neighborhood friends, school friends—are equally complex and believable. Teen readers will be drawn in because the story is well-written, it is well-paced, and it deals with many of the same relationship and existential issues that shape adolescence. But the story also pushes us to think about larger philosophical questions such aswhat is it that makes us truly human? Neal Shusterman's Unwind and Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion examine similarly thorny dilemmas about the value and meaning of an individual life. This book would be a great catalyst for a discussion around science and ethics—about our responsibilities to one another, to the environment and to society at large. Reviewer: Paula McMillen, Ph.D.

VOYA

"Then what am I?" asks seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox when she is told the truth. When her body is beyond saving after a car accident, her father's medical team creates a new, "illegal" body infused with "Bio-Gel." Her brain is scanned, improved, and uploaded, but all that physically remains of the original Jenna is "ten per cent" of her brain-the "butterfly." She remembers the accident-for which she was blamed-and discovers the back-ups of her brain and those of her two friends who were killed. Jenna then makes a decision between betraying her parents or being loyal to her friends and between protecting herself or sacrificing her dependence on a machine-should things go wrong. Now living in California, where she will have a longer "shelf-life," Jenna slowly begins to make a new path for herself. Pearson creates an extraordinarily fine novel. There are clear explanations of how the new Jenna is created. The ethics of biotechnological advances are debated and seamlessly woven into a well-developed story. Pearson writes with acuity about the dilemma of parents who adored their daughter and could not let her go and of the complex relationships among Jenna, her parents, and her grandmother. Jenna's innermost emotions and recovered memories, including reliving the "hell" of days in a dark place, unable to express her wish to die, are conveyed in free verse on pages interspersed with her first-person narrative. In this beautifully written novel, Pearson deals with the heart of what it means to be human. Reviewer: Hilary Crew

KLIATT

AGERANGE: Ages 12 to 18.

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox wakes from a coma and doesn�t know who she is. She has been involved in a horrific accident and is brought home to recuperate with her mother and her grandmother, two women she does not remember. In fact, she is not really at home; her parents have moved miles away to give her time to fully recover. And, she has the distinct impression that her grandmother is angry with her. When Jenna insists on being able to go back to school, she is sent to a charter school where every student has had some difficulty to overcome--some have emotional scars, like Ethan; others, like Allys, are struggling with physical handicaps. Jenna becomes friends with both, and quadriplegic Allys draws Jenna and Ethan into a political passion for strict medical controls. Gradually Jenna starts to glimpse her past life, the accident, and strange memories that don�t make sense to her until she is able to come face to face with the medical practice that has saved her. The novel is part mystery and part science fiction. Set in the future, it raises issues of biomedical ethics, suspended animation and the enduring human spirit. Jenna narrates, and we experience her confusion as she struggles to make sense of events she only vaguely remembers. Students will be intrigued by the medical treatments that allow her to recover and there is much to debate in terms of how far science should go in medical treatment. Is there a line that should not be crossed? This is fascinating and thought provoking. Reviewer: Janis Flint-Ferguson
March 2008 (Vol. 42, No.2)

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up

Mary Pearson's novel (Holt, 2008) provides a thought-provoking and intriguing examination of what really makes us human and where to draw the line with fast developing technological and medical advances. Jenna Fox wakes from a coma more than a year after having an "accident." With no memory, she slowly learns to function physically, but she can't seem to connect emotionally. Written in a beautiful symphony of revealed memories, Jenna slowly begins to recognize that a secret is being kept from her and something complex and dangerous is going on. As she realizes that she essentially died in the infamous "accident" and was reborn through her father's controversial discovery. Jenna begins to question biomedical ethics and human nature. Narrator Jenna Lamia excels at evoking the haunting, yet detached way that Jenna begins to connect the events in her life. Combining science fiction, medical mystery, and teen relationships into an excellent package that is satisfying from beginning to end, this is a must-have for all collections.-Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT

Kirkus Reviews

Outstanding examination of identity, science and ethics. "I used to be someone. / Someone named Jenna Fox. / That's what they tell me," begins the hypnotic first-person narration. She woke from an 18-month coma two weeks ago, but she doesn't know how to smile or who her parents are. She watches recordings of each childhood year but they ring no bells. Why has her family brought her to a hidden cottage in California, distant from home and doctors? Mental flashes reveal a void of paralysis where "darkness and silence go on forever." Was that her coma? Voices call Jenna, hurry! into her ears-are those from the night of the accident, which she can't remember? Jenna recognizes that her gait is awkward and her memory peculiar (spotty about childhood while disturbingly perfect about academics), but asking questions provokes only furtive glances between her parents. Pearson reveals the truth layer by layer, maintaining taut suspense and psychological realism as she probes philosophical notions of personhood. A deeply humane and gripping descendent of Peter Dickinson's classic Eva. (Science fiction. YA)

Customer Reviews

Number of Reviews: 6
Average Rating:
Write a Review

Showing 1-5 Next

Increadable!!
A reviewer (fairywingsrok@aim.com), a fantasy and scifi fan., 08/17/2008

This book was great! Not only was it imaginative and made a point, it was also very touching. I laughed and I cried at Jenna's thoughts and actions and strugles. The character development was very good and so was the plot. This is a definite must read. Definatly a definite must read!!

Also recommended:�Twilight, Violet eyes, and Enchanted forest series

Liv's Book Reviews
LivLovesBooks, a YA book reviewer, 08/15/2008

I adored (haha) this book so much. I think the main thing that made the whole story work was that it covered an extremely interesting topic and dealt with the difficult subject of mortality in a manner that didn�t force an opinion and yet still kept the book intriguing and semi-light. When you write about a heavy subject, it has a tendency to bring the book down and sometimes that�s a good thing, but in The Adoration of Jenna Fox, the story was written in such a way that it forced you to think and still kept the story moving. And it wasn�t just the topic of the book that made it so good, it was also the whole style of it writing and otherwise. I liked how there were little poems and dictionary excerpts dispersed throughout the book. It helped to keep everything interesting and fresh which is always good. The writing style of the book was perfect too. It was flowing, smooth, and fit the whole book perfectly. It�s not often that you find a writing style that compliments and enhances a book rather than just tell the story. I also loved, loved, loved the cover. You�re never going to see a book cover much more beautiful than this one. Don�t you think? And that�s really a huge factor in a book because that�s the first thing you see. I think the whole �don�t judge a book by its cover� thing is actually rather misguided because the cover is a big part of how people are going to perceive a book. If it has a cheesy or bad cover, that�s what people are going to expect of the story and that�s probably actually a good assumption because if the publishing people haven�t spent a bunch of time on the visual aspect of the book, why would they pay attention to the writing? I�m rambling though. For me, the whole entire book was marvelous and couldn�t be improved any more. It was addicting, interesting, valuable, and pretty much just fabulous. I�m sad that I waited this long to read it! I highly recommend that you go out and pick up a copy soon I�m sure it�ll be worth it.

Courtesy of MotherDaughterBookClub.com
A reviewer (info@motherdaughterbookclub.com), A reviewer, 07/16/2008

Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma she's been in for over a year. She doesn't remember anything about the accident that put her there or her life before, and she has many questions that aren't being answered by her parents. As she begins to build a new life, she watches videos of her younger self and slowly her memory returns, bringing with it a horrible truth that she must address. Set some time in the future when the second woman has been elected U.S. President and a government-watch-agency determines how much medical care individuals can receive, The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a mystery that slowly unfolds while addressing major issues that should provide much to talk about in your mother daughter book club and compare the answers from the two generations. What makes us human? What would you do to save someone you love? Just because science makes something possible, are there reasons we shouldn't do it anyway? Can parents adore their children too much? Recommended.

Who is Jenna Fox?
Lizzy, a high school student, 06/05/2008

I really enjoyed this author's style of writing. She is very poetic, and the words just sucked me into Jenna's emotions. It was pretty mysterious, although not quite as much as the author probably intended it to feel like. It brought up some questions that may occur in the future, with our children or grandchildren. I very much enjoyed this book.

Also recommended:�Twilight saga, Uglies series, Inkheart series

The Story Siren Reviews
The Story Siren, a book reviewer!, 05/28/2008

Jenna awakes from an eighteen-month comma unable to remember who she is or those who are the closest to her. All that she knows is that is told is that she was in an accident. When her memories do start to come back, they are only in bits and pieces but something isn't right. Jenna has memories of herself as an infant, and although she can't remember anything about herself, she knows an unprecedented amount about world history. It doesn't take Jenna long to figure out that a huge secret is being kept from her. Here is an excerpt from the book. I don't usually go this, but this passage just really got me. Pieces Isn't that what all of life is anyway? Shards. Bits. Moments Am I less because I have fewer, or do the few I have mean more? Am I just as fell as anyone else? Enough? Pieces. Allys saying 'I like you.' Gabriel snorting out bread, freeing me to laugh. And Ethan reminding me how much I do know. Pieces I hold them like thy are life itself. They nearly are. Such a short summary, I know, but I hate to give anything away! The entire time your reading from Jenna's perspective and you know that something isn't right. You know there is something that your missing! What really happened after the accident? This novel is part mystery and part science fiction. The story is told beautifully and it fully captivated me. It unfolds slowly, but it is necessary to understand everything that Jenna is going through. I was also fascinated by the topic of medical ethics, how far should we let science go? Is this the kind of world we'll be living, in the not so distant future? If you haven't read this novel yet, I highly suggest that you do. I know that I will be looking forward to reading more from Pearson!

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Product Details

ISBN: 0805076689
ISBN-13: 9780805076684
Format: Hardcover, 272pp
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated
Pub. Date: April 2008
Sales Rank: 27,885
Age Range: Young Adult

Read an Excerpt

Read an Excerpt

I look at my fingers again, the ones that trembled and shook just a few days ago at Mr. Bender's kitchen table. I bring them together, fingertip to fingertip, like a steeple. Each one perfect by appearance. But something is not . . . right. Something that I still have no word for. It is a dull twisting that snakes through me. Is this a tangled feeling that everyone my age feels? Or is it different? Am I different? I slide my steepled fingers, slowly, watching them interlace. Trying to interlace, like a clutched desperate prayer, but again, I feel like the hands I am lacing are not my own, like I have borrowed them from a twelve-fingered monster. And yet, when I count them, yes, there are ten. Ten exquisitely perfect, beautiful fingers.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

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