The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Jenna Fox Chronicles, #1)

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The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Jenna Fox Chronicles #1)

by Mary E. Pearson (Goodreads Author)

3.77 · rating details · 10,774 ratings · 2,286 reviews

Everything is different

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma - so she's been told - and she is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. But what happened before that? She's been given home movies chronicling her entire life, which spark memories to surface. But are the memories really hers? And why won't anyone in...more

Paperback, 265 pages

Published September 1st 2009 by Square Fish (first published April 29th 2008)

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Oct 02, 2008

your neighborhood librarian rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, if-you-liked-twilight

Interesting. The adoration of Jenna Fox is many things. It is:

* a young adult speculative fiction novel for girls who don't like science fiction

# a coming-of-age novel for people who eschew the touchy-feely (me!)

# a medical thriller, fully as suspenseful as early Robin Cook

# a meditation on choices nearly as profound as Walden, which it frequently quotes

And I think it is, very subtly, a pro-life statement.

Now, I, l...more

like 25 likes

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Daniel Teeter I think the "pro-life" statement is a bit of overzealous stretch.

You might also say the book advocates cloning, euthanasia, stem ...more
Nov 01, 2010 01:45pm

your neighborhood librarian Daniel, I agree with you entirely - it IS a good book. I think it's especially good because it brings medical ethics - a topic which is broadly debate...more
Nov 22, 2010 06:39am

May 23, 2008

Susan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Susan by: Martha

Shelves: cafe-book, cap-choices, ya-fiction, sci-fi-and-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Set in the not too distant future, this is a story that deals with medical ethics and how far is too far to preserve human life. Jenna Fox, 17, has just awoken from an 18 month long "coma" following a horrific accident. At first, she has no memory of who she is or what happened, but she remembers details bit by bit. She gets the sense that there is more to the story than her parents lead her to believe, especially regarding the secrecy of her accident and the self-imposed isolation ...moreSet in the not too distant future, this is a story that deals with medical ethics and how far is too far to preserve human life. Jenna Fox, 17, has just awoken from an 18 month long "coma" following a horrific accident. At first, she has no memory of who she is or what happened, but she remembers details bit by bit. She gets the sense that there is more to the story than her parents lead her to believe, especially regarding the secrecy of her accident and the self-imposed isolation of the family. Throughout much of the book, the reader is not quite sure who to trust. Although science fiction, there is a minor romance side-plot between Jenna and Ethan, a boy from school with a shady past. The conflict grows as additional characters are introduced - Alyss who is a victim of the future's regulation of antibiotics (and she has lost limbs due to bacterial infections) and Dane, another shady character, whose complete story and true nature are unfortunately never cleared up. Also, Mr. Bender. the "neighbor" who years ago had a change of identity - his story remains a bit fuzzy throughout. "chapters" are very brief and interspersed with well done poems relaying Jenna's emotions.

*real spoiler* Overall an interesting read about the length a parent will go to to save a child, as well as what makes a person real and were does the soul go in such a situation. Jenna has an identity crisis - is she the real Jenna, while only 10% - if she is real then what happened to the original Jenna...and her soul. Jenna cannot age, does not eat, breathe, etc. She, essentially, is a medical creation with the memories of her former life uploaded into her...she has gone from the computer box storage (her "hell" for 18 months where they kept her "mind" moving) into a man-made Blue-gel storage. There is also the suspense of her illegal status and whether or not she will be found out, and if so, what will happen to her? She is torn between resentment of her new state and gratitude of life. Her potential adversary, Alyss, who opposes artificial life as unethical, eventually becomes her peer when her body is dying and her parents plead with Jenna's despite Alyss's dying wish to turn Jenna in. The afterward is 260 years later, and we know that Alyss and Jenna live together and that Jenna and Ethan spent 70 years together, many years after which Jenna has his child (presumably through surrogate or the like). Apparently in the future the laws and perceptions have changed, and then people like her are not illegal, however 10% is the minimum, and then they are designed to age and die out after a normal life expectancy, unlike Jenna and Alyss, who do not age and whom Jenna's father listed as a 2-200 year life expectancy...260 years later Jenna is still around and has plans to move back to cold Boston, where the climate is inhospitable to her type...because no parent should outlive the child. interesting book, lots of discussion points. However I think it is too complex for the average Cafe Book reader.(less)

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Feb 01, 2009

Shannon rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya, sci-fi, speculative-fiction, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jenna is the miracle child, her parents' angel, the perfect child who excels while inside she silently protests, only to show minor rebellions at sixteen. After a horrific accident and a year in a coma, Jenna wakes in an old house in another state, with no memory of herself or what happened. She recovers quickly, but wonders endlessly about who she is. There is only her mother and her grandmother, Lily, in the big old house that they moved to from Boston, and Lily doesn't seem to like her at all...moreJenna is the miracle child, her parents' angel, the perfect child who excels while inside she silently protests, only to show minor rebellions at sixteen. After a horrific accident and a year in a coma, Jenna wakes in an old house in another state, with no memory of herself or what happened. She recovers quickly, but wonders endlessly about who she is. There is only her mother and her grandmother, Lily, in the big old house that they moved to from Boston, and Lily doesn't seem to like her at all. She speaks of Jenna like she's another person, somewhere else.

As Jenna navigates her way through the act of living, watching old movies of Jenna growing up while snippets of memory slowly surface, her questions only grow. Why can't she walk properly, why don't her hands interlace? Why is the scar under her chin missing? Why is her mother so frightened, so controlling? Why must she hide from the world?

The truth is staggering and frightening: her entire body is synthetic, and only ten per cent of her brain is from the pre-accident Jenna. She a lab project of her father's, a billionaire doctor who invented Bio Gel, in which organs can be housed indefinitely if kept at the right temperature. Too cold and Jenna will expire. Kept at a moderate temperature, and she could live hundreds of years, never visibly ageing. The implications are profound. Is she the real Jenna? Is ten per cent enough? Was she ever enough for her parents? Is it even ethical for her to be alive? And what makes Jenna dangerous is the fact that she's illegal, and shouldn't even exist.

The book is set sometime in the not-too-distant future. There are several important issues raised by this book, ethical issues that are worth debating and have no conclusive answer. Questions such as: if you have the means to prolong someone's life, should you? Is it right to live beyond what nature decreed? Should people have access to medical technology that will keep them alive simply because the technology exists and you can afford it? And, what makes us human? How much is enough?

Told in Jenna's voice, it is very interesting to see the world through her eyes as she learns to decipher people's expressions, to think beyond her own needs, to realise what's missing as much as what's there - things that make us human, perhaps. In the era of cloning debates, The Adoration of Jenna Fox is highly pertinent. Aside from the issues it explores and the questions it raises, though, is the simple way it is written. The evolution of Jenna from non-entity to an individual, unique being is a joy to read. Pearson has managed admirably a very ambitious task, and quite subtly too. Even all the questions didn't annoy me, because they were necessary questions and necessary to understand Jenna.

It's also perfect that this book is written for Young Adults, because it's very much the age where we ponder our subjectivity, wonder why we were born inside this body, with this mind and all that comes with it, what makes us unique and so on. Not that we necessarily stop, but perhaps after a while we take it for granted.

It also explores the problematic issue of parental love, of pleasing loving parents at the expense of yourself, of striving to be perfect for them, and living simply because they couldn't let you go. The title of the book speaks to this. Granted, it's an extreme case, but it certainly pervades society no matter how it is expressed. Jenna's parents couldn't let her go, their miracle child, and they made her more perfect than she was before. She's a more acceptable height now that she's two inches shorter. Her scar has gone. Her skin is flawless. It speaks to the ethical issue of Designer Babies, embryos that can be made to grow into more athletic people, or smarter or more beautiful. I remember it was big in the news a few years ago, mostly in the US.

After a slow start (where it helped that I knew more than Jenna did, though it's not the best way to read this book I think), the story gets really interesting. Although you could say the author has an agenda, but like in McNaughton's The Secret Under My Skin, it is smoothly integrated into the story, it gives structure and meaning to the story, and it doesn't necessarily tell you what to think.

Which brings me to my main complaint: the ending. I thought that, after setting up such an explosive premise, the ending was abrupt and disappointing. Pearson could have done so much more with it, and the epilogue does lean towards an answer to the ethical questions mentioned above, without properly examining it. It also didn't really make sense, and contradicted itself in what it was saying and how. It's hard to explain without giving it away, but it was as if Jenna got to a point where not just her body but her mind stopped changing and developing. The epilogue was badly written, sudden, and spoiled all the lovely speculation up to that point by presenting an easy resolution. A shame, after such a promising book, to end it that way.(less)

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Mar 11, 2008

Molly rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya

I kept hearing about this book (it was just optioned for a moveie, I believe?) and everyone said "the less you know about it coming to it, the better." So I won't say much here. Except that I'm seriously impressed at Mary Pearson's ability to go from writing a contemporary first novel like A ROOM ON LORELEI STREET to writing something so very different as this is.

Did I love reading it? No. Did I find it compelling? Yes. The most accurate reading experience I can compa...more

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Jan 16, 2011

Thomas rated it

· review of another edition

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a simply written story containing many complex issues. Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox awakens after an eighteen-month coma unaware of who she is - until the woman who claims to be her mother tells her her name. The memories of her life slowly come back to her, filling in the empty crevices of her mind with stories of happiness and friendship. The question is: who is Jenna Fox now? She has her parents, with her mom acting surreptitiously careful, and her dad with his f...more

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Jun 17, 2011

Alana Kelly rated it

· review of another edition

I’m having a hard time summing this book up into a tidy little paragraph because it has a little of everything. The story is set in the not-too-distant future and, as the summary says, follows Jenna Fox who has just awoken from a coma. But it’s also so much more then that. This book makes you stop and think about what it is that makes us who we are and if our humanity is limited by the cells in our body. It also takes a deep look at family and how perspective can make all the difference.

...moreI’m having a hard time summing this book up into a tidy little paragraph because it has a little of everything. The story is set in the not-too-distant future and, as the summary says, follows Jenna Fox who has just awoken from a coma. But it’s also so much more then that. This book makes you stop and think about what it is that makes us who we are and if our humanity is limited by the cells in our body. It also takes a deep look at family and how perspective can make all the difference.

I have to say right off the bat I’m not very enamored with first person narratives. When they’re done well they’re great, but most of the time they fall flat for me. So when I say this book has one of the best first person narratives I’ve ever read, I really mean it. In fact, Jenna’s POV is what makes this story work. It lends a haunting sort of appeal to the story and I think everyone will relate to Jenna’s search for who she is. Some people will find the choppy narrative off putting, but I don't think it would have worked any other way.

Throughout the book there were poems that often illuminated the internal struggle Jenna was going through and I found them to be exceptionally poignant. Example:

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 full 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 they are life itself.
They nearly are.

Pearson also included word definitions at the beginning of some of the chapters and I think it was a nice touch. I know it’s kind of disjointing, but language is such an important part of who we are as people that I feel like it just makes sense for Jenna to cling to that. Right away you can tell something is different about Jenna and it’s not too hard to guess what. But that’s not really the point of the story. Jenna’s journey to self-discovery is really the gem here.

This book also brings up some interesting ideas about ethics in medicine and how the good thing and the right thing are far too often two much different things. I do think there were some issues left unresolved at the end of the book (like Dane) but I thought it was great overall. (less)

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May 08, 2008

Lucy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: teen, sciencefiction

Jenna was sixteen when she was in the accident that sent her into a coma. Now she is seventeen. She has just awoken from her coma. She is missing a year of her life, but more importantly, she is missing herself. She has no memories of herself, of life before the accident--of life at all. Her parents show her pictures, home videos, tell her stories, and slowly, Jenna begins to remember. But with her memories come the questions--what really happened after the accident? Why did her family le...more

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Mar 19, 2011

Ari rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

This review can be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com

I love to read good books.

This is one of them.

I was a bit suspicious about it after seeing that the reviews were not that great, so I was a bit afraid to read it.. I love surprises too.

If you want a lot of action, this is not a book for you.
If you want something really funny, this is not a book for you.
If you want a 'teen-love story' this is not a book for you.
If you want something ...more

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Sep 15, 2008

Trin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, ya, american-lit, amnesia

Teenage Jenna wakes up after an accident with no memory of who she is—though she knows all of Thoreau’s Walden by heart. As quickly becomes apparent, what’s going on is far more complex than a case of simple old amnesia! Jenna’s slow investigation into what really happened to her ensues.

I was disappointed by this. I said “slow investigation” above because I found the pacing almost glacial: the narrative slinks along, gradually uncovering twists that utterly failed to surprise me. I...more

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Apr 12, 2008

Jamie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 14-16, medical-mysteries

For some reason, I think this would appeal to teens who've already graduated to Jodi Picoult. (It's actually better than her, honestly.) I love that Mary Pearson writes so bravely for the older teen audience and I feel her books would still interest teens who've moved on to the Oprah style adult books.

I think she also does the medical mystery as metaphor for "who am i" teen angst better than Being by Brooks, or House of the Scorpion, but not quite as good as Kazuo Ishiguro...more

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Sep 27, 2010

Viktoria rated it

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Shelves: 2010, young-adult, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 27, 2011

★ Jess rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2-stars-average, books-i-own, read-in-2009

This started off very well: Unique, fascinating characters. A wonderful premise and a heavy feeling of mystery and suspicion. However, as the book went on-I lost all interest. The plot went down hill, I couldnt care for the characters, and decided I was just not interested in the situation anymore.
A wonderful premise, but disappointing book.

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Oct 18, 2010

Kristy rated it

Shelves: i-think-you-should-read-this

i am a little behind in getting to this book, but oh yes was it worth the wait. Jenna's story is completely bizzare and borderline insane, but it is sooo good. From about page 5 I was hooked.
If you haven't read this, do it. You will not regret it.

Enter Jenna, your pretty much typical teen. She strives for perfection. She has friends. She is normal. Then there is an accident. Jenna should have died, only she didn't. Her father is a Doctor of sorts. An inventor. He created someth...more

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Feb 02, 2010

Dee rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone (and yes, Julia, that includes you!!!)

Who is Jenna Fox?

Throughout this book I was asking myself this question along with Jenna Fox, a seventeen-year-old girl who had woken from a coma after a terrible accident.

Jenna doesn't know who she was-- or who is is, for that matter. She can't remember anything of her past, only memories from when she was just a mere baby (spanning from her baptisim to the time she almost drowned when she was two). The new Jenna can't eat real food. The new Jenna can't leave the house....more

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Jun 07, 2010

LethalLovely~I'm Superman & It's My Show rated it

Recommends it for: anyone who is a fan of Dystopian fiction.

Shelves: paranormal-ya, young-adult, pnr-monthly-reads, 5-and-4-star-ratings, reviews, favorite-reads-of-2010

There are not enough words to describe how much I loved this novel. When I read the synopsis, I thought it would be like Skinned. They're both about teenage girls living in a Dystopian world who had "accidents". But this was so much more. Maybe it's because this book isn't part of a trilogy & I know that every word thats written will be the last. I won't hear more about the characters when I close this book. It will be done. Finished. I felt so much empathy for Jenna, stuck in a body s...more

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Dec 10, 2011

Mariah rated it

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The Adoration of Jenna Fox was a very enjoyable and intriguing book to read. However, I found that the author could have done more to really make you think (thus the four stars). Though, perhaps if it had gone into more detail about some of the things I was left curious about, further into Jenna's mind and the morals of what had happened - which I felt it just barely touched - it might not have been such an engaging and easy read since the writing style was rather relaxed and simplistic. The one...more

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Aug 05, 2011

prettybooks rated it

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Shelves: read-after-university, dystopian-or-post-apocalyptic

The Adoration of Jenna Fox was completely not what I expected at all. I always see it mentioned on dystopia lists and so I expected it to have more of a traditional feel to it since it was released before the young adult dystopia trend. The synopsis does not give much away about the storyline. On the other hand, that’s all there really is. I’m no expert on the definition of ‘dystopian’ but I personally would not consider this a dystopian book. This is because it’s a very personal and enclosed j...moreThe Adoration of Jenna Fox was completely not what I expected at all. I always see it mentioned on dystopia lists and so I expected it to have more of a traditional feel to it since it was released before the young adult dystopia trend. The synopsis does not give much away about the storyline. On the other hand, that’s all there really is. I’m no expert on the definition of ‘dystopian’ but I personally would not consider this a dystopian book. This is because it’s a very personal and enclosed journey: Jenna’s. We’re only exposed to a handful of characters. We get little hints and snapshots of dystopian themes (e.g. control over medical decisions) but I see this as more of a ‘general’ science fiction with a medical thriller sub-genre. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it – quite the opposite, I just thought I should give my opinion since I read this book for a 'dystopian book' themed month.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is an extremely thought-provoking novel. The story raises philosophical questions about personal identity, morality, and issues surrounding bio-ethics. I wish it had been set as recommended reading for my philosophy course as it would have given the class a lot to debate about:

“Are the details of our lives who we are, or is it owning those details that makes the difference?”

“The dictionary says my identity should be all about being separate or distinct, and yet it feels like it is so wrapped up in others.”

This is the reason why I enjoyed the book even though, compared to others I’ve read recently, it’s very slow-paced and uneventful. The writing style is also relevant and note-worthy: Jenna’s struggling to recover her memories, and find out the truth, but we only find out plot details if 1) Jenna is present, and 2) Jenna thinks about it, and acts on it, afterwards. It made me feel as if I were Jenna. It's wonderfully unique.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox makes me want to read more “medical thrillers” as bio-ethics is an extremely interesting subject! If you have a slight interest in psychology, philosophy, and medicine & technology, I recommend this novel.

Dystopian or Not Dystopian? Contentious, but I consider it to be Not Dystopian(less)

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Apr 12, 2011

Isamlq rated it

· review of another edition

I am so glad I took my time with this. It reminded me of what I felt after reading a certain part of Unwind where a character was getting unwound (and for the life of me I cannot recall his name!) Except here, the feeling that I got from that moment is stretched to cover what I felt throughout the book. And that is probably the biggest and best surprise from Jenna’s story.

It is surprisingly sad (despite it being a story about cloning.) Sad, because her parents could not let go. Sa...more

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Jan 13, 2012

Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it

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This book was one of those that I talked about with my friends as I read it. I found that several of them did not feel the same way as I did and I couldn't understand why, even after explanation that they did not love this book. Some just commented that it didn't have the "feel" or plot they expected from it. Well this was one of those instances that I picked up the book clearly on the cover (the 2nd one with the puzzle pieces) I didn't know a thing about it, just loved the cover.
...moreThis book was one of those that I talked about with my friends as I read it. I found that several of them did not feel the same way as I did and I couldn't understand why, even after explanation that they did not love this book. Some just commented that it didn't have the "feel" or plot they expected from it. Well this was one of those instances that I picked up the book clearly on the cover (the 2nd one with the puzzle pieces) I didn't know a thing about it, just loved the cover.

I don't regret it one bit, and don't quite understand where my friends are coming from. I enjoyed the story. There was very little that I didn't like about the book.
I liked the mix of characters. Jenna's grandmother being my favorite. She just seemed really logical and down to Earth. I liked hearing about Jenna and her grandmother's relationship before the accident, the connection that used to be there before the accident, and the transformation it had made after. I also loved how the grandmother (Lily) would be so supportive of her daughter (Claire) Jenna's mother in the whole thing, even though the situation was not acceptable, she was there to support her daughter in the decisions being made. That is a good mother.
There is a certain level of mystery and danger to their story. They are taking baby-steps regarding Jenna's "recovery", she has to be able to live her life, get out of the house and go back to school. But the revelations that come about because of her need to live a life is what this is all about really.
A very good story of what could become of our future, medical advances and if we are able to achieve such great things, what is the point.
Although there is not a huge religious concept brought into the book, it is mentioned, but not overwhelming and definitely something that would need to be approached if our future is headed this way.
I enjoyed the characters in this book, they each represented a part of humanity, showing the reader different human reactions to school, technology, religion, loss/death. All kinds of emotional ranges from fear, anger, love, happiness, friendship. A very wide range of things being represented in different characters and how they all interacted with Jenna, as she is now and her memories of before the accident. A huge eye opening experience for me into the range of human emotions regarding advances not only in technology but also medicine and the affects that our future may have on the environment around us (only lightly touched on in this particular story, but still there)
This would be a really good book for teachers to use as a tool in classrooms for the above reasons.(less)

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Dec 29, 2011

Nafiza rated it

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Shelves: 2011

I liked this book. I really did. Told sparingly with haunting moments of introspection on the meaning of being human, The Adoration of Jenna Fox sets itself apart from the rest of its genre. I liked how Jenna has an other-worldly feeling about her, as though she is something more or less than human. This remains a mystery which when finally revealed pushes everything else into place. I liked how the atmosphere was built and how friendships were developed slowly. I also liked how the romance was ...more

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Jun 10, 2011

Samantha rated it

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Shelves: teen-fiction, audiobook

What would you do to save a human life? And, better yet and perhaps more importantly, what defines a human life? In Mary E. Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox these are the two underlying issues of the book. On top of that though, is the dilemma every teen faces. Jenna is trying to figure out who she is.

It's hard to rave about this book without giving too much away. Even with what I've said already I'm scared that I'll have ruined the book for someone. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is...moreWhat would you do to save a human life? And, better yet and perhaps more importantly, what defines a human life? In Mary E. Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox these are the two underlying issues of the book. On top of that though, is the dilemma every teen faces. Jenna is trying to figure out who she is.

It's hard to rave about this book without giving too much away. Even with what I've said already I'm scared that I'll have ruined the book for someone. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a beautiful mystery. Pearson has crafted it very well. I "read" the book in audio format, usually listening to it when I walked home from work. Instead of pausing it and finishing it the next day I went and sat on my bed for the last few hours of the novel, the mystery was just that engaging!

The narration of the book is very lyrical. In fact, had I not bought hardcover of the book (yes! that's right, after having the book in audio I went out and bought a hard copy just so I could have it on my shelves) I never would have known that some of the book is actually written in poetry.

Jenna's character is very enduring because she faces many of the same problems that teens do. A main point in the book is her desire for freedom, even teens not in Jenna's circumstances deal with this. All the characters were very real, they could easily jump off the page. Lily, Allys, Ethan, Jenna's mother and father. All well done. This book has been optioned for a movie and I really hope that it doesn't fall apart because it could be something very beautiful.

Aside from the fact that this is one of the very few novels that really kept me on my toes and constantly guessing and re-guessing what was going on, I really liked how the mystery and science of the novel was still based on the issue every teen is dealing with. Jenna wants to know who she really is, and it's because of this that the book resonates so well.

I know this review doesn't say much. It's because the book is so chock full of mystery and suspense that there is very little I can really say about the book without ruining it for you, since the mystery makes the book I simply can't let that happen.

(less)

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Feb 05, 2012

Evie Byrne added it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book up until the coda. It's well written--nice, taut prose, lots of page-turning tension, good secondary characters, etc. And it raises a lot of very good questions about bio-medical technology and ethics, enough that I would think it would be an excellent starting point for classroom discussion.

However...and it's a big however..there's a tacked-on ending to the book, a glimpse into the future. Had it ended at the close of the last chapter (last proper chapter), it woul...more

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Feb 14, 2010

MissDziura rated it

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Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction, miss-dziura-recommends

"I used to be someone. Someone named Jenna Fox" begins Mary E. Pearson's fascinating novel The Adoration of Jenna Fox. This science fiction novel would be most approriate for middle school girl readers, although boy readers that enjoy science fiction, would find this a good read as well. Jenna Fox wakes up after being in a coma for over a year with no memory or idea of who she is. She is guided by her controlling, yet removed mother Claire and her extremely distant grandma, Lily in...more

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Aug 04, 2008

Jennifer Wardrip rated it

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Shelves: trt-gold-star-award-winner, trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

What makes us human? How far would you go to save your child? What is ethically and morally right and wrong? These are heavy questions that the author will make the reader ponder long after the last page has been turned.

Jenna Fox has just woken up from over a year-long coma. She doesn't remember anything, but has fragments of memory that she is slowly trying to piece together. There are people there that say they are her parents, an...moreReviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

What makes us human? How far would you go to save your child? What is ethically and morally right and wrong? These are heavy questions that the author will make the reader ponder long after the last page has been turned.

Jenna Fox has just woken up from over a year-long coma. She doesn't remember anything, but has fragments of memory that she is slowly trying to piece together. There are people there that say they are her parents, and another woman that is her grandmother. Left with the video disks of her life, she starts to watch and ponder "Who is Jenna Fox?"

There has been an accident, but no one will talk to her about the details. As she slowly heals, Jenna questions everything and starts to fill in gaps. After a little while of recovery, she pushes to go to school and begins to attend a local charter school. There she meets an odd assortment of classmates.

Alice has medical issues of her own, and starts to explain the federal ethics board to Jenna. Each person is allotted 100 lifetime points to be used for medical reasons. Alice has prosthetic limbs and explains that limb replacement is relatively low on the point scale. Other procedures would be worth much more. Dane is a neighbor but something seems off with him. When Jenna looks in his eyes, he seems empty. And then there is Ethan. He's hiding a dark secret of his own.

As Jenna discovers the world around her, the secrets and mysteries that are her life slowly start to be revealed. Remembering what Alice has explained about the lifetime points, Jenna comes to realize that there are even deeper secrets about her that she must uncover. Her parents have moved her from Boston to California. Is it to protect her from those that were involved with the accident? Or does it have more far-reaching medical and ethical implications?

Without wanting to give away the plot twists and hidden mysteries of the story, I will tell you that the issues Ms. Pearson raises will cause you to ponder how far science should be allowed to explore. As Jenna tries to discover, the reader will also be forced to wonder how much of us do we need to keep us truly human? Ms. Pearson makes the reader question if it's truly the flesh and blood that makes us human, or if there is something further inside that gives us our identity. Comparing the
lack of emotion that Dane has with Jenna's unwavering questioning of everything, it shows the reader that things are not always black and white. The majority of us live in the gray area that is between the two extremes.

Read THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX to find out what it means to sacrifice everything for love and how to really be human.

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Aug 12, 2008

Serena rated it

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To Adore: to worship or admire as divine or as a deity; to be very fond of

Mary E. Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox begins with a teenager who wakes up from a coma to discover she has no memory of her life or her "accident." But the story is much more than Jenna's struggle to find her identity and reclaim her past. The novel examines how one person's struggle with identity can impact a family, friends, and even people s/he doesn't know.

***Spoiler Alert***
...moreTo Adore: to worship or admire as divine or as a deity; to be very fond of

Mary E. Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox begins with a teenager who wakes up from a coma to discover she has no memory of her life or her "accident." But the story is much more than Jenna's struggle to find her identity and reclaim her past. The novel examines how one person's struggle with identity can impact a family, friends, and even people s/he doesn't know.

***Spoiler Alert***

Jenna Fox is a teenager severely injured in an accident, and many medical professionals presumed she would die. However, through significant risk and determination, Jenna survives and awakens from a coma. She doesn't understand the world she awakens in; a new home in a new state and a place where her grandmother doesn't look at her in the same way. Jenna grows uneasy with the life she now leads, seeking greater freedom for herself. She makes friends again, returns to school, and learns the biggest secret of her life.

It is clear from the videos Jenna watches to regain her memories that her parents adored her, but they seem to have adored her to the point that she was perfection in their eyes, rather than their daughter--an imperfect teenager. She felt adored; she felt like she had to be perfect. I wondered if this is why the accident occurred--she wanted to break free from the perfect mold she had become. She feels guilt over her decision, and she even expresses her desire to break free before the accident. Jenna seems to ask the same question of herself; did the accident happen because her parents adored her too much and she merely wanted to be normal?

***End Spoiler Alert***

I will not go into the secret or any of the pertinent details leading up to the secret, but I will mention that I uncovered it long before it was revealed. However, I don't think that this detracts from the overall examination of human identity and acceptance within society for those things that are not easily understood or explained.

I read this book fervently over the last week. There are so many nuances in this society that Pearson created, and each of those nuances could be discussed numerous times over.

But the one question that sticks in my mind is how far would you go to save your child when all hope is lost? I know many parents would say they would do anything to save their child, but it makes me wonder whether those decisions are made for the right reasons or for selfish ones...at least partially.

I wonder if the parents in this book thought about how their decisions would impact Jenna and her life, or if they merely wanted to save their child because she was their only child and their miracle child. However, no parent wishes to die before their child, nor to witness the death of their child. The dichotomy of this point is likely to haunt me for some time. I don't have an answer to my own question, but I would love to hear your answers.(less)

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Apr 07, 2008

Clay rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Clay by: Karin

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 07, 2008

Chelsea rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Chelsea by: oopswrongcookie

Shelves: scifi, youngadult, recced, advance, own, 2008

I read a raving, glowing review of this book on Oops Wrong Cookie on Wednesday, and walked into the bookstore on Thursday to be greeted by Hillary, who said, "oh, this came in today, if you have any interest." I jumped and clapped my hands and did the whole dorky BOOK YAY dance, because that, my friends, is timing.

And that's way more interesting than anything I have to say about the book itself. Which isn't to say that the book was bad, just that it didn't work for me.
...more

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Jan 12, 2009

Amber rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I was hesitant to read this because I'm not into science fiction, but it was great. And, it wasn't overly science fictioney, is that a word you ask? It is now. Anyways, I was hooked from the beginning, but I held off finishing it because I had a 6 hour plane ride which sucked, but it made it more bearable for a couple hours anyways. I just loved Jenna and her honesty though, one of my favorite characters I've read in awhile.

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Mar 23, 2010

Irene W. rated it

· review of another edition

I am currently reading the Adoration of Jenna Fox and it is very interesting. I like the way the author really describes how the girl really thinks. I am very curious (like Jenna) about her family. Her mother and father seem very mysterious and i somehow think of them to be the bad parents but the Nana to me has some secret holding her back. This is a very good book so far and very interesting and for now i would give it 4 stars. If you like funny and action/adventurous books don't pick this boo...more

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Dec 08, 2008

Walter rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: lovers of science and science fiction

Utterly absorbing, dealing with ethics and science and faith and family. One of my favorite themes for teens is "Just because we can do something, should we?" And this book, though not as good as Peter Dickinson's EVA, definitely has teen appeal.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
"Out of Real...: "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" - Mary E. Pearson	1	8	Jan 31, 2012 11:39am
♥!The Young Adult...: The Ending! Spoilers	2	23	Dec 31, 2011 09:58pm
Secrets	4	16	Nov 25, 2011 10:03am
♥!The Young Adult...: * The Adoration of Jenna Fox	21	103	Nov 23, 2011 07:04pm
Sharonville Teens...: Why do you think Jenna's parents held the truth from her?	1	2	Nov 09, 2011 05:16pm
Postponing death	5	26	Nov 05, 2011 03:17pm
Symbolism	3	21	Nov 05, 2011 02:12pm

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About Mary E. Pearson

I suppose I have always been enamored with story and character. My mother tells me I could be the most annoying little kid, waking up each day as a new character. Every morning she would have to ask me "who" I was for that day, because unless properly addressed I refused to answer anyone.

One time when I was about four years old, my parents were out shopping at Sears. They ea...moreI suppose I have always been enamored with story and character. My mother tells me I could be the most annoying little kid, waking up each day as a new character. Every morning she would have to ask me "who" I was for that day, because unless properly addressed I refused to answer anyone.

One time when I was about four years old, my parents were out shopping at Sears. They each thought the other had me by the hand when in fact I was exploring my own aisle (translation: I was lost!) Two salesladies found me and sat me on the counter, asking me my name so they could page my parents. I remember their consternation when I would only answer "Little Red Riding Hood." They couldn't shake my real name out of me no how, no way. I knew the value of persistence even then. My parents say they nearly fell over, when over the loud speaker they heard, "Would the parents of Little Red Riding Hood please come claim their child?" They knew exactly "who" was lost. These days I mostly wake up as myself, though I do seem to hang out with a lot of "characters" during the day.

Usually when people mention their education in their bios they only mention their college degrees, but to me, it is just as important what happened way before that. Wow--second grade! I will never forget Mrs. Alsenz. Boy, could she tell a great story! She would make them up and pretty soon have a classroom of wiggly kids exuberantly telling stories right along with her. And then there was Mrs. Bonsey in fourth grade. She always praised my writing and made a shy little girl feel like she might actually excel at something. And finally in twelfth grade came Mr. Kirk, crusty on the outside with a heart of gold on the inside, who loved the English language and taught his students to do the same. (Hey, Mr. Kirk, do you see me waving at ya?)

Later I went on to get a BFA from Long Beach State University in art. I worked for a time as an artist then started the most challenging job of my life--motherhood. Holy smokes, no one told me there would be no coffee breaks. But it is the most rewarding job I have ever had (watch out--I'll start dragging out the pictures)

Still later, I went to San Diego State University where I received my teaching credential. I went on to teach many different grades but it was my second grade students who pushed me back into writing. During Writing Workshop I would sit with them and write, loving the process, loving the stories, and lo and behold deciding I would love to return to my first love. That's a whole lot of lovin' going on and luckily for me I was able to do just that. Not that writing is easy. I have a huge stack of rejections to prove it, but I still have enough of that Little Red Riding Hood persistence in me to keep on going.

Now I write full time from my home in San Diego. My books to date are The Adoration of Jenna Fox, A Room on Lorelei Street, Scribbler of Dreams, and David v. God. More are definitely on the way.
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More about Mary E. Pearson...

Books by Mary E. Pearson

The Fox Inheritance (Jenna Fox Chronicles, #2)

A Room on Lorelei Street (Golden Kite Awards (Awards))

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“Some things aren't meant to be known. Only believed.” — 113 people liked it

“My timing is off. But I had to get it out. Some things you have to tell, no matter how stupid they may sound. Some things you can't save for later. There might not be a later. ” — 54 people liked it

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The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Jenna Fox Chronicles #1)

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