Customer Reviews

The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Jenna Fox Chronicles)

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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

Jenna was left comatose after a tragic accident. One year later, she awakens to a life she can't recall, a body she doesn't recognize, two parents and a grandmother doesn't really know, and a house she can't leave. Her parents want her to stay at home for a while in order to make full recovery and avoid a relapse. Their smiles are cautious, wary; her grandmother's smile is sad, almost bitter.

When Jenna watches old home movies, she can't help but think of herself as two people. (Since she narrates the story in first person, it's easy to follow this train of thought: there's "Jenna," dancing and smiling away on the recordings, and there's "I" or "me" watching them in the present day. Also, there are shaded pages, passages in which Jenna has mental confessions about the past, present, and future.) She knows she was a dancer, a daughter, a student, a friend, and that she was happy, but the most of this knowledge comes from outside sources rather than her own memories. She does not want to rely on what the videos show and what her family tells her - she wants to know herself, herself.

Bits and pieces of her past begin tug at the edges of her mind, but they are not always happy and rarely are they clear. If anything, these blurry scenes and feelings only make her more confused about what happened to her, with her, around her. With the help of others - some forthcoming and some reluctant - things begin to clear up. The edges of her mind are still jagged and raw. Tidbits scraping there only serve to open up old wounds and leave new scars.

Wanting to know who she was, why she is the way she is, and what happened the night of the accident, Jenna pushes her parents' buttons as well as her own physical and mental limits. Her arms, hands, legs and feet, which once were "perfect," don't look, feel, or move the way they used to, her physical changes being as obvious and frustrating to her as her mental blocks. Though she is at first scared and tentative, Jenna keeps trying to get to the bottom of things until she gets through to others and dares to walk on a new path.

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

This book brings up many questions, not only physiological and psychological but also philosophical:

How much can you really trust your memories - and if you lose them, can you get them back? Can you get yourself back?

"Maybe that is all any life is composed of, trivia that eventually adds up to a person, and maybe I just don't have enough of it yet to be a whole one."

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson is a stunning, fascinating novel. This eye-opening story which openly explores the concept of identity will stay on your mind for a long, long time.

Terrifying yet intriguing. Those are my first thoughts after reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson. The basic premise: Jenna Fox, age 17, wakes up after being in a coma for one year. She has to relearn everything, walking, talking, thinking, etc. But something is off. What secret are her parents hiding from her?

And that secret is HUGE! As I read, I got glimpses of the truth. And that's how the book reads, teasing and tormenting each moment. I felt Jenna's pain, confusion, and finally horror as she realized what happened to her. Pearson is an excellent storyteller, revealing all things in her own time. I know this review is secretive but I don't want to give too much away! It's better going into it not knowing much! It makes the reveal that much more exciting and revolting! Definitely pick up this book and read it! It's one of the best books I've read in a long time!

2 words that describe the book: Sci-fi Lite

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

* Setting: California, sometime in the future

* Jenna Fox is a 17-year-old girl who wakes up after a year-long coma. She had been in a terrible accident but seems to have no recollection of her life before. Little by little, Jenna begins to remember more about her past, but each memory brings more questions--questions that her devoted parents seem not to want to answer. When she finally uncovers the truth of what happened to her, it rocks her to her core.

* Lily is Jenna's grandmother, who initially seems standoffish and cold to Jenna, for reasons that Jenna can't comprehend. As Jenna seeks for answers about what happened to her, she begins to understand Lily's complicated feelings towards her--just as Lily begins to understand some of what Jenna is experiencing and makes an effort to help her find the answers she's been searching for.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

* I liked how Pearson has written a Young Adult (YA) book that is filled with some Big Questions: How much does memory play a role in making us the person we are today? What does it mean to be human? Can we love someone too much ... to the point where we damage them instead of nurture them? The book also raises issues regarding medical ethics. In a very short amount of time, Pearson manages to raise a host of issues that will leave readers thinking. HOWEVER...

* I disliked that the book felt underdeveloped and simplified. I wish things had been more fleshed out. I truly felt that the book was too slight for its ideas, and I would have liked more details, set-up and development. At only 288 pages (many of which are short journal entries written in fragments), the book is a fast read ... too fast. I really felt Pearson could have done much much more. As usual, I struggled with the whole YA label. This felt like a book that was "dumbed down" to me. Pearson has lots of good ideas, but the story and characters felt shallow.

* I disliked that Pearson introduces characters, hints at Dark Things about them, and then doesn't really go back and explain things well. There was one character (whose name escapes me) who is either a psychopath or a really damaged kid. Pearson keeps bringing him in, having him scare or threaten others, and just drops him. Same with Jenna's neighbor, who seems friendly at first but then is revealed to have a bit of a dark history as well. Both of these characters should have either been developed further or eliminated as I didn't think they were integral to the story.

* I disliked that I couldn't buy into the science that plays a key role in the book. I'm not a real picky reader (though from this review it might seem like I am), but I just couldn't believe in the technology in this book. The single biggest hurdle for me were the three computers that play a role later in the book. I just didn't buy into that aspect AT ALL. It didn't make any sense to me, and I'm not sure I understood 100% what Pearson meant were on those computers.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 3 stars. I know a lot of people really really loved this book, and I might just be a crank or a person who doesn't really appreciate YA books, but I just felt like this was a wonderful idea for a book that didn't live up to its promise or its premise. As I said before, the book felt very underdeveloped to me. With such interesting and thought-provoking ideas, I think Pearson squandered her chance to write a really amazing book that would speak to all levels of readers. I seem to be in the minority on this one though, so be sure to check out what others think about this book. If nothing else, it would make a good book club read.

Jenna Fox has just woken from a year-long coma. She can recall facts about history and recite verbatim lines from Walden, but she can't remember anything about who she is. When her mother gives Jenna a stack of DVDs documenting the 16 years leading up to her coma, she sits down to watch. What she can't figure out is: why was she in a coma? Why does her grandmother hate her so much? And why does she walk funny?

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a YA futuristic novel that has all the usual tropes: threat of agricultural integrity (engineered crops vs. natural ones), development of super bugs due to vaccines and over-medication, heavy use of biotechnology, an incredibly devastating--natural--disaster (California had a really bad earthquake), and an angry teenager. To temper the elements that are out of control or have gotten to that point, Pearson introduces Lily, Jenna's grandmother and a devout Catholic. I don't normally like the inclusion of religion in the fiction I read (too easily it borders on proselytizing), but here it fuels Lily's emotional and spiritual motivations and behavior toward Jenna. There is also Allys, a friend Jenna makes in charter school who battles the political and social side of the science that has become quite personal for Lily.

Jenna is all too analytical and blunt as the novel opens. The prose mimics her learning in sharp, precise sentences and phrases punctuated with dictionary definitions that span the spectrum of meaning. One of the most poignant is Jenna's discovery of the word lost: "She is afraid I will get lost. Lost adj. 1. No longer known. 2. Unable to find the way. 3. Ruined or destroyed. I am afraid I already am" (p. 18). The first part of the book was difficult for me to get through because of Jenna's scientific approach to gestures, language, and behavior--social cues we take for granted she had to learn all over again. Her study of words, like the quote from above, were what saved me. That and the humor that arose from the verbal situations she found herself in. Including a range of definitions was a not-so-subtle way of thrusting her struggle to the front of our concerns: how does Jenna navigate the literal with the trickiness of double-meanings that we intuit through context and experience; for all intents and purposes, Jenna has no experience.

To emphasize this was the significance she attached to little occasions or details: "When your life has had few events to occupy it, it's amazing how a simple encounter can seem like an entire three-act play" (p. 53). This, along with the definitions helped me sympathize with Jenna, but I was glad when the prose started picking up as she became more comfortable navigating her surroundings. The gradual change in style reminded me of Charlie from Flowers for Algernon. In both cases, scientific intervention (or meddling, depending on how you choose to look at it) played a large role in the process of awareness that brought Charlie greater intelligence and Jenna--well, I won't spoil that. You'll have to read the book to find out. But I did sympathize with her, and was as impressed with the intellect of the book as I was with the pathos.

It's engrossing, so engrossing you won't want to put it down. In fact, I didn't and finished it in one day. The only bad thing is, it's so short! What Pearson does in 272 pages, though, is amazing. She brings up questions of ethics and contemplates what makes us human. What gives us life? Can humanity really be regulated by the Federal Science Ethics Board, is it a measurable part of our brain, our bodies; "are the details of our lives who we are, or is it owning those details that makes the difference?" (p. 113). To appreciate humanity, Pearson had to write about what humans appreciate: beauty, relationships, free will, passion, miracles. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is rich and delicious--as much a celebration of life as it is an examination of what makes life. It's an explosion of the deepest sentiments that drive us to the best and worst compulsions.

You know what else Mary Pearson does? Makes up some kind of Blue Goo called Bio Gel that we of the Star Wars nerd variety know fondly as bacta. ;)

While I may have been caught up in the details in the beginning of the book, I have to remind myself: Jenna was entangled by them. The best part is, Jenna does flourish and as readers we have the best seat in the house.

How far would you go to save your child? Is there a limit as to how much science and medicine should intervene when it comes to saving lives? These are questions that are still spinning around in my head three days after I finished The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.

Set in a dystopian future where there have been enormous medical advances, 17-year-old Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma after a horrific car accident. As her memory gradually returns, she can't help but think that something is not quite right. How is possible that she can remember events from her infancy? How can she quote Thoreau's Walden word for word? Why does her grandmother seem to hate her? And why is her mother so secretive?

As Jenna struggles to find her identity and fit in with her peers, she discovers the terrible truth about the accident and her recovery that leaves her and her entire family in danger.

Mary E. Pearson's powerful writing and unique plot kept me up reading until 3:00 in the morning because I simply had to know what would happen to Jenna.

However, despite the seriousness of the book, Mary E. Pearson never lets you forget that Jenna is a teenager and adds some lighthearted moments.

This is one of those books that I feel crosses over into the "adult" realm, and teenagers shouldn't be the only ones to read it. Every person (adult or teenager) who has questioned the role of science and the possibilities it can play in medicine should read this book.

How far would YOU go? How far should science go? As a mother myself, I think I know what MY answer would be.

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***

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.

The concept for The Adoration of Jenna Fox is fantastic. I really enjoyed how the author explored problems that are arising in medicine today and amplified them to what disasters they could be. I also really liked how she explored both sides of the issues throughout the book giving the pros and cons. I read one review that states the author told us the best choice with the ending without letting us decide. I must disagree. The author never says the best choice is what happens in the end. She simply gives us one possible outcome. We are still able to decide for ourselves.

However, the book does seem a little unfinished. There are pieces of the puzzle that are never truly answered. I feel the author spent too much time on issues that were not necessarily important to the plot instead of some of the more interesting and relevant issues.

This book is a fairly quick read and gets the mind thinking. I definitely recommend the book, but I do still feel there are some loose ends as well.

This book had me from the beginning. I was looking for another good book to suggest to my 8th graders. Instead, I found a book that asked me to question my own humanity. What makes me human? Do I have a soul? And most importantly, to what lengths would I go to save my daughter from death? The crying began when Jenna finally remembered the details of the accident and her own death; it became unstoppable when Jenna admitted that it took having her own daughter to finally understand her own mother and grandmother. I will recommend this book to my students, but I do not think they will be as moved as me. They will like it for its intrigue and adventure. They will like it for the love story. They will like it because it is about possibilities. But they will not understand how moving this was for me, a mother who would make the same choice as Jenna's parents did.

This is a coming of age story, set in the near future, and with a twist of Frankenstein thrown in. Solidly written, interesting characters, and a satisfying conclusion all make this a worthwhile read. The only real down side is that nothing ever really happens. This is a character book, not a plot book. If you're okay with introspection and the slow path toward self-actualization, great. If you're looking for an exciting romp, forget it. Incidentally, "dystopia" and "adventure" have somehow been tagged to this book. Neither tag is anywhere close.

Seventeen year old Jenna Fox awakens from a year-long coma with no memory of who she was or the accident that led to her coma. At home with her father, mother, and grandmother, Jenna is shown home videos of herself to try to awaken her memories. As Jenna slowly discovers who she was through the videos and fragments of memories, she begins to realize things do not add up. When Jenna brings these questions to her parents, their responses are strange and filled with non-answers. What was the situation surrounding the accident? Why are Jenna's parents acting so strangely? But, most importantly, who is Jenna Fox?

To me, the best books are the ones that attach themselves to me in a way that lasts well beyond my memory of the specific plot details. Something about the book--a scene, a character, a thought or emotion--something grabs onto my heart and never lets go. They enrich my life, jumping out of the confines of paper and ink to fundamentally affect me on a personal level. These are the books that, years later, just the mere mention of the title or simply the sight of the cover will trigger those feelings in me. Suddenly I am transported back in time and my feelings for the book are as strong as the first time I experienced them.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is one such book. Just writing this review, I find myself fighting back great gulping sobs of both joy and sadness. I want to run to the people I love and never let them go. This book has touched me on so many levels. Though my review can never do justice, I hope it can at least inspire someone to read this amazing story. I can't tell you much, that would be giving away too much and a large part of the experience is the slow realization of what is really going on. I can't rob you of that experience (please, don't read plot synopses or reviews that give away the story.There are spoilers all over the internet!).

I can tell you the book is short and a standalone. The chapters are only a few pages long, and the pacing is brisk. The mystery is intriguing. Hints are dropped early on, and clues are uncovered at a speed that is slow enough to keep you wondering but fast enough to keep you satisfied. The big reveal is stunning. This is a book that can be easily finished in one sitting. Those are the facts I can tell you. Beyond that, I can only share my personal response to the story. I hope that doesn't make for a lame review.

It is no small task, sharing these feelings. I am overwhelmed, but in the best possible way. How do you put words to such powerful emotions? Emotions that strike you at the core, where no words exist? How do you write about a situation that cuts to your deepest feelings and then pits them against your deepest fears? The characters in this book may not be real and they may be dealing with a situation I will likely never face, and yet they are completely real and their situation is one that every person can relate to on some level. The literal situation may not be one we will experience, but the emotions of the situation are universal to anyone who deeply loves another.

Jenna is the perfect narrator for the story. Her voice believably captures the confusion, alienation, and youth of her character. Her narration is as beautiful as it is painful. My heart breaks for her and, on some level, I love her. There are so many issues brought up in this book. Layers upon layers, touching on subjects we can approach intellectually and others we can only feel in the deepest, most visceral part of our cores. Each topic touched upon forces you to question your own feelings and opinions: Would you agree with one character? Would you make the decisions another character made?

There are no easy answers. There are ethical dilemmas. There are situations that make you question what is right legally, and what is right personally. There are questions of selfishness and selflessness. There are questions that are philosophical, and questions that are theoretical. There are questions we deal with right now, and questions we will face just over the horizon. There are questions that cannot be answered intellectually; they transcend thought, instead coming from your gut in a primal, purely emotional way.

What would you do? What decision would you make? The book is constantly pushing these questions in front of you, but never arguing one way or the other. Events are resolved one way, but Pearson does not pass judgment on whether this is the right way; it is just a way. Pearson presents all sides and all possibilities in a way that leaves you understanding and sympathizing with all of the characters, even the ones you may ultimately disagree with. In the end, the questions remain in your mind long after the last page is turned and Jenna's situation decided because they are not just Jenna's questions, they are yours.