The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Jenna Fox Chronicles) [Hardcover]

Mary E. Pearson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 29, 2008 | Series: Jenna Fox Chronicles (Book 1)

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.

 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox awakens after more than a year in a coma to find herself in a life—and a body—that she doesn't quite recognize. Her parents tell her that she's been in an accident, but much of her past identity and current situation remain a mystery to her: Why has her family abruptly moved from Boston to California, leaving all of her personal belongings behind? Why does her grandmother react to her with such antipathy? Why have her parents instructed her to make sure not to tell anyone about the circumstances of their move? And why can Jenna recite whole passages of Thoreau's Walden, but remember next to nothing of her own past? As she watches family videos of her childhood, strange memories begin to surface, and she slowly realizes that a terrible secret is being kept from her. Pearson has constructed a gripping, believable vision of a future dystopia. She explores issues surrounding scientific ethics, the power of science, and the nature of the soul with grace, poetry, and an apt sense of drama and suspense. Some of the supporting characters are a bit underdeveloped, but Jenna herself is complex, interesting, and very real. This is a beautiful blend of science fiction, medical thriller, and teen-relationship novel that melds into a seamless whole that will please fans of all three genres.—Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City
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From Booklist

Lamia invests the characters in this science-fiction story with a variety of textures and tones. Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox wakes from what she believes is a year-long coma, becoming reacquainted with herself by watching recordings made by her doting parents. Lamia artfully voices Jenna’s increasing awareness as she gathers clues about her past. Speaking deliberately enough to allow us to identify with the teen’s emotions and engage directly in her questions and beliefs about her restored body and the science that has made restoration possible, if not ethical, Lamia never allows the thought-provoking, tense story to drag. Smoothly moving between ages and genders, Lamia’s performance is unified and dynamic. By contrast, a concluding author interview sounds unrehearsed and candid, even if the content adds another layer of ambivalence to the novel’s question of how to cope with what we can and should do in matters of life and death. Grades 8-12. --Francisca Goldsmith --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805076689
• ISBN-13: 978-0805076684
• Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 5.2 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (154 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary E. Pearson is the author of several award winning books for teens, including the best-selling Jenna Fox Chronicles. She is a native Southern Californian and writes full time from her home in Carlsbad, California where she lives with her family.

Her awards and honors include the Golden Kite Award, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, the Andre Norton Honor, and The South Carolina Young Adult Book Award.

Her newest novel, The Fox Inheritance, is the second book of The Jenna Fox Chronicles. The final book in the trilogy, Fox Forever, will be published March 19, 2013! Her website, www.marypearson.com has more information about Mary and her books.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Search for Self April 29, 2008

By Little Willow

Format:Hardcover

"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. Read more ›

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely riveting! July 29, 2008

By Amy Ward

Format:Hardcover

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!

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Premise But Felt Underdevloped To Me July 2, 2010

By Jennifer VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

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. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Concept, yet Unfinished August 8, 2010

By B. Putney

Format:Paperback

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.