The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson Book Review

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
(Hardcover, Henry Holt, 2008)
Rating:

Jenna Fox has been in a coma for a year and when she wakes up, she has no memories of her life. She doesn't remember her mom or her dad or her grandmother. As Jenna's strength returns, so does her memory. However, her memory is spotty and there are large gaps in what she remembers, including the accident that put her in a coma. Is Jenna who she thinks she is? Why can't she remember more?

First, the title of this book puzzled me before I started reading it. But it soon becomes clear that Jenna's parents adore her, maybe a little too much. Jenna is an only child and her parents are determined to protect her. This results in some scary, crossing-the-line decisions. Plus, her dad is the head of a biotech firm and has access to revolutionary medical technology. Jenna's accident and resulting injuries are revealed slowly throughout the novel, so that you are expecting the pretty crazy revelation when it comes. I had to read this book straight through because I just had to know what would happen to Jenna, but I did have some doubts as to the validity of the science in this book. The book's strength lies in the fact that Jenna is determined to figure out who she is, a process that most of us go through as teens. Despite the futuristic dystopia and far-fetched medical science, The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a engaging novel that questions just what it is that makes us who we are.