The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E. Pearson (Review)

Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co, 2008
Genre: YA Science Fiction, YA Dystopia

My Review:
I don’t know why I put off reading this book for so long. Probably because I had no real idea what the book was about, so I was worried I would be wasting my time. I really thought it was just a YA Contemporary Fiction, and those are just not up my alley. I prefer fantasy or science fiction when reading YA…honestly, if I wanted contemporary fiction, I could read anything. But I like the choices YA writers make when they write science fiction or fantasy or dystopian literature. So that’s my niche.

Jenna Fox wakes up believing that she has been in a coma for over a year, but things just aren’t adding up. First of all, she has no memories of the accident that put her in the coma in the first place. And what’s even worse is that she has no memories of anything to do with being Jenna Fox. She has no attachments to her mother and father though she knows she should. She has no friends coming to visit…but that can also be caused by the sudden move from Boston to California. And Jenna’s room is completely blank, except for a desk, a bed, and a closet filled with four almost identical outfits. As secrets are revealed (and I’ll tell you right now: it’s pretty easy to figure out what’s going on if you’ve read enough sci-fi…I guessed right away, but I won’t spoil it for others), Jenna Fox begins to understand why there are so many gaps. And why she really doesn’t feel any connection to the girl she once was.

Is It Classroom-Appropriate?
Yes, this is a book I’ll be bringing into the classroom. This book brings up many relevant questions for students today; mainly it asks questions about bioethics and the lengths we go to when preserving life. Should we give all the authority to the doctors and pharmacists, or should their be a government watchdog group that monitors all health-related problems, like an ethics committee? (Personally, I say no, but that’s my opinion) This book can really start conversations and arguments, and can be used in a dystopian unit, or because is it short enough (roughly 265 pages), it could be a supporting text in an argumentative paper unit. It could stand alone as an anchor text. There is no swearing. No sex. Very PG. The only themes are themes of identity and self-worth. Definitely a spiritual aspect regarding the possession of a human soul vs a sociopath. I encourage teachers to consider this for middle to high school classrooms.

Age Range:
I would say this book is appropriate for ages 12 and up. There’s nothing too advanced or racy, and it has an ending that makes you think. Younger readers will enjoy solving Jenna Fox’s mystery, and older readers will be touched by the depths Pearson goes when writing about the human spirit and social relationships.

End Result:

★★★★★. I’m on a good book streak apparently. I know there are two more novels in this series, and I plan to read them. The themes Pearson addresses are rich enough to explore in a sequel, so I look forward to reading “The Fox Inheritance.” I loved Pearson’s other series, “The Kiss of Deception,” “The Heart of Betrayal,” and the third book that’s due out August 2nd. I am a die-hard Pearson fan now. She’s a brilliant writer who really flushes out the character in her protagonists. And thank you, Jenna Fox, for telling us readers that we don’t have to be perfect to be happy. And we don’t have to fear mortality because life is an adventure…not a second-guessing game.