Review
* “…raises the ante in unexpected ways until the very last page.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
* “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.” —School Library Journal, starred review
* “Outstanding examination of identity, science and ethics.” —Kirkus, starred review
“Readers will respond eagerly to this provocative novel.” —Kirkus Reviews, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Special
“…what will hold readers most are the moral issues of betrayal, loyalty, sacrifice, and survival.” —Booklist
“Fascinating and thought provoking.” —Kliatt
“This novel is truly unlike any other I have ever read and is a breath of fresh air in the often predictable world of teen literature.” —ELLEgirl
“This is an amazingly powerful, thought-provoking, just brilliant novel.” —Teen Book Review
"An extraordinarily fine novel."—Voya
"Gut-punch plot twists."—The Seattle Times
Book Description
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.
About the Author
Mary E. Pearson is the author of bestselling, award-winning novels for teens. The Miles Between was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, and The Adoration of Jenna Fox was listed as a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, an IRA Young Adult Choice, NYPL Stuff for the Teen Age, and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She is also the author of A Room on Lorelei Street, David v. God, and Scribbler of Dreams.
Pearson studied at Long Beach State University and San Diego State University. She writes full-time from her home in Carlsbad, California, where she lives with her husband and two dogs.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
I look at my fingers again, the ones that trembled and shook just a few days ago at Mr. Bender’s kitchen table. I bring them together, fingertip to fingertip, like a steeple. Each one perfect by appearance. But something is not . . . right. Something that I still have no word for. It is a dull twisting that snakes through me. Is this a tangled feeling that everyone my age feels? Or is it different? Am I different? I slide my steepled fingers, slowly, watching them interlace. Trying to interlace, like a clutched desperate prayer, but again, I feel like the hands I am lacing are not my own, like I have borrowed them from a twelve-fingered monster. And yet, when I count them, yes, there are ten. Ten exquisitely perfect, beautiful fingers.
From AudioFile
When she wakes up from a yearlong coma, 17-year-old Jenna Fox can remember nothing and must reconstruct her life and sense of self from what others tell her. But are they to be trusted? The people who claim to be her parents . . . well, ARE they? And what is the meaning of the strange, contradictory memories Jenna keeps having? Narrator Jenna Lamia, who has a fresh, youthful-sounding voice, assumes the role of the confused teen. Lamia reads with a strong sense of believability, capturing the tone of a female adolescent with perfection. A compelling and often shocking story, which asks important philosophical questions, is realized with clarity and, most importantly, honesty. Also included is an interview with Pearson, who offers insights into the story. L.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
