The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year long coma. She doesn't remember much of her life before the accident. All she knows about herself and her former life is what she is told and what she learns from the videos of herself that she is given to watch.

The not-too-distant future Ms. Pearson creates within these pages is both believable and intriguing. I enjoyed watching how Jenna uncovers in slow increments more and more of her life... but you know something is off right from the start. To be quite honest, this was what I enjoyed the most of this story. The suspense... WHO IS JENNA FOX?

I loved that we get little tidbits of pre-accident Jenna and how post-accident Jenna assimilates this information and then uses it to put the missing pieces together. I had all these different conspiracy theories going the whole time... is she a robot, is she a clone, is she an alien... Can I just tell you how much I loved not knowing. And the best part of it all, I never figured it out before Jenna did. That alone makes it worth the read.

At a glimpse this might seem like a story about a girl coming to terms with who she is and finding herself... but it is so much deeper than that. There are some strong messages scattered throughout the book dealing with religion, science, ethics, and humanity. But the one thing that really gripped me about this book was the thought... to what extent would a parent go to in order to save their child?

Although slow-paced, I found The Adoration of Jenna Fox to be utterly absorbing and highly thought-provoking. It contemplates one of life’s great questions—“What makes us human?” Is it our body, our memories, our knowledge, or something else entirely? This is geared more towards older teens, but definitely a worthy read for adults as well. If you're like me who doesn't really enjoy science fiction, this book will prove you wrong. READ IT!

My Rating: