Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson Release Date: Buy it Today Henry Holt and Co. Ratings Action Romance Characters Overall Purchase on Amazon. Purchase at Powell’s. Find independent bookstores.

How much of your body can be replaced, fixed, and rebuilt before you are no longer human?

Jenna awakens to parents she doesn’t remember and a life she can’t recall. And the accident that put her in her coma, that took away her memories, is something no one wants to talk about. Yet she hears the whispers of long lost friends, and as the memories slowly seep back in, she finds that some pieces are missing. Pieces of her. A scar from a long ago accident and even her height seem to be altered.

She’s no longer sure who or what she is, but she knows something’s wrong. Her parents aren’t telling her something about the accident and all that happened afterwards.

Captivating. Amazing. From the moment I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down. There was just something about Jenna’s voice, the truth and humanity to the story, that kept me turning pages. While it was somewhat predictable (the pacing was good, the reader kept one step ahead of Jenna), in many ways it surprised me and I nearly cried at the end, simply from the beauty of the story. How’s that for a bunch of vague praise?

I enjoyed the questions that this book raised, namely, what makes someone "human"? There was also the issue of the soul and some religious aspects, but not in a way that would offend someone who wasn’t Christian. Most religions and societies hold some aspect of a soul, a spirit, and we can all argue back and forth about where it lives and what it is. A question that Jenna is forced to deal with as she comes to terms with whether or not she’s human any more.

As I began the book I was really afraid it was going to be a preachy liberal agenda book, something about global warming or science is bad. I was very grateful that it only touched on the issues of what right we have or don’t have to change the world around us, and the unintended consequences of changes we make to the natural world. I thought the book did a very good job of walking the line between science and nature, presenting both sides of the issue. On the one hand we have super-viruses due to overuse of antibiotics and on the other, we have people who are saved by "miracles" that come from advanced technology. Mostly it’s about the fine line we can never really define, because when it comes to morality, it’s nearly impossible to set morality standards for a country–just look at current debates about death penalty, abortion, and gay marriage.

If I have one complaint, it’s that the afterwards of the book skips forward to the end of Jenna’s life, but skips past a lot of issues I would have loved to see in possible sequel books. At some point, Jenna’s situation is apparently known to the general public, so I want to know how that happened and what the reactions were.

Ratings Reasons:
Action 3 1/2 - Mostly intellectual and actually the only bit of action that was put in seemed almost forced. But the plot and main character are so captivating that it reads at a very fast pace.

Romance 4 1/2 - Cute, sweet, and entirely fitting to the book.

Characters 4 1/2 - I loved Jenna and I felt for her along the way, but I didn’t always get the same feelings of connection with the other characters in her life. Those immediately around her, like her parents and two of her classmates, I understood. But then the boy who’s brought in as kind of an opposing force, I never felt like he was fleshed out enough. Then again, that’s harder to do in a first person novel, because the character doesn’t always understand the other characters either.

Overall 5 - A beautiful, insightful look at the future, humanity, science, and souls. I think this would make a great discussion topic book or just an enjoyable summer read.

Extras:
Mary Pearson has written a few other books, and has a personal website with extra information about The Adoration of Jenna Fox. In addition, you can find a book trailer at whoisjennafox.com. I like the creepy elements of the trailer, sums the book up well! There is also a reader’s guide and a nice interview with the author, discussing where the idea for the book came from. Plus, there is movie news on the author’s live journal!

Another book I loved in the similar vein of science, the future, and questions of life, was the book The Declaration, which I’ve previously reviewed. I’d recommend that if you like this one and vice versa.

Parents: 10 + A younger reader may not fully understand this book, but I think it’s one of those great titles that should be read at different ages, because every time you reread it, you’ll have a different life perspective on it.

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