Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

These memories descend out of nowhere, giving me pieces of who I was, but their significance is lost. I sigh and resume my walk, not knowing if this memory is important, or just more of the jumbled trivia of Jenna's life, like sock shopping. Maybe that is all my life is composed of, trivia that eventually adds up to a person, and maybe I just don't have enough of it yet to be a whole one.

Even when The Adoration of Jenna Fox was making the blog rounds, and getting rave reviews I didn't really feel a desire to read it. The title turned me off. The weird cover with the butterfly turned me off. It just didn't look like something I would enjoy reading. Then one of my favorite bloggers, Lenore reviewed it and really raved about it (and Mary Pearson's newest book, The Miles Between which I already bought!) In fact, I think this is the phrase that really drew me in, "Mary E. Pearson knows how to deliver an intelligent, satisfying YA novel with mega crossover appeal." (that's blurb worthy)

When I was at Comic Con over the summer I had the good fortune of attending a panel with YA fantasy authors and Mary Pearson was on that panel. Afterwards, I went ahead and bought the book so I could get it signed and I really enjoyed talking with her. (and of course mentioned Lenore in our conversation!) As a result, I've been looking forward to reading Jenna Fox ever since.

Last week, I was suffering from serious readers indecision. Nothing I picked up was sticking even though it was all good...books I thought I would enjoy in a different frame of mind. I grabbed this book because it was small, because Lenore loved it, and because I needed something totally and completely different.

I loved it. From the very first, I was completely sucked in to the story. Jenna wakes up from a year and a half coma and she doesn't really remember anything...that's not exactly accurate though, she remembers facts and how to do things but she doesn't remember anything personal. And despite her mother's desperation for her to remember, other circumstances seem odd. Her mother doesn't want her to go out. Her grandmother is treating her strangely. Her father is living across the country. And Jenna doesn't know why.

I am unwilling to really say anything else as this book is best left unspoiled. I will say that it's one of the finest explorations of identity, self, and what it means to be human I've ever read. It's jam packed with thought provoking questions and ideas, wrapped in a story that is completely fascinating. I love it and think it deserves all the praise it received.

Rating: 5/5
Source of Book: Bought it
Publisher: Henry Holt