Review of THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX by Mary E. Pearson

(Image from Amazon.com)

Review of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

(Fantasy/Science Fiction Category)

           1. Pearson, M. (2008). The adoration of Jenna Fox. New York: Henry Holt.

2. Plot Summary: Jenna Fox, seventeen, awakens from an accident that she was not supposed to survive after a yearlong coma. She has been told by her parents that she is still recovering from the accident that left her with virtually no memory of what her life was like before or what kind of accident she had that left her life forever changed. No one in her family, her parents or her grandmother, Lily, who she was very close to pre-accident, is discussing her life from before. Jenna is given home movies that contain pieces of her life – many pieces of her life. She seems to be very adored and lived quite the charmed life. Disconnected memories begin to come back, but they are fragments, puzzle pieces…and this only makes Jenna more curious. She wants to know who she was and who she is now. With the help of some new friends and new experiences, Jenna begins to gain the courage to find out the answers to her questions and hopefully is on the road to healing not only on the outside but also on the inside.

3. Critical Analysis: I have never read a Mary E. Pearson novel before, and I am now a huge fan! The Adoration of Jenna Fox is the first novel in a three part series, and I am excited to read the other two books soon. I do feel that this novel could probably stand just fine on its own; however, I am very curious to see how the story of Jenna continues. Pearson’s style at the beginning of the novel is very simplistic because Jenna’s views are very simplistic, and she is trying to work through the healing process from since waking up from her accident. As the novel progresses and Jenna begins to “awaken,” the sentence structure and diction become a bit more complex. This is a very clever stylistic technique. The characterization of Jenna becomes more evident as the novel moves forward as well. She goes from very unaware and almost stale to sarcastic in an intelligent and humorous way.

A Publishers Weekly starred review states that the novel “Raises the ante in unexpected ways until the very last page.” This is definitely true. Reading this book kept me guessing which turn it was going to take next. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the novel would go in a different direction. The word “gripping,” as used in a School Library Journal review is on point. At only 265 pages, this page-turner and to the point yet descriptive writing style will keep readers engaged.

Chapters are not really evident, but sections would be a better word to describe how the novel is divided. There are titles for each small section, and I felt as a reader that this feature made my comfort with the novel grow. It was easier to stop and pause because the sections were fairly short. In between larger sections, there were small poems in free verse describing Jenna’s dreams or innermost thoughts. This was extremely engaging as well because it was a change from the simple sentence structure and Jenna’s world involving other people. It made the reading more personal.

The relationship between Jenna and her parents is depicted as foreign post-accident. Pre- accident, Jenna is very adored by her parents, and they chronicled everything about her life it seems to Jenna. Pearson, as the author, does a wonderful job of helping the reader understand the void that everyone feels after the accident and how hard it can be to heal after facing difficult situations. As Jenna develops relationships outside of the home and a apart from her parents, the author makes it evident that it is natural for teenagers to question their world as it is presented to them. They no longer take their parents’ word as they may have as small children. People of all ages will identify with this theme. Other themes that occur deal with dealing with trauma, the thrills and worries of a first love, the desire to fit in with others, and finding beauty and simplicity in a complicated, sometimes very confusing world.

A review in ELLEgirl writes, “This novel is truly unlike any other I have every read and is a breath of fresh air in the often predictable world of teen literature.” This novel is anything but predictable, and that is what makes it so engaging and enjoyable.

  

References

Pearson, M. (2008). The adoration of Jenna Fox. New York: Henry Holt.

The adoration of Jenna Fox [Review of novel The adoration of Jenna Fox]. (2008). ELLEgirl.

The adoration of Jenna Fox [Review of novel The adoration of Jenna Fox]. (2008). Publishers Weekly, starred review.

The adoration of Jenna Fox [Review of novel The adoration of Jenna Fox]. (2008) School Library Journal, starred review.