The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Just like Sweethearts, I read this one in my hotel at ALA. For anyone who might not know, ALA stands for American Library Association. I also may speak of YALSA which stands for Young Adult Library Services Association.

Back to topic: This was my first Mary Pearson book (A Room on Lorelei Street is now in my to be read pile). I really enjoyed the book and I keep struggling to find the correct genre to put it in. Basically it's a sci-fi/romance/medical thriller. It's set far enough into the future that the crazy cool medical stuff going on is just believable. And I always love having another true sci-fi book to add to my list of recommendables.

Jenna Fox is recovering from an unidentified accident. She has serious memory loss and is being cared for in California even though she knows the accident happened in Boston. Her mother and her grandmother are living with her but aren't divulging very much info. Slowly, Jenna pieces together some memories and starts to really examine who she is. Things get real tricky when she starts school with a bunch of outcasts and finds out she's only got 10% of her old brain.

So - is Jenna Fox really Jenna Fox? And what happened to the friends she remembers being in the accident with her? She can still hear their voices but can't figure out why.

It's a great read that stays with you long after you put it down.

I'll take this opportunity though, to complain about one thing in the book. The character Dane - who goes to school with Jenna - is mysterious and cryptic and vague. At one point Dane is basically attacking Jenna and a neighbor intervenes. But nothing is really said about why Dane is doing the things he does. I wish Pearson had fleshed him just a tinge more.

Regardless of my feelings about Dane - I think this book will be among the best of '08. Mark my words!!!