When seventeen year old Jenna Fox wakes up from an accident induced coma, she finds that she doesn't remember anything about her previous life. Everything is a question for her, and nothing seems to make sense. Why did they move to California, far from Boston, where her father is a physician and scientist? Why are there no personal belongings of any kind in her room? Why doesn't her grandmother like her? Why can't she remember the meanings of simple words, but knows Thoreau's entire Walden word for word? What are the voices that she hears in her mind?
Each day tiny pieces of her puzzle come together to create a picture that Jenna is not sure she can face. She begins to remember small parts of her life, not in hazy far away memories like most people have, but with a vividness of something happening to her now. Each memory reveals clues to the people around her and what might have happened during her sleep of more than a year.
Told in first person present tense, Mary E. Pearson has skillfully written a riveting "what if" story of the not so distant future concerning science and genetics. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a startling look at the future implications for the earth if genetic experimentation is not coupled with cautious wisdom. Where does science draw the line and say, "This far and no farther?" If you could, would you do anything to save someone you loved?
Content that might concern parents: There is a handful of moderate swear words in this book, plus several instances of a derogatory slang term, used first in an apology by a boy at Jenna's school, and later used by Jenna herself. (Like many other words she encounters, at first Jenna doesn't understand this word, which would be considered inappropriate by some parents. She misuses it later because of her lack of understanding, and it surfaces a few more times in the book.) Spoiler: Near the end of the book, a boy Jenna doesn't like or trust tries to force her to come with him into the woods, and it's implied that he would harm her in some way. She refuses to comply and is helped by a neighbor who comes to her aid. If you're concerned about these issues as a parent, then you should pre-read the book.
Things to talk over with your teen after reading this book would include the ethics and implications of altering DNA, and how real love should make children feel secure without suffocating them. For more information about the book, go this link to view a trailer and read a sample chapter.
The quality of writing in this book is top notch. As far as edginess, on a scale of one to ten, it could be placed somewhere around four. Some parents would be very comfortable with it. Some might not.
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