Beth F
Sandy
bermudaonion (Kathy)
Stephanie
Trisha
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Okay, all of you who think young adult literature is too fluffy or can’t be serious, go and read “The Adoration of Jenna Fox,” then come back and tell me what you think.
I’ll wait.
Biomedical ethics. Identity. Loss. Mourning. Parental attachment. What, in a young adult book? Hmm, I guess they aren’t all fluffy after all.
I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot line, because I think that would ruin the book, but you can get the basic idea of the themes from what I said above.
I really, really loved the storyline and the themes. That being said, I’m *so* over the disjointed, choppy narration that is prevalent in so many young adult novels. In this book, as in Wintergirls and Wake (the first of which I enjoyed, the second of which I did not), the choppiness is not a fault of the writing, but a deliberate decision. I know this, I accept it, I realize that this sort of style is actually perfect for Jenna in her mental condition. And yet, I’m still really over it.
Good book, well conceived, well executed, makes you think – so long as the style doesn’t bug you.
Buy this book from:
Powells.*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.*
Amazon.*
This review was done with a book received from the library.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.
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I liked this book, particularly the development of the relationship between Jenna and her grandmother, but felt it was very derivative of Eva by Peter Dickinson. Or else, that if one had read Eva, that one totally knew what to expect.
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This book *really* surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to like it, but wound up really liking it. I can’t wait until my Teen Book Club discusses it this spring. I’m going to be very interested in what the teens have to say.
.-= Katie´s last blog ..classic review: “just listen” =-.
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I really enjoyed this book as well. I liked the characters and how they all reacted in the novel. A great read.
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I really like this book (review coming soon, maybe tomorrow? Can’t remember). The style didn’t bother me at all. It just proves that YA books don’t have to dumb anything down because of their target audience. I tried to get my daughter to read it, but she refused. I guess I just should have left it lying around, then she would have. Wouldn’t want to take any advice from her mom who knows nothing!
.-= Sandy´s last blog ..Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J.K. Rowling (audio) =-.
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I really loved this book when I read it last year…it was among my favorites and its always the one I recommend to people when they say that YA is too fluffy!
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I read this last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, including the ending. No, not fluffy at all!
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Sounds intriguing and that cover is just beautiful!
.-= Amused´s last blog ..Gifts =-.
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What age range would you recommend this book to? I am always looking for something for my 11-year-old to read. He’s on the mature side.
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devourerofbooks Reply:
January 7th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Well, the main character is 17, so I’d guess the intended age is around there, I’d think he might want to wait another year or two. It gets fairly deep into biomedical ethics. I can’t think of anything in there you wouldn’t want him to read yet, it is more whether or not he would get all of it enough to enjoy the book.
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I just had to return this one to the library, unread
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This has been on my radar ever since I read Amy’s and Lenore’s reviews. I’m not crazy about choppy writing, so I’m not sure what to think now.
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I absolutely loved this book!!
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I’ve got this one on my TBR list…I really need to grab it from the library. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!
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I know what you mean about the writing style–it was almost robotic. I understood why, but it did bug me at first, then I got used to it. The ending of the book just plain irritated me, though.
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My daughter has this home from the school library. Since it has to go back on Monday, I think I’ll grab it from her backpack and read it this weekend (when I’m not doing Bloggiesta!).
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The more I read about this one the more I think I might just enjoy it. Damn, my TBR pile hates me!
.-= Darren @ Bart’s Bookshelf´s last blog ..Review: The Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison =-.
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Hmm…thanks for the warning about style. I still want to read this one, but I’m glad I know to expect choppiness.
.-= S. Krishna´s last blog ..The Semantics of Murder – Aifric Campbell =-.
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I really thought this one was great!
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Okay, I’m just seeing reviews of this everywhere, so I downloaded it on the Kindle today….who says book bloggers aren’t driving sales???
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I really enjoyed this book! I have her newest coming for me from the library.
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I admit that I didn’t read past the start of your review because I’ve owned this book since it first came out. I can’t figure out why I haven’t read it yet. Everyone loves it.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Bloggiesta: Wrap-Up =-.
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I have to say that I didn’t love this book. I liked it, but I can’t rave about it as much as others who have read it. Despite the overarching themes you mention (which I did like on the whole) there were some real holes for me. I hope to address them in my review if I can do so without spoiling it all for future readers. Glad you enjoyed it.
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Yeah, I’m not a fan of the choppiness either. Still, I definitely want to read this book.
.-= S. Krishna´s last blog ..The Kingdom of Ohio – Matthew Flaming =-.
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