Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (Copyright 2008)
This book takes place sometime after the year of 2032. Jenna has come out of the coma she was told that she was in for the past 18 months or so. She has no memories. She does find that she doesn't quite walk normally, and that she can read emotions and thoughts in through the eyes of the people around here. As the memories begin coming back, she puts together the events of her life, and that things now are not quite what they seem. There are mysterious computers in a locked closet in her mom's bedroom. She doesn't quite bleed like other people. She suddenly has memories from when she was an infant, and her grandmother doesn't like her anymore. What happened to her friends in the accident? And why is she suddenly a walking history textbook when history used to be her worst subject in school? A lot of things she is told don't add up.
This is vaguely a science-fiction novel. It is well-written, and brings up a lot of ethical questions when it comes to bio-engineering. It is highly recommended.
Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox
New Teen Fiction - May '08
Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson series #3) by Rick Riordan
Bon Voyage, Connie Pickles by Sabine Durrant
Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees
Chosen (House of Night #3) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
Death in the Air by Shave Peacock
Death of Jayson Porter by Jaime Adoff
Edification of Sonya Crane (Kimani Tru series) by JD Guilford
Facts of Life: Stories by Gary Soto
Joys of Love by Madeleine L'Engle
Lily Dale: Believing by Wendy Corsi Staub
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Neptune's Children by Bonnie Dobken
Pirate Wars (Wave Walkers book 3) by Kai Meyer
The Pretty One by Cheryl Klam
Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
Road of Bones by Anne Fine
Ruby Key (Moon & Sun series #1) by Holly Lisle
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Family Affairs by Jen Calonita
Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli
Stella Stands Alone by A. LaFaye
Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt
Review: My Most Excellent Year
Title: My Most Excellent Year: a Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger
Take a paper that needs to be written for school entitled "My Most Excellent Year" (well, that's what TC changes the title to be, anyway), journals, letters emails, lots of IMs, and three friends, and you have a great story. This very humorously written story is first about TC who has a passion for baseball and doesn't think he is popular, when in fact he his popular. He also misses his mother a lot. She died when he was little. His "brother" is Augie. They've been best friends since they were little and the connection is so strong that they consider each other brothers for life. They have their own spaces in each others' houses. Then there is Alejandra. She is the 'new girl' at their high school their freshman year. TC immediately falls in love, and writes Ale a note telling her that he is considering a relationship with her. She thinks he's terrible with his tactics.
It moves on from here. . . you learn about each of their lives and their perspectives. TC meets a little boy who loves Mary Poppins. He takes this boy, Hucky, under his wing, even learning American Sign Language so they can communicate. Augie comes out about his sexual orientation, but it's not really big news to everyone else. They've realized it for a long time. Everyone is very accepting. Ale discovers that she does not want to go into politics or anything else like that as her father expects. She loves singing and dancing.
In the midst of this, there is email communication between the adults in this story, particularly between TC and Augie's fathers. Sometimes this is all quite humorous.
If you want to find out how this all turns out, read this book!
- Reviewed by Leisl, YA Librarian