Everyone’s personality is composed of values and traits, reflecting their past. Jenna Fox however, does not remember her past at all or the components of her personality for that matter. Astonishingly, she can recite poems word for word that she doesn’t even remember reading, but she does not remember her sixteenth birthday, which was only a year ago. Her parents tell her that she was in a tragic accident and that it is a miracle that she’s alive.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson is a novel set to take place in the future that is notably relevant to the present. It is about Jenna, a pensive young girl, trying to piece together the facts of her life. Her grandmother, Lily, is secretive, and Jenna is sure that she is hiding something from her by keeping her in the house and getting frantic by the most minuscule scrape on Jenna’s knee. Despite her reaction to Jenna’s injury, Lily is not the most endearing, typical grandmother, scolding Jenna for asking questions. While attending her school, where Jenna only learns alongside a few peers for reasons her parents have kept unidentified, she meets Ethan, a considerate boy, who is remarkably friendly to her and the other students, all except for poorly-mannered Dane. She also meets headstrong Allys who has prosthetics for legs and arms and is determined to create a better outcome for people in the future that are in serious accidents. Through her unique classmates Jenna learns about friendship and how everyone’s perspectives are different.
Pearson writes the book with humor, yet emotion, telling a story of family and protecting loved ones. The chapters begin with poems written by “Jenna” and sum up the details and feelings of the prior chapter. Gradually revealing secrets of Jenna’s past, like her reminiscence of her friends, Kara and Locke, Mary E. Pearson really teaches you about the possibilities of the future and cherishing every second of your life.