The Adoration of Jenna Fox

As fragments of memory return, Jenna notices that something is strange about her own body and about the way her parents and her cold, distant grandmother behave around her. She starts at a small alternative school, where she makes friends with Ethan, a boy with a troubled past, and Allys, a girl who has strong views about medical technology. Slowly she uncovers the secret of how she survived the accident.

The truth raises difficult questions about what makes a person human, how far parents should go to save a child, and who has the right to decide. Mary E. Pearson writes in Jenna's voice, in short, sometimes poetic passages that reflect her confusion and her growing sense of self. The book raises ethical issues without giving easy answers, which makes it a good choice for discussion. It is gentle in tone despite its serious themes.

Thought-provoking, suspenseful and touching, a short novel followed by two companion books, The Fox Inheritance and Fox Forever. Readers who enjoyed Unwind or Never Let Me Go will find similar questions here in a gentler form. About 288 pages in the Square Fish paperback.