The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Pearson, Mary E. (2008). The Adoration of Jenna Fox. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Co. 

ISBN: 9780805076684

272 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Identity, High School, Relationships, Family, Future, Surgery

Reader's Annotation

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox wakes up from a year-long coma caused by a terrible accident unsure of who she is and who she used to be, and as she slowly gains her memoies back, she has more and more questions about who she was and what happened to her. 

Summary

Jenna Fox has been told that is her name. She has been told that she's seventeen years old and that she was in a coma for a year after a terrible accident. But in spite of the questions answered by her friends and family and the home movies she watches of herself before the accident, there are some lingering questions. Why are people treating her so strangely? What really happened on the night of the accident? Why do her arms and legs not feel, look, or move the way they used to? As she slowly starts to remember pieces of her life before the accident, she questions even these memories, and she wonders what she can trust, how she can know who she is and, most importantly- who is Jenna Fox? 

Notes

This has some similar themes to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy. Readers who enjoyed this book may want to look into the series. It is equally thought-provoking about what makes you who you are, and how identity is formed.

Awards

A Book Sense "Top Ten" Summer Pick

Other Information

Adoration of Jenna Fox Website

Author Information

Mary Pearson's Website

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Koontz, Dean (2006). Odd Thomas. New York, New York: Bantam Books. 

ISBN: 9780553384284

400 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Mystery

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 4 stars

Subjects: Relationships, Death, Crime, Mystery, Investigation

Reader's Annotation

20-year-old Odd Thomas lives a fairly normal life in Pico Mundo, California, with little ambition and little special about him- except for the fact that he sees and converses with ghosts, a talent that draws him into a mysterious event that will happen in his town unless he can prevent it in time.

Summary

This is a book that skips along at a swift pace, with enough character description for readers to feel like they are at home in Pico Mundo, California and enough mystery to keep them turning pages. It tells the story of Odd Thomas, a 20-year-old fry cook who has no ambition and little talent, except for writing, but he can't put pen to paper long enough to finish a project. His one unique gift- one that makes him truly odd- is his ability to see and converse with ghosts, and through this and his relationship with the beautiful Chief of Police, solve crimes. He also sees "bodachs", which are small, evil creatures that feed on carnage, and when he spots these gathering around one man in particular, he realizes that something horrific might be about to happen in his hometown. As he explores further, it becomes a race against time as he attempts to avert disaster and avoid detection and save the town. 

Other Information

Koontz has an impressive list of thrillers that will keep readers guessing and turning pages. If you enjoyed Odd Thomas, check out others by Dean Koontz. 

Author Information

Dean Koontz's Website

Odd Thomas Website

The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (Maximum Ride, Book 1)

Patterson, James (2007). The Angel Experiment. New York, New York: Little, Brown Young Readers. 

ISBN: 9780316067959

404 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 4 stars

Subjects: New York, Science Fiction, Mutation, Surgery, Identity

Reader's Annotation

14-year-old Max is one of a group of genetically enhanced children with unique talents  on the run from predators called Erasers who seek to destroy any evidence of their existence, but how long will they be able to evade these hunters? 

Summary

When a group of genetically enhanced children escape from a lab with the help of a scientist sympathetic to their cause, they are immediately hunted by a group of predators that are part-human, part-wolf and completely dangerous called Erasers. The Erasers need to catch and return these mutants before the world can find out that they exist. When Angel, a six-year-old, is captured, the other members of her "family" must help rescue her even as they learn more about their pasts and why they were created. 

Notes

Readers might recognize James Patterson as the author of the Alex Cross books, starting with Along Came A Spider and Kiss the Girls, both of which were also made into movies. Readers who enjoyed this book might enjoy those mystery thrillers, but they should check out the other books in this series: School's Out-Forever, Saving the World, and The Final Warning. 

Author Information

James Patterson's Website

School's Out- Forever by James Patterson (Maximum Ride, Book 2)

Patterson, James (2007). School's Out- Forever. New York, New York: Vision Press. 

ISBN: 9780446618892

368 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 4 stars

Subjects: New York, Mutation, Surgery, Science Fiction, Identity

Reader's Annotation

When genetic mutant Fang is injured in a battle against part-human, part-wolf predators called Erasers, his "family" must take him to the hospital, but his strange DNA leads them to contact the FBI, and for the first time, Max and her friends experience what it might be like to live a normal human life, but how long can it last?

Summary

Max is one of a group of genetically mutated children who escaped from a lab and have been on the run ever since. They are in a battle with part-human, part-wolf predators called Erasers that want to bring them back to the lab they left or otherwise exterminate them. When one of the group, Fang, is injured so seriously that he must be taken to the hospital, doctors immediately notice anomalies and contact the FBI. The lead agent, Anne Walker, takes them to her Virginia farm home where, for the first time, they manage to lead normal lives, but when they start to try to seek their birth parents, they begin to realize that Anne might not have been entirely upfront about who she is and why she has taken them to her farm. 

Notes

Readers might recognize James Patterson as the author of the Alex Cross books, starting withAlong Came A Spider and Kiss the Girls, both of which were also made into movies. Readers who enjoyed this book might enjoy those mystery thrillers, but they should check out the other books in this series: The Angel Experiment, Saving the World, and The Final Warning. 

Author Information

James Patterson's Website

The Final Warning by James Patterson (Maximum Ride, Book 4)

Patterson, James (2008). The Final Warning. New York, New York: Little, Brown, and Company

ISBN: 9780316002868

272 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 4 stars

Subjects: Mutation, Identity, Rebellion, Science Fiction

Reader's Annotation

This final book (?) in the series finds Max and her friends hiding in Antarctica where they take refuge with a team of environmentalists studying the effects of global warning, and they must battle against corrupt governments, biengineered villains, and nature to survive. 

Summary

Max and her group of genetically mutated friends have sought refuge from predators, governments, and anyone else in Antarctica. There, they find refuge with a team of environmentalists, but surviving in the harsh conditions and staying off the grid is a lot more difficult than it originally seemed, and it isn't long before the adventure picks up again. 

Notes

Readers might recognize James Patterson as the author of the Alex Cross books, starting withAlong Came A Spider and Kiss the Girls, both of which were also made into movies. Readers who enjoyed this book might enjoy those mystery thrillers, but they should check out the other books in this series: The Angel Experiment, School's Out-Forever, and Saving the World. 

Author Information

James Patterson's Website

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, Scott (2005). Peeps. New York, New York: Razorbill

ISBN: 9781595140838

336 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Vampires, Parasites, Future, Science Fiction

Reader's Annotation

19-year-old Cal moves to New York from Texas and when he loses his virginity, he acquires a disease that leaves him with night vision, superhuman strength, and a craving for lots of protein, and as he tracks down the woman who infected him, he suspects a greater danger may be lurking in the city. 

Summary

Cal moves from Texas to New York City, and on his first night in the big city, he contracts an STD that leaves him parasite-positive, or "peep". When presented in full form, peeps are cannibals that hide in darkness and prey upon unsuspecting victims. Cal, however, has a more controlled form of the illness that leaves him with great night vision, superhuman strength, and a craving for lots of protein. After contracting the disease, he joins an underground agency that seeks to track down others of his kind. The more he delves into the mystery, the more he unfolds as he realizes that there may be something even worse than peeps in the city. 

Notes

Fans of Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy or even Meyer's Twilight Saga will enjoy this take on vampire fiction. It presents an interesting take on vampire legend and does quite a bit explaining how and why parasite-positives exist in society. The mix of medicine and mystery creates a thriller that teens will pick up and not want to put down. 

Author Information

Scott Westerfeld's Website