Author: Mary E. Pearson
Pages: 265
Audience: Young Adult (safe for young teens)
Genre: Science Fiction (dystopia)
Rating: Two Stars- I'd give this book an awkward hug
Goodreads Summary:
Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?
This fascinating novel represents a stunning new direction for acclaimed author Mary Pearson. Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity. Mary Pearson's vividly drawn characters and masterful writing soar to a new level of sophistication.
My Thoughts:
I was drawn to the awesome cover of this book, the dystopian sub genre, and the concept. For me, however, the actual story fell flat. It is based on an issue that it never really explores. We never delve deeply into the ethics of bio-medical procedures, and the readers are almost forced to be biased by the main character's first person narration of the story. I can't say more on that without giving it all away, but I was very disappointed in the lack of depth, especially because of the strong potential. 
My second issue with the story was the writing style. In a word: vanilla. Ok ok, french vanilla. It had the occasional vivid description, but it was mostly bland and colorless. But let's move on to the appeal elements, shall we? I do hate to diss a book because it's impressive even to write one in my opinion.The pace was compelling but unhurried. This was no action-packed adventure. The secondary characters were only there to move the story along, it was really focused entirely on Jenna. The frame was futuristic, but not too far in the future. It had a gentle science fiction element that would be good for those unfamiliar with or unsure of the genre. There are virtually no red flags as far as violence or sex. I think this is a good read-alike for "Matched" by Ally Condie, or Hex by Rhiannon Lassiter
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