by Jason Joyner | Jan 18, 2012 | bioethics, Blog, books, je t'adore, reviews, Writing Wednesday, young adult
Jenna Fox can’t lace her fingers together.
Her fingers look perfectly fine. They just don’t go together well. A classmate tells her she has an odd walk. But she used to do ballet. At least that’s what she’s been told by her parents.
She can’t remember it though.
Seventeen year old Jenna Fox wakes up in California, a stranger in her body. She had an accident that put her in a coma, and now she can’t remember most of her previous life.
She was an only child, so her doting parents have numerous videos of her life. She’s encouraged to watch them as she tries to regain what she’s lost.
Jenna feels like she’s not being told everything. Her grandmother who lives with them is distant and cold, unlike the loving Grandma in the videos. And when she visits her neighbor and he offers her a chance to feed the birds, they won’t eat from her handful of birdseed. They only choose the neighbor.
So just who is Jenna Fox?
—
We all received books for Christmas in my family.
The Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson was my request. It may seem weird for a middle aged guy to want a young adult novel, but this book intrigued me with its premise of mystery in the midst of bioethics. Oh, and the cover rocks.
It didn’t disappoint.
The book is written in present tense from Jenna’s point of view, which is a perfect way to tell her story – as she discovers her new life and old one, we experience it with her.
The structure is a little disjointed early on. Chapters seem random and are set apart in varying ways, not with the typical stop, blank page, and clear title and beginning into the next part. It made getting into the book a little challenging. However, it makes sense when considering Jenna’s fragmented memory. Once I got into it, I wanted to discover what Jenna’s secret was and how it was going to affect her. (I knew more about the plot going into it than I am giving here – I don’t want it spoiled for new readers).
The book is set in a near future where there are some amazing medical advances, but with any progress comes questions and unintended consequences. Adoration does a very good job of introducing issues to think about in the framework of the story. I don’t know how much it would make a teen think of bioethical issues, but as a medical professional I thought it was well done and should provoke thought. One of my favorite philosophers is Ian Malcolm from Jurrasic Park when he says, “Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.”
Adoration has humorous moments, stakes that become higher than just Jenna finding herself, and a lot of suspense. The ending may be too tidy, but it is satisfying, and it looks like Pearson managed to work a sequel into it still, The Fox Inheritance, which I haven’t read yet.
I recommend this book for teens, those interested in bioethics or medical fiction, and those who like near future “what ifs”. It is a good read that can provoke thinking – a crazy thing, right?
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 18, 2012 | bioethics, Blog, books, je t'adore, reviews, Writing Wednesday, young adult
Jenna Fox can’t lace her fingers together.
Her fingers look perfectly fine. They just don’t go together well. A classmate tells her she has an odd walk. But she used to do ballet. At least that’s what she’s been told by her parents.
She can’t remember it though.
Seventeen year old Jenna Fox wakes up in California, a stranger in her body. She had an accident that put her in a coma, and now she can’t remember most of her previous life.
She was an only child, so her doting parents have numerous videos of her life. She’s encouraged to watch them as she tries to regain what she’s lost.
Jenna feels like she’s not being told everything. Her grandmother who lives with them is distant and cold, unlike the loving Grandma in the videos. And when she visits her neighbor and he offers her a chance to feed the birds, they won’t eat from her handful of birdseed. They only choose the neighbor.
So just who is Jenna Fox?
—
We all received books for Christmas in my family.
The Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson was my request. It may seem weird for a middle aged guy to want a young adult novel, but this book intrigued me with its premise of mystery in the midst of bioethics. Oh, and the cover rocks.
It didn’t disappoint.
The book is written in present tense from Jenna’s point of view, which is a perfect way to tell her story – as she discovers her new life and old one, we experience it with her.
The structure is a little disjointed early on. Chapters seem random and are set apart in varying ways, not with the typical stop, blank page, and clear title and beginning into the next part. It made getting into the book a little challenging. However, it makes sense when considering Jenna’s fragmented memory. Once I got into it, I wanted to discover what Jenna’s secret was and how it was going to affect her. (I knew more about the plot going into it than I am giving here – I don’t want it spoiled for new readers).
The book is set in a near future where there are some amazing medical advances, but with any progress comes questions and unintended consequences. Adoration does a very good job of introducing issues to think about in the framework of the story. I don’t know how much it would make a teen think of bioethical issues, but as a medical professional I thought it was well done and should provoke thought. One of my favorite philosophers is Ian Malcolm from Jurrasic Park when he says, “Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.”
Adoration has humorous moments, stakes that become higher than just Jenna finding herself, and a lot of suspense. The ending may be too tidy, but it is satisfying, and it looks like Pearson managed to work a sequel into it still, The Fox Inheritance, which I haven’t read yet.
I recommend this book for teens, those interested in bioethics or medical fiction, and those who like near future “what ifs”. It is a good read that can provoke thinking – a crazy thing, right?
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 12, 2012 | Blog, medical, unforseen delays, writing, Writing Wednesday
Our regularly scheduled programming was delayed due to the family stomach flu making its presence known. After a day of being wiped out and generally useless, I figured it was time to talk about medical issues in writing.
If it hasn’t come out before, I work as a physician assistant. No, I’m not still working on finishing medical school as some people ask. Being a PA is its own profession. We just were saddled with an unfortunate title when we started. Some people want us to be physician associates(?), but I digress.
Obviously it is easy for me to write medically in my fiction, and it is a great way to introduce conflict, tension, or roadblocks to my characters. For those who aren’t in the medical field and want to make a medical condition a part of their book, it takes good research to make it believable. That’s true for everything, but there’s plenty that can go wrong in medical research. I read a novel with an astronaut who was hiding multiple sclerosis. No way would she have been able to hide such a thing, and it always bugged me when it came into play in the plot.
There’s plenty to be found on the internet these days, but you do have to be careful of your sources. Someone came to me today asking about “liver stones.” Google can be an enemy as much as a friend here!
I would suggest reading from reputable sources first of all. WebMD, CDC, your professional organizations like the American Heart Association – all of these would be good primary sources. If you want to address a controversial issue, look for those as well, but make sure you understand the foundation of the issue and both sides if you can.
Don’t just rely on the web. Most health care providers I know would be happy to give you some advice. I would be fine answering questions, and I have asked specialists at conferences about issues that were out of my field of practice. Be respectful of their busy schedules, and I am sure you can find someone who can help you out.
One person who has a specific blog for this is Jordyn Redwood’s
“Redwood’s Medical Edge.” She is a nurse with lots of emergency and pediatric experience, and she provides regular content on medical issues, from historical medicine to current issues. Want to know how fast someone would bleed to death?
She’s got the info for you!If I have one pet peeve, it is characters’ getting hurt in some way, and the author forgets about it. Mary Sue just leaped from her second story window to escape the Big Bad Guy, and hurt her ankle – but she still runs away a few pages later with nary a limp. Keep it real, people!
This is a quick discussion of medical issues in fiction. There are so many avenues to explore here. If there are specific topics anyone would like me to discuss, leave them in the comments and we can have fun with those.
Just remember to wash your hands people!
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 12, 2012 | Blog, medical, unforseen delays, writing, Writing Wednesday
Our regularly scheduled programming was delayed due to the family stomach flu making its presence known. After a day of being wiped out and generally useless, I figured it was time to talk about medical issues in writing.
If it hasn’t come out before, I work as a physician assistant. No, I’m not still working on finishing medical school as some people ask. Being a PA is its own profession. We just were saddled with an unfortunate title when we started. Some people want us to be physician associates(?), but I digress.
Obviously it is easy for me to write medically in my fiction, and it is a great way to introduce conflict, tension, or roadblocks to my characters. For those who aren’t in the medical field and want to make a medical condition a part of their book, it takes good research to make it believable. That’s true for everything, but there’s plenty that can go wrong in medical research. I read a novel with an astronaut who was hiding multiple sclerosis. No way would she have been able to hide such a thing, and it always bugged me when it came into play in the plot.
There’s plenty to be found on the internet these days, but you do have to be careful of your sources. Someone came to me today asking about “liver stones.” Google can be an enemy as much as a friend here!
I would suggest reading from reputable sources first of all. WebMD, CDC, your professional organizations like the American Heart Association – all of these would be good primary sources. If you want to address a controversial issue, look for those as well, but make sure you understand the foundation of the issue and both sides if you can.
Don’t just rely on the web. Most health care providers I know would be happy to give you some advice. I would be fine answering questions, and I have asked specialists at conferences about issues that were out of my field of practice. Be respectful of their busy schedules, and I am sure you can find someone who can help you out.
One person who has a specific blog for this is Jordyn Redwood’s
“Redwood’s Medical Edge.” She is a nurse with lots of emergency and pediatric experience, and she provides regular content on medical issues, from historical medicine to current issues. Want to know how fast someone would bleed to death?
She’s got the info for you!If I have one pet peeve, it is characters’ getting hurt in some way, and the author forgets about it. Mary Sue just leaped from her second story window to escape the Big Bad Guy, and hurt her ankle – but she still runs away a few pages later with nary a limp. Keep it real, people!
This is a quick discussion of medical issues in fiction. There are so many avenues to explore here. If there are specific topics anyone would like me to discuss, leave them in the comments and we can have fun with those.
Just remember to wash your hands people!
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 4, 2012 | Andrew Peterson, Blog, J Mark Bertrand, Jenny B Jones is funny, K Bennett, Lisa T Bergren, Mike Duran, top books, Writing Wednesday
It was a strange year of reading for me.
I know I read a fair amount of books. Some just didn’t stick with me. There were several books that I started and didn’t finish. I’m getting picky. I don’t want to waste my time reading books that don’t grab me. I don’t have as much patience to give a book a chance either. They’d better grab me in a few chapters at most, or I’m moving on.
When it came time to put together my favorites, I had to think a little. A couple of books aren’t my usual cup of tea, but I really enjoyed them. One is considered “pulp fiction.” Shouldn’t a best of list be selective?
Nah. These are the fiction books I enjoyed the most in 2011.
6. Pattern Of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand. This is the second book in a series about Roland March, a homicide detective in Houston who almost burned out in the first book. Here he is continuing to deal with doubts about his ability even as he deals with a potential mistake in his past. I don’t read a lot of the hard-boiled detective stories, but if I did, Bertrand would make me very picky, because he gets into the mindset of March so well. The story simmers, and the themes of the book are deftly handled. As I said in my July review – no sophomore slump here.
5. Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren. The first book in the River of Time series. Two teenagers are in Italy with their archeologist mother, far from any social action. When the girls enter an ancient tomb, they are thrust into 14th century times, with knights and castles. Headstrong Gabi is separated from her sister Lia, and she is rescued by Lord Marcello. Bergren has done other novels in this setting, and her research and setting is top notch. It is supposed to be a Teen fiction book, geared toward girls. I don’t care. Good writing is good writing, and I’m a sucker for romance when done right.
4. Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones. After writing this post, I’m going to lose my man card. I picked this book up for my wife to read for a blog tour, but I had heard Jenny was a funny writer. I flipped through the first chapter, curious about her humor. I finished the book in a few days. Lucy needs a sponsor to save her girls’ home. Former QB Alex Sinclair needs an image makeover in his race for Congress. He’ll make sure Lucy’s charity gets funding if she acts as his fiancee through the race. Who knew such a plot would snap me in without nary an explosion? Again, good writing is good writing. And I got a shout out from Ms. Jones, so it was all good.
3. The Resurrection by Mike Duran. OK, so I break the pattern of initials in these authors. I’ve referenced Mike’s blog Decompose for a long time, and was excited to read his debut novel. Reverand Ian Clark is doubting his own faith, even as he struggles leading a California church. When one of his congregants, Ruby, is associated with a resurrection of a boy, he doesn’t know how to take the miraculous. Ruby doesn’t know why God chose her for a miracle, and the sleepy town they live in may not continue to sleep with such supernatural happenings occuring. It is suspenseful, a little creepy, and very thoughtful. Lots more on it, including an interview with Mike, here.
2. Pay Me In Flesh by K. Bennett. I think having a zombie book in here should cancel out the chick books above ;). Mallory Caine is an LA lawyer without a soul. Most people think lawyers don’t have souls, but she really is undead. She doesn’t look the part, but brains are her staple, along with justice for the oppressed. When she discovers a conspriracy that may be leading to Lucifer setting up his new base of operations in LA, will Mallory be able to stand up for the living and undead alike. This book reads amazingly like James Scott Bell’s work, but I’m sure it is just a coincidence…
Finally, my favorite book from 2011 is:
The Monster In The Hollows by Andrew Peterson.
Andrew Peterson is just about the favored all-around creative person of Spoiled For The Ordinary. He is an amazing musician, but his YA series The Wingfeather Saga is a wonderful combination of adventure, whimsy, suspense, and heart. Monster is the third book in the series that features the Igiby children, who were once normal children, until the siblings found out they are the lost heirs of a conquered kingdom and are hunted by the terrible Fangs of Dang and a Nameless Evil (know as Gnag the Nameless). One part Princess Bride, one part lyrical language, and a dash of Lord Of The Rings equals this excellent book and series. If you don’t believe me, my kids will tell you the same.
That’s it for fiction in 2011. There’s one other book that greatly impacted me last year, and I will share about it soon.
What books did you enjoy over the last year?
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 4, 2012 | Andrew Peterson, Blog, J Mark Bertrand, Jenny B Jones is funny, K Bennett, Lisa T Bergren, Mike Duran, top books, Writing Wednesday
It was a strange year of reading for me.
I know I read a fair amount of books. Some just didn’t stick with me. There were several books that I started and didn’t finish. I’m getting picky. I don’t want to waste my time reading books that don’t grab me. I don’t have as much patience to give a book a chance either. They’d better grab me in a few chapters at most, or I’m moving on.
When it came time to put together my favorites, I had to think a little. A couple of books aren’t my usual cup of tea, but I really enjoyed them. One is considered “pulp fiction.” Shouldn’t a best of list be selective?
Nah. These are the fiction books I enjoyed the most in 2011.
6. Pattern Of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand. This is the second book in a series about Roland March, a homicide detective in Houston who almost burned out in the first book. Here he is continuing to deal with doubts about his ability even as he deals with a potential mistake in his past. I don’t read a lot of the hard-boiled detective stories, but if I did, Bertrand would make me very picky, because he gets into the mindset of March so well. The story simmers, and the themes of the book are deftly handled. As I said in my July review – no sophomore slump here.
5. Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren. The first book in the River of Time series. Two teenagers are in Italy with their archeologist mother, far from any social action. When the girls enter an ancient tomb, they are thrust into 14th century times, with knights and castles. Headstrong Gabi is separated from her sister Lia, and she is rescued by Lord Marcello. Bergren has done other novels in this setting, and her research and setting is top notch. It is supposed to be a Teen fiction book, geared toward girls. I don’t care. Good writing is good writing, and I’m a sucker for romance when done right.
4. Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones. After writing this post, I’m going to lose my man card. I picked this book up for my wife to read for a blog tour, but I had heard Jenny was a funny writer. I flipped through the first chapter, curious about her humor. I finished the book in a few days. Lucy needs a sponsor to save her girls’ home. Former QB Alex Sinclair needs an image makeover in his race for Congress. He’ll make sure Lucy’s charity gets funding if she acts as his fiancee through the race. Who knew such a plot would snap me in without nary an explosion? Again, good writing is good writing. And I got a shout out from Ms. Jones, so it was all good.
3. The Resurrection by Mike Duran. OK, so I break the pattern of initials in these authors. I’ve referenced Mike’s blog Decompose for a long time, and was excited to read his debut novel. Reverand Ian Clark is doubting his own faith, even as he struggles leading a California church. When one of his congregants, Ruby, is associated with a resurrection of a boy, he doesn’t know how to take the miraculous. Ruby doesn’t know why God chose her for a miracle, and the sleepy town they live in may not continue to sleep with such supernatural happenings occuring. It is suspenseful, a little creepy, and very thoughtful. Lots more on it, including an interview with Mike, here.
2. Pay Me In Flesh by K. Bennett. I think having a zombie book in here should cancel out the chick books above ;). Mallory Caine is an LA lawyer without a soul. Most people think lawyers don’t have souls, but she really is undead. She doesn’t look the part, but brains are her staple, along with justice for the oppressed. When she discovers a conspriracy that may be leading to Lucifer setting up his new base of operations in LA, will Mallory be able to stand up for the living and undead alike. This book reads amazingly like James Scott Bell’s work, but I’m sure it is just a coincidence…
Finally, my favorite book from 2011 is:
The Monster In The Hollows by Andrew Peterson.
Andrew Peterson is just about the favored all-around creative person of Spoiled For The Ordinary. He is an amazing musician, but his YA series The Wingfeather Saga is a wonderful combination of adventure, whimsy, suspense, and heart. Monster is the third book in the series that features the Igiby children, who were once normal children, until the siblings found out they are the lost heirs of a conquered kingdom and are hunted by the terrible Fangs of Dang and a Nameless Evil (know as Gnag the Nameless). One part Princess Bride, one part lyrical language, and a dash of Lord Of The Rings equals this excellent book and series. If you don’t believe me, my kids will tell you the same.
That’s it for fiction in 2011. There’s one other book that greatly impacted me last year, and I will share about it soon.
What books did you enjoy over the last year?
—
