A few years ago I read and loved Mary Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I was overjoyed when I recently discovered that she had written a companion novel. I was fortunate to pick up a signed ARC of The Fox Inheritance (The Jenna Fox Chronicles) at BEA and I read through it during the 48-Hour Book Challenge. I was not disappointed.
Sequels don’t always hold up well, especially when the first book is really good. But The Fox Inheritance (The Jenna Fox Chronicles) works for a few reasons. The characters are new and not the same main characters as the first book. They are well-developed and I found myself rooting for them even more than I rooted for Jenna in the first book. Another thing that works well is that the setting is 250 years after the events in the first book. The world-building is superb and detailed. For these reasons, The Fox Inheritance works well as a stand-alone novel, too.
Thanks to advances in science and medicine, the disembodied minds of Kara and Locke (friends of Jenna who were also in the same car accident) have bene give new bodies. But the world has changed drastically since their “death” and the man who has brought them to life has plans to use them as models for his new business venture. Meanwhile, Locke and Kara are struggling. Are they really human? And why did Jenna get to live her life while they were stuck floating in cyberspace? When they find out that Jenna is still alive, Kara and Locke set off to find her and enter a world that has been divided by Civil War and is populated by droids and humans.
Highly recommended. The Fox Inheritance is perfect for science fiction fans and mystery fans. It is thought-provoking and I imagine that students will want to talk about the issues of humanity and human rights brought up by the plot. Our world is rapidly changing and the rights of droids, the ability to “save” memories, and much more may be a possibility sooner rather than later. Perfect for upper middle grade and high school readers.
Filed under: reviews | Tagged: adoration of jenna fox, fox inheritance, mary pearson, possible summer reading 2012, science fiction books |
The Reading Zone 
I’m so excited to read this one! Can’t wait!
I’m not a sci-fi person per se, but this sounds uber-cool. And I think you’re right: books like these can help frame discussions about topics that seemed like pure fantasy when we were kids, but are well on their way to becoming reality now.
Jon, Children’s Book Insider
I still need to read the first novel. As soon as I saw the cover on your post, I thought it had to be related to the first. I love that the covers complement each other so well and can’t wait to read them.