Jenny Pox

By: JL Bryan

Narrated by: Ashlyn Selich

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Eighteen-year-old Jenny Morton has a horrific secret: her touch spreads a deadly supernatural plague, the "Jenny pox." She lives by a single rule: Never touch anyone. A lifetime of avoiding any physical contact with others has made her isolated and painfully lonely in her small rural town.

Then she meets the one boy she can touch, and her life begins to change. Jenny feels herself falling for him, but first Jenny must learn to use the deadly pox inside her to confront her new enemy, a girl who secretly wields the most dangerous power of all.

©2010 Jeffrey Lewis Bryan (P)2013 Jeffrey Lewis Bryan

Great story. Not for kids or YA.

I adored this book and the thought that went into it. I was a little surprised by the teen drinking and blatant drug use but wasn't put off.
Thus is a gritty story of a girl who is persecuted by her peers and a popular girl who becomes obsessed with torturing her.
They both have supernatural powers. They both want the same boy. SOMEONE PLEASE GO BACK AND EDIT THIS AUDIOBOOK! AUDIBLE YOU SHOULD BE PAYING BETTER ATTENTION. The atrocious audio editing almost ruined a wonderful story. At one point the repetition is so bad I forgot what they were talking about.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

This recording needs an editor

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Editing. See narration comment below.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The premise was a break from the common story line.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Ashlyn Selich?

Only if the narrator gets an editor. There are multiple locations where the narrator repeats a line in an attempt to get a better reading. Unfortunately the earlier versions are not removed. This gets very annoying when the narrator repeats the same line 3 or 4 times.

Any additional comments?

Many young adult novels can appeal to adults too. Unless you want to relive the worst parts of high school, this is not recommended for those who were not in the cool or popular crowd. The memories this book brought out are far from pleasant.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Be Careful

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

There are a few problems with this audio adaptation - there are spots where sentences are repeated (sometimes two or three times), with the narrator doing alternate takes, or retakes - these needed to be edited out, as it does ruin the experience somewhat.

These are predominantly in the first half of the book, though do continue throughout.

The Paranormals is a great series, but I wouldn't recommend this as an entry point.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jenny Pox?

The climax is horrifying, and very visceral - it's not something that will leave you quickly.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Ashlyn Selich?

I find her to be an adequate narrator, though one needing to work more closely with an editor, due to the issues listed above.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not for me

What would have made Jenny Pox better?

This story was about high school students, it had way too much drug use, sexual situations & teen pregnancies (as a result of a church function!).

What could JL Bryan have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Left out all the drugs!

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I had no complaints about the performance, just what she was performing.

Any additional comments?

I am really disappointed in this story. I have made myself listen to 23 of 29 chapters & I just don't care what happens to any of them anymore. The antagonist is extremely annoying, I am tired of her. I will not be finishing the story & will request a refund.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Absofreakinglutely Terrible Editing

What made the experience of listening to Jenny Pox the most enjoyable?

Nothing it was awful to listen to. Lines are repeated constantly so that you can't get into the rhythm of the story.

What other book might you compare Jenny Pox to and why?

The Aracana series. It is similar with kids who have powers like death, disease and life.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She didn't know how to pronounce some of the words that seemed to be easy words that she should have known. Examples are: pliant she said plaint; misshapen she said misshappen; adapted she said adopted; class valedictorian she said class victorian; dour she said doer. I stopped writing them down after the first few chapters there are just too many.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I love this story it made me feel bad for the girl and then hopeful and cheering for her.

Any additional comments?

This book needs to be re-edited yesterday I will be contacting audible because this is ridiculous.

Better than I expected.

I originally had some doubts about the book, but I figured that I'd give it a try. There are times when the narrator repeats herself a few times, as if trying out different ways to say something, that can be a bit annoying. I wish they would have caught that in editing. I agree with others that it does have a "Carry" vibe, but I love the twist at the end. Overall, I'd recommend it.

Loved the story

Any additional comments?

The story kept my attention, it did not seem to drag anywhere. I truly felt for the characters.

Audio editor, yes. It only really annoyed me a couple of times, but does pull you out of the book when someone says the same line 8 to 10 times.

I would still get the book though. I only hope they go back and fix it.

A quick and fun read

Where does Jenny Pox rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a great story. Super fun. I have an older teen and although I wouldn't have him to read this story with "approval" for the things in it, I think it's a good example of how kids actually are these days. I wouldn't stop him from reading it but I'd like to discuss it first. For sure this is NOT a YOUNG adult book. Do not let your pre-teens read this. Lots of pot smoking, sex and even drinking and driving occur. It's a fantasy book, but the characters seem real, they talk like the kids talk these days and it's very current with it's references to current things.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the premise and the fast pace. I listen on my lunch break and I look forward to my 1/2 hour each day.

Have you listened to any of Ashlyn Selich’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first book by Ashlyn Selich

Any additional comments?

Yes some editing needs to take place. There are several places where the narrator is clearly repeating trying to get the best take. Someone needs to clean that up, it gets annoying.

Great book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I really liked this book! It keep you into the book no dull story here

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jenny and Seth