Review: Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan

“Jenny's touch spreads a deadly supernatural plague. She can't control her power, so she devotes her life to avoiding contact with other people in her small Southern town. Her senior year of high school, she meets the one boy she can touch...but if she's going to be with him, Jenny must learn to use the horrific power inside her to survive his devious, manipulative girlfriend, who secretly wields the most dangerous power of all.”

I had first heard of J.L. Bryan from Amanda Hocking when she mentioned him on her blog. Looking at the description I was instantly curious to see where this went. The book didn’t disappoint either.

Jenny Morton is a terrified young girl who keeps to herself, but not because she has to. What else can you do when you know you have the ability to kill someone by one simple touch? Wear long sleeves, jeans, gloves and everything to keep as much of your body hidden as possible to do the things you have to do such as school. Until the day Jenny meets somebody who can touch her and not get hurt: Seth. The possibilities whirl in Jenny’s mind until she realizes that not only is Seth dating Ashleigh, but that they both have their own secrets and Ashleigh’s intentions may not be as innocent as Seth’s…

This book is a terrific twist on the paranormal genre. You have the high school drama, the sweet romance, family business obligations, super powers, and just enough horror. The characters are captivating, each unique and with specific purpose. The ending, though it takes a different tone than the rest of the book, will take you on an unexpected turn that will have you reeling in anticipation to read Tommy Nightmare. Though Jenny Pox was a bit of a slow read for me, it was definitely worth the time. But I do feel obligated to mention that there are a couple of slightly gruesome sexual scenes as well as a lot of religious manipulation.

My rating for this book:

Jenny Pox is the first book in The Paranormals Trilogy.

Note: J.L. Bryan recommends readers be 18 years or older.

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period.  He also studied screenwriting at UCLA.  He is the author of five novels and one short-story collection.  He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories.  His goal is to provide highly original fiction like you won’t find anywhere else.  He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, as well as some dogs, cats, and domestic plants. You can follow him here:
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