Bionic

Gr 8 Up—Lacrosse star Mira's dreams of an athletic scholarship are crushed when she is in a car accident on the way to a gig with her band. When she wakes up, she has brain damage that keeps her confused and an arm and a leg have been amputated. Mira is put forth as a civilian candidate for experimental surgeries to receive a microchip in her head and cable yarn muscles, along with realistic-looking limbs. She is banned from sports as a result of her enhancements and impulsively quits school as a result. Her brain chip lets her learn skills (like guitar) just from watching someone else play, but the chip might be altering her personality. Taking place in modern times with advanced medical technology, this story deals with the struggles of reinventing oneself after change. Uneven pacing holds the book back at times, but the emotional relationships Mira has with family and friends help to propel her to learn who she is after the accident. Weyn writes a novel filled with hopes and dreams while believably portraying the physical and mental aspects of the rehab process. Teens who enjoyed Mary E. Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox or Megan Miranda's Soulprint will pick this up.