In the digital age, children’s and adolescents’ willingness to engage in reading for pleasure seems to be on the decline, and has been linked to a potential impact of digitization on deep and/or absorbed reading - characterized by sustained attention to and open reflection on the story world. However, research has shown that certain types of non-linear digital narratives, such as enhanced e-books, could potentially facilitate highly absorbing reading experiences, yet empirical research is currently lacking in this area, notably on developing readers (ages 12-14). This study reports on an empirical reader-response study that was designed to shed light on the extent to which adolescent readers’ absorption in enhanced e-books can be predicted by distinct reader, text, and media related variables. Data on 299 reader-respondents of three enhanced e-books was gathered through questionnaires, and the quantitative analyses revealed that absorption was significantly predicted by four reader related, two text related, and one media related variables. With regard to the multimedia materials in the novels, the results suggest that the use of static images has the greatest potential to facilitate the construction of mental models in readers, thus promoting absorption. The findings are discussed in relation to reading promotion among specific groups, and provide valuable insights for authors, publishing companies, and future research on the compatibility of digital narratives with absorbed reading.

Keywords: Reading education, digitization, E-books.