Bookanista Review: THE FUTURE OF US
What it’s About:
It’s 1996, and less than half of all American high school students
have ever used the Internet.
Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.
Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on-and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.
Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.
What I thought:
This book is set in high school in 1996. I was in high school in 1996. I was a freshman, not a senior, but I still related to everything the characters were going through at the time. I loved all the little references to that time period, like discmans, and oh those AOL CDs. I remember them fondly. I kept smiling as I was reading about all the small things I remembered. Beepers! Without a beeper, I would never have gotten picked up from after school activities!
While I was reading, I couldn’t help but imagine what my 1996-high-school self would find if she logged onto her future facebook account. In an experiment, I decided to see what my past-self would find. And, lol. The day I looked, I had just taken FB quizzes for Sailor Moon and Buffy. I was having a conversation with my high school best friend on my wall about meeting up with another high school friend. I had posted a snarky comment on one of my sister’s photos. Basically-NOTHING HAD CHANGED. In HS, I loved Sailor Moon and Buffy. Obviously I hung out with my HS friends all the time back then and making snarky comments to my sister was like my favorite past time!
Clearly this is why I was not the subject of the book. Emma and Josh have a much more exciting story that follows. I loved the way they were able to change their futures by altering small things in their presents, like how Emma decided she didn’t want a certain food and then her future self was eating a different meal. I also loved how one character got a future they wanted and the other didn’t. It was nice to see both sides of the story.
I also loved how the future presented a problem in the present for one of Emma’s friends and she had to make the decision about interfering and helping or not. I felt that gave both timelines a grounded perspective.
My only complaint was that the book lacked a reference to MY SO-CALLED LIFE. I can only assume this was an editing mistake that will be corrected in the final version. (I kid, I kid.)
I loved this read!
CHECK OUT WHAT THE OTHER BOOKANISTAS ARE READING THIS WEEK:
Elana Johnson offers a preview of upcoming awesome!
LiLa Roecker dances for Audition
Christine Fonseca is wowed by Witch Eyes
Beth Revis features a guest post by Darkfall author Janice Hardy
Carolina Valdez Miller steps up to Audition - with giveaway
Shana Silver contemplates The Future of Us
Carrie Harris is dazzled by Don’t Stop Now
Corrine Jackson celebrates the success of Epic Fail
Shelli Johannes-Wells is psyched for some swell book launches!
Originally published at shana-silver.com. You can comment here or there.
It’s 1996, and less than half of all American high school students
have ever used the Internet.
Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.
Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on-and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.
Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.
What I thought:
This book is set in high school in 1996. I was in high school in 1996. I was a freshman, not a senior, but I still related to everything the characters were going through at the time. I loved all the little references to that time period, like discmans, and oh those AOL CDs. I remember them fondly. I kept smiling as I was reading about all the small things I remembered. Beepers! Without a beeper, I would never have gotten picked up from after school activities!
While I was reading, I couldn’t help but imagine what my 1996-high-school self would find if she logged onto her future facebook account. In an experiment, I decided to see what my past-self would find. And, lol. The day I looked, I had just taken FB quizzes for Sailor Moon and Buffy. I was having a conversation with my high school best friend on my wall about meeting up with another high school friend. I had posted a snarky comment on one of my sister’s photos. Basically-NOTHING HAD CHANGED. In HS, I loved Sailor Moon and Buffy. Obviously I hung out with my HS friends all the time back then and making snarky comments to my sister was like my favorite past time!
Clearly this is why I was not the subject of the book. Emma and Josh have a much more exciting story that follows. I loved the way they were able to change their futures by altering small things in their presents, like how Emma decided she didn’t want a certain food and then her future self was eating a different meal. I also loved how one character got a future they wanted and the other didn’t. It was nice to see both sides of the story.
I also loved how the future presented a problem in the present for one of Emma’s friends and she had to make the decision about interfering and helping or not. I felt that gave both timelines a grounded perspective.
My only complaint was that the book lacked a reference to MY SO-CALLED LIFE. I can only assume this was an editing mistake that will be corrected in the final version. (I kid, I kid.)
I loved this read!
CHECK OUT WHAT THE OTHER BOOKANISTAS ARE READING THIS WEEK:
Elana Johnson offers a preview of upcoming awesome!
LiLa Roecker dances for Audition
Christine Fonseca is wowed by Witch Eyes
Beth Revis features a guest post by Darkfall author Janice Hardy
Carolina Valdez Miller steps up to Audition - with giveaway
Shana Silver contemplates The Future of Us
Carrie Harris is dazzled by Don’t Stop Now
Corrine Jackson celebrates the success of Epic Fail
Shelli Johannes-Wells is psyched for some swell book launches!
Originally published at shana-silver.com. You can comment here or there.