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01 February 2012

Book Review: the Future of Us by Jay Asher&Carolyn Mackler

The Future of UsThe Future of Us
by Jay Asher&Carolyn Mackler
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages:
Hardcover, 356
Young Adult
Date Published:
November 21 2011
Source: Library
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It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

REVIEW:
     Even though I'm not that old (16) The Future of Us is still a blast from the past. I remember the slow and painful dialing up of the internet and the " Welcome! You've Got Mail" of AOL every time you logged on. That is one of the many reasons I  believe I instantly fell in love with The Future of Us.
     Imagine getting on the Internet and seeing yourself 15 years in the future on a site you would have never heard of. If I were in that situation I would be just as freaked out as our two main characters Josh and  Emma. John and Emma are the best friends who lived next to each other for their entire lives. Always being friends and nothing more. This all changes when Emma starts up AOL and finds herself on Facebook. From that point on everything she does in the present affects what happens to her future self. She does everything to keep her future self happy and make a  better life. Josh who is a little adverse to it also embraces it to keep his life the same for his perfect future. Everything from that point on is governed by Facebook and even affects Josh and Emma's relationship with one another at times.
     Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler are excellent in their writing styles. I couldnt even tell that the book was written by two people. It was so seamless. Both of their writing styles are great and they each give the characters a unique voice which is really good when the book is told from dual views.  Also their relaying of emotion could be felt by the reader which I think is hard to find in some books. The whole premise of Future of Us is a really unique one. Who would ever have thought of it and is a great addition in the YA segment.
     I would recommend you read The Future of Us even if the synopsis doesn't draw you in. It was a quick, light,and fluffy read that Im sure everyone would enjoy. It brought a feeling of warmth to my heart once I reached the final chapter and was a great book to read after reading so many action packed dystopians and fantasies. But that doesnt mean it doesnt provide action because it does. So go pick up The Future of Us! 

3 comments:

  1. I've been meaning to pick this book up for a while so I'm glad you enjoyed it! I loved Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher! I loved that it reminded you of the old dial up days and how you couldn't even tell there was two authors because of their seamless writing, that's awesome! Thanks for the great review Pat! :)

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  2. Yay, I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed this one too. I love the feeling of nostalgia that I got from reading the Future of Us. I was really young when I started using the Internet so even if I was a lot younger than the main characters during the 90s I still found that I was able to relate to a lot of the things they were going through.

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  3. I've heard iffy things about this book, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) Considering my age, I doubt I'd feel the blast of the past that you mention. However, I am inclined to read this book because it's [partially] written by Jay Asher! :D Awesome review, Patrick!

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