The Future of Us

Starred review from September 12, 2011
With collaborators like these, readers expect an ingenious hook, compelling characters, and thought-provoking content, and these two top-of-their-game authors don’t disappoint. It’s 1996, and high school junior Emma and her neighbor Josh are BFFs until an awkward, romantic moment creates tension. Then Emma gets a new computer and an AOL CD-ROM, which somehow allow her to access her future Facebook page when she goes online. She and Josh are able to read about what their lives will be like in 15 years, but what’s more, they discover that they can affect those future lives by their thoughts and actions in the present, a sobering realization with far-reaching consequences for the teenagers. Asher and Mackler’s concept is fascinating—how closely today is tied to tomorrow—and the alternating voices of the two main characters keep each chapter fresh and provide distinct perspectives on the events of the story. Though readers will not necessarily be surprised by how things turn out, the enjoyment—and the underlying message—is in simply allowing the journey to unfold. Ages 12–up.

October 15, 2011
If you had the chance to see what your life would be like 15 years in the future, would you take it? High-school students Emma Nelson and Josh Templeton were best friends until a misguided kiss last November made things between them awkward at best. But when Josh's mother forces him to give Emma a CD-ROM for America Online, the two discover that, for better or for worse, their destinies are intertwined. While installing the CD, Emma stumbles upon her Facebook page. The problem is, it's 1996. Facebook hasn't been invented yet. Emma shares her secret with Josh, and the two quickly learn that everything they do in the present has an immediate impact on their lives in the future. Unfortunately, they don't always like what they see. Can the two teenagers rewrite the future? Should they try? Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why, 2007) and Mackler's (Tangled, 2010) fantasy, told from both Emma and Josh's perspectives, makes for an entertaining but ultimately disappointing read. Focusing almost entirely on the teens' future love lives, the authors neglect 1996-era subplots involving the teens' friends and families that might have given the story additional depth and immediacy. Without question a page-turner, it's nevertheless unlikely to linger long in readers' minds. (Fantasy. 13 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

November 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-The year is 1996. Josh and Emma, lifelong best friends and neighbors, are in the midst of sorting out their awkward, possibly romantic feelings for one another when Emma receives her first computer and logs on to the Internet with a free AOL CD. Mysteriously, the teens find themselves on a website called Facebook, which has all sorts of information about their lives... 15 years in the future. This intriguing premise is an instant hook for today's social-media-savvy readers. Clever references to cassette tapes, dial-up Internet access, and camera film are sure to induce chuckles from those who remember 1996, but the nostalgia is subtle enough that the writing will feel fresh to contemporary teens, and the idea of glimpsing one's future is a tantalizing draw for any reader. Although the discovery of Facebook initially propels the plot, there is a solid and appealing story beyond the sly humor that comes from poking fun at trivial status updates. In addition to sustaining well-crafted romantic tension, the authors deftly address universal questions relevant to teens, such as, "What do I want?" and "How do my actions affect my future?" As Josh and Emma confront these dilemmas and reevaluate their feelings, their alternating first-person narratives have a sense of urgency that makes this book impossible to set aside. This quick, highly engaging read is a tremendously likable, soul-searching romantic comedy and a subtle reminder to occasionally unplug and live in the moment.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2011
Grades 8-12 *Starred Review* Popular authors Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why, 2007) and Mackler (The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, 2003) combine the mass appeal of Facebook with a thoughtful meditation on how current ideas and actions can change our futures. It's 1996, and Emma Nelson has just received her first computer. Next-door-neighbor and best-friend Josh gives her a free AOL CD-ROM to try with it. When Emma powers up the computer, she discovers her own Facebook page (even though Facebook doesn't exist yet) and herself in an unhappy marriage15 years in the future. Alternating first-person chapters from Josh and Emma over the course of five days propel this riveting read, as Emma discovers she can alter her future by adjusting her present actions and intentions. Josh's future as a wealthy graphic designer happily married to the hottest girl at their high school ought to please himbut he's in love with Emma and has been for some time. Emma now, as in the future, can't commit to her own happiness and so ignores her similar feelings for Josh, instead hopping from one shallow relationship to another. Mackler and Asher explore a hypnotic facet of Facebookthe ability to stalk our friendsand transform it with a clever, timely story that will attract any teen with a Facebook account.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
It's 1996: think Discmans, Green Day, new episodes of Seinfeld, and America Online CD-ROMs. When Emma Nelson loads an AOL disk into her computer, she's surprised to see something called "Facebook" pop up. After some investigation, Emma and her best friend, Josh, discover that Facebook allows them to see what happens to them -- and their friends and family -- fifteen years in the future. According to their profiles, Emma is married, apparently unhappily, and Josh is married to a gorgeous classmate, with two kids and a lakefront house. But their futures are fragile, and easily changed. After Emma locates and calls her future husband, she logs on to find that she's now married to someone else; after Emma and Josh fight, Josh disappears from Emma's "friend" list. Though the cultural references can be quite heavy-handed, the story is carefully constructed and works on many levels: an identity quest, a romance, a commentary on 2011 culture ("Why would anyone say this stuff about themselves on the Internet?" Josh asks. "It's crazy!"). Emma and Josh's alternating narration keeps the plot moving, and their incredulous reactions to status updates about blogs, Netflix, and smartphones are sure to make technology-saturated readers chuckle. rachel l. smith

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2012
Its 1996. When Emma loads an AOL disk into her computer, shes surprised to see something called Facebook pop up. After some investigation, Emma and her best friend, Josh, discover Facebook allows them to see what happens fifteen years in the future. The story works on many levels: identity quest, romance, cultural commentary. Emma and Joshs alternating narration keeps the plot moving.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)