21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!, November 21, 2011
Emma and Josh are next door neighbors and have been good friends since they were little. Josh gives Emma an AOL CD-ROM for her to try out since her got a new computer. It's 1996 and the internet is still a new concept and Emma is excited to sign-on. Once she does, she sees a page that says "Facebook" and it somehow connects her to her Facebook page 15 years down the road. At first she thinks it is some kind of prank, but as Emma and Josh further investigate, they realize that it's pretty much the exact opposite. What if they don't like what they see? Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler's The Future of Us is brilliant. Readers that can remember that first AOL CD and dial up internet will love to revisit this with Emma and Josh. Also, fans of time-travel will be on the edge of their seats as Emma and Josh discover more and more about their futures.
Emma and Josh are like Pacey and Joey from Dawson's Creek. I adored them. Their relationship was relatable and realistic for high school. I loved that each chapter switched from Emma's point of view and Josh's point of view. It was done really well.
The '90s references in The Future of Us were amazing. I went to high school in the '90s and it was so much fun to remember back to AOL, the problems surrounding dial-up internet, and life before all this technology. I loved the incorporation of '90s music, especially Dave Matthews (I was obsessed!) and could relate to each and every '90s reference. I felt like I was back in high school and living the experience right along side of Emma and Josh.
So, if you read my reviews before you know how much I love the idea of time-travel. Ever since I saw Marty McFly visit 1955 I was sold. In The Future of Us, the fact that Emma and Josh somehow tapped into their Facebook pages in the future is such a unique idea. It truly had me thinking, because every time Emma or Josh did something relatively big in their life, it would drastically change their Facebook pages in the future, such as their relationship status, where they lived, the jobs they had, and even their status updates. And sometimes even the smallest things changed it as well. It gave me something to think about....like what if I actually took that path? Where would I be now? I can't imagine how this would have impacted me if I read this as a teenager. It's truly thought provoking.
If you like trips down memory lane to the '90s, a sweet romance, and realistic fiction with some sci-fi elements, namely time travel, you must check out The Future of Us. It is going down as one of my favorites of 2011. Plus, I just heard that the movie rights were snatched up by Warner Bros. Can't wait!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting premise but ultimately forgettable, December 31, 2011
Set in the mid-90s, two teenagers get to peek into their futures when signing on to AOL and discovering a mysterious website called "Facebook." They quickly realize that the news feed and status updates of their future selves change based on their present-day activities. In an effort to rid their futures of bad marriages and careers, they attempt to manipulate their actions and motivations to improve their "news feed" outcomes.
The premise is definitely an interesting one, but the writing itself is a bit pedestrian and lacking ingenuity. The central characters are ultimately only concerned with catching the best possible future spouses for themselves (not exactly realistic behavior for 15-16 year old teenagers) based on their future Facebook profiles.
The overwhelming majority of the novel is concerned with romance and teenage angst. There's a few more thought provoking chapters scattered throughout the book, but as a whole its pretty run-of-the-mill.
I was excited to pick this one up given the great accolades the authors have amassed over the past several months. But I was underwhelmed by this book, in particular with the weak writing. B-
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Inventive, January 19, 2012
What would you do if you could see into your future? What would you do to change it? This is the crux of what happens to Emma and Josh. After she downloads America Online on her computer, she is able to see her Facebook page and her future several years before Zuckerberg ever invents Facebook.
The book offers an interesting premise and combines some commentary on our connected lives today. Who would share such personal information on the Internet, asks Emma. Well, we do it all the time today! The book is well-written and I enjoyed the back and forth between the two protagonists. One chapter is from Emma's point of view and the next is from Josh's. After reading a few depressing (but good) YA Lit books, this was just what I needed. It's not frothy, but it will make you think. What if.
The book is best for older middle school readers and would be useful in the classroom. I will recommend the book to others.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
