Sunday, March 31, 2013

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler


Published: November 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 356
Copy Provided by: Library
Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

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:

Let's be honest, I don't often read contemporary novels but I couldn't turn this one away because of the author's names and reputations.  I really enjoyed Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.  It should be a requirement reading title for all Jr High school students.  Carolyn Mackler has been on my TBR list for years....(sorry I haven't chipped away enough of my list to hit one of your titles yet Carolyn).  

Dual authored titles are such a hit and miss type of publication.  For The Story of Us though, Asher and Mackler did a fantastic job.  I would love to ask them how they managed to write together and make things so cohesive.  Did Jay write Josh's chapters and did Carolyn write Emma's?  Do the authors live in the same city or did they do everything virtually?

Let's talk characters...Emma and Josh have a wonderful friendship that they have developed over the years until that one fateful day when Josh realizes that his feelings have changed for Emma.  Unfortunately, it is unrequited love.  What a mess (but a common mess, yes?).  Emma and Josh are drawn back together as friends when they discover Facebook on Emma's new computer when they set up AOL.  Facebook gives them a glimpse of their future selves and even changes according to the decisions they make in their present lives as teens.  Can you imagine how your life might change just by making simple choices now?  I loved this idea and how it was executed.  As an adult, I could totally identify with this book because I remember when AOL was on CD and you had to dial up to use the internet.  HOWEVER, I'm not sure how well teens nowadays would relate. I feel that adult fans of the YA contemporary genre will enjoy this title but I would be reluctant to refer this one to a teen at our local branch unless they were very open minded. (Doesn't mean I still didn't love it though!)


4 comments:

  1. I kind of felt the same way. I LOVED it, I'm not sure teens will totally get it -- but I still think they might enjoy it. We read it for book club, but only a couple kids read it (too close to finals). The ones that did liked it, but they didn't rave about it.

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  2. It had a lot of potential. Maybe if things were tweaked a bit it would have had more meaning for current day teens. It made me feel young again. :)

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  3. I enjoyed this one, but I wished the plot with the friend had been tied up better. P.S. I featured you for A-Z today.

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