Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Title: The Future of Us

Authors: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Razorbill

Expected Publication: November 21st, 2011

Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers 

Pre-order the Book: Amazon

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.

After reading a lot of YA books with mythical creatures like vampires, werewolves, faeries, angels, and every single creature that you can imagine, this book looked so amazing and so different that when I saw it for first time, I wanted to read it immediately! How many books have you read about Facebook in 1996? None! Just this one!

The idea, like I said at the beginning is amazing and unique.  The book is written in short chapters, each chapter is told by one of the main characters, Emma or Josh, and it's super easy to read and addictive. I started reading and suddenly I found myself reading page one hundred-something and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. 

But of course, even thought I enjoyed this book a lot, there were a few things that I didn't enjoy at all.

I was waiting more. I know, this sounds like a broken CD. Every time I read a book and I'm not 100% happy with it, I say that I was waiting for more. The story and the plot looked really good, but at the end the story was just too simple for me, I wanted something more stunning, more developed, but I just found a book that talks about teenager issues and difficulties regarding their future. It was good, yes, but there were something missing. I wanted to read more about Facebook. (I know what you're thinking; Log in your FB account now! ahhaha) No, seriously, I would have liked to know more about their future, and to see a big difference… (Who read the book knows what I'm talking about) 

Emma! Even thought, the reader knows why she behaves in the way she does, I just didn't like her. I couldn't stand her. I saw her like a little girl that wants everything, and is all the time complaining because she is not happy with her life or with her future, so for me was a little bit difficult to like her. I liked Josh much more, and I laughed a lot with all his future and the girl he liked. 

Overall I liked this book. Maybe there are a lot people, who will love it, and maybe others who don't, but for me, it was only good. It's easy to read, very enjoyable, and the plot is quite different. Recommended to those who like books about teenagers who don't know what they want in their life, spiced with just a little bit of science fiction.

Happy reading!

I received this ARC through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.  

I liked it!

Carolyn Mackler graduated from Vassar College. When her book The Earth My Butt and Other Big Round Things was named as one of ALAs Top Ten Banned Books of 2006, Carolyn became an advocate against banning books. She lives with her husband and son in New York City.

Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores. Many of his work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.