REVIEW: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Title: The Future of Us
Author: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Genre: Young Adult
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers
Published: November 21, 2011 by Razorbill

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.

Why I Read this Book: Ever since I read Thirteen Reasons Why (my review), I’ve been waiting for Jay Asher to pen another book. If you haven’t read TRW, you need to. It will change you, it will move you, and it will make you cry. It will have an everlasting affect on you. It’s been about 2 years since I’ve read it and I still think about TRW. And since reading Tangled (my review), I’ve been wanting to read another book by Carolyn Mackler as well. So when I found out these two authors collaborated on a novel, I was itching with anticipation to get my hands on it.

What I Liked: Emma has no idea what ‘Facebook’ is, or why she can see what her future self writes on the internet, but she’s intrigued. I was intrigued. She checks to see where her future self lives, who she’s ‘friends’ with, who she married, whether or not she has kids – it just goes on and on and on. Can you imagine what it would be like for your 16-year old self to see your future self on Facebook? Or to realize that the smallest decisions you make today, right now, like whether or not you ditch school, can make an impact on your future? The endless possibility of ‘what if…’ questions start to come.

The Future of Us was pure nostalgia for me. I’d come across something from those good ole days and would think oh yeah, I remember that! Asher and Mackler took me back to 1996, when I myself was 16 years old and a senior in high school. I was happy to revisit those days in Emma’s shoes. Beepers were all the rage and everyone wanted one. I remember trying to sell my mom on the idea of me having one. “You’ll be able to reach me whenever you want! Just beep me and I’ll call you right back. Pleeeeeeeeeease can I get one?.”

Tyson: “I tried getting my dad to buy me a beeper for my birthday but he thinks only doctors and drug dealers need them.”

Josh: “Why do you want one?”

Tyson: “So people can reach me if they need to.”

Josh: “Are you really that in demand?”

LOL!! Weren’t we all ‘in demand’? Cell phones were just coming out. A friend of mine had one but kept it hidden and rarely used it. When she let me use it to call my mom, I almost died from the excitement. Caller ID became popular, putting an end to crank calls. The internet was born and AOL was the gateway to the world wide web (with its very distinctive, yet annoying, dial up tones and screeches). And scrunchies were worn without the embarrassment you’d have if you were to wear one today. Ah, the good ole days.

What I Didn’t Like: I only wish there had been an epilogue. Damn, I needed that epilogue. I would have given The Future of Us a 5-frog rating if only it had an epilogue.

Overall Impression: While it’s taken me a week or longer to read a single book, it only took me 2 days to read The Future of Us. I didn’t want to put this book down until I finished it. I hid in my room, locked myself in the bathroom – I did whatever it took to finish this book. These authors took a simple yet ingenious concept and turned it into a brilliant and riveting story. It was easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. This is a book that will appeal to people of all ages. In fact, my mom has this book on her wishlist! Guess who’s getting a copy for Christmas

The Book Vixen’s Rating: