 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Future of Us
- By Carolyn Mackler, Jay Asher
- Genre: Coming of Age
Common Sense Media says
Fun time-travel twist teaches importance of now.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a book about kids growing up in the '90s who mysteriously get access to Facebook -- and their futures. This could spark discussion of whether one would want to know the future. Parents need to know that there really isn't much content to worry about here. By looking into the future, Emma sees that one of her friends gets pregnant as a teen, and there is some discussion of sex and birth control. Also, the protagonists go to a high school party where teens drink beer. Other than that, and some brand-name-dropping, there is a pretty clean story about two teens who learn to go after what they want right now.
What's the story?
When Josh gives an AOL CD-ROM to his childhood friend Emma, these teens -- living in 1996 -- can somehow tap into Facebook, which means they can see their futures. While Josh is a rich graphic artist married to a beautiful, popular high school classmate, Emma appears trapped in an unhappy marriage. And that's not all: One friend has a daughter so old she must have gotten pregnant in high school -- and Josh's brother is in a relationship with a man. As their anxiety over their futures begins to warp the present, Josh and Emma have to decide to stop worrying about tomorrow. If they don't focus on the present, they might miss out on the most important thing: a relationship with each other.
Is it any good?
Readers will have fun with the premise here, and watching how even small changes have a big impact in Emma's and Josh's future lives (as Emma intentionally intervenes with her future, she goes through several different husbands and city locations, sensing each time that she is still unhappy; Josh, meanwhile, begins a relationship with the girl destined to one day be his wife, but can't feel any spark). There may never be any doubt that these two are meant to be together, but they are each flawed enough to make for some good romantic tension leading up to that inevitable hook up. The alternating perspectives allow readers into Emma's and Josh's heads enough to understand their anxieties and track their growing realization that they need to go after what they actually want, even if it means getting hurt along the way. Ultimately, this is a well-constructed novel that's clever, provoking, and, in the end, pretty sweet.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the future. If you could know yours, would you want to? What would be the pros and cons of knowing where you go to college, who you marry, etc.? What do you think the authors' take on this idea is?
Also, were you surprised by how much life had changed in past 15 years? In Emma's house, you had to use the phone line to connect to the Internet. What were some other differences you spotted between the 1996 and now? What was the biggest surprise?
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AGE
Parents REALLY need to read first!!!
Now, this is a good book, but I am very disappointed that there is so much language and inappropriate behavior. Parents: You should definitely read this book before you let your kids read it.
It's sad, but people (authors, musicians, directors, etc.) feel they need to put in all the bad stuff just to make their book 'better', but it actually makes it worse. Now, if they left all of that stuff out, you can see that it is a great book, and lets teens see that 'back in the ol' days', you didn't really need to worry about kids spending too much time on their iPods, and they lived without them! :)
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AGE
A Spin on Time Travel!!!!
This book is a neat spin on time travel! The Future of Us is a very enjoyable book for teens. It is a very nice book teaching the signifigance of not always focussing on the future but also on now. The main characters in this books are best friends so it also teaches the importance of friendship and working together. But parents beware there is some discussion of sex and swearing.
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AGE
do you really want to see your future?
refering to the title, would you?, josh and emma go on facebook and see theyre fututre's, but emma constantly wants to change it, to make it as perfect as possible, but she just ends up making it worse, josh has already realised this and trys to stick to his future, what they both eventaully realise, is its about today, now, the present, and they decide to live it, and not care what the future says, a very good read, i rate it on for 12 and up
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AGE
Fun book!
I really enjoyed this book, and started loving the characters too. Especially Josh.
The writing was done great, and the plot was genius.
I wish I could of grown up in the 90's rather than being born in the 90's.
Still I do reccomend this book to both boys and girls, it's very enjoyable, will have you gasping, laughing, and simply feeling the embarassment and other feelings the characters fell.
Why both girls and boys should read? It's said both from a girls point of view and boys point of view.
:)
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| Authors: | Carolyn Mackler, Jay Asher |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Coming of Age |
| Publisher: | Razorbill |
| Publication date: | November 21, 2011 |
| Number of pages: | 356 |
| Hardcover price: | $18.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 14 - 14 |
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