Book Review - The Future of Us

Title: The Future Of Us
Author: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: 5 Jan 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0857076076

Synopsis
It's 1996 and very few high school students have ever used the internet. Facebook will not be invented until several years in the future. Emma just got a computer and an America Online CD. She and her best friend Josh power it up and log on - and discover themselves on Facebook in 2011. Everybody wonders what they'll be like fifteen years in the future. Josh and Emma are about to find out. 




My Review
I saw this in a shop a couple of months ago and thought it looked quite interesting but didn't get it and then forgot about it. I then saw lots of Blog posts about it and again I was intrigued, but still didn't request it. I saw it again a couple of weeks ago and decided it was cropping up too much to ignore, so i got home and logged onto the 'Virtual Library' and put a request in for it.
It turned up at the library at the beginning of this week and i brought it straight home. 
I loved the idea of this book, in 1996 I would have been 8, I don't remember much from then but it's great to have some things brought back to me through this book, and as the world is today, it's strange to think of one without internet and Facebook.
This book is told from 2 different points of views Josh and Emma, they have been best friends since childhood, and are next door neighbours. But when things between them change they start to drift apart. Now 6 months later Josh provides Emma with an Online CD giving her internet access at home, but when she logs on a website called Facebook pops up. What they see is a mixture of scary and cool, it shows themselves 15 years in the future.

This really is a fabulous idea, the future starts to take over Emma and Josh's lives, every move they make could affect their future and it starts to make them nervous. I always thought I would quite like to see what the future holds in store for me, I always imagined married with kids, and a job I love (still not sure exactly what i want to be, so maybe looking ahead would give me an idea) but after reading this and considering the situation I've come to the conclusion that I am better off not knowing. Live every day as it comes.

The Future of Us was quite predictable in places, I knew how it would turn out, but the journey getting there was definitely worth it. The story flowed well and was very intriguing and gripping. I think i liked Josh as a character better, he just seemed more approachable and sensible, but Emma had spark and I did empathize with her.

I haven't read anything by either of these authors before, but I am definitely going to get something else. I've heard '13 Reasons Why' by Jay Asher is fab.
Overall I did really enjoy this and its a great idea and well thought through and delivered.
I also loved the comments about Facebook in the book, about pointless status updates people insist on sharing, it's so true! made me laugh.

My Rating