Emma and Josh, by some glitch in the universe, are able to log in to Facebook 15 years before it exists. Because they ‘know’ what kind of lives they will live in their 30s, they behave differently, causing ripples in time and affecting not only their future selves but the futures of everyone around them. This makes for a fascinating story, and a very interesting study in human nature.
I would classify this book as magical realism, in that it attempts to tackle the idea that knowing one’s future is a recipe for disaster. Could one manipulate his or her unfavorable destiny without making it worse? Can even knowing about your future cause it to spontaneously change? In The Future of Us, the question is “How do we reconcile the choices we make when we are young, with the destiny of our future selves?” The culture of Facebook (encouraging users to display the details of their family and relationships, the intimate day-to-day struggles and life circumstances) is a very interesting platform to test this theory. The authors introduced a new way to time-travel, like being sent a newspaper from 2026 every morning, only way more personal. Mackler and Asher mastered the time-ripple effect/concept without the campiness of time machines or wormholes.
Anyone thinking back on their high school experience tends to spend some time wondering what would have happened had they married their high school crush, let alone had the guts to talk to them. Would his or her life be better? Worse? And for those just entering high school--some believe they are meant to be with their current flames for the rest of their lives, whereas some are serial-daters. Do our current relationships determine how happy or successful we will be down the road? And, in the case of the characters portrayed in the book, are your high school relationships the be-all-end-all determinant that most think they are when it comes to either ‘ending up’ poor and lonely or happily married with a kick-ass job? Just refreshing a Facebook page from 2011 lets them explore how even a change in their regular breakfast habit can affect who they’ll be friends with with in their 30s.
This book, because it deals with present and future characters, appeals to readers of all ages, not just teens. This was a delightfully suspenseful and intriguing novel, with a bonus lesson--that our behavior, attitude, actions and even ideas can cause not only ripples but WAVES. On the other hand, obsessing over a perceived future turns out to be a waste of a perfectly good present. There are some very cute and romantic (but not cheesy) moments, and the two main characters (written from male and female perspectives every other chapter) are realistic and endearing. A very worthy read.
