Rant and Rave: ‘The Future of Us’

From the authors of the bestselling novels: Thirteen Reasons Why and The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things; many readers highly anticipated the release of The Future of Us. The Future of Us, by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, tells the story of two teenagers: Emma and Josh, whom both suddenly discover their own Facebook profiles – 15 years into the future. The book is set in 1996 and not many people had computers back then, much less the Internet.

Despite the interesting plot stated above, the book seems to focus on mostly the two teenagers’ relationship woes.

The downfall of book started with the little connection between the protagonists and the readers. The typical character who can acquire knowledge and information 15 years into the future should logically consider looking at future stock exchanges or sporting event outcomes, but Emma’s character did nothing, but obsess about her future Facebook husband and Facebook friends list.

Plot lines were mentioned and dropped too quickly, and there was a lack of continuity. There was no resolution of the main plotline, which seemed a bit hazy to begin with. Moreover, there was no explanation as to how the characters got in Facebook in 1996, which poses a lack of information throughout the book. As a whole, the book was inconsistent, lazy, and it is just another tale filled with girl problems.

Instead of focusing on something important like the story, the plot or characterization, the book fell into the trap of vapid and shallow teen romance. This will probably disappoint many readers have high expectations from a collaborative work by a New York Times Bestselling author and a Printz honor author. It is a shame for such an interesting premise to drown in teen romance.