The Future Of Us By Jay Asher And Carolyn Mackler

Cover Rating: 4/5 Stars
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Synopsis: It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. 
By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

The moment I saw Jay Asher's name on the cover of the book I had to get it. I loved his first book Thirteen Reasons Why and I loved this one almost as much. The premise is amazing and perfectly executed, it's the kind of thing you just know will make an awesome film. I've never read a book like this one before but I'm very glad that I picked it up. There was never a dull moment and the main characters were so real and normal. It was a very quick, very fun read. When I started this I was positive that I would love for this to happen to me but as the book went on I began to reconsider that choice. It shows that being able to see the future through Facebook may not be as good as I originally thought. I wasn't expecting a happy book from Jay Asher but it proved that he has the talent of writing both happy and sad novels. I've never heard of Carolyn Mackler before but this made me want to check out her other books.

Both main characters were exactly how you'd expect teenagers to be. Josh and Emma went so well together but they had their share of awkward moments which was refreshing compared to to some other young adult novels in which the characters all have perfect relationships. Emma was very focused on changing her future, she found little things changed it so anytime she seemed unhappy in the future she'd try to change it. Although this got kind of annoying it also showed how real her character was as that is exactly what most people would do. Josh on the other hand was more careful about what he did and was very skeptical, which was also a very normal reaction. Out of the two I most prefered Josh but I also did like Emma's part's too. The book is split between their points of view and it was great to be in each of their heads. I liked the more minor characters like Kellan and Tyson nearly as much as the main characters and enjoyed seeing how their stories interlinked.

Overall this book was a fun, quirky read. Something I found very amusing was Emma and Josh's disbelief on why people would share so much personal information online which is something that baffles me everyday yet doesn't seem to concern most other people. I would recommend this to people who want a quick enjoyable read that will keep them thinking about whether they would really want to know what was going to happen in the future.

My Favorite Quotes:
“How can you call it love when it hurt you so badly?"
"It was love because it was worth it.”

“What the hell happened to Pluto?!”

“Josh turns to me. “I can’t believe she’s writing these things.” 
“Not she,” I say. “Me.” 
“Why would anyone say this stuff about themselves on the Internet? It’s crazy!” 
“Exactly,” I say. “I’m going to be mentally ill in fifteen years, and that’s why my husband doesn’t want to be around me.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK