The Future of Us

by Jay Asher

Summary:
It's 1996. Emma just got her first computer complete with Internet access thanks to an America Online CD her friend Josh gave her.  As she logs in for the first time a web page comes up, a webpage called Facebook. The page gives her a glimpse 15 years into the future.  A way to look not only at her life but at the lives of her friends and how they turned out.  But what she sees isn't that great, in fact life might not turn out all that great for her.  But she's got a chance to change it, so those sad status' she posts might never exist.

Review:
The Future of Us is a fun read about the consequences that even everyday actions might have on our future.  We have no idea what might affect the way our lives turn out, a random decision can have a radical effect on how our lives might turn out.  Emma is given a way to see how her decisions each day affect her future.  Ultimately she also must learn that even though the things we do today might shape our tomorrow, we ultimately have to live each day the best we can and hope that it all turns out alright in the long term. 

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8th-9th Grade