The Future of Us

Author: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
  Pages: 356

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication: November 21st 2011

Age Group: Young Adult (12-18)

Book Source: Purchased

Challenge(s)- TBR Challenge(2012)

 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.

 ***

Goodreads Summary 

 To be honest- I thought it was rushed. This entire novel happens in about five days- but it was perfectly balanced with background information- although some times as reading it you would get confused- like- you thought this was this but it is actually that and then it actually wasn't that- by the time you figured it out it had already been changed. 

In certain ways it was alike 13 Reasons Why- for underlying themes. In 13RW-  assuming we can all agree that 13RW is about how everyone effects everyone else- whether it be positive or a negative way.  As for Hannah it was usually a negative way- considering there were "13 Reasons Why" she killed herself. 

Something to add about 13RW - that I think is kinda cool- on halloween at our school we had to dress up as a favorite book character and present them as we think they would be in the real world. I dressed up as Hannah Baker (vintage-y clothing)- and tried to embrace  her character- in our skit was the main characters from CUT by Patricia McCormick,  the dead girl form WINTERGIRLS- Laurie Halse Anderson, and Mara Dyer from the UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER- lets just say this skit was rather depressingly awesome. Wouldn't it be great to see how Katniss and  Bella Swan would get along (or not!). 

ANYWAY,  back to the subject at hand. So 13RW was about how our choices affect other people. In this book it is about how our choices effect the future. So when Josh and Emma start stalking their own Facebook pages- and learning about they're future- when Emma learns she is super unhappy- she keeps making choice on purpose to change her "unfortunate" future.  Of course Josh thinks its dangerous- cause he loves his future- soon everything they do is about their future. The ending was cute- super cute. 

Also the romance was super obvious(ish)- but I really liked it. I applaud you once again Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler- I wonder what you have in store for us next...

“How can you call it love when it hurt you so badly?"
"It was love because it was worth it.”
― Jay Asher, The Future of Us

“And what if in the future we're at war again, or we still haven't elected a non-white or non-male president, or the Rolling Stones are still dragging their tired old butts on stage? That would depress me way too much.”
― Jay Asher, The Future of Us   

 “Why does it say she has three hundred and twenty friends?" Josh asks. "Who has that many friends?”
― Jay Asher, The Future of Us

Twisted

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages: 250

Publisher: Viking Junvenile

Publication: March 20th 2007

Age Group: Young Adult (14-18)

Book Source: Borrowed

Challenge(s)- TBR Challenge(2012)

 Awards:

South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult Book Award (2010), ALA Teens' Top Ten (2008), Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award Nominee (2008), Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2011)

  
    Just another high school senior- Tyler Miller. He isn't special- he is just there. But that's  never been a big deal to him. At least not until last year. He wanted to be remembered- counted for. He wanted to be a legend. Not only a legend- he wanted to be a man. Now he strolls the halls- half of the people are scared of him or hate him, the other half love what he did- and his new body that he acquired from a summer of rough community service.

       This attracts the attention of Bethany.

Bethany Milbury. Queen of their high school. Queen of everything. Also- Tyler's secret obsession for the last couple years. She is his father's bosses daughter. She is the sister of Chip. Also known as biggest dumb jock in the school- whose hatred is out to get Tyler. 

       For Tyler everything is changing. His home life, his mom, his dad, his sister, Yoda- school, Bethany. His entire life is falling apart- its finally time he find his place. Is Tyler Prey- or Predator?

     This book  is definitely a Laurie Halse Anderson Book. Woah. You read this book thinking about Catalyst, Speak, and Prom... they are all set up the same and in everyone of these books by her she tackles new scary issues with great perspective. Anderson harnesses the feeling of guilt justice, and personifies it in all her novels At only 250 pages- I tore through this Stand-Alone novel in one night- and the end left me very satisfied.

     In Twisted, I think one of the main themes is expectations. All of these expectations people set for us now-a-days. Even expectations we set for ourselves. The entire time reading this book all I could think about was not to long ago I had a friend run away for the night. Just to escape and save her sanity. On the outside, you really couldn't tell anything was wrong. You just can't tell. You can't ever know the whole story. So, you really have no right to judge- anybody- anyone but yourself. I think my friend judged herself so harshly she nearly went crazy lusting after perfection and being good enough- but how can we be good enough for anyone else- if we aren't good enough for ourselves.

     There are times when we put so much pressure on ourselves day by day bye day until we just crack. Crack and fall apart. All of these expectations haunt us day and night- because truth be told- we cannot live up to these expectations. We can never be good enough to fulfill our own expectations that we set for ourselves. Because even if we fulfill our initial expectations- we set more and more. That's why I think they recognize perfectionist as almost a mental condition. Because as soon as we fulfill any  expectations- we make more and more.  When you get in that frame of mind- it is so hard to stop. Your mind cycles through thoughts of not being good enough and all these things you need to do- and it won't stop until you make it.

     This book is immensely important- it is about taking control. And taking responsibility. Admitting you are human- you cannot be perfect but you can be yourself- which is a million times better than being anyone else. As soon as you start relying on expectations- and realize it- something is seriously wrong.  Motivation is one thing- expectations is another. We need to expect we cannot be all we want to- but in no way do we need to.

“Everybody told me to be a man. Nobody told me how.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Twisted