The Future of Us (review)

As a teenager in 1996, Emma is only just beginning to grasp the concept of the internet, so when some recently downloaded software opens up a site called Facebook, she's taken aback. Initially she thinks the site, which contains a lot of her personal info and apparently originates some fifteen years in the future, must be a prank, but as she delves deeper, she becomes less certain. Panicking, she calls her neighbor and former best pal Josh (a recent awkward romantic encounter ended their nearly lifelong friendship) to take a look. The two become increasingly convinced of the site's authenticity, especially when they realize that decisions they're making today affect the statuses (literally) of their pages in the future. The knowledge of the future leads to some pretty serious ethical dilemmas, however (does Emma tell her best girl friend that she gets knocked up in the next year?), and soon Emma and Josh's obsession with the site is wreaking havoc on their contemporary lives. Asher and Mackler each have YA name recognition in their own right, and this book demonstrates why. Despite a premise that could easily go awry and a plot that has little to no real action, the sparkling characterizations of Emma and Josh will immediately appeal to teens. Both are capable of petulance as well as compassion, and their banter is witty even as it's laced with underlying meaning. Though the details of the '90s are a little over-kitschy at times, this capably demonstrates that the future is fascinating even after it becomes somebody else's present.