In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer, Assistant Editor
Brashares, Ann. The Here and Now. Delacorte, 2014. [256p]. Library ed. ISBN 978-0-385-90629-6 $21.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-385-73680-0 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-307-97615-4 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys    R Gr. 7–10.

Twelve rules have governed Prenna James’ life for the last four years, and she’s about to break nearly every single one. As a time traveler from a plague-ravaged 2098 now trying to fit into 2014, Prenna mostly interacts with her fellow time travelers in their tightknit community, avoiding any interference with the “natural sequence” of time, keeping her past secret, and never developing any emotional or physical relationship with any “time native.” Her blossoming romance with Ethan Jarves, a time-native classmate, defies these strictures, but Ethan has secrets of his own, namely that he’s been in contact with Prenna’s estranged father, who has informed Ethan that the event that destroys Prenna’s world is set to occur soon—and it could be prevented. The technicalities of time travel mostly fall to the wayside here, making room for a swiftly moving but intricately plotted mystery and, of course, a swoonworthy romance. Brashares pairs all the sweetness, anxiety, and joy of a first love with the high stakes of a pending apocalypse, and the result is both poignant and thrilling, especially as events lead Prenna and Ethan to some difficult and worldsaving decisions. Prenna is entirely authentic as a teenaged girl who has seen more than her fair share of suffering and struggles with her own desire to be happy. The environmental message is surprisingly subtle, while Prenna’s appreciation of the comforts of the early twenty-first century and her belief that disaster can be averted is refreshingly upbeat amidst the usual doom and gloom of most dystopias.

...

pdf

Share