Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Title: The Future of Us
Author: Jay Asher, Carolyn Mackler

Format: Nook
Genre: Contemporary, YA,
Source:  Personal Copy
Published:   November 21st 2011 by Razorbill               
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2
 

From Goodreads.com

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

Holy Nostalgia Batman!!*  In 1996 I was 13 years old and my family was one of the first of my friends to have a computer, let alone AOL! (Although I do have to admit to spending much of my free time at my neighbors house, because she had it first...)

I absolutely loved the nostalgia of this piece! I love(d) Dave Matthews Band! So the reference to some of my favorite 90's music/products/etc made my month!!  (I cannot put enough !!! to get my point across here.) I even, momentarily, missed the dial up modem sound! 

Now; let's get into the actual book, since I'm guessing you understand that I love the 90's! Emma and Josh are childhood best friends who have sort of stressed their friendship recently thanks to the love lives that are the cause for teenage drama. Yet when Emma's Dad gives her a computer, as a gift to make up for any possible hurt feelings over the birth of her new half sister, Emma and Josh boot it up and install America Online. Only once online they find this mysterious webpage, Facebook. 

I can't even begin to imagine what I may have found had I stumbled upon Facebook at 16. (Unfortunately, I'm doubtful that my high school crush - Eric B. - would have been listed as my "Married To:" line on facebook...) I'm not sure if I'd have wanted to look! Although I can't really blame Emma and Josh for becoming obsessed. 

I have three disappointments in this book.

#1: There was no facebook stalking! They stayed on their own profiles, and beyond checking to see if they were friends with people, didn't really stalk. COME ON! Where's the reality in that?? (Don't deny that you've done it! I know you have!) 

#2: Wayne's World.

#3: The over use of the word "Bootleg" where I grew up, Bootleg has always been about prohibition, and never cassette tapes or burned CD's. I'd never heard it mentioned that way, so it sort of was like nails on the chalkboard to me. (But again; I totally get that was a regional thing - and it didn't distract from the fabulousness of this book!)

In summary, this was a fabulous book and although I doubt anyone who actually falls in to the YA category would appreciate it as much as those of us who were teen's in the 90's? I would recommend it to anyone interested in a fun contemporary(ish) novel!

*Yes, I know Batman Forever came out in 1995, not 1996... but none the less? I felt the need to relive my teenage Chris O'Donnell  fantasies!