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It’s 1996 and Emma Nelson is the proud new owner of a personal computer. Her neighbor and one-time best friend, Josh, brings over an AOL CD-ROM so Emma can use the internet on her computer. When Emma connects she is redirected to a website called Facebook, where she finds the profile of a woman who looks remarkably like an older version of herself, who has the same birth date and graduated from her high school. At first thinking this is a virus or prank loaded on the CD-ROM, Josh and Emma are skeptical, but as their actions change what is happening to the pages of their future selves, they come to realize that it’s not a prank. Emma becomes obsessed with changing her future so she’ll be happier and Josh wants her to stop changing things because he likes what he sees.

As their actions change things for both better and worse for their future selves, Josh and Emma become more aware of the choices they are making in their present.

This original new novel is an interesting look at how a teenager in 1996 would react to seeing something like Facebook years before its time. It also explores how decisions made on a daily basis can change an entire life and how a person might react if they could know what actions would change their future for the better (or the worse). If you liked Before I Fall or Gimme a Call, you’ll probably like this one.

The Future of Us is the collaborative effort of bestselling author Jay Asher and Printz Honor winning author Carolyn Mackler.