This is the first novel I’ve read from Brashares that is not Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants related.
Seventeen-year-old Prenna knows the rules. Since she and the others in her community immigrated to New York from the future – a time of disease and death – the rules have been repeated endlessly.
Don’t tell anyone where you’re from. Don’t interfere with history. Don’t become intimate with anyone outside of the community.
However, Prenna has always felt that nice, good-looking classmate Ethan Jarves knew something. As much as she tried to follow the rules and be very careful to not reveal anything, his eyes held perceptiveness – almost a shared secrecy.
When Prenna is faced with the truth about her community and what they are – or are not – doing to prevent the future plague, she’s forced to decide where her loyalties lie.
And if she needs to break the rules…
Initially, I didn’t feel as connected to Prenna as all the characters in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books – but I was intrigued by the time travel aspect and wanted to know more.
With a little time, I did become more interested in the characters and felt the danger beginning to peak along with my curiosity as I got almost halfway through The Here and Now.
I still do feel that The Here and Now could have benefitted from more of a build-up – especially on the character development side – but the concepts of the future are thought-provoking and kind of saved the book for me.
Personally, I liked the idea that in the future the value of having a physical item, versus a digital version, would become more cherished and appreciated. Like – ahem – books. Thankyouverymuch.
The Here and Now really revs up once there’s a goal, a purpose, to the narrative of the story. It began to improve tremendously from that point on – the details of which I am not going to reveal here so you can be swept along blindly and happily.
With some good plot twists, The Here and Now became pretty gripping – despite having, in my opinion, a rather weak romantic element.
By the end I found The Here and Now to be kinda cool and kinda different.The Here
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