Mini-reviews: Future Shock + Dreamology

Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs

pub 4/1/16 by Albert Whitman & Co
YA - Science Fiction
Received at ALAMW16

Future Shock was a fast-paced, engaging book that involves time travel, shady corporations and five teens on a mission. Elena Martinez has a eidetic memory, which she's kept secret. But somehow a powerful corporation knows and approaches her for a top-secret project to travel into the future. It’s an opportunity that would solve all her problems if she were to accept and she does. She meets her team and their instructions are simple: retrieve important info from the future, do not look themselves up and return in 24 hours. And naturally, when they all arrive in the future, everything goes to hell and they have no choice but to break all the rules in order to discover the truth and return safely. I was sucked into the story by two things. One — the urgency of their mission which I certainly felt as they raced against time and the unknown. And two — the characters, namely Elena and one of the other teens, Adam, a science prodigy whose reasons for joining the mission seem mysterious. Elena was the perfect heroine for this. Smart and distrusting but with a vulnerability that starts to show as we get to know her. I wanted her to outsmart everyone. Likewise, Adam was the perfect foil for her. Everything about him seemed perfect but he has a story too and in spite of what she doesn’t know, Elena trusts him. I enjoyed their dynamic from the start. The other teens on the team each added to the story as well and I liked the motley crew they all formed.

Do I recommend? I do! I was worried about this one but it sucked me into the story from page one. If you’re in the mood for a quick page-turner, you might want to check this out.

Dreamology by Lucy Keating

pub 4/12/16 by HarperTeen
YA - Scifi / Contemp
Received via Edelweiss

I’ll be honest - Dreamology is pretty out there and while certain explanations worked within the context of the story, it doesn’t actually make sense. And I was totally okay with that. Something told me to keep reading and I’m glad I did. It’s cute and funny and left me going “aww!” by the last page.

Alice has been dreaming of Max her entire life and can vividly recall every adventure they’ve had together in them. He’s literally her dream guy. But then on the first day at a new school, she sees him. Turns out Max is actually real but of course, reality doesn’t exactly line up with the fantasy. The two have to get to know each other and we alternate between seeing their combined dreams and in real life interactions. I enjoyed both! But there’s a bigger mystery at large. Why do they dream of each other in the first place? And why does it seem like the lines between their dreams and reality are starting to blur? It’s a super quick read and it’s all about finding much-needed answers and finding their way to each other. But for me, I think my favorite parts of the book were: Alice’s crazy and sometimes stubborn nature (she’s funny!), the friendships and the whole notion that reality can be better than the fantasy.

Do I recommend? If you’re in the mood for something quick and cute, I would recommend this.