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kathlgpa's review against another edition
3.0
3 and a half.
This was an interesting premise. If you could look into your romantic future with someone, would you? And if you see the future and don't like it, can you change it?
I didn't really sympathize with either narrator but I wanted to see what happened with them.
A lighter read but with some ideas that make you think of heavier questions in your own life.
This was an interesting premise. If you could look into your romantic future with someone, would you? And if you see the future and don't like it, can you change it?
I didn't really sympathize with either narrator but I wanted to see what happened with them.
A lighter read but with some ideas that make you think of heavier questions in your own life.
bmg20's review against another edition
3.0
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
“Most people choose their futures by accident. They don’t even know they’re making choices. They don’t even know that there are forks in the road – much less forks within forks. The future no longer has to be messy. It can be tested out. It can be known.”
In an alternate yet still contemporary Baltimore, there is a flourishing market of Envisionists: doctors that are trained to show people a small glimpse of their future. A cup of pills, a virtual reality helmet and a name of a person gives you the ability to what your future would look like in a relationship with that given person. And with a discount package (Five visits for the price of three!) you can catch a glimpse of multiple futures with multiple different individuals. The Future for Curious People centers around two individuals: Evelyn and Godfrey.
Evenlyn Shriner is a librarian who is most likely addicted to envisioning (she’s had five sessions in the past two weeks). She’s just broken up with her boyfriend of almost two years after their envisioning session showed them singing Happy Birthday (in Spanish, no less) to a chihuahua and arguing about cheese. Godfrey Burkes works a deadend job at a place called The Department of Unclaimed Goods and has just proposed to his overbearing girlfriend. Her stipulation before saying yes is for them both to go to an envisionist, just to make sure they’re right for each other. At Dr. Chin, the envisionist who’s office smells like Chinese takeout and incense is where Evelyn and Godfrey meet. The two decide to envision each other on a whim and both glimpse a future close to perfection. The end result is predictable even without an envisionist but the between pages are still a delight.
This story is chock-full of witty dialogue and oh so clever characters but comes off occasionally audacious when it tries to also incorporate more serious topics. For the most part though, it still worked. The Future for Curious People is at heart nothing but a quirky romance but will have more of an affect on readers that can’t help but wonder about the present, if it’s always going to be this way and how differently the future could be. It certainly brings to light an idea to ponder: If you could have a glimpse of your future on the current path you’re on, would you want to see it?
I received this book free from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“Most people choose their futures by accident. They don’t even know they’re making choices. They don’t even know that there are forks in the road – much less forks within forks. The future no longer has to be messy. It can be tested out. It can be known.”
In an alternate yet still contemporary Baltimore, there is a flourishing market of Envisionists: doctors that are trained to show people a small glimpse of their future. A cup of pills, a virtual reality helmet and a name of a person gives you the ability to what your future would look like in a relationship with that given person. And with a discount package (Five visits for the price of three!) you can catch a glimpse of multiple futures with multiple different individuals. The Future for Curious People centers around two individuals: Evelyn and Godfrey.
Evenlyn Shriner is a librarian who is most likely addicted to envisioning (she’s had five sessions in the past two weeks). She’s just broken up with her boyfriend of almost two years after their envisioning session showed them singing Happy Birthday (in Spanish, no less) to a chihuahua and arguing about cheese. Godfrey Burkes works a deadend job at a place called The Department of Unclaimed Goods and has just proposed to his overbearing girlfriend. Her stipulation before saying yes is for them both to go to an envisionist, just to make sure they’re right for each other. At Dr. Chin, the envisionist who’s office smells like Chinese takeout and incense is where Evelyn and Godfrey meet. The two decide to envision each other on a whim and both glimpse a future close to perfection. The end result is predictable even without an envisionist but the between pages are still a delight.
This story is chock-full of witty dialogue and oh so clever characters but comes off occasionally audacious when it tries to also incorporate more serious topics. For the most part though, it still worked. The Future for Curious People is at heart nothing but a quirky romance but will have more of an affect on readers that can’t help but wonder about the present, if it’s always going to be this way and how differently the future could be. It certainly brings to light an idea to ponder: If you could have a glimpse of your future on the current path you’re on, would you want to see it?
I received this book free from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
dozylocal's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Took me a little bit to get into this one, but I think that was less to do with the book and more to do with how busy I was. Once I did get stuck in, I really did enjoy it: the story and the writing style. It's not a very complicated story in itself: two people in relationships who end up going to an "envisioning session" where it is possible to see a glimpse of your future with anyone you choose. They start off as strangers and then the story follows its logical path. I think the characters were really well done and there was always some kind of humourous undertone.
Took me a little bit to get into this one, but I think that was less to do with the book and more to do with how busy I was. Once I did get stuck in, I really did enjoy it: the story and the writing style. It's not a very complicated story in itself: two people in relationships who end up going to an "envisioning session" where it is possible to see a glimpse of your future with anyone you choose. They start off as strangers and then the story follows its logical path. I think the characters were really well done and there was always some kind of humourous undertone.
emmaggedon's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was going to be interesting when I picked it up, and it didn't disappoint. However, it didn't rise above expectation either.
Its a really cute tale, however the blurb means that the plot is fairly predictable. The concept of romantic "envisionings" is thought provoking and the description of it's actualisation is detailed enough for the reader to imagine it as a real concept. If you want to really know how the science behind it works, then there isn't enough detail, but for me, I just accepted the explanatory paragraph and continued.
The characters are believable and their dialogue is too, however, in the closing chapters they do take on a more "protagonist" frame of mind and start spouting grand, quotable lines. I really liked Godfrey and I thought his character was the most developed and thought through. He was funny throughout and felt the most true to life. Evelyn was also likeable, but her trait of spouting quotes got repetitive and annoying at times.
It felt like a sci-fi Rom Com, and was a delight to read. I felt myself passively willing the characters to find their own happy ending. Nevertheless, I will continue to think more about the concept, rather than the events that played out in the book.
Its a really cute tale, however the blurb means that the plot is fairly predictable. The concept of romantic "envisionings" is thought provoking and the description of it's actualisation is detailed enough for the reader to imagine it as a real concept. If you want to really know how the science behind it works, then there isn't enough detail, but for me, I just accepted the explanatory paragraph and continued.
The characters are believable and their dialogue is too, however, in the closing chapters they do take on a more "protagonist" frame of mind and start spouting grand, quotable lines. I really liked Godfrey and I thought his character was the most developed and thought through. He was funny throughout and felt the most true to life. Evelyn was also likeable, but her trait of spouting quotes got repetitive and annoying at times.
It felt like a sci-fi Rom Com, and was a delight to read. I felt myself passively willing the characters to find their own happy ending. Nevertheless, I will continue to think more about the concept, rather than the events that played out in the book.
thematinee's review against another edition
5.0
What do you believe where love is concerned, and what are you capable of believing? Lots of influences from "Eternal Sunshine...", "Being John Malkovich", and "Brazil"...leaving one to wonder if they could love someone just because they're told they are supposed to love them? Likewise to wonder if they age in and out of love, and meet people that will love them someday...but not the version that currently stands before them.
Handed to me with a note that said "Here, read this".
This is why I do book exchanges.
Handed to me with a note that said "Here, read this".
This is why I do book exchanges.
marden's review against another edition
4.0
1. Genre? YA, science fiction, comedy, drama, romance (a little bit of everything).
2. Tone? I don't know. I couldn't figure it out. I think some chapters were humorous, but others were somehow serious. And other chapters were just too bland. It's a toneless novel.
3. Characters? They are all well crafted, very real, and honest. Though their relationships are pretty redundant, because there is a lack of clearness regarding their ideals of a relationship with someone else. At some point you may want to reflect deeper to understand their purposes.
4. Content? Well, it's kind of a sic-fi novel that completely avoids Science. The characters "pick" a random person, and their future with them starts playing on a screen (not the real future, but only a supposition). Is that too simplistic? Maybe. Is that something bad? Probably not because of...
5. Narrative? Good. Not exceptional but good. This is why the too simplistic thing becomes not too important, because the author achieves to engage the reader with really good dialogues and speeches (especially throughout the second half of the novel).
6. Pacing? First half was good, but second half was really really good. The last 100 pages go really fast, and they are pretty intriguing.
7. Ending? I was expecting more, but what I got was not disappointing in any way.
2. Tone? I don't know. I couldn't figure it out. I think some chapters were humorous, but others were somehow serious. And other chapters were just too bland. It's a toneless novel.
3. Characters? They are all well crafted, very real, and honest. Though their relationships are pretty redundant, because there is a lack of clearness regarding their ideals of a relationship with someone else. At some point you may want to reflect deeper to understand their purposes.
4. Content? Well, it's kind of a sic-fi novel that completely avoids Science. The characters "pick" a random person, and their future with them starts playing on a screen (not the real future, but only a supposition). Is that too simplistic? Maybe. Is that something bad? Probably not because of...
5. Narrative? Good. Not exceptional but good. This is why the too simplistic thing becomes not too important, because the author achieves to engage the reader with really good dialogues and speeches (especially throughout the second half of the novel).
6. Pacing? First half was good, but second half was really really good. The last 100 pages go really fast, and they are pretty intriguing.
7. Ending? I was expecting more, but what I got was not disappointing in any way.
robynryle's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this. Well-written. Super interesting premise. Sherl has a nice light touch.
ohsusanna's review against another edition
3.0
A quirky book with interesting thoughts on the intersection of technology and love. It reminded me in some ways of the movie Timer but the explanation of the technology was a little unclear to begin with. It's set in Baltimore which is probably how it ended up on my list and they tried to reference some Baltimore things which was cool. The characters were very well written and easy to get to know.