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eyreguide's review against another edition
5.0
I found this to be such an exciting read. From the first, the author sets up an intriguing experiment conducted by a powerful company, with five very different, uniquely talented teens to explore the future. I enjoyed the time travel aspect of this book very much - the way future technology was described and how the teens learn about all the changes in the world in the space of twenty four hours was excellently plotted. Especially because I wouldn't have thought so much could be accomplished in twenty four hours, but with a lack of sleep, the characters uncover so much.
The driving force of the story is finding out what was really going on in the past, and why Elena and her group were chosen for this project. Every character has something to hide, and this book brilliantly interweaves each character's past with what is happening in their present. The fast-paced plot made this a riveting page-turner, and Elena was a fantastic, savvy and smart protagonist.
The story includes a bit of romance as well, which was nice, but I don't think I was as invested in it as I could have wished. Even though Elena and Adam have been through a lot in the short amount of time, they grew very close, very quickly. And maybe because of that, there was an aspect to the ending of this book that felt a little rushed, but I don't want to reveal too much about that, because the mystery of the story is such a great part of the plot.
Overall though, I enjoyed Future Shock thoroughly, and appreciated the intricacy of the plot, the diverse characters, and the exciting thrill ride in the mystery.
(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)
The driving force of the story is finding out what was really going on in the past, and why Elena and her group were chosen for this project. Every character has something to hide, and this book brilliantly interweaves each character's past with what is happening in their present. The fast-paced plot made this a riveting page-turner, and Elena was a fantastic, savvy and smart protagonist.
The story includes a bit of romance as well, which was nice, but I don't think I was as invested in it as I could have wished. Even though Elena and Adam have been through a lot in the short amount of time, they grew very close, very quickly. And maybe because of that, there was an aspect to the ending of this book that felt a little rushed, but I don't want to reveal too much about that, because the mystery of the story is such a great part of the plot.
Overall though, I enjoyed Future Shock thoroughly, and appreciated the intricacy of the plot, the diverse characters, and the exciting thrill ride in the mystery.
(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
Elena will be eighteen in two months. She’s about to age out of the system and will be forced to leave her foster parents’ house. With no job, and the prospects looking rather bleak, it’s not surprising that when the Aether Corporation approaches her to help with an experiment, she’s all in. Added to that is the fact that they’re going to be paying her more money than one person needs in a lifetime and the minor hesitations she feels just go away.
Turns out, the Aether Corporation will be sending Elena and four others ten years into the future. All they have to do is record what the world looks like and bring back any technologies they can for study. Seems pretty easy right?
Well, red flags are flying when the group ends up 30 years into the future instead. Okay, maybe it’s a slight error with the equipment. But when it comes to light that most of the group is killed a day after returning from the mission, everything else is abandoned in order to find out what the trigger is in the future that dooms them in the past.
There’s this lovely little nod to Blade Runner (the movie and not the book it’s based upon). I was super giddy when this somewhat subtle thing was introduced because if you are familiar with the movie at all, there is so much conjecture that surrounds it and its imagery, the possibilities are endless. So, naturally, I was expecting this same thing from Future Shock. Unfortunately, on this front it’s more superficial. I wish Elizabeth Briggs would have utilized some of the more prevalent theories to add a bit of a punch to the story because, for the most part, I figured out where things were going before the characters did.
I liked what was done with the setting though. Elena and the others go far enough into the future where things are definitely being done differently, but not so far that it seems out of reach. Meaning, the events in the story could very well come to pass in the real world, which I think makes for a more ominous read that fits with the mystery of looking into the future often presents.
I’ll say I wasn’t too impressed with the instant attraction between Elena and fellow recruit Adam. The majority of events take place within a 24-hour period and already within that time, Elena speaks, to paraphrase, of how she can’t imagine going on without Adam, etc, etc. I would rather see the acknowledgement of attraction, but not get so deep with it so quickly. I think there is a better job done with the fast friendships that the five recruits develop due to the position they find themselves in. These five strangers come to rely on one another, regardless of any hang-ups or motivational suspicions, in order to ensure their survival. I loved the group interactions, and the varying skills each person brings to the table to help said group, more than I did the individual.
Overall, Future Shock was an enjoyable read. Because of the ticking clock time frame I read this one extremely quick. Even though I was less than surprised by many of the revelations, I still liked seeing how all the pieces fit together in the end.
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
Elena will be eighteen in two months. She’s about to age out of the system and will be forced to leave her foster parents’ house. With no job, and the prospects looking rather bleak, it’s not surprising that when the Aether Corporation approaches her to help with an experiment, she’s all in. Added to that is the fact that they’re going to be paying her more money than one person needs in a lifetime and the minor hesitations she feels just go away.
Turns out, the Aether Corporation will be sending Elena and four others ten years into the future. All they have to do is record what the world looks like and bring back any technologies they can for study. Seems pretty easy right?
Well, red flags are flying when the group ends up 30 years into the future instead. Okay, maybe it’s a slight error with the equipment. But when it comes to light that most of the group is killed a day after returning from the mission, everything else is abandoned in order to find out what the trigger is in the future that dooms them in the past.
There’s this lovely little nod to Blade Runner (the movie and not the book it’s based upon). I was super giddy when this somewhat subtle thing was introduced because if you are familiar with the movie at all, there is so much conjecture that surrounds it and its imagery, the possibilities are endless. So, naturally, I was expecting this same thing from Future Shock. Unfortunately, on this front it’s more superficial. I wish Elizabeth Briggs would have utilized some of the more prevalent theories to add a bit of a punch to the story because, for the most part, I figured out where things were going before the characters did.
I liked what was done with the setting though. Elena and the others go far enough into the future where things are definitely being done differently, but not so far that it seems out of reach. Meaning, the events in the story could very well come to pass in the real world, which I think makes for a more ominous read that fits with the mystery of looking into the future often presents.
I’ll say I wasn’t too impressed with the instant attraction between Elena and fellow recruit Adam. The majority of events take place within a 24-hour period and already within that time, Elena speaks, to paraphrase, of how she can’t imagine going on without Adam, etc, etc. I would rather see the acknowledgement of attraction, but not get so deep with it so quickly. I think there is a better job done with the fast friendships that the five recruits develop due to the position they find themselves in. These five strangers come to rely on one another, regardless of any hang-ups or motivational suspicions, in order to ensure their survival. I loved the group interactions, and the varying skills each person brings to the table to help said group, more than I did the individual.
Overall, Future Shock was an enjoyable read. Because of the ticking clock time frame I read this one extremely quick. Even though I was less than surprised by many of the revelations, I still liked seeing how all the pieces fit together in the end.
malreynolds111's review against another edition
3.0
I got a copy of this book from NETGAlley for an honest review.
I liked this book but felt like it was lacking something.. but I'm really not sure what. I did enjoy the ending the best.
I liked this book but felt like it was lacking something.. but I'm really not sure what. I did enjoy the ending the best.
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Loved reading this book, loved how the time travel went, and I can't wait to read more!
kate_and_books's review against another edition
5.0
Such a great read I could not put it down. That is also saying something as most of the time I seem to have an allergic reaction to Young Adult but with the element of a dash of Sci-fi or maybe fantasy has made the book one of the first YA books that I have enjoyed in a while.
I’m going to try and not ruin it with spoilers so forgive me if I am vague or if I give anything away.
Now ever since I have seen ‘Back to the Future’ I love the concept of time travel. I also had a thing for Michael J. Fox in the film. So I jump at the chance when there is one to read a book about time travel.
Elena Martinez is about to ease out of the foster care system at the age of seventeen she is looking for a job but no one seems to want to employ her. She has an eidetic memory. She is strong and silent. Has a slight okay major temper but is loyal to a fault but not that trusting although her limits are tested here.
A once in a lifetime opportunity arises and with the amount of money that is being offered she can’t say no although she has a gut feeling that something is off. But a day of research at the tech company Aether doesn’t seem too bad for that much money she can’t say no.
While at Aether Corporation she is not the only one that has been recruited. There are four others who have signed up. Chris, Trent & Zoe who are also in foster care and Adam who isn’t in foster care but has his reasons for doing it.
There is some romance between Adam and Elena and you can feel the chemistry between them. There was always some doubt to why Adam was doing it but it wasn’t what it seems.
There are so many twists and turns to the story that I didn’t case right up until the end when Elena guessed as well who it was only then did it click. There were two things where I was disappointed, I can’t and I won’t say what but it adds to the story.
There are rules that they have to stick to in regards to Project Chronos but landing thirty years in the future and not ten then yes I would break the rules as well.
I received a copy in exchange for a honest review but let me be honest I wouldn’t have bought this book under normal circumstances for the price of over 8 € that is pretty steep, I’m usually willing to spend 6 € on a book and even that is pushing it.
Book received by Albert Whitman & Company via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Review can also be found at http://jerisbookattic-reviewblog.blogspot.de/2016/03/future-shock-by-elizabeth-briggs.html
I’m going to try and not ruin it with spoilers so forgive me if I am vague or if I give anything away.
Now ever since I have seen ‘Back to the Future’ I love the concept of time travel. I also had a thing for Michael J. Fox in the film. So I jump at the chance when there is one to read a book about time travel.
Elena Martinez is about to ease out of the foster care system at the age of seventeen she is looking for a job but no one seems to want to employ her. She has an eidetic memory. She is strong and silent. Has a slight okay major temper but is loyal to a fault but not that trusting although her limits are tested here.
A once in a lifetime opportunity arises and with the amount of money that is being offered she can’t say no although she has a gut feeling that something is off. But a day of research at the tech company Aether doesn’t seem too bad for that much money she can’t say no.
While at Aether Corporation she is not the only one that has been recruited. There are four others who have signed up. Chris, Trent & Zoe who are also in foster care and Adam who isn’t in foster care but has his reasons for doing it.
There is some romance between Adam and Elena and you can feel the chemistry between them. There was always some doubt to why Adam was doing it but it wasn’t what it seems.
There are so many twists and turns to the story that I didn’t case right up until the end when Elena guessed as well who it was only then did it click. There were two things where I was disappointed, I can’t and I won’t say what but it adds to the story.
There are rules that they have to stick to in regards to Project Chronos but landing thirty years in the future and not ten then yes I would break the rules as well.
I received a copy in exchange for a honest review but let me be honest I wouldn’t have bought this book under normal circumstances for the price of over 8 € that is pretty steep, I’m usually willing to spend 6 € on a book and even that is pushing it.
Book received by Albert Whitman & Company via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Review can also be found at http://jerisbookattic-reviewblog.blogspot.de/2016/03/future-shock-by-elizabeth-briggs.html
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
4.0
What do you do when the future is too late, and the present is counting down to an inevitable moment?
Elena Martinez has street smarts, the ability for perfect recall, and a deadline: if she doesn’t find a job before she turns eighteen, she’ll be homeless. But then she gets an unexpected offer from Aether Corporation, the powerful Los Angeles tech giant. Along with four other recruits—Adam, Chris, Trent, and Zoe—Elena is being sent on a secret mission to bring back data from the future. All they have to do is get Aether the information they need, and the five of them will be set for life. It’s an offer Elena can’t refuse.
But something goes wrong when the time travelers arrive in the future. And they are forced to break the only rule they were given—not to look into their own fates. Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future—and a murder—from happening. But changing the timeline has deadly consequences too. Who can Elena trust as she fights to save her life?
The first book in an unforgettable series about rewriting your destiny in the city of dreams.
Rating: 4.25/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: very small emphasis on the romance--like, hardly at all, though it's sort of instalove-esque; awesome mystery/thriller; lots of yummy world-building and twisty-turns; great cast of characters and wide array of "relationships" featured; different science to the time-travel lore we all know
I know it took me a while to get to this one, but HUGE thank yous to Elizabeth Briggs, AW Teen Publishing, and Casey at Media Masters Publicity for sending me an ARC copy of this book free in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this title. My selected quotes are from the ARC copy, so my apologies if they are different from or taken out of the finished version!
I've worked so hard to hide my freaky memory over the years, but they know. Yet Lynne doesn't look at me like I'm a freak. Instead, she eyes me like I'm a pinata and she's waiting to see what kind of candy falls out of me. I'm not sure I like that any better.
First off: the world-building of this book is DELICIOUS. No tiny details are spared; Elizabeth Briggs put a lot of time and effort into making this story, and this world, coherent, seamless, and believable. I LOVE that every detail is thought out, described just enough to foreshadow...but left just open-ended enough to allow readers to be entertained and enthralled throughout. When I hit the 50% mark, I was almost positive I'd already put the pieces together and knew where the plot was headed...and then I read several chapters more, and found myself utterly confused. The mystery of this read is masterfully done, with just enough push and pull to keep even the most avid mystery readers guessing and leaping to red-herring answers.
The sense of "time running out," particularly near the end, was also an awesome touch. While the characters have 24 hours in the future to figure things out and "solve" the mystery...in reality, that's not much time at all. I also really liked that in the present-time, only 12 minutes pass. This was, in my opinion, an interesting way to do this--I'd be interested in knowing the why behind this, actually, as it's not exactly explained (I mean, it's not that important a detail, so no biggie either way).
But even though we laugh and smile, our fate hangs over us like a reaper's scythe. I can't forget it, no matter how hard I try. The clock never stops ticking--and I only have a few more hours to stop all of our murders.
The characters, though... Especially Elena, our main narrator--she immediately tugged at my heartstrings. I LOVE how realistic and human these characters come off; they don't feel like words on a page, but instead took up their own space in my head while reading. They lived, breathed, and entrenched themselves in my thoughts. Elena's struggle, in particular, became my struggle--and I loved that about this book.
Like I said earlier, the plot is fast-paced, well considered, and easy to dive into even for the most-novice science fiction readers. You don't have to know all the technical aspects of this book (because penguins knows I definitely didn't, going in!) to be sucked into the world and dragged along for the ride. What little you DO need to understand...is explained quickly and thoroughly, though not in an overwhelming or confusing way. It's obvious Elizabeth Briggs thought this out and strove to make sure that even people who've never read sci fi would understand and be entertained by this story.
"We'll figure it out." Adam breaks through my thoughts again, giving me a grin. "Hey, I said I was going to protect you and I meant it."
I force a smile. "I thought I was the one protecting you."
"Not this time." He wraps his arms around me and I breathe in his warmth, wishing I could freeze this instant forever. This memory, this is the one I want to remember. Because I have to lie to Adam to save him.
I had a ton of fun reading this book and being transported to, for at least a time, a world very different...and yet vaguely similar...to our own. The characters are realistic and endearing, the plot is full of twists and turns, and the journey is bound to enthrall even the most novice sci fi readers. If you love time travel, sassy characters, and well-written red herrings, you should definitely consider picking this book up!
vikingwolf's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this book in July 2017. I had fallen out of love with YA in previous years, wasn't a huge fan of sci-fi or reading a lot about time travel, so it was a surprise that I decided to read this one but I'm glad I did. I re-read this book in November 2018 so I could move on and complete the trilogy.
Elena is two months from being ejected by the foster care system and still cannot find a job as nobody seems interested in hiring her. Help comes when a tech company offers her the chance to take part in their tests for more money than she could have hoped for. Despite her suspicions that she isn't being told the truth and that she is being used in some way, Elena feels she has little choice but to agree. This money will set her up for life and give her a future, which she doesn't have at the moment. She is teamed with Chris, Adam, Trent and Zoe, each with different complementary skills for the task ahead. They are being sent ten years into the future for 24 hours to gather information on technology and come back. The scientists are confident that the employees of the company ten years in the future will be there to meet them and assist with the mission. What could possibly go wrong?
A lot. They arrive in the future to discover that the tech company is gone and the building is deserted so there is nobody there to guide them. As they start to explore the local area, it becomes clear that they are thirty years into the future and don't recognise any of the technology being used in everyday life, which makes them stand out in the wrong way. As instructed, they start to note what they can to take back, through Zoe's drawing skills and with the use of Elena's memory. It is when they try to buy something that they discover that all citizens are entered in a computer database and if you aren't on it, you can't buy...but why is only Adam in it? Why are the other four not there? It is then that they decide to break the golden rule of the Aether Corporation not to look up information about their future selves...
I grew tired of YA fiction several years ago because of the tropes and the same tired plots. I liked the idea of this one so I risked giving it a try and I really enjoyed it. Part of what made this book was the characters. I liked Elena as the MC as she wants to find a better future for herself and help her foster sister too. She is struggling to get anyone to give her a chance at a job and the offer from the company just seems to be the answer to her prayers. I had sympathy for her and liked the way she stood up for Adam when she first meets him, and how capable she is having been through the foster care system. She is also the smart one who is questioning the situation, and is disturbed before the trip to discover that they are not the first attempt to go into the future. What went wrong with that mission and why are Aether claiming that they are the first to be sent?
I grew to like the group dynamic. I wasn't sure I was going to like Trent and Chris when they were fighting with Adam but as soon as they got to the future and started working together, I grew to like them all. Things start to get interesting when the group start wondering about why Adam is the only one in the database. Does this mean that in thirty years time the rest of them are dead? It is decided that they should try to find Zoe's sister who might still live in the future city and see what she can tell them about her. What she says is shocking and leads to a very tense visit to the library to find out more about their future selves and past events. I very much enjoyed this twist in the story and what we find out there starts off a chain reaction of events that is fast paced and entertaining. I don't want to go into any more detail but I will hint at getting help from a couple of future selves which is fascinating. I liked the idea that there was an event in the past that Elena wanted to change but was at a loss as to how she would be able to do it, wanting to keep the details from her new friends.
It wasn't a complicated story despite the time travel and science elements. It doesn't focus on how the time travel works and the reader is told very quickly that it works without a ton of heavy tech explanations, which I liked. It was more a story about finding out your future and trying to change it in the space of a few hours. It was tense and dramatic and I kept wondering how they could change things. Also the way it ends sets things up for all kinds of sequels. Time travel fascinates me and if it is done well, it can be quite exciting. This was a book that did it well and I'm interested to see what happens next so I'm going to grab book two as soon as I can. I recommend this to those interested in time travel and trying to change your destiny. There is also some minor romance in the background but it does fit the story nicely without becoming more important than the plot and the book is well paced throughout.
The book had the perfect balance between characters and plot, working in harmony together. I would be interested in other books by the author in the future.
Elena is two months from being ejected by the foster care system and still cannot find a job as nobody seems interested in hiring her. Help comes when a tech company offers her the chance to take part in their tests for more money than she could have hoped for. Despite her suspicions that she isn't being told the truth and that she is being used in some way, Elena feels she has little choice but to agree. This money will set her up for life and give her a future, which she doesn't have at the moment. She is teamed with Chris, Adam, Trent and Zoe, each with different complementary skills for the task ahead. They are being sent ten years into the future for 24 hours to gather information on technology and come back. The scientists are confident that the employees of the company ten years in the future will be there to meet them and assist with the mission. What could possibly go wrong?
A lot. They arrive in the future to discover that the tech company is gone and the building is deserted so there is nobody there to guide them. As they start to explore the local area, it becomes clear that they are thirty years into the future and don't recognise any of the technology being used in everyday life, which makes them stand out in the wrong way. As instructed, they start to note what they can to take back, through Zoe's drawing skills and with the use of Elena's memory. It is when they try to buy something that they discover that all citizens are entered in a computer database and if you aren't on it, you can't buy...but why is only Adam in it? Why are the other four not there? It is then that they decide to break the golden rule of the Aether Corporation not to look up information about their future selves...
I grew tired of YA fiction several years ago because of the tropes and the same tired plots. I liked the idea of this one so I risked giving it a try and I really enjoyed it. Part of what made this book was the characters. I liked Elena as the MC as she wants to find a better future for herself and help her foster sister too. She is struggling to get anyone to give her a chance at a job and the offer from the company just seems to be the answer to her prayers. I had sympathy for her and liked the way she stood up for Adam when she first meets him, and how capable she is having been through the foster care system. She is also the smart one who is questioning the situation, and is disturbed before the trip to discover that they are not the first attempt to go into the future. What went wrong with that mission and why are Aether claiming that they are the first to be sent?
I grew to like the group dynamic. I wasn't sure I was going to like Trent and Chris when they were fighting with Adam but as soon as they got to the future and started working together, I grew to like them all. Things start to get interesting when the group start wondering about why Adam is the only one in the database. Does this mean that in thirty years time the rest of them are dead? It is decided that they should try to find Zoe's sister who might still live in the future city and see what she can tell them about her. What she says is shocking and leads to a very tense visit to the library to find out more about their future selves and past events. I very much enjoyed this twist in the story and what we find out there starts off a chain reaction of events that is fast paced and entertaining. I don't want to go into any more detail but I will hint at getting help from a couple of future selves which is fascinating. I liked the idea that there was an event in the past that Elena wanted to change but was at a loss as to how she would be able to do it, wanting to keep the details from her new friends.
It wasn't a complicated story despite the time travel and science elements. It doesn't focus on how the time travel works and the reader is told very quickly that it works without a ton of heavy tech explanations, which I liked. It was more a story about finding out your future and trying to change it in the space of a few hours. It was tense and dramatic and I kept wondering how they could change things. Also the way it ends sets things up for all kinds of sequels. Time travel fascinates me and if it is done well, it can be quite exciting. This was a book that did it well and I'm interested to see what happens next so I'm going to grab book two as soon as I can. I recommend this to those interested in time travel and trying to change your destiny. There is also some minor romance in the background but it does fit the story nicely without becoming more important than the plot and the book is well paced throughout.
The book had the perfect balance between characters and plot, working in harmony together. I would be interested in other books by the author in the future.
debbiesilkserif's review against another edition
5.0
Received via Albert Whitman Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an completely unbiased review.
Also posted on Silk & Serif
Elena, a foster kid who fell through the cracks long ago, is contacted by a giant corporation by the name of Aether Corp with a job opportunity that could change her life for the better. Instead of following in her father's footsteps and ending up in prison, she could go to college and have a real future. All she has to do is sign a non-disclosure notice, walk through a portal that will send her ten years into the future and return with data related to some super secret research for a tidy sum of cash. Sounds easy! Except Elena and her new team mates Zoe, Chris, Adam and Trent sense there is more to the situation than the scientists are telling them. Too late Elena learns that the truth is darker and more dangerous than she ever expected.
Elena's team is warned to not check in on themselves in the future, but when things go wrong and the team end up sent thirty years into the future they turn to their older selves for help. Their foray into the world to find their "future selves" leads to an exploration of a world that has changed in ways the team never expected. I absolutely loved Future Shock's technology that not only plays on Google Glasses, but also develops a new economic system based on fingerprints and virtual credits. Even cars have been altered to a new form that is both exciting and believable. I felt like Briggs researched not only current technologies but their expected trajectory towards new, innovative reincarnations which the science fiction nerd in me couldn't help purring over.
Future Shock is a fantastic mix of time travel adventure, murder mystery and suspense. I especially loved that each character was extremely well developed and individualistic regardless of their role's longevity in relation to Elena's story. I also found myself being surprised by a few plot twists that answered some pressing questions and yet somehow created new ones. In the end, Briggs offers up satisfying answers and closure to a novel that holds many twists and turns without becoming a befuddled mess.
Personally, I loved reading a novel about a character who was believable. Often in young adult novels or literature in general, I end up becoming frustrated with characters that are from difficult backgrounds and are portrayed as weak or their motivations are not organic with their experiences. Elena is what I would describe as a wonderful example of a strong female character with a difficult background who is realistic. I cannot count the number of times that characters like this end up looking to "adults" for help or being extremely trusting after being abused and mistreated by society - an aspect of many novels that does very little to realistically portray a small segment of society adequately. I felt Briggs did this wonderfully.
I suppose keeping in line with the critique of how Briggs handled societal issues, I want to quickly point out that Briggs also created a character that will appease to the proponents of the YA Diversity movement and yet keeps away from the racial elements. Elena is a young girl who holds a Mexican heritage and a difficult background who struggles to fit into a largely white and conservative world, yet she does not judge others by the color of their skin, nor does she focus on her differences obsessively. I adored that although Briggs attempted to fit Elena into the diversity trend, she also did it skillfully without ruining the novel with racial slurs and negativity. Instead, Elena is developed as a character like any other with slight differences in her appearance, experiences and background that help to develop her as a stronger and more cultured individual rather than an obvious attempt to cash in on the diversity movement.
This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy books about time travel, diversity YA, strong female leads with dark histories, romance that boosts the plot rather than becomes the plot and large does of a suspense. I would definitely recommend this to fans of darker literature since this novel deals with corruption and death. Future Shock is a coming of age story in a science fiction-time travel wrapper.
Also posted on Silk & Serif
Elena, a foster kid who fell through the cracks long ago, is contacted by a giant corporation by the name of Aether Corp with a job opportunity that could change her life for the better. Instead of following in her father's footsteps and ending up in prison, she could go to college and have a real future. All she has to do is sign a non-disclosure notice, walk through a portal that will send her ten years into the future and return with data related to some super secret research for a tidy sum of cash. Sounds easy! Except Elena and her new team mates Zoe, Chris, Adam and Trent sense there is more to the situation than the scientists are telling them. Too late Elena learns that the truth is darker and more dangerous than she ever expected.
Elena's team is warned to not check in on themselves in the future, but when things go wrong and the team end up sent thirty years into the future they turn to their older selves for help. Their foray into the world to find their "future selves" leads to an exploration of a world that has changed in ways the team never expected. I absolutely loved Future Shock's technology that not only plays on Google Glasses, but also develops a new economic system based on fingerprints and virtual credits. Even cars have been altered to a new form that is both exciting and believable. I felt like Briggs researched not only current technologies but their expected trajectory towards new, innovative reincarnations which the science fiction nerd in me couldn't help purring over.
Briggs created a world that not only Elena found disorienting and familiar, but the reader has similar reactions to the descriptions of creative futuristic technologies.
Future Shock is a fantastic mix of time travel adventure, murder mystery and suspense. I especially loved that each character was extremely well developed and individualistic regardless of their role's longevity in relation to Elena's story. I also found myself being surprised by a few plot twists that answered some pressing questions and yet somehow created new ones. In the end, Briggs offers up satisfying answers and closure to a novel that holds many twists and turns without becoming a befuddled mess.
Personally, I loved reading a novel about a character who was believable. Often in young adult novels or literature in general, I end up becoming frustrated with characters that are from difficult backgrounds and are portrayed as weak or their motivations are not organic with their experiences. Elena is what I would describe as a wonderful example of a strong female character with a difficult background who is realistic. I cannot count the number of times that characters like this end up looking to "adults" for help or being extremely trusting after being abused and mistreated by society - an aspect of many novels that does very little to realistically portray a small segment of society adequately. I felt Briggs did this wonderfully.
I suppose keeping in line with the critique of how Briggs handled societal issues, I want to quickly point out that Briggs also created a character that will appease to the proponents of the YA Diversity movement and yet keeps away from the racial elements. Elena is a young girl who holds a Mexican heritage and a difficult background who struggles to fit into a largely white and conservative world, yet she does not judge others by the color of their skin, nor does she focus on her differences obsessively. I adored that although Briggs attempted to fit Elena into the diversity trend, she also did it skillfully without ruining the novel with racial slurs and negativity. Instead, Elena is developed as a character like any other with slight differences in her appearance, experiences and background that help to develop her as a stronger and more cultured individual rather than an obvious attempt to cash in on the diversity movement.
When I saw that I was accepted to receive an ARC copy of Future Shock I was overjoyed. I figured this novel would be amaze-balls from the summary and it turns out I was right. Future Shock is a novel that I easily devoured in one sitting and I am genuinely looking forward to the next book to this series.
This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy books about time travel, diversity YA, strong female leads with dark histories, romance that boosts the plot rather than becomes the plot and large does of a suspense. I would definitely recommend this to fans of darker literature since this novel deals with corruption and death. Future Shock is a coming of age story in a science fiction-time travel wrapper.
lilbeeemma's review against another edition
4.0
Elena Martinez has hidden her eidetic memory all her life--or so she thinks. When powerful tech giant Aether Corporation selects her for a top-secret project, she can't say no. All she has to do is participate in a trip to the future to bring back data, and she'll be set for life.
Elena joins a team of four other teens with special skills, including Adam, a science prodigy with his own reason for being there. But when the time travelers arrive in the future, something goes wrong and they break the only rule they were given: do not look into their own fates.
Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future from unfolding. With time running out and deadly secrets uncovered, Elena must use her eidetic memory, street smarts, and a growing trust in Adam to save her new friends and herself.
I could feel myself falling into yet another book slump when I decided to try this book out. I wasn't entirely sure if I was up for reading about time travel and rebellious teenagers but I decided to try it anyway. And I liked it! I finished it in a day (to be fair, it is rather short) and I'm still thinking about it.
"Wait, are you saying..." My voice trails off. The words are too big, too impossible to speak out loud. "That we... The future...
"Yes," Lynne says. "You will be traveling to the future."
So first we have Elena, our main character. She's been through the wringer with losing her mom, and her dad going to prison. Going from house to house in foster care leads her to become closed up and unwilling to trust people. She wants to be free from the system and Aether Corporation is there just when she needs it to be.
The other three, Trent, Chris, and Zoe take more of a backseat to the story. They're involved but I didn't feel like we really got to connect with them properly. That's not a huge deal from me since I was more interested in Elena, Adam, and the secrets that piled up, but I know for some they'll probably find their lack of appearance disappointing.
Adam is the smart guy....
To finish this review, check out my blog! http://abibliomaniacs.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-future-shock-elizabeth-riggs.html
Elena joins a team of four other teens with special skills, including Adam, a science prodigy with his own reason for being there. But when the time travelers arrive in the future, something goes wrong and they break the only rule they were given: do not look into their own fates.
Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future from unfolding. With time running out and deadly secrets uncovered, Elena must use her eidetic memory, street smarts, and a growing trust in Adam to save her new friends and herself.
I could feel myself falling into yet another book slump when I decided to try this book out. I wasn't entirely sure if I was up for reading about time travel and rebellious teenagers but I decided to try it anyway. And I liked it! I finished it in a day (to be fair, it is rather short) and I'm still thinking about it.
"Wait, are you saying..." My voice trails off. The words are too big, too impossible to speak out loud. "That we... The future...
"Yes," Lynne says. "You will be traveling to the future."
So first we have Elena, our main character. She's been through the wringer with losing her mom, and her dad going to prison. Going from house to house in foster care leads her to become closed up and unwilling to trust people. She wants to be free from the system and Aether Corporation is there just when she needs it to be.
The other three, Trent, Chris, and Zoe take more of a backseat to the story. They're involved but I didn't feel like we really got to connect with them properly. That's not a huge deal from me since I was more interested in Elena, Adam, and the secrets that piled up, but I know for some they'll probably find their lack of appearance disappointing.
Adam is the smart guy....
To finish this review, check out my blog! http://abibliomaniacs.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-future-shock-elizabeth-riggs.html
inmyhumbleopinion's review against another edition
4.0
Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs is a fast paced fun read with a lot of twists and turns. A big corporation takes advantage of desperate gifted young people by sending them on an experimental time travel mission with real consequences. Our heroine is a smart young Latina who will keep you rooting for her even when things look the darkest. I liked each of the kids and a few of the “adults”. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.