Reviews

Glory O Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King, Christine Lakin

alidottie's review against another edition

3.0

Sometimes when I read a YA book it feels like I am reading a YA book and I am not a YA--not even close. Other times I read YA and forget my age and get pulled right into being 15, 16 or 17 all over again. And sometimes I just enjoy the story with no thought of what age category it is cataloged. I think this has a lot to do with personality and I just didn't relate to Glory O'Brien. I have friends my age who loved this book. It is not a poorly written book, but since my ratings are all about how much I liked a book, this one gets a lower rating from me.

There was a sci-fi/fantasy touch to this story which I almost always find entertaining, but I didn't enjoy where she went with that as much as I expected to either.

j3h's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

bria9142's review against another edition

5.0

I really liked this book and how it shows the "future." I wish that there was more parts with peter in it... there were a few opportunities to include him but it was still a good book but that's ok.

sdeeim's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

blepard's review against another edition

2.0

Probably more like a 2.5.
I think I'm just finally at that point in adulthood where I don't want to read about kids with undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues, I'm sorry.

aepstone's review against another edition

5.0

Loved.

kellysue's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide

ajg417's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

steph01924's review against another edition

3.0

This was a strange book. Pretty good, but strange. Definitely not what I was expecting. I've never read anything by A.S. King before, so maybe it's par for the course. [Edit: I lied, I've read Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Didn't realize that was King. So yes, some of this is definitely on par with how she writes; however, I really enjoyed Vera and this book a lot less, so I think my issues with this book are definitely more about the story itself than her overall writing style.) Glory, as a character, is a little too intense and gloomy for me. I could see Aubrey Plaza as April in Parks and Rec playing her easily. She says nothing of what she means (for the most part) and she's very in her own head. Plus she'd have the staring intensely at people while getting transmissions down.

The other thing I wasn't crazy about was the

Spoiler

reasoning behind the future civil war. Someone decided to make a law to stop women from basically doing anything in society? And this passed? And people just let it all happen? Huh? I dunno. I just call bullshit on this. It was just strange. I think we're supposed to assume that this future stuff is true, based on the visions Glory and Ellie see in the present coming true, so...yeah. Also, how convenient that all the people in Glory's small town have such important roles to play in the future civil war. Glad she could piece it all together using just people and their future offspring in a twenty mile radius.

Also, I know Darla is the impetus of so much for Glory, but I was really sick of reading her ramblings or Glory's thoughts on her ramblings. Obviously she was mentally unbalanced, and I sympathize with that, normally. But I guess my tolerance for READING about the mentally ill was just really low during this book, because I was getting super bored and frustrated with her weirdo photos and her 'deep' poems and whether or not she was really a brilliant, funny person or just a freaking selfish nutjob who took her own life. It was probably all wonderful and deep, but in my current mindset, I was feeling way too practical for this book. I wanted to tell everyone to get over themselves multiple times. /rant

While I may have enjoyed parts, these pieces just left me with some raised eyebrows.

mmotleyu's review against another edition

3.0

Interesting book... still has me thinking about it. So much happening, maybe trying to cover too much? Glory is graduating high school and trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Her photographer mother committed suicide when Glory was 4, and Glory and her dad have been stuck in neutral since that day. As Glory has her summer of self-discovery, she and her dad are able to move on. The magical realism element of suddenly seeing others' infinities and the peek into a dystopian future are strangely woven into this coming of age story. I liked each subplot, but I"m still left trying to wrap my head around how it all comes together. I love Glory's witty, sardonic voice (the teen narrator is always one of my favorite parts of any YA book). This is my first A.S. King book. From what little I've read, she is a polarizing author-- a critical favorite and mixed reviews by the regular folk. Happy to have been "forced" to read this as I am writing Battle questions for it.