Ann Brashares

Seventeen-year-old Prenna, an immigrant who moved to New York when she was twelve, came from another time and she and the other travelers must follow strict rules to avoid destroying the new life they have worked so hard to get, as well as the one person Prenna is desperate to protect.

The Here and Now

Monicap

Decent story, amazing premise, unique world. But it just felt passionless to me.

Seventeen-year-old Prenna James emigrated to New York when she was twelve. But Prenna didn't come from a different country, she came from a different time - a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they're from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she's told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth and take the lives of her younger brothers. But everything changes when she falls for Ethan. She might be able to save the world ... if she lets go of the one thing she's found to hold on to.

Melissa Palmer

Book #111 Read in 2014
The Here and Now by Ann Brashares (YA)

This is a young adult dystopian book. The main character is a teenage girl who, when a young child, traveled back in time from a future where a blood plague has killed many people. There are rules that these "travelers" must follow in order to live safely among the people truly from the present. Prenna begins to break these rules when she becomes very close to Ethan; Ethan knows her true story. The two try to save a life and create a new future. Will they be able to do so without hurting everyone more?

This was a quick reading; the writing flowed well. It had mystery, action, science fiction, romance and humor in it. I enjoyed it.

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Annie

Pop Sugar Challenge:
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Yoomi

** spoiler alert **
           
It starts off with an interesting premise. A girl travels back in time to help save the world from the future she comes from. I was a little wary because time travel is a tricky subject. I do find it interesting and the setup was enough to keep me reading past the first couple chapters. The group that Prenna travels with has a creepy cult feel to them and Ethan, the love interest, isn't broody but smart and friendly. A nice change.

After that, I found myself getting more and more annoyed. It was easy to predict some plot points, like the mystery of the sweater and the bum. The storyline having to do with her father is what bothered me the most. He stays behind when Prenna and her mother travel, which should have been heartwrenching to begin with. Then, Prenna finds him and loses him within a few pages and then hardly mentions it again! HE DIED IN HER ARMS! She escapes from a "safehouse", which is more like a prison, her father has just died, and she's trying to save someone's life but she is out enjoying the beach, going shopping, and flirting? Then she has a moment to question the man who she thinks killed her father, and that doesn't even come up?? She doesn't want to know why? She doesn't want to throttle him? Her character is so uneven, I can't relate to her. The only tangible emotional moment was when she tells Ethan about her younger brothers. Other than that, she's a girl going through the motions. She's meek one minute and then suddenly finds strength enough to stand up to and threaten the leaders. Somehow, it all ends well. But by then, I no longer really cared.

I kept waiting for something more. A twist. A surprise. But it just ... ended. It felt anticlimactic. A disappointing read.

17-year-old Prenna James emigrated to New York when she was 12. But Prenna didn't come from a different country, she came from a different time - a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they're from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she's told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth and take the lives of her younger brothers. But everything changes when she falls for Ethan. She might be able to save the world - if she lets go of the one thing she's found to hold on to.

The Here and Now

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