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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Book Review: Future Shock (Future Shock #1)

Future Shock by Elizabeth BriggsAbout the Book:
Title: Future Shock (Future Shock #1)
Author: Elizabeth Briggs
Pub. Date: April 1, 2016
Publisher: Aw Teen
Pages: 272
Rating: 3.5/5 stars




Synopsis:
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?

Review:

I was very intrigued by the blurb for this story, and Elizabeth Briggs definitely didn't disappoint. Right from the start this novel grips the reader and takes them on an exciting time-traveling journey 30 years in the future. I loved the fact that you knew early on certain characters weren't going to be alive in the future Elena and her friends were visiting, but nevertheless I was excited to see if this future would come to fruition or if the group could change everything. My biggest complaint though is that I felt the book was a bit slow. I do think that some parts could have been edited out and the story wouldn't have suffered at all. However, I will say that the twist blew me away. I never expected the person that was behind everything to be the "villain" of the story, but it made for an excellent ending. 

“I have to know why I’m not in the system. Even if it damages my brain, I need to know my fate.” 

This story drew me in instantly, and kept me interested until the end. Elena is a very likable main character, and very much human. The flaws she had made her much more relatable, but I loved her never-give-up spirit. Elena is definitely tough and willing to go to great lengths to right wrongs of the past. The one thing that I did appreciate was the fact that Ms. Briggs carried Elena's worries over her violent tendencies (which she got from her father) throughout the book. This was always a thought in the back of Elena's mind, and it took one character to help her to see that she wasn't a bad person at all...in fact she was the exact opposite of her father. The other characters were just as likable as Elena, and each had their own unique personality that allowed for the formation of a cohesive group. I will say that I wish we got a little more from some characters because I ended up feeling like I knew so much more about certain characters and not others. 

Overall, this was an exciting, fun time-traveling book that will appeal to many sci-fi fans. I will say that I'm surprised this is a series simply because everything was wrapped up nicely in the end. Nevertheless, I would be interested in reading the next book to see what new adventures Ms. Briggs has in store for these Elena and her friends!
                   

Happy reading :)

~Cassie

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