Review: The Here and Now

One of my favourite series of all time is Ann Brashares' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Because of that, I've read her other novels. And I keep reading them even though I haven't loved them. I was pre-approved for the newly released The Here and Now on NetGalley so I thought I'd give her another shot. While I didn't love this new novel, I didn't outright dislike it either.

Here's the synopsis:

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world...if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.
This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except 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.
But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. 

I don't really read sci-fi and The Here and Now sort of felt sci-fi-ish to me. That might be my biggest issue with it. And since it's pretty personal issue (obviously others like sci-fi), I encourage you to look past it...but I'm still going to talk about it! When I read non-contemporary novels, I tend to go more for fantasy novels...magic, dragons, wizards, you know. Time travel is a sci-fi concept I can get behind, though. In a way, this book was actually kind of a mix of contemporary and dystopian. Prenna came from the future and her world was all but destroyed by an awful pandemic. Instead of fighting her way through that barren world, she, and many others who also escaped, went back in time for a do-over, of sorts. It was interesting to read about what the world was like in the future (they came from 2080something or 2090something, I can't remember) and how they were trying to fix things. Trying to connect the dots and figure out how to save the world was stressful, in a good way. 

To generalize, it wouldn't be YA without a love story. I have to say that I liked Ethan more than Prenna. Not really sure why. Maybe because he was more relateable...I can't imagine losing almost my entire family, going back in time, and then being constantly monitored. I did like that Prenna was rebelling as that showed that she had a spark in her. Part of that rebellion included spending a lot of time with Ethan, which was a problem as she is forbidden from being emotionally or physically intimate with anyone from the present day. Bummer! I liked that Ethan automatically accepted Prenna once he learned all the details of her past (his future..weird). Even though they're trying to save the world, they're still teenagers and it was kind of fun to read as they figured out their feelings for each other.

Random note: I actually really like this cover. It's different than the YA covers we've been seeing and I think it really conveys the feel of the story. Plus the colours are pretty. :)

I have to say that I went into reading The Here and Now with low expectations, since I hadn't seen very many good ratings or reviews. Like I said, I didn't love Ann Brashares' latest novel but I didn't dislike it. This was one of those hard reviews to write because I was so middle of the road with my feelings. I think if you find the synopsis interesting then you might enjoy the book. In the meantime, I'm going to keep hoping for another Brashares book that blows my socks off like the Sisterhood!

*An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Just Finished: "Sisterhood Everlasting"

Last week I had a glorious Friday off and I spent a good part of the day reading and finished an entire book - Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares to be specific (in case you couldn't tell from the cover photo above...). I was somehow behind the times with this novel and didn't know it was being released until about a month beforehand. I was very patient and waited for the book to be released and then I ended up having too many books to read in a short period of time once it finally showed up! So, long story short, it took me two months to finally get to it. It was definitely worth the wait though as I absolutely loved it.

Alright, let's get started here with the synopsis from Goodreads:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.
As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

I've been reading the Sisterhood novels pretty much from the beginning (which was 2003, by the by). It was one of those books that a friend had, she lent it to me, I loved it so I bought a copy myself. That copy then got passed around time and time again. I've read it probably three times, my sister twice, and countless of our friends have borrowed it as well. Needless to say, the paperback copy of the first novel is well loved! Since I've been reading the series for so long, it surprises me when I hear that people still haven't read them. I know some people haven't gotten around to it because they've seen the movies but the films really do not do the books justice. There is so much going on in the books and the second movie is a strange sort of combination of the final three books. Trust me - read the first four books and then Sisterhood Everlasting. You will not be disappointed.

I actually wasn't sure how this book was going to turn out. I was worried that I wouldn't get the conclusion I wanted, and, well, thought I (as a reader) deserved. I really shouldn't have been worried. I loved this novel and thought that it was wrapped up beautifully. However, I must warn all readers - this book is totally heart wrenching. The synopsis kind of lets you know that something tragic is going to happen, and oh boy is it ever tragic. As horrible as the situation is and as much as it upset me it worked with the story. For those of you who have read this already, what did you think of the tragedy?

I found that I had to keep reminding myself that the four friends were just about to turn thirty. None of them seemed to have totally grown up yet and I think that's one of the problems they're facing. I think they feel stuck because the four of them are spread out, living lives that are totally separate from each other. They've lost touch and, as Carmen points out, are realizing that their friendship is not built for leaving. It's not until they're faced with an unimaginable tragedy that they come to terms with their lives and find a way to recreate the closeness they used to have.

I can't tell you enough how much I loved this book. I devoured it in a day because I just couldn't put it down. These characters have been with me for years and it was bittersweet to have the series come to an end. I'm so happy with the way they ended up and I think you will agree. It may not be a picture perfect ending, but life rarely turns out perfectly.

This is one of those books that make you appreciate your friendships. Here's to best friends. Happy reading.