The Here and Now Author: Visit Amazon's Ann Brashares Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0385736800 | Format: PDF
The Here and Now Description
About the Author
Ann Brashares is the #1
New York Times bestselling author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series,
3 Willows,
The Last Summer (of You & Me), and
My Name Is Memory. She lives in New York City with her husband and their four children.
- Age Range: 12 and up
- Grade Level: 7 and up
- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Press (April 8, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385736800
- ISBN-13: 978-0385736800
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
In this story, Prenna and her mother travel back in time with a group from the late 2000s. They are escaping very difficult times, including disease and economic and social unrest, and they hope to travel to the past so that the tragedies of their time can be averted. Once they arrive in 2010, they work hard to avoid detection as time travelers; they try to blend in and avoid close relationships with people indigenous to 2010. The rules that they follow are strict and cause Prenna and others a lot of anxiety. There is a significant amount of tension within the time traveling group.
As the years go by, teenaged Prenna becomes infatuated with Ethan, a boy who is not a time traveler. Romantic relationships outside of the time traveling group are forbidden, so this potential relationship sets up a conflict. I found the romantic plot a little tiresome, especially given that there was a much more interesting story line to explore.
The more interesting plot is how the time travelers will avert the future that they know is coming. While I do not want to give away spoilers, Prenna finds out about a possible strategy that might result in a better future, though she cannot be sure. Most of the plot of the book is about Prenna's efforts to change history for the better.
The book is set up so that there could be sequels to it, but there are no genuine cliffhangers. In other words, this novel stands on its own.
The story was well-written. The state of the future world was clearly described, but the author focused primarily on the "here and now." I liked the main characters: Prenna and Ethan, as well as the secondary characters: Prenna's mother, the homeless man, Katherine, and others (I don't want to give away spoilers.).
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