Review by Hadley Willman, grade 11

Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs

Not to be confused with the famous 1970 novel of the same name, Future Shock is a story about Elena Martinez, a foster child just a few months away from turning eighteen, being kicked out of the system, and forced to make her own way on the streets of Los Angeles as an adult. Her problem? She doesn’t have any money to go to college, let alone a job. Out of the blue, a woman shows up at her foster home and offers her thousands if she’ll partake in a few hours of unnamed work the next day at Aether Corporation, a high-tech company that wouldn’t seem to need help from a teenage girl in any of their work.

Although it sounds sketchy, Elena agrees because she needs the money. She shows up the next day and winds up being sent  into the future to take 24 hours worth of notes working alongside four other teens who are likewise looking for the holy grail of paychecks. Despite Aether’s warnings, they each end up looking into the fates of their future selves, which sends them spiraling into a race against the clock that may just make or break the future they’re trying to prepare by working this job.

Overall, this book has well-rounded characters, each with their own separate quirks and personalities, the perfect touch of romance and betrayal, the wonderful premise of time travel and its repercussions, and a plot with no loose ends. From personal experience, this is the kind of book that will leave you reading it straight through in one session. Your other priorities will be pushed aside. This is the perfect read for those who need an escape from homework, chores, and real life in general. 5/5 stars.


Find this book in our catalog: Future Shock

Call Number: YA SF BRIGGS,E

265 pages