Book Reviews: The Here And Now by Ann Brashares

Summary

"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. "

Review

Overall, the premise and idea for this book are really good. The writing style was a little rough at times, and felt 'raw'. For example, this line really bothered me: "His sweaty hand sweatily clutching my sweaty hand." Some scenes felt there could have been more descriptions or more feeling. It was difficult to become attached to the characters, it felt like they didn't grow or change throughout the story. I would like to have seen more in the beginning to be able to relate and sympathize with the main character. Also, the relationship developed between the characters seemed forced and predictable. It would have been nice to see their relationship grow and develop and not just suddenly 'be'.

I received The Here And Now by Ann Brashares from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.