The Here and Now

Gr 9 Up—Prenna's life is shrouded in secrecy and intimidation. She's part of a select group of people who not only survived the Blood Plagues but also immigrated to present-day New York from more than 80 years in the future. Bound by rules that force her to sacrifice her personal freedoms and isolate herself from the local community, also known as Time Natives, Prenna can't help developing a close, yet guarded friendship with a classmate, Ethan Jarves. Both high schoolers are gifted science students who have more than a friendly, academic attraction, but physical contact with Ethan could endanger him as well as Prenna and the other Travelers. When a local indigent man, who mysteriously knows about the Travelers' origins, prophesizes a time fork on May 17, Ethan and Prenna are launched into a plan to stop a murder that could save the future of mankind. The story moves along at a compelling pace with enough foreshadowing and plot twists to keep the pages turning. The sense of adventure as the teens escape Prenna's corrupt leaders and fight off a murderer is stronger than the romance between the two. Older teens may enjoy the more palpable romance in Brashares's book for adults, My Name Is Memory (Riverhead, 2010), in which a love story transcends time. The Here and Now has a satisfying ending that only slightly hints at what would be a welcome sequel.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD