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Where Futures End
Five teens, five futures. Dylan develops a sixth sense that allows him to glimpse another world. Brixney must escape a debtor colony by finding a way to increase the number of hits on her social media feed so she’ll attract corporate sponsorship. Epony goes “High Concept” and poses as an otherworldly being to recapture her boyfriend’s attention. Reef struggles to survive in a city turned virtual gameboard. And Quinn uncovers the alarming secret that links them all.
These are stories about a world that is destroying itself, and about the alternate world that might be its savior. Unless it’s just the opposite.
These are stories about a world that is destroying itself, and about the alternate world that might be its savior. Unless it’s just the opposite.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 9, 2016
44 people are currently reading
4556 people want to read
About the author
Parker Peevyhouse
3 books176 followersParker Peevyhouse is likely trying to solve a puzzle at this very moment, probably while enjoying In-N-Out fries, admiring redwood trees, and quoting movies about sentient robots. Parker's critically acclaimed collection of novellas, WHERE FUTURES END, was named a best book for teens by the New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, and Bank Street. Kirkus gave her science fiction puzzle-thriller, THE ECHO ROOM, a starred review, calling it "a thrilling ride." Her most recent novel is STRANGE EXIT, which Booklist called "compulsively readable" in another starred review. A former bookseller, Parker lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she currently works in education.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
November 2, 2016
Edited to add: this book is so CRIMINALLY under appreciated that whenever I think about it, I get legitimately sad. If you like innovative books, if you like surprising/strange/literary books, PLEASE do yourself (and me) a favor and READ THIS.
Do you ever read a book that feels like a puzzle? And the whole time, you're not quite sure what the question is but the sense of the inevitable and the immediacy keep you alternating between speed-reading for hours and picking apart a couple sentences for twenty minutes as you try to figure out what's happening between the letters?
That is this book. Compelling, strange, intriguing, fascinating, utterly puzzling. I'm going to be thinking about this book for weeks (also rereading at least a few more times when it comes out to see all the details I no doubt missed).
Since I read the initial announcement for this book I've been telling everyone who will listen that it's my most anticipated 2016 read! Luckily, I was able to wrangle an early copy (!!!!!). It's weird: on the one hand, this book defied all my expectations (in regards to content and style) but on the other, it hit me exactly how I expected (and hoped) it would.
Where Futures End may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think that the people who connect with it are going to REALLY connect with it (read: be obsessed). It reminded me of so many of my favorite things: David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas (mysterious and strange and constantly balancing what's said versus what's between the lines), Scott Westerfeld's Uglies (compelling, disturbing, and entirely believable projection of the near-future), Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five (comparisons I won't make because *SPOILERS* but that any fan will surely see), and Madeline L'Engle's Wrinkle In Time (for the more fantastical, paradoxical, and metaphysical elements).
I really can't think of anything Smart™ to say right now because this has left my mind so blown out. BUY THIS. READ IT. REREAD IT A MILLION TIMES.
Do you ever read a book that feels like a puzzle? And the whole time, you're not quite sure what the question is but the sense of the inevitable and the immediacy keep you alternating between speed-reading for hours and picking apart a couple sentences for twenty minutes as you try to figure out what's happening between the letters?
That is this book. Compelling, strange, intriguing, fascinating, utterly puzzling. I'm going to be thinking about this book for weeks (also rereading at least a few more times when it comes out to see all the details I no doubt missed).
Since I read the initial announcement for this book I've been telling everyone who will listen that it's my most anticipated 2016 read! Luckily, I was able to wrangle an early copy (!!!!!). It's weird: on the one hand, this book defied all my expectations (in regards to content and style) but on the other, it hit me exactly how I expected (and hoped) it would.
Where Futures End may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think that the people who connect with it are going to REALLY connect with it (read: be obsessed). It reminded me of so many of my favorite things: David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas (mysterious and strange and constantly balancing what's said versus what's between the lines), Scott Westerfeld's Uglies (compelling, disturbing, and entirely believable projection of the near-future), Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five (comparisons I won't make because *SPOILERS* but that any fan will surely see), and Madeline L'Engle's Wrinkle In Time (for the more fantastical, paradoxical, and metaphysical elements).
I really can't think of anything Smart™ to say right now because this has left my mind so blown out. BUY THIS. READ IT. REREAD IT A MILLION TIMES.
June 25, 2017
I'm just gonna DNF this on page 260.
It's honestly not a bad book, it's just so much more sci-fi than I was intending. I was originally going to try to finish out the audiobook, but I realized i'm just not enjoying it and I don't want to force myself to listen to 45 minutes more of something i'm not invested into and probably won't raise my rating of. I was attracted to the premise of this book, but I thought it would be more of a character-driven narrative in which all of the people eventually interconnect, but it was more of this weird fantasy world and how all of the characters relate to it, and that lost my interest very quickly.
I'll most likely be passing on my physical copy to someone who will more likely enjoy this! It just ended up being something totally different than my expectations and I'm not a fan of the genre.
It's honestly not a bad book, it's just so much more sci-fi than I was intending. I was originally going to try to finish out the audiobook, but I realized i'm just not enjoying it and I don't want to force myself to listen to 45 minutes more of something i'm not invested into and probably won't raise my rating of. I was attracted to the premise of this book, but I thought it would be more of a character-driven narrative in which all of the people eventually interconnect, but it was more of this weird fantasy world and how all of the characters relate to it, and that lost my interest very quickly.
I'll most likely be passing on my physical copy to someone who will more likely enjoy this! It just ended up being something totally different than my expectations and I'm not a fan of the genre.
November 23, 2017
Parker Peevyhouse wrote this book with one goal: to blow everyone's mind. And oh my god, did she achieve that goal. This book is so good, so different from anything I've ever read before.
There's no way to truly describe this novel's plot; it's set in an alternate reality with a world interconnected to ours, with characters living years into the future. Each one of the five stories brings something new to this story, adding one element to the puzzle that is the end.
Everything here is not only creative, but also well-executed. Peevyhouse's world is effortlessly interesting, and her writing pulls you in until it's ten pm and you're still reading. Her characters are developed even within their short stories.
As I've read more books with the same “let's-blow-their-minds” goal, this book almost should have fallen down the chain. It blew my mind, yes, but so did books like The Ghost of Heaven. Yes, this book has great characters and a creative plot, but other books do too. What sets this book apart? The ending. This book ends with one of the most melancholy scenes of all time, an ending that I still can't stop thinking about. Not only is the ending effortlessly creative, it's also filled with emotion and depth of meaning.
Vague spoilers ahead, but I want to say things about the ending. Because really, is really so satisfying just in terms of themes. The way it emphasizes environmentalism!! The way it subverts your expectations but also feels so right!! I just. Adored the ending.
I actually got a chance to meet Parker Peevyhouse last year - she was randomly doing a talk on sci-fi at my school. She almost seemed surprised that someone had read her book. And I'm so sad about that. I want everyone to read this book. I want this book to get a fucking hype train and fanart and a FANBASE. It is truly that good.
VERDICT: One of the most underrated books of all time - I couldn't put it down. Can't recommend this enough.
There's no way to truly describe this novel's plot; it's set in an alternate reality with a world interconnected to ours, with characters living years into the future. Each one of the five stories brings something new to this story, adding one element to the puzzle that is the end.
Everything here is not only creative, but also well-executed. Peevyhouse's world is effortlessly interesting, and her writing pulls you in until it's ten pm and you're still reading. Her characters are developed even within their short stories.
As I've read more books with the same “let's-blow-their-minds” goal, this book almost should have fallen down the chain. It blew my mind, yes, but so did books like The Ghost of Heaven. Yes, this book has great characters and a creative plot, but other books do too. What sets this book apart? The ending. This book ends with one of the most melancholy scenes of all time, an ending that I still can't stop thinking about. Not only is the ending effortlessly creative, it's also filled with emotion and depth of meaning.
Vague spoilers ahead, but I want to say things about the ending. Because really, is really so satisfying just in terms of themes. The way it emphasizes environmentalism!! The way it subverts your expectations but also feels so right!! I just. Adored the ending.
I actually got a chance to meet Parker Peevyhouse last year - she was randomly doing a talk on sci-fi at my school. She almost seemed surprised that someone had read her book. And I'm so sad about that. I want everyone to read this book. I want this book to get a fucking hype train and fanart and a FANBASE. It is truly that good.
VERDICT: One of the most underrated books of all time - I couldn't put it down. Can't recommend this enough.
July 25, 2017
2.5 Stars
Um. What did I just read? This honestly made no sense - half the time I was just searching for answers and wondering if I should feel as confused as I was while reading. However, I will add that this was a unique idea (not the time-travel and alternate universes part) - which made the book interesting in its own right. But the bland characters and dry story-line took away from that.
Overall, I don't have much to say about this book other than it has a beautiful cover which pushed me to read it - because look at that cover! It's lovely. But once I started reading it, I wanted to stare at the cover rather than continue reading.
Um. What did I just read? This honestly made no sense - half the time I was just searching for answers and wondering if I should feel as confused as I was while reading. However, I will add that this was a unique idea (not the time-travel and alternate universes part) - which made the book interesting in its own right. But the bland characters and dry story-line took away from that.
Overall, I don't have much to say about this book other than it has a beautiful cover which pushed me to read it - because look at that cover! It's lovely. But once I started reading it, I wanted to stare at the cover rather than continue reading.
September 30, 2015
Wow. Just holy eff wow. This book is the most unique book I think I've ever read. I'm rendered nearly incoherent. It's the story our own world and the Other Place and five people spanning decades and the ways in which we're all connected. It's bonkers good. Gorgeous prose and each voice is so distinct and compelling. Add this one to your TBRs stat!
October 10, 2015
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You guys. I picked up this book at 10pm and read it straight through all night. WHERE FUTURES END is a novel made up of a series of interconnected novellas, all focused on a different teenage character. All of them yearning for something else, something better, more comforting, something stranger than the life that they have. I worried before I picked this up that the interconnected-novella form might kill some of the momentum, but it worked the opposite way -- this novel is so filled with tension and longing and secrets that each novella end only made me want to read more.
And the WRITING. On the sentence level, this is one of the best-written novels I've read in a long time. The sentences are gorgeous, but they don't call attention to themselves, and Peevyhouse is great at making each reality she explores so specific and strange and still so familiar.
Finally, as a major SF/F fan, I was so taken with how this novel managed to inhabit both genres. Science fiction AND fantasy, in a believable way? YA fiction for fans of adult-fic writers like David Mitchell, George Saunders, and Kelly Link? Don't walk, RUN to pre-order this book. I know I did.
You guys. I picked up this book at 10pm and read it straight through all night. WHERE FUTURES END is a novel made up of a series of interconnected novellas, all focused on a different teenage character. All of them yearning for something else, something better, more comforting, something stranger than the life that they have. I worried before I picked this up that the interconnected-novella form might kill some of the momentum, but it worked the opposite way -- this novel is so filled with tension and longing and secrets that each novella end only made me want to read more.
And the WRITING. On the sentence level, this is one of the best-written novels I've read in a long time. The sentences are gorgeous, but they don't call attention to themselves, and Peevyhouse is great at making each reality she explores so specific and strange and still so familiar.
Finally, as a major SF/F fan, I was so taken with how this novel managed to inhabit both genres. Science fiction AND fantasy, in a believable way? YA fiction for fans of adult-fic writers like David Mitchell, George Saunders, and Kelly Link? Don't walk, RUN to pre-order this book. I know I did.
August 27, 2015
If it’s not hard enough to write a straightforward, linear novel, Parker Peevyhouse has made it far harder for herself by writing a novel that is actually five interconnected novelettes. So it’s enormously to her credit that this book has turned out so well. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the best YA novel I’ve read this year.
The first story is set right now (or very close to now) and the subsequent ones step into the future, developing the story up to some unstated point over a hundred years from now. Our universe has somehow intersected with another universe, and a very few people can cross between them, weakening the barrier between the universes.
Over the course of the five stories we experience the lives of different characters – some of whom are able to cross between universes and some of whom aren’t – as the intersection alters both universes, as technology advances, and as global warming begins to take hold.
So what’s so great about Where Futures End? Well, first up the structure is not easy to pull off. Different characters? Different time periods? Different voices? Not an easy thing to manage, but something that could go terribly wrong. Well, it doesn’t. It works beautifully, and rather than losing narrative drive, the end of each story leaves you wanting to read the next to add more pieces to the puzzle. Each adds another layer, revealing more about what was going in the previous stories while developing its own story.
Then there are the stories themselves. I’m going to come right out and say that the stories remind me a lot in style and type of many of the short stories that I’ve written, although these are more fully developed, and no doubt that makes them appealing to me. But each is a really well thought through glimpse of the future, rigorously developed, with compelling characters.
Ambitious. Clever. Gripping. You should add this one to your wish-list right away!
Rating: 5 Stars!
The first story is set right now (or very close to now) and the subsequent ones step into the future, developing the story up to some unstated point over a hundred years from now. Our universe has somehow intersected with another universe, and a very few people can cross between them, weakening the barrier between the universes.
Over the course of the five stories we experience the lives of different characters – some of whom are able to cross between universes and some of whom aren’t – as the intersection alters both universes, as technology advances, and as global warming begins to take hold.
So what’s so great about Where Futures End? Well, first up the structure is not easy to pull off. Different characters? Different time periods? Different voices? Not an easy thing to manage, but something that could go terribly wrong. Well, it doesn’t. It works beautifully, and rather than losing narrative drive, the end of each story leaves you wanting to read the next to add more pieces to the puzzle. Each adds another layer, revealing more about what was going in the previous stories while developing its own story.
Then there are the stories themselves. I’m going to come right out and say that the stories remind me a lot in style and type of many of the short stories that I’ve written, although these are more fully developed, and no doubt that makes them appealing to me. But each is a really well thought through glimpse of the future, rigorously developed, with compelling characters.
Ambitious. Clever. Gripping. You should add this one to your wish-list right away!
Rating: 5 Stars!
August 3, 2015
This book. THIS BOOK!!!
I hardcore loved this book.
I wasn't sure I would, when I first got it. A collection of novellas? It would either work for me or it wouldn't.
And it did. It did SO MUCH.
WHERE FUTURE'S ENDS is a collection of five novellas, moving forward in time. There are mentions of the previous characters in the future novellas which adds a nice perk of recognition. As time goes on, the reader can see how technology and society changes as time passes between the novellas.
Every novella was fantastic. I kept thinking I wouldn't like the next one as much as the one I just finished, and I would be proved wrong over and over again.
I would have read a novel of each of these novellas easily. I don't even think I can pick a favorite I loved them all so much.
There was a fantastic theme of seeing how our stories shape us, how technology drives our culture, how little moments in time can forever alter the future, whether we know they will or not. And at the end, the stories come together in an ending that is satisfying and heartbreaking and beautiful.
I could have read this book in one sitting, except I didn't want it to end, so I read as slowly as possible, to savor it.
I read this book as part of an arc tour, and I cannot wait for it to be available so I can buy a copy and recommend it to everyone I know.
I hardcore loved this book.
I wasn't sure I would, when I first got it. A collection of novellas? It would either work for me or it wouldn't.
And it did. It did SO MUCH.
WHERE FUTURE'S ENDS is a collection of five novellas, moving forward in time. There are mentions of the previous characters in the future novellas which adds a nice perk of recognition. As time goes on, the reader can see how technology and society changes as time passes between the novellas.
Every novella was fantastic. I kept thinking I wouldn't like the next one as much as the one I just finished, and I would be proved wrong over and over again.
I would have read a novel of each of these novellas easily. I don't even think I can pick a favorite I loved them all so much.
There was a fantastic theme of seeing how our stories shape us, how technology drives our culture, how little moments in time can forever alter the future, whether we know they will or not. And at the end, the stories come together in an ending that is satisfying and heartbreaking and beautiful.
I could have read this book in one sitting, except I didn't want it to end, so I read as slowly as possible, to savor it.
I read this book as part of an arc tour, and I cannot wait for it to be available so I can buy a copy and recommend it to everyone I know.
September 28, 2015
This book blew me away. As soon as I read the description, I knew it was for anyone who likes mind-bending plots and satirical near-future SF — i.e., me. I haven't seen many truly strange YA SF books in recent years, and was eager to get my hands on it.
But I wasn't expecting the deft, magical prose, or how cleverly the book would riff on fantasy tropes as well as SF, or how much the central themes would resonate with me. Where Futures End has a daring narrative structure that won't work for everyone, but if it works for you, you'll be hooked.
Essentially, it's several stories (and types/tones of story) bound together by a single plot. Along the way, I was reminded of some of my favorite authors from childhood and adulthood. In the first section, it's Diana Wynne Jones and her skill in weaving enchanting portal fantasies together with gritty real-world stuff.
In the middle sections, I thought of George Saunders and how he combines lit fic with wickedly funny dystopian satire. Toward the end, I started remembering Ursula K. LeGuin. Peevyhouse has a similar gift for making the Pacific Northwest landscape such a powerful presence that the world she creates becomes our own, and the book has a recurring elegiac tone that got me all choked up. When time passed and we left earlier characters behind, I genuinely missed them.
I could compare this book to plenty of other things — it's likely to appeal to anyone who loves Inception or Charlie Kaufman movies, for instance. It's a book about the stories we tell, how they sustain us, and what happens when they turn out to be half the truth, or just a sliver of the truth.
And, while it's not the dense-worldbuilding kind of SF, I found its futures pretty plausible (allowing for some satirical exaggeration). Just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned (according to legend, anyway), the human race will probably still be telling itself enthralling stories when/if our world burns. Whether that's our biggest problem or our redeeming grace is up to each reader of this book to decide.
I received an ARC of this book through the Sweet Sixteens.
But I wasn't expecting the deft, magical prose, or how cleverly the book would riff on fantasy tropes as well as SF, or how much the central themes would resonate with me. Where Futures End has a daring narrative structure that won't work for everyone, but if it works for you, you'll be hooked.
Essentially, it's several stories (and types/tones of story) bound together by a single plot. Along the way, I was reminded of some of my favorite authors from childhood and adulthood. In the first section, it's Diana Wynne Jones and her skill in weaving enchanting portal fantasies together with gritty real-world stuff.
In the middle sections, I thought of George Saunders and how he combines lit fic with wickedly funny dystopian satire. Toward the end, I started remembering Ursula K. LeGuin. Peevyhouse has a similar gift for making the Pacific Northwest landscape such a powerful presence that the world she creates becomes our own, and the book has a recurring elegiac tone that got me all choked up. When time passed and we left earlier characters behind, I genuinely missed them.
I could compare this book to plenty of other things — it's likely to appeal to anyone who loves Inception or Charlie Kaufman movies, for instance. It's a book about the stories we tell, how they sustain us, and what happens when they turn out to be half the truth, or just a sliver of the truth.
And, while it's not the dense-worldbuilding kind of SF, I found its futures pretty plausible (allowing for some satirical exaggeration). Just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned (according to legend, anyway), the human race will probably still be telling itself enthralling stories when/if our world burns. Whether that's our biggest problem or our redeeming grace is up to each reader of this book to decide.
I received an ARC of this book through the Sweet Sixteens.
September 30, 2015
This book, which I was lucky to read in an advance copy, kept surprising me in such delightful ways. The first section made me feel like a 10-year-old discovering Narnia for the first time, with all that magical sense of wonder. Then the second section read to me as fast, very funny, and definitely having a thing or two to say about our current world. And so it continued, with each future world opening a door to another, each one completely different but deeply interconnected. This is definitely for people who enjoy innovative and/or complex storytelling, and also for those who like puzzles, games, and surprises.
February 18, 2016
I actually can't believe this book exists. It is so strange and so different from everything else on the shelves. It's a series of five interconnected novellas about the relationship between a steadily-worsening dystopian Earth and a far-off fantasy land, The Other Place, that's become entangled with our world. Each story is completely self-contained, with its own protagonist, and each one is so full of hope and longing. All of these stories are about kids who are trying to better themselves and who, in some way, latch onto the idea of The Other Place--just as kids today latch onto fairy stories--as a way of feeling some kind of hope. Surely, they reason, in a world that contains something so wonderful, we can't all be doomed?
The book is heart-breaking. Each novella (they're all set in different time periods) describes what feels like a completely different world, and each world is precise and well-described. There are so many fun little side trips on this journey: we're taken into debtor's colonies and terrible fast-food restaurants and a Seattle that's been taken over by a strange video game. And there are also fascinating thematic througlines, such as the ever-mutating uses for social media.
But what keeps you reading is just the audacity of the work. If you're like me, you can't help but wonder: "How can this possibly pay off? How can it possibly interconnect!" And then it does!!!! The ending is mind-blowing.
If you're tired of the same old thing, then you need to buy this book.
The book is heart-breaking. Each novella (they're all set in different time periods) describes what feels like a completely different world, and each world is precise and well-described. There are so many fun little side trips on this journey: we're taken into debtor's colonies and terrible fast-food restaurants and a Seattle that's been taken over by a strange video game. And there are also fascinating thematic througlines, such as the ever-mutating uses for social media.
But what keeps you reading is just the audacity of the work. If you're like me, you can't help but wonder: "How can this possibly pay off? How can it possibly interconnect!" And then it does!!!! The ending is mind-blowing.
If you're tired of the same old thing, then you need to buy this book.
August 24, 2017
this book is really incredible. i feel like i've just finished the last book of an epic fantasy series spanning at least 2 decades and 30 books, rather than a 290 page ya. it's made up of 5 short stories centered on different characters, all sort of different genres and styles, set decades apart, expertly done so that i felt like i had read 5 whole different books, plus the overarching story connecting them all. the characters and plots are extremely well fleshed out, esp given the little space it's written in. definitely recommended, esp for fans of experimental fiction!
(one thing i would say - i think the blurb puts too much emphasis on the implied big plot twist at the end, when i think the draw of the story is less the literal elements of the plot and more the interconnectedness etc. don't expect a big inception-y twist and youll be happier)
(one thing i would say - i think the blurb puts too much emphasis on the implied big plot twist at the end, when i think the draw of the story is less the literal elements of the plot and more the interconnectedness etc. don't expect a big inception-y twist and youll be happier)
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March 18, 2016Have you ever read a book and just didn't get it, but wanted to so badly? Well this is me right now. I feel like I am totally missing out on some huge secret and I don't like it at all. I want to like this book and I want my intelligence to understand what the author was trying to say to me, but I just don't get it.
The story started out really interesting. We have Dylan who is obsessed with the Other Place which I think and I'm pretty sure I'm right is Fairy. Now I could be wrong, but it felt like that was what the author was going for. Don't think Melissa Marr's world, but more like a fairy tale happy place with adventures...maybe Peter Pannish?? I don't know but anyway Dylan wanted to go back there because he felt like that was where he belonged. The story was weird from the start, but I understood it because the author did a great job cluing her readers in. Things slowly fell apart after that first part though for me.
This book is broken down into parts instead of chapters and the second part takes place ten years later and the world is a very different place. It all felt really sad to me. I kind of got the feeling like maybe the author was predicting our future because it was all very technology based and not in a good way. Think YouTube but way way bigger. This second story I understood too for the most part, but it didn't really connect much with the first. The Other Place was in there and a few other things, but not enough for me to connect the dots.
I trudged on though because I did like the writing and the story was still really interesting. This third part though was a little more different and while I still got it I started to really question where this was all going. This part was sadder than the previous ones and honestly made me scared. I don't think this could happen but it does make you think about where our world is headed.
The fourth part really made me think. This part was about a gaming world and was again sadder than the other parts. The Other Place and Dylan were still the only connecting lines throughout the stories and at this point I had no idea where the author was going. I had a hard time understanding this part because it was so very different than what my imagination could grasp so I was left feeling left out. Now that I am thinking of it every part felt like a short story. They all had a common thread, but nothing really connected them.
At the end I totally lost it all. This last part takes place more than one hundred years from the start and I have no idea what this story was supposed to be about. I feel like it has some higher meaning and I honestly feel a little stupid for not understanding it. I don't like when stories make me feel this way. I want to get it and I wanted to fall in love with this book because it had my name written all over it, but I'm left feeling very disgruntled, sad, and a little upset. I'm going to look through other reviews to see if it's just me and hopefully I'll find some clarity for this story because I feel like it should have been great and enlightening. Maybe I'm just reading too much into I don't know, but I'm completely lost after that last chapter.
I don't even know what to rate this honestly so I am for the first time ever not going to rate a book that I finished. I can't rate something I didn't understand in my opinion so there you go no rating and a review filled with I don't get its....sorry.
The story started out really interesting. We have Dylan who is obsessed with the Other Place which I think and I'm pretty sure I'm right is Fairy. Now I could be wrong, but it felt like that was what the author was going for. Don't think Melissa Marr's world, but more like a fairy tale happy place with adventures...maybe Peter Pannish?? I don't know but anyway Dylan wanted to go back there because he felt like that was where he belonged. The story was weird from the start, but I understood it because the author did a great job cluing her readers in. Things slowly fell apart after that first part though for me.
This book is broken down into parts instead of chapters and the second part takes place ten years later and the world is a very different place. It all felt really sad to me. I kind of got the feeling like maybe the author was predicting our future because it was all very technology based and not in a good way. Think YouTube but way way bigger. This second story I understood too for the most part, but it didn't really connect much with the first. The Other Place was in there and a few other things, but not enough for me to connect the dots.
I trudged on though because I did like the writing and the story was still really interesting. This third part though was a little more different and while I still got it I started to really question where this was all going. This part was sadder than the previous ones and honestly made me scared. I don't think this could happen but it does make you think about where our world is headed.
The fourth part really made me think. This part was about a gaming world and was again sadder than the other parts. The Other Place and Dylan were still the only connecting lines throughout the stories and at this point I had no idea where the author was going. I had a hard time understanding this part because it was so very different than what my imagination could grasp so I was left feeling left out. Now that I am thinking of it every part felt like a short story. They all had a common thread, but nothing really connected them.
At the end I totally lost it all. This last part takes place more than one hundred years from the start and I have no idea what this story was supposed to be about. I feel like it has some higher meaning and I honestly feel a little stupid for not understanding it. I don't like when stories make me feel this way. I want to get it and I wanted to fall in love with this book because it had my name written all over it, but I'm left feeling very disgruntled, sad, and a little upset. I'm going to look through other reviews to see if it's just me and hopefully I'll find some clarity for this story because I feel like it should have been great and enlightening. Maybe I'm just reading too much into I don't know, but I'm completely lost after that last chapter.
I don't even know what to rate this honestly so I am for the first time ever not going to rate a book that I finished. I can't rate something I didn't understand in my opinion so there you go no rating and a review filled with I don't get its....sorry.
March 11, 2021
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Prepare to have your mind blown with the incredible stories in Parker Peevyhouse’s Where Futures End! This fascinating and unique book contains short stories that are all connected and all set in different years in the future. The variety of settings and plots will make a science fiction fan out of anyone.
Where Futures End consists of a whole bunch of short stories that are all connected. What is really interesting is the fact that at first, the stories all seem very different. This book is actually really difficult to explain, since there are many complex concepts, but trust me, it is incredible! Once you discover what links all the characters, the shock of what is happening will have your head spinning!
Also, the variety of settings in the novel adds to its amazing effect. Each short story in Where Futures End takes place in a different point in the future. The book begins in the near future, a year from now, and progresses to a hundred years in the future. It is really enjoyable reading about Parker Peevyhouse’s interpretation of what technology might be like in a few years. It actually makes one think about what the future holds for us.
The Sci-fi genre is one that has its die-hard followers and Where Futures End will absolutely speak to this cult, but the appeal of Peevyhouse’s writing speaks to everyone. The variation in the stories really makes this the perfect book for anyone. There are concepts ranging from social media that streams your every move and pays you for it to real life video games. These tales are all interconnected and fit together so amazingly, making this book the ultimate for sci-fi fans.
Where Futures End is an intriguing book of short stories that are all connected. Each story is set in a different year in the future, which makes this a very thought-provoking read. If you are a sci-fi lover, this is a must-read!
Prepare to have your mind blown with the incredible stories in Parker Peevyhouse’s Where Futures End! This fascinating and unique book contains short stories that are all connected and all set in different years in the future. The variety of settings and plots will make a science fiction fan out of anyone.
Where Futures End consists of a whole bunch of short stories that are all connected. What is really interesting is the fact that at first, the stories all seem very different. This book is actually really difficult to explain, since there are many complex concepts, but trust me, it is incredible! Once you discover what links all the characters, the shock of what is happening will have your head spinning!
Also, the variety of settings in the novel adds to its amazing effect. Each short story in Where Futures End takes place in a different point in the future. The book begins in the near future, a year from now, and progresses to a hundred years in the future. It is really enjoyable reading about Parker Peevyhouse’s interpretation of what technology might be like in a few years. It actually makes one think about what the future holds for us.
The Sci-fi genre is one that has its die-hard followers and Where Futures End will absolutely speak to this cult, but the appeal of Peevyhouse’s writing speaks to everyone. The variation in the stories really makes this the perfect book for anyone. There are concepts ranging from social media that streams your every move and pays you for it to real life video games. These tales are all interconnected and fit together so amazingly, making this book the ultimate for sci-fi fans.
Where Futures End is an intriguing book of short stories that are all connected. Each story is set in a different year in the future, which makes this a very thought-provoking read. If you are a sci-fi lover, this is a must-read!
August 26, 2015
This book was fantastic! I picked it up to read every spare minute I had-- while the toast was toasting and the tea water boiling-- it was so intriguing and strange and wonderful, I didn't want to stop. I finished it in just a couple days, and it's still lingering strong in my mind... I wish I had someone to discuss it with, but alas, since I got an ARC, I'll have to wait a bit for that!
The five interconnected stories, set at different points in the future, were brilliantly written. I was in awe of the author's world-building-- for each novella, she created an entirely new scenario-- an imaginative yet believable glimpse of what our future might hold. Like the best speculative fiction, this book gives insightful commentaries on all the disturbing things going on in society today. You get fascinating perspectives on where we're headed with technology, social media, corporate sponsorship, abandonment of privacy, etc.
I really loved how the book weaves sci-fi premises together with hints of an alternate world/universe that is reminiscent in some ways of Narnia, or a land of classic fantasy. Very unique. The language is wonderful, too... packed with meaning, layers, imagery, and smart humor. And all of these elements are woven together in an artful way that left me with a kind of sweet, deep, melancholic feeling... as excellent books tend to do.
I'll definitely be recommending this book, and can't wait for its release this winter.
The five interconnected stories, set at different points in the future, were brilliantly written. I was in awe of the author's world-building-- for each novella, she created an entirely new scenario-- an imaginative yet believable glimpse of what our future might hold. Like the best speculative fiction, this book gives insightful commentaries on all the disturbing things going on in society today. You get fascinating perspectives on where we're headed with technology, social media, corporate sponsorship, abandonment of privacy, etc.
I really loved how the book weaves sci-fi premises together with hints of an alternate world/universe that is reminiscent in some ways of Narnia, or a land of classic fantasy. Very unique. The language is wonderful, too... packed with meaning, layers, imagery, and smart humor. And all of these elements are woven together in an artful way that left me with a kind of sweet, deep, melancholic feeling... as excellent books tend to do.
I'll definitely be recommending this book, and can't wait for its release this winter.
September 15, 2015
I was lucky enough to read an ARC of Parker Peevyhouse’s WHERE FUTURES END, and I can’t wait to buy a copy for my bookshelves at home. What first captured me was the language; it snicker-snacked along and whisked me away to Peevyhouse’s wonderfully imagined worlds. Her use of language creates a magical quality reminiscent of Madeleine L’Engle’s A WRINKLE IN TIME. I fell in love with the story with the first gorgeous line.
While the vivid writing continues throughout, readers are treated to complex storytelling. This books contains not one story, but five interwoven ones. And each has a premise that is more clever than the last. The stories raise wonderful questions about technology, privacy, and identity both today and tomorrow.
This book is dripping with creativity and will keep readers on their toes. Definitely add to your 2016 reading list!
While the vivid writing continues throughout, readers are treated to complex storytelling. This books contains not one story, but five interwoven ones. And each has a premise that is more clever than the last. The stories raise wonderful questions about technology, privacy, and identity both today and tomorrow.
This book is dripping with creativity and will keep readers on their toes. Definitely add to your 2016 reading list!
July 21, 2016
In a year from now, Dylan will begin to develop a sixth sense allowing him to see into another world. In ten years, Brixney will have to get more hits on her social media in order to avoid being sent to a debtor's colony. In thirty years, Epony will go High Concept by removing her online profile. In sixty years, Reef's life will be a a constant struggle in a city turned virtual game board. In one hundred years, Quinn will learn the alarming secret that ties all five of them together.
Where Futures End by Parker Peevyhouse is a fascinating debut that is comprised of five intricately plotted novellas. Each of the five stories is able to stand on it's own because each appears to be quite different on the surface, and it isn't until that final story that one really begins to understand just how tightly interwoven they truly are. Peevyhouse's prose is consistently excellent across the board, and the characters are all well-drawn. I listened to it on audiobook and the multiple narrators really suit the nature of the novel. While I enjoyed each story, my favorites are the first, featuring Dylan, and the last, featuring Quinn.
Parker Peevyhouse's Where Futures End is an unique and ambitious YA sci-fi novel. If you enjoy Donnie Darko plus Cloud Atlas, with a dash of The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell, you will enjoy this very cool and compelling 2016 release. I, for one, am looking forward to whatever Peevyhouse writes next!
This review is also featured on my blog.
Where Futures End by Parker Peevyhouse is a fascinating debut that is comprised of five intricately plotted novellas. Each of the five stories is able to stand on it's own because each appears to be quite different on the surface, and it isn't until that final story that one really begins to understand just how tightly interwoven they truly are. Peevyhouse's prose is consistently excellent across the board, and the characters are all well-drawn. I listened to it on audiobook and the multiple narrators really suit the nature of the novel. While I enjoyed each story, my favorites are the first, featuring Dylan, and the last, featuring Quinn.
Parker Peevyhouse's Where Futures End is an unique and ambitious YA sci-fi novel. If you enjoy Donnie Darko plus Cloud Atlas, with a dash of The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell, you will enjoy this very cool and compelling 2016 release. I, for one, am looking forward to whatever Peevyhouse writes next!
This review is also featured on my blog.
April 3, 2016
While I had some issues with this book, I ended up absolutely loving it mostly because it's exactly the kind of book I think really makes YA the most interesting category of books to read right now. It's a book that takes risks, that isn't afraid to give readers something to think about. It's weird and unexpected and sometimes a little disorienting, and I loved it for that.
I think the book will ultimately divide readers. They'll either love it or hate it, and I think those are the best kinds of books. But I think it's definitely worth reading no matter what side you end up falling on.
My only criticism of this book is that I felt it could have been longer. I don't want to say much for fear of giving something away, but each section could have definitely been its own book. By the time I was getting to know the characters, we moved on to the next one, and I think that caused me to feel a little disconnected from the story sometimes.
But overall, this is a book I'll be talking about a lot and recommending to readers because it's freaking outstanding. Definitely give it a shot even if you're not sure it's for you. It's totally worth it.
I think the book will ultimately divide readers. They'll either love it or hate it, and I think those are the best kinds of books. But I think it's definitely worth reading no matter what side you end up falling on.
My only criticism of this book is that I felt it could have been longer. I don't want to say much for fear of giving something away, but each section could have definitely been its own book. By the time I was getting to know the characters, we moved on to the next one, and I think that caused me to feel a little disconnected from the story sometimes.
But overall, this is a book I'll be talking about a lot and recommending to readers because it's freaking outstanding. Definitely give it a shot even if you're not sure it's for you. It's totally worth it.
September 20, 2015
I’m so happy I had the chance to receive an ARC of this book! It was utterly magical. Each of the five stories was told from a unique point of view and I marvelled at how each and every one was full of soul. For me, this didn’t feel like separate stories at all, but a wonderful cohesive whole, showing an evolving, changing world. WHERE FUTURES END is captivating and I’d read another book by this author in a heartbeat.
May 25, 2015
This is already one of my top picks for 2016. A fascinating set of connected short stories, each nestled in the one that comes before, about two worlds with a tenuous connection. Fascinating, accessible science-fiction that will leave you desperate to talk to someone about it.
March 7, 2016
Five teens. Five futures.
Five Stars!!!
Parker Peevyhouse's WHERE FUTURES END is a triumph of storytelling and imagination.
The interlocked tales in this book are fascinating and utterly novel.
In the first story, Dylan is a teen with confusion at home and a question even the reader can't answer: does he belong in this world, or another? And is the other world where he might belong even a real one? His dilemma sounds arcane, but it isn't. It's grounded in the heart-tugging realities of a divided home and a mother and brother whose love is thwarted and rendered hard to interpret by Dylan's own deep ambivalence and need.
In the second story, Brixney is a young woman living under the harsh, constant cameras of a brave new world where everyone is hooked up to the live global feed that turns everyone's life into just another reality show. She and her brother are stuck in a debtor's colony for medical bills they couldn't pay after their parents died. And her only way out is to find amazing content for her personal life feed that will wow the masses enough to win her lucrative advertising. Then someone walks into her life...and her feed...who gives the reader a clue about the reality of the first story in the book.
You just...gasp.
I don't want to give away any more of the jaw-dropping plots, so I'll just say that the rest of the stories in this book are just as original and unique as the first two. And they all come together at the end, culminating in a choice for the last character, Quinn, that shocks at the same time as it satisfies.
And the writing...it's brilliant. With lines like this:
"...hearing Cole's voice was like waking up slowly and listening to someone tell you where you are."
"...I saw in his mouth a single star, resting in the entry to his throat."
"Dreamy synths like fireflies on helium."
You have never read a novel like this one. It will leave you with your heart pumping as you stare into space, wondering what your own choices would have been.
I am so hoping for a movie.
Five Stars!!!
Parker Peevyhouse's WHERE FUTURES END is a triumph of storytelling and imagination.
The interlocked tales in this book are fascinating and utterly novel.
In the first story, Dylan is a teen with confusion at home and a question even the reader can't answer: does he belong in this world, or another? And is the other world where he might belong even a real one? His dilemma sounds arcane, but it isn't. It's grounded in the heart-tugging realities of a divided home and a mother and brother whose love is thwarted and rendered hard to interpret by Dylan's own deep ambivalence and need.
In the second story, Brixney is a young woman living under the harsh, constant cameras of a brave new world where everyone is hooked up to the live global feed that turns everyone's life into just another reality show. She and her brother are stuck in a debtor's colony for medical bills they couldn't pay after their parents died. And her only way out is to find amazing content for her personal life feed that will wow the masses enough to win her lucrative advertising. Then someone walks into her life...and her feed...who gives the reader a clue about the reality of the first story in the book.
You just...gasp.
I don't want to give away any more of the jaw-dropping plots, so I'll just say that the rest of the stories in this book are just as original and unique as the first two. And they all come together at the end, culminating in a choice for the last character, Quinn, that shocks at the same time as it satisfies.
And the writing...it's brilliant. With lines like this:
"...hearing Cole's voice was like waking up slowly and listening to someone tell you where you are."
"...I saw in his mouth a single star, resting in the entry to his throat."
"Dreamy synths like fireflies on helium."
You have never read a novel like this one. It will leave you with your heart pumping as you stare into space, wondering what your own choices would have been.
I am so hoping for a movie.
February 22, 2016
This was okay. People who say 'omg! so original!' need to read more books. LOL. There are plenty (more then plenty) of books written in this structure. This is your basic novel length book told via short stories. This is probably the hardest type of book to write, which made me bump this from 2 stars to 3.
The biggest problem is that the world issues in the "real" world just didn't feel real at all. There are five stories and the time line is basically from 1 year, then 10 years, then 30 years, then 60 years, then over 100 years. However, HUGE, enormous social changes happened with no set up for why.
The whole idea of the Other Place going 'viral', which happens in the second story, is as stupid as the that short story. 10 years from now the big corps have made debtor prison camps?! How? We have debtors prisons already. xD We get nothing as to how, a mere 10 years have passed, and this complete change in the social structure has happened. Nor was it at all realistic that suddenly everyone believed that climate change was a thing now and no one did anything what-so-ever but bank on this magical new world. Please!
This happens in them all and they all progressively get more unrealistic as they go. The author uses these long periods of time to mask the plot holes. This is always the problem with this sort of set up.
It didn't work for me. It reminded me too much of Midwinterblood, which was certainly done (in this same style) much better. This book wasn't for me but it wasn't terrible. I give it a try and perhaps you'll like it.
I'll certainly read other stuff by this author.
The biggest problem is that the world issues in the "real" world just didn't feel real at all. There are five stories and the time line is basically from 1 year, then 10 years, then 30 years, then 60 years, then over 100 years. However, HUGE, enormous social changes happened with no set up for why.
The whole idea of the Other Place going 'viral', which happens in the second story, is as stupid as the that short story. 10 years from now the big corps have made debtor prison camps?! How? We have debtors prisons already. xD We get nothing as to how, a mere 10 years have passed, and this complete change in the social structure has happened. Nor was it at all realistic that suddenly everyone believed that climate change was a thing now and no one did anything what-so-ever but bank on this magical new world. Please!
This happens in them all and they all progressively get more unrealistic as they go. The author uses these long periods of time to mask the plot holes. This is always the problem with this sort of set up.
It didn't work for me. It reminded me too much of Midwinterblood, which was certainly done (in this same style) much better. This book wasn't for me but it wasn't terrible. I give it a try and perhaps you'll like it.
I'll certainly read other stuff by this author.
February 13, 2016
Wow. Just wow.
The last time I read a book that glowed so brightly with the power of story and interconnectedness was David Mitchell's CLOUD ATLAS. Most books would not fare well in the face of such a comparison but WHERE FUTURES END will sit nicely on my bookshelf right next to it, where they deserve to be spoken of in the same breath (when you catch your breath when you've finished it, of course, which could be quite some time).
Profound, innovative, complex, thoughtful--a Russian nesting doll of a book.
Buy this book. You'll be getting a lot of bang for your buck, because you'll happily read it several more times (as I plan to). And you better believe I will be eagerly awaiting anything else this author does.
The last time I read a book that glowed so brightly with the power of story and interconnectedness was David Mitchell's CLOUD ATLAS. Most books would not fare well in the face of such a comparison but WHERE FUTURES END will sit nicely on my bookshelf right next to it, where they deserve to be spoken of in the same breath (when you catch your breath when you've finished it, of course, which could be quite some time).
Profound, innovative, complex, thoughtful--a Russian nesting doll of a book.
Buy this book. You'll be getting a lot of bang for your buck, because you'll happily read it several more times (as I plan to). And you better believe I will be eagerly awaiting anything else this author does.
December 1, 2015
I was so fortunate to get to read an ARC of Parker Peevyhouse's debut! This book is made up of interconnected novellas, each one another step farther into the future, each one revealing more about the central mysteries of the book. I love a book with secrets, and each of the novellas answered questions but also posed new ones. The prose is beautiful--I found myself re-reading paragraphs to enjoy the sound of the words in my ears. And each new story was unique--connected to the others but also fresh and different. WHERE FUTURES END is marvelous! I highly recommend it.
October 20, 2015
I received an ARC of this book. Yay! I am so glad that I did because this book was really mind-blowing and amazing. It's a set of interconnected novellas that span out across time. Inventive and unique, the book takes on the different forms of story and how we communicate with each other. A super thought-provoking read.
Definitely going to re-read this when it comes out in February. I can't wait to see what Peevyhouse comes up with next.
Definitely going to re-read this when it comes out in February. I can't wait to see what Peevyhouse comes up with next.
November 24, 2015
This book offers an exceptional look at the various methods of storytelling that have evolved in our world as we know it--and even in worlds we may not even be aware of. The unique structure allows the reader to follow different timelines, different settings, and different storytelling methods as the plot unfolds and peels away layer after layer of the story. You don't want to miss this one!
September 11, 2016
This was a totally confusing book (in a good way). Even though the last chapter was a little off and I don't think it was a good ending, the first 4 chapters (stories) are so good, and the 4th reminded me of Ready Player One. Great start for a new author!
February 10, 2017
Initial Impressions 12/6/16 & Full Review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 2/6/17: Wow, that was so incredibly disappointing. Even after finishing, I’m not sure what the point of this book was. I was excited because it featured four different points in time, all tying back to one specific concept but the different time periods were truly pointless. I’m even more disappointed because I actually liked the very first POV of Dylan and his discovery of The Other Place. I would have read a whole book about that in itself and I think that’s how this book really should have gone because the switches to different times left literally everything undeveloped. It wasn’t enough time to get to know new characters, it wasn’t enough time to get to know new times, and it wasn’t nearly enough time to understand how The Other Place connected to these time periods other than brief encounters that some of the characters had. There was absolutely no point to the 10 years from now and 30 years from now time periods. The 60 didn’t really have much more substance either, I guess, but it had a virtual reality concept that I enjoyed given my experience with books like READY PLAYER ONE and a Sanderson novella, Perfect State. 100 years from now tied back into The Other Place but this was something that could have been developed in an entire story with just Dylan’s POV, all set in today’s time, and it all could have actually been developed. That was truly the only enjoyable part of this story. There’s so much switching around and the new time periods don’t even tell you much about The Other Place, why it’s so important, and what its actual connection is with our world.
I would have actually read Dylan’s whole story and I think that WOULD have been a great book. It had a Neverending Story kind of feel (I’m sure I was influenced by their mention of it but it really did have that feel for me) and his story was clearly the most important. There was a lot to explore and set up and build there and the author chose instead to push the meat and potatoes of the book aside and start exploring new worlds. I think maybe those future worlds would have made good novellas to supplement Dylan’s story, or even a series with these being sequels or companions… But for the love of all that is good, don’t abandon something so important like that. The other time periods weren’t even interesting. They were surface stories that didn’t go anywhere, setting up romances to watch them fall, celebrity fame, egos… I mean, it didn’t even connect to the Other Place other than some interactions with the people and mentions of people going back and forth. There was little to no reason for these characters to be main characters in the story and they barely interacted with the important parts of the plot. They were shallow characters, shallow stories, and really not for me.
This book was kind of fanta-sci (a fantasy and sci-fi mix) but I don’t feel like that concept was structured well. It was fantasy in the sense that the Other Place was made to feel like a fantasy world — magic, forests, mages, water nymphs, creatures, etc — and yet it was also described as an alternate universe. So is it a magical world made real or is it a real world that we create into fantasies? It was all a little fuzzy. I wouldn’t say this alternate world has to be like ours, because you can’t expect all universes to be like ours, but the author didn’t seem to really distinguish exactly what it really was and kind of waffled back and forth, especially with the mix of calling the people from the other world “aliens”. I can see why aliens would be an appropriate term but it also didn’t quite feel right. The different futures also added to the sci-fi feel but then it even extended into dystopian as the futures progress and the readers see such a decline of our own world. And Dylan’s portion in the beginning was sort of magical realism meets sci-fi… so it was just all very muddy.
When it comes down to it, I’m mostly just so disappointed in how everything was so underdeveloped. When a seasoned reader can’t even tell you the point of the story when the book is over, that’s not a good thing. I needed to spend so much more time with the Other Place to really understand it and even just understand why this story about it was important. Sure, okay, it was important because in the end, it severely impacts our world but why? How? It was just kind of told that this is what it is and this is what happens but there was no detail how things worked, why our world was connected, or even why the Other Place affected our world so much.
Mostly, I just didn’t enjoy the writing. I can sometimes overlook plot holes or lack of details if I’m enjoying a book but pretty much everything except the beginning and end was pointless. Every character except for Dylan was annoying (Reed was okay but his world was still meh). This book was just one giant disappointment when it could have been so good. So much potential and not put to good use.
I would have actually read Dylan’s whole story and I think that WOULD have been a great book. It had a Neverending Story kind of feel (I’m sure I was influenced by their mention of it but it really did have that feel for me) and his story was clearly the most important. There was a lot to explore and set up and build there and the author chose instead to push the meat and potatoes of the book aside and start exploring new worlds. I think maybe those future worlds would have made good novellas to supplement Dylan’s story, or even a series with these being sequels or companions… But for the love of all that is good, don’t abandon something so important like that. The other time periods weren’t even interesting. They were surface stories that didn’t go anywhere, setting up romances to watch them fall, celebrity fame, egos… I mean, it didn’t even connect to the Other Place other than some interactions with the people and mentions of people going back and forth. There was little to no reason for these characters to be main characters in the story and they barely interacted with the important parts of the plot. They were shallow characters, shallow stories, and really not for me.
This book was kind of fanta-sci (a fantasy and sci-fi mix) but I don’t feel like that concept was structured well. It was fantasy in the sense that the Other Place was made to feel like a fantasy world — magic, forests, mages, water nymphs, creatures, etc — and yet it was also described as an alternate universe. So is it a magical world made real or is it a real world that we create into fantasies? It was all a little fuzzy. I wouldn’t say this alternate world has to be like ours, because you can’t expect all universes to be like ours, but the author didn’t seem to really distinguish exactly what it really was and kind of waffled back and forth, especially with the mix of calling the people from the other world “aliens”. I can see why aliens would be an appropriate term but it also didn’t quite feel right. The different futures also added to the sci-fi feel but then it even extended into dystopian as the futures progress and the readers see such a decline of our own world. And Dylan’s portion in the beginning was sort of magical realism meets sci-fi… so it was just all very muddy.
When it comes down to it, I’m mostly just so disappointed in how everything was so underdeveloped. When a seasoned reader can’t even tell you the point of the story when the book is over, that’s not a good thing. I needed to spend so much more time with the Other Place to really understand it and even just understand why this story about it was important. Sure, okay, it was important because in the end, it severely impacts our world but why? How? It was just kind of told that this is what it is and this is what happens but there was no detail how things worked, why our world was connected, or even why the Other Place affected our world so much.
Mostly, I just didn’t enjoy the writing. I can sometimes overlook plot holes or lack of details if I’m enjoying a book but pretty much everything except the beginning and end was pointless. Every character except for Dylan was annoying (Reed was okay but his world was still meh). This book was just one giant disappointment when it could have been so good. So much potential and not put to good use.
March 3, 2018
3.5*
I cannot deny that this was an interesting and a different read, albeit a confusing one. The writing was good. The characters, some I really liked and some I didn’t enjoy as much. All in all, it is a book that I would recommend if one likes an unusual story.
I cannot deny that this was an interesting and a different read, albeit a confusing one. The writing was good. The characters, some I really liked and some I didn’t enjoy as much. All in all, it is a book that I would recommend if one likes an unusual story.
January 19, 2016
A stunning and startling book that I’m still thinking about. Told as five interconnected stories, WHERE FUTURES END is about societal change, including how myths are created and how what is new to one generation becomes foundational to the next. Gripping and deftly written.
I read this book in one sitting and look forward to rereading it as slowly as possible. wow!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read this book in one sitting and look forward to rereading it as slowly as possible. wow!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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