The Future of Us is a story about time travel—so naturally time's kind of a big deal. But this book isn't just concerned with the future. Emma and Josh spend a lot of time thinking about the past, back before things got weird between them, and they both ultimately discover that in focusing on the future, they're getting way ahead of themselves. The only reason the future exists is because of the present, after all, so while this book visits the future over and over again, ultimately the time that matters most is the here and now.
Questions About Time
- Is time travel the only way that the authors help us see the importance of the present? What other aspects of the story show us the importance of now?
- Do you think that Emma's messy futures happen because she never thinks about her future until Facebook forces her to? On the flipside, why is Josh's future so unchanging?
- Do you think Emma's and Josh's futures would be exactly the same if they hadn't found Facebook and tried to change them? Why or why not? Use the text to support your answer.
Chew on This
Before they discover Facebook, neither Josh nor Emma really thinks about their futures at all.
The story starts in the middle: after Josh and Emma's fall-out, but before they discover the future. This makes sure the present takes center stage.