Book Review: Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs

Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs is a young adult book with adventure and science fiction elements. Elena Martinez has hidden her eidetic memory all her life. When powerful tech giant Aether Corporation selects her for a top-secret project, she can't say no. All she has to do is participate in a trip to the future to bring back data, and she'll be set for life. Elena joins a team of four other teens with special skills, including Adam, a science prodigy with his own reason for being there. But when the time travelers arrive in the future, something goes wrong and they break the only rule they were given: do not look into their own fates. Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future from unfolding. With time running out and deadly secrets uncovered, Elena must use her eidetic memory, street smarts, and a growing trust in Adam to save her new friends and herself.

Future Shock is a great book with vibrant characters. I like the fact that the characters are all so different, and yet share common issues. The majority of major players come from the foster care system but even Adam, the only one not in the system, has issues of his own. It was also nice to see a variety of races and background issues for each of the characters, and they all felt very real and organic rather than forced. Elena and the crew all have trust issues (who can blame them), but they doubt themselves as well as each other. Their mission seems simple, find technology and information in the future that can earn Aether Corporation big money. However, there are secrets and  lies that throw everything off and make everyone even more distrustful. I like the serious character development we see with Elena and the murder mystery component of the story, as well as the fact that the romance aspect did not take over the other aspects of the story. It was a real page turner, and I was very much engaged with the characters through the entire book.

Future Shock is a book with a great premise and execution. I enjoyed the read greatly and will be looking for more from the author, hopefully to continue the story.