DNF at @45%

I honestly hate DNF'ing books, and I was really sad to do it with this one, as I was very excited about this story. It was too slow going for me, I didn't care about the characters, I just wish that there was more emphasis on the dystopian element to the story, as I would have loved it more if this was the case.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I have never read a book like this before which was something exciting for me. This book talks about real-world problems that are a big discussion right now like climate change and the potential of the world dying off if something doesn't change. Reading about something that could theoretically be a possible reality in the future is both intriguing and somewhat scary at the same time for me. If I am being completely honest it did take me about two or three chapters to really get into the book. The first bit is a lot of getting to know who the characters are/background information on what is happening, which I do appreciate it was just not as exciting as the rest of the book. Once you get into the main storyline and action. Overall, I really do recommend this book. It is the first book in the series, so there is a cliffhanger at the end of the book that will lead to the next book I am sure.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the future built was interesting to read and I enjoyed getting to know these characters.

An enjoyable read, I find myself looking forward to hopefully the next installment. It would be interesting to see how this new world plays out.

A compelling look at a possible future for Earth. Upon Asa's arrival in Horizon, a metropolis, he finds himself involved in trouble right away. Meeting Eve and her troubled companion in a bar, Asa finds himself the target of Gabriel, a highly trained law enforcement officer who is determined to bring Asa to justice. Well worth the read.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found this dystopian novel intriguing if not a bit hard to follow. Told through multiple perspectives, we meet characters that are layered and complex. Gabriel is a well known tracker who is suffering the loss of his partner and lover, Asa is a man coming of age ready to explore more than what his small town can give him. Although these storyline seem to be going to the same destination the chapters are so disjointed and the perspectives changed so abruptly that you are not sure where the story is heading.
Events occur quickly and scenes rushed. You don't get a feel for the characters nor have time to understand them.

In The Future was Now, Asa lives in a dystopia future full of strict rules. When he and Eve (the love interest) witness a suicide that authorities think may have really been a murder, they have to rush to try and clear their names.

The world building in this book was really good, and I felt immersed in it from the start. However, the plot does start to lag about half way through and it became difficult to stay motivated enough to keep reading.

I liked Asa as a character, although he the relationship between him and Eve felt rushed and not properly fleshed out.

I thought this was a reasonably enjoyable read, but not one I'll be rushing back to.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Amazon.

I appreciate the scifi/dystopian tropes; there's a checklist of them, and they come together nicely in a well-put together universe that clearly has some real-world parallels, but that's pretty much where my appreciation for this book ends. I felt as if the plot moved too quickly, that there was too much of a rush to the end that the character development suffered; everyone was flat and robotic, and the two main characters were insufferable by the end. The romance was incredibly forced and unbearable and felt totally out of place; too often it seemed like the women were valued only for their relationships with the men. The worst of it was the overall condemnation of religion; it felt weird for all the world's troubles to be blamed on religion, for it to be comparable to climate change and the willful killing of billions of people. There was also a random, completely unnecessary homophobic scene that was never called out/acknowledged was also off-putting. It felt out of place in the universe, and only distanced me further from the plot, though by that point I was already pretty disconnected and felt nothing for the characters. Which is really disappointing, since some of my favorite dystopian elements are present; the writing was decent, too, but with a lack of depth to the characters and not enough showing instead of telling, this was a flop for me.

*book provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The introduction of the story seemed a bit cliched and the explicitness of the sex scene later in the tale seemed unnecessary, but the rest of the story was really creative. I loved the concept of Social Contract and I enjoyed the characters and their development.

So on a whim I decided to pick up this book last night. Unlike a lot of sci-fi novels, the writing was clear and easy to follow. At the same time I found myself eager to learn more about this dystopian world that the author created and wish there had been a bit more detail on that end.

Essentially this book is about if the world went downhill and the rich and intelligent people decided to start a fresh society after the chaos. There are drones and long lists of rules to follow in this new society. Everyone is expected to follow the terms of their “social contract,” and some towns specialize in certain skills to support “the state.” These factions/districts don’t seem to be as cut and dry as the ones in the Hunger Games and Divergent, but still makes for an interesting story. There is also some sort of amoeba in the open bodies of water so if you touch it you get very sick and die within like a week. Rough.

Anyways, the main character Asa is usually somewhat likable, but Eve falls flat sometimes. Romance is present in this book but definitely takes a back seat to the task at hand. Gabriel functions a bit robotically but still maintains complexity as a character, once the reader discovers more about his background.

My one critique would be that the journey the main characters take is much easier than expected. They encounter very few troubles along their journey, only one prominent speed bump to acquiring the solution they are looking for.

I have not read about the return journey so I don’t know if the action or suspense improves. I plan to update this review once I finish reading, but just wanted to stop by and say thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to check out this book. A lot of cool moving sci-fi pieces here and it’s been an enjoyable read. I’d recommend, especially for YA fans.

TW: for suicide and some violence.

Fairly predictable "Flawed Utopia" story with the requisite young man coming of age, leaving home for adventure, finding love and danger, then returning home to resume a conventional life. Oh yes, and all records of his crimes magically erased. Way too many problems solved by convenient circumstances - there's a boat! there's a tunnel! there's a guy who created a technological backdoor into the security net! This didn't speak to me in any way; it's a trope that has been much better explored by other writers.
Disappointing that some potentially intersting plot points were glossed over - the main character's reaction to homosexuality or his (natural?) immunity to a deadly bug, for example.
The overall world building just didn't go far enough. What made the Founders decide orphans must be sterilized, (the given explanation just isn't convincing), why keep the bug vaccine from the population, and is it really believable that the Founders would require all men and women to be sterilized if they don't have a child by 26? (not sure this is correct as it's never quite fully explained by the author).

In the book The Future Was Now, author J.R. Harber follows Asa as he is beginning his journey as an adult. But Asa wants to get away from the normal small area he grew up in and start over in the town of Horizon. But starting over has its price and Gabriel, who is the best Contract Enforcer the State has, is hot on Asa’s tale for murder.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can honestly say this book had a good pace, the characters were well developed and the storyline was really good. If you want a book that will keep you reading, this is it.

The story and premise of The Future is now is unique and enjoyable. I find it truly fascinating how we deal with our planet and the events that occur in them. Therefore, I love reading dystopian novels that shine on a light on these issues. The world of The Future is Now seems perfect at first glance, but it turns out there's more happening that isn't really great.

I do hope there will be a sequel as some questions were left unanswered.

Imagine a world where you never have to worry. There is no hunger, no economic turmoil, no stress as to whether the electric bill is going to get paid this month...Every citizen of the State receives 200,000 credits each year on their birthday. This form of payment officially becomes usable once that citizen turns 21. All they have to do is abide by the Social Contract set by the State.

Asa is a twenty one year old male who has waiting years to be able to leave the comfort of his sleepy farm town, Rosewood. Once he is of age, he gets on the train and heads for Horizon, the biggest city in the State. However, abiding by the social contract isn't as easy as it seems once Asa is faced with the troubles of the city. It seems the only good thing that came from the incident is a beautiful woman named Eve.

After a tragic incident, Asa and Eve are on the run from the "stalker," or properly named Contract Enforcer, Gabriel. Gabriel has been groomed and trained to do nothing but bring Justice to the State, no matter the costs.

The Future was Now has a very unique plot; a dystopian society within a seemingly perfect world. The reader learns, along with Asa and Eve, what true sacrifice had to be made to create that society.

Positive: The story line is unique and it kept me hooked throughout the novel. I found myself unwilling to put it down until I found out exactly what all the secrets of the State were. The characters had real emotions and flaws that made them easy to relate to.

Negative: Some of the relationships formed seemed very rushed to me. How Asa's parents reacted to certain changes also I found unrealistic.