Book Review: Hope: A History of the Future

One quiet afternoon in 2037, Joyce Denzell hears a thud in her family’s home library and finds a book lying in the middle of the room, seemingly waiting for her―a book whose copyright page says it was published in the year 2200. Over the next twenty-four hours, each of the Denzell family members discovers and reads from this mystical history book from the future, nudged along by their cat, Plato.

As the various family members take turns reading, they gradually uncover the story of Gabe, Mia, and Ruth—a saga of adventure, endurance, romance, mystery, and hope that touches them all deeply. Along the way, the Denzells all begin to believe that this book that has seemingly fallen out of time and space and into their midst might actually be from the future—and that it might have something vitally important to teach them.

Engaging, playful, and thought-provoking, Hope is a seven-generation-spanning vision of the future as it could be—based on scientific projections, as well as historical and legal precedence—that will leave readers grappling with questions of destiny, responsibility, and the possibility for hope in a future world.

My Review

I do enjoy reading stories that incorporate technology and science. There is a fine line with these types of stories though as they can go above a reader's head with too much knowledge. There were a few times where I did feel like this book got close to that edge, but the author did a good job of that fine line. 

There were references provided in the footnotes, so that I could do further research later. Where the present and the future met was seamless. As the story progressed, I did find myself intrigued in the future than the present. Although, as much as I did like this book, I did find myself struggling to fully embrace the characters. Overall, though I did like this book and would read another one by this author.