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Glory O'Brien's History of the Future
In this masterpiece about freedom, feminism, and destiny, Printz Honor author A.S. King tells the epic story of a girl coping with devastating loss at long last--a girl who has no idea that the future needs her, and that the present needs her even more.
Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.
Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
116 people are currently reading
12709 people want to read
About the author
A.S. King
23 books3,734 followersA.S. King is the author of the highly-acclaimed I CRAWL THROUGH IT, Walden Award winner GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE, REALITY BOY, 2013 LA Times Book Prize winner ASK THE PASSENGERS, 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ and THE DUST OF 100 DOGS as well as a collection of award-winning short stories for adults, MONICA NEVER SHUTS UP.
Look for Amy's work in anthologies DEAR BULLY, BREAK THESE RULES, ONE DEATH NINE STORIES, and LOSING IT. Two more YA novels to come in 2016 & 2018. Find more at www.as-king.com.
p.s.- If I don't accept your friend request, don't feel sad. It's because I don't really use Goodreads even though I'm completely thrilled that you do!
Look for Amy's work in anthologies DEAR BULLY, BREAK THESE RULES, ONE DEATH NINE STORIES, and LOSING IT. Two more YA novels to come in 2016 & 2018. Find more at www.as-king.com.
p.s.- If I don't accept your friend request, don't feel sad. It's because I don't really use Goodreads even though I'm completely thrilled that you do!
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July 30, 2014DNF - 35%
I am just not enjoying this at all and find myself unable to read more than a chapter (which are really short) at a time. I find the narrator uninteresting and don't particularly care where the story is going at this moment. I've heard that it gets better further on so if a lot of positive reviews roll in, I might try again.
Also, I'm all for a bit of feminism. Or a lot of feminism. But passages of this read like one long preachy rant.
I am just not enjoying this at all and find myself unable to read more than a chapter (which are really short) at a time. I find the narrator uninteresting and don't particularly care where the story is going at this moment. I've heard that it gets better further on so if a lot of positive reviews roll in, I might try again.
Also, I'm all for a bit of feminism. Or a lot of feminism. But passages of this read like one long preachy rant.
October 7, 2014
So these girls drink the remains of a bat and start seeing the future. Yep, this will be a weird one! You have been warned!
Ok so, only having read 2 books by A.S. King so far, both of them being fairly normal, I wasn't expecting this level of weird, but somehow it ended up working really well for me. The magical realism aspect of it turned it into a sort of contemporary-slash-dystopian hybrid which was, surprisingly, quite interesting. Though I foresee some people not being fans of this one; it's definitely not for everybody, and you'll have to go in with an open mind, believe me.
What helped me really enjoy this novel is Glory's voice. She's not at all a very likeable character - especially at first, but she's not supposed to be. She's angry and grief stricken. She doesn't understand why her mother killed herself, and this has made her emotionally distant and cold. Hateful, even, at least sometimes. All of this, to me, makes her a really compelling character. She's honest and sees the world for what it truly is, and I loved this about her. She's not superficial or attention-seeking. She doesn't just go with the trends of societal expectations. She's a 17 year old feminist who doesn't get her peers, nor does she want to be like them.. at all. She's bound to offend some people with the things she says, especially with the comments about her only friend's sexual… encounters, but I found that made her a realistic angry teenager. So, again, you've been warned.
While she's trying to find out what the point of being on this world is, what she plans to do with her future, and finally understanding who her mother really was, her and her friend who lives in a cult-like community across the street decide it's a great idea to drink the remains of a bat (with warm beer!). After which they can somehow see visions of the future. But are these real or is it the symptom of some illness it gave them? That was my question, anyways. Regardless, it added a very interesting second layer to this story, even though I wasn't sure about it at first. Magical realism can be very tricky to add to a book with such an otherwise gritty contemporary feel. Yet, it worked. Well for me it did. The visions that Glory has involves a second civil war, a big downward spirals when it comes to the future of women's rights, and a very scary, very dystopian-like future for the American people. This was fascinating and not at all unfathomable, which made it all the more captivating. I mean, not all of it is exactly believable in the exact context it was presented (everyone important is born from people around her, apparently), but technicalities aside, it was a fascinating bit of future possibilities that hopefully will never happen but honestly wouldn't surprise me if it did.
As usual, A.S., created characters with depth and substance. From Glory herself to the smallest of secondary roles, they all came together with unique, believable personalities. Almost all side characters had their own conflicts and histories, their own bad decisions and insecurities. They were real! I especially loved Glory's complicated relationship with her dad. I enjoyed seeing them grow closer as Glory finally came to understand her mother's perspective - or at least learn a little bit of who she was and, in turn, how she wasn't like her mother in every sense - which made her grow as a person herself. It not only kicked herself into gear, but she made her father want to move on with his life, too. Death can linger for years and decades if you never learn to somehow live with this new hole in your life.
Dark, gritty, poignant, and with a good dose of black humour, Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is an emotionally compelling story with a touch of strange. It's a book that easily stands out from the rest. Its easy narrative and short chapters make for an incredibly quick read, and I urge you to at least give it a chance!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Ok so, only having read 2 books by A.S. King so far, both of them being fairly normal, I wasn't expecting this level of weird, but somehow it ended up working really well for me. The magical realism aspect of it turned it into a sort of contemporary-slash-dystopian hybrid which was, surprisingly, quite interesting. Though I foresee some people not being fans of this one; it's definitely not for everybody, and you'll have to go in with an open mind, believe me.
What helped me really enjoy this novel is Glory's voice. She's not at all a very likeable character - especially at first, but she's not supposed to be. She's angry and grief stricken. She doesn't understand why her mother killed herself, and this has made her emotionally distant and cold. Hateful, even, at least sometimes. All of this, to me, makes her a really compelling character. She's honest and sees the world for what it truly is, and I loved this about her. She's not superficial or attention-seeking. She doesn't just go with the trends of societal expectations. She's a 17 year old feminist who doesn't get her peers, nor does she want to be like them.. at all. She's bound to offend some people with the things she says, especially with the comments about her only friend's sexual… encounters, but I found that made her a realistic angry teenager. So, again, you've been warned.
While she's trying to find out what the point of being on this world is, what she plans to do with her future, and finally understanding who her mother really was, her and her friend who lives in a cult-like community across the street decide it's a great idea to drink the remains of a bat (with warm beer!). After which they can somehow see visions of the future. But are these real or is it the symptom of some illness it gave them? That was my question, anyways. Regardless, it added a very interesting second layer to this story, even though I wasn't sure about it at first. Magical realism can be very tricky to add to a book with such an otherwise gritty contemporary feel. Yet, it worked. Well for me it did. The visions that Glory has involves a second civil war, a big downward spirals when it comes to the future of women's rights, and a very scary, very dystopian-like future for the American people. This was fascinating and not at all unfathomable, which made it all the more captivating. I mean, not all of it is exactly believable in the exact context it was presented (everyone important is born from people around her, apparently), but technicalities aside, it was a fascinating bit of future possibilities that hopefully will never happen but honestly wouldn't surprise me if it did.
As usual, A.S., created characters with depth and substance. From Glory herself to the smallest of secondary roles, they all came together with unique, believable personalities. Almost all side characters had their own conflicts and histories, their own bad decisions and insecurities. They were real! I especially loved Glory's complicated relationship with her dad. I enjoyed seeing them grow closer as Glory finally came to understand her mother's perspective - or at least learn a little bit of who she was and, in turn, how she wasn't like her mother in every sense - which made her grow as a person herself. It not only kicked herself into gear, but she made her father want to move on with his life, too. Death can linger for years and decades if you never learn to somehow live with this new hole in your life.
Dark, gritty, poignant, and with a good dose of black humour, Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is an emotionally compelling story with a touch of strange. It's a book that easily stands out from the rest. Its easy narrative and short chapters make for an incredibly quick read, and I urge you to at least give it a chance!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
November 21, 2014
Rampant slut-shaming, hated the main character, future dystopia where women in the US don't have the right to work and the leader is called Nedrick the Sanctimonious and that name is not a joke, but it's all just telling, not showing. Glory's best friend Ellie is the only sympathetic character but Glory spends the whole book thinking about what a consumerist shallow slut Ellie is for having sex and showing cleavage.
Choice quotes:
"I took a picture of the bottles of shampoo. I called it Empty Promises." I don't think this is supposed to be funny, I mean I get that the pretentious photos and the titles are a symptom of Glory's depression but it just makes me hate her.
"And I didn't fit into any conversation I ever heard because all people talked about was dumb crap that I didn't give a shit about. Nobody talked about art. Nobody talked about how the mourning dove lied." Aw, you're depressed, Glory.
"Somehow, staring at the nine million different types of Pantene shampoo made me see Ellie for what she'd always been. A manipulator. A competitor. A codependent. A leech. An obligate parasite - who needed me, but whom I didn't need." The trouble with this thought is that Ellie's words and her actions seem perfectly normal and thoughtful - she's preoccupied because she just found out she has pubic lice, she lives on a commune, and she suspects her boyfriend is cheating. It made me hate Glory.
"'Nice shirt,' I said, not commenting on how it was unbuttoned one button too many." You don't get to decide that other people are victims of what you think of as a pornographic culture, Glory. This is the moment I started hate-reading.
"'...Matilda told me you were in the field. I didn't expect you to be screwing him...but I guess you move fast.'" Glory's dad at one point says of Ellie, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" because, you know, her mom had sex too.
So... the main problem I have with this is Glory and her father live in this weird sex-shaming, slut-shaming duo where they hate pornography and consumerism but they're blaming Ellie and her mother Jasmine for having sexuality. Glory and her dad have feminist bumper stickers and what I think was a serious and not-meant-to-be-hilarious painting of a "real" woman:
"I stared at the painting above his head- a huge canvas he'd painted- of a modest nude. Woman. That's what he titled the painting. Throughout my life, whenever a TV commercial came on that involved a skimpily clad girl, he'd point to the painting and say, 'Glory, don't believe what you see.' He'd point. 'That's what a real woman looks like.'"
Glory's father and her now-dead mother and their relationship was destroyed when Jasmine sent him naked pictures. At the end of the book he leaves them out on a table as a tacit threat of blackmail. So feminist. Glory makes Ellie feel terrible for having sex at 17 and getting pubic lice. So feminist. Glory, in the future, will be the leader of a feminist rebellion against the New America, but she literally seems to hate every woman in this book except her dead mother.
Choice quotes:
"I took a picture of the bottles of shampoo. I called it Empty Promises." I don't think this is supposed to be funny, I mean I get that the pretentious photos and the titles are a symptom of Glory's depression but it just makes me hate her.
"And I didn't fit into any conversation I ever heard because all people talked about was dumb crap that I didn't give a shit about. Nobody talked about art. Nobody talked about how the mourning dove lied." Aw, you're depressed, Glory.
"Somehow, staring at the nine million different types of Pantene shampoo made me see Ellie for what she'd always been. A manipulator. A competitor. A codependent. A leech. An obligate parasite - who needed me, but whom I didn't need." The trouble with this thought is that Ellie's words and her actions seem perfectly normal and thoughtful - she's preoccupied because she just found out she has pubic lice, she lives on a commune, and she suspects her boyfriend is cheating. It made me hate Glory.
"'Nice shirt,' I said, not commenting on how it was unbuttoned one button too many." You don't get to decide that other people are victims of what you think of as a pornographic culture, Glory. This is the moment I started hate-reading.
"'...Matilda told me you were in the field. I didn't expect you to be screwing him...but I guess you move fast.'" Glory's dad at one point says of Ellie, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" because, you know, her mom had sex too.
So... the main problem I have with this is Glory and her father live in this weird sex-shaming, slut-shaming duo where they hate pornography and consumerism but they're blaming Ellie and her mother Jasmine for having sexuality. Glory and her dad have feminist bumper stickers and what I think was a serious and not-meant-to-be-hilarious painting of a "real" woman:
"I stared at the painting above his head- a huge canvas he'd painted- of a modest nude. Woman. That's what he titled the painting. Throughout my life, whenever a TV commercial came on that involved a skimpily clad girl, he'd point to the painting and say, 'Glory, don't believe what you see.' He'd point. 'That's what a real woman looks like.'"
Glory's father and her now-dead mother and their relationship was destroyed when Jasmine sent him naked pictures. At the end of the book he leaves them out on a table as a tacit threat of blackmail. So feminist. Glory makes Ellie feel terrible for having sex at 17 and getting pubic lice. So feminist. Glory, in the future, will be the leader of a feminist rebellion against the New America, but she literally seems to hate every woman in this book except her dead mother.
August 8, 2018
As of February 24th 2017, this review of mine has collected 27 likes. Just because, even before I read the darn book, I foolishly wrote the sentence and linked to the picture you see below:
Oops...I think I saw the girl on the cover...somewhere else...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Seriously, what's wrong with people? This is Goodreads, not Twitter or Instagram. You're supposed to like a REVIEW, not a darn picture with a caption. This thing pisses me off to no end. I even tried to take this book off my list and to add it back later, and the pointless likes were still there. So I'm stuck with them. GRRRR.
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Now for the REAL review...
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Rated 3.5 really.
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Visionary novel that managed to anticipated the 45th U.S. Presidency climate. Quirky, deliciously caustic lead.
Cons: The premise is very far-out. But more notably, there should be no place for "sluts" in a self-professed feminist book.
WARNING! Suicide is often mentioned or discussed. There's talk of sex, though the actual thing remains offscreen. A gruesome picture is described in detail.
Will appeal to: Those who can go along with weird premises. Those who like honest characters with a dry sense of humour. Those who are worried about the current state of the world.
I'm sure that, had I read this one a few years ago (when I was less woke), I would have given it 4 full stars at least. Because I can relate to Glory, up to a point - the point where you feel like an outcast, but kind of enjoy the feeling because you secretly think you're better than most people. I used to be a closeted adolescent with zero friends, which turned me into a very much closeted middle-aged woman with almost zero friends. But here's the thing - I can still relate to Glory, only in a much less judgmental way. So here's the story of how I didn't gave this book 4 stars.
LET'S GET REAL
If not for that certain thing I've already addressed in the Cons section (and on which I'm going to comment more extensively in the next paragraph), Glory would be a relatable character - because, even if you're nothing like her, there's something liberating in a teen who takes no shit from the world and is able to see its faults AND to comment on them with a sharp, if dry, humour. Also, she's looking for answers about her mother's suicide and how it affected her life, and she doesn't know what to do about her future (which most teens, and even adults, don't either - except, most of the times, they go through the motions). And...as much as the author underlines her faults, Glory's friend Ellie is a well fleshed out character too, and if we can't actually relate to her (or we try to convince ourselves we can't), there's a lot of truth, but no actual malice, in her being oblivious to other people's (namely, Glory's) issues, or her inability to see the bigger picture - like about women's rights and feminism ("It's over. We got what we needed. We don't have to fight anymore."). Also, the "friends by necessity" dynamic is well explored in the novel, and much more nuanced that you would probably expect. [...]
Whole review here.
June 8, 2014
SUPER disapointed with this book, started off very intriguing and King is SUCH a talented writer, but the plot and the characters just plain suck. First of all, so many flaws with the dystopia portion (I loved King's Vera Dietz, but maybe that shows she should stick to contemporary?) you have to build on the future, not depict it as a random act of chaos if that makes sense.
It's almost like the US consitution doesn't exist in the world of this book because YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE TO WORK, there are SO MANY laws that prevent that and it would be illogical for even misogynists to do that because the labor of women is important for the economy at the very least. Also laws go into action AFTER they're voted on (so you can't kick female politicians out of office BEFORE you enact a law saying women can't work like the book claims)
Just some BASIC knowledge of politics/govt that's ALL I ask for.
Also HATED Glory, who's depression was never fully explained and was solved way too easily. There was a lot "telling" that Ellie was selfish but no showing, Ellie was honestly the only character I actually liked. Seemed like Glory was more selfish/self-absorbed tbh.
It's almost like the US consitution doesn't exist in the world of this book because YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE TO WORK, there are SO MANY laws that prevent that and it would be illogical for even misogynists to do that because the labor of women is important for the economy at the very least. Also laws go into action AFTER they're voted on (so you can't kick female politicians out of office BEFORE you enact a law saying women can't work like the book claims)
Just some BASIC knowledge of politics/govt that's ALL I ask for.
Also HATED Glory, who's depression was never fully explained and was solved way too easily. There was a lot "telling" that Ellie was selfish but no showing, Ellie was honestly the only character I actually liked. Seemed like Glory was more selfish/self-absorbed tbh.
November 12, 2014
This book is possibly being lauded as admirably feminist, but I'm so not here for the brand of feminism that is okay with calling other women 'sluts' for ANY reason, let alone that they dared to have! sex! with people! they're ATTRACTED! TO!!!
I am baffled, BAFFLED, by the notion that even if you have decided 'slut' is really a thing outside the sexist, misogynistic paradigm, it can be assigned to women who a) catch STDs b) have sex with crap men c) were previously virgins before they caught an STD off the crap men they slept with for the first time. The converse seems to be if you didn't catch an STD or the man wasn't crap you are saved from slutdom? WTAF.
I am baffled, BAFFLED, by the notion that even if you have decided 'slut' is really a thing outside the sexist, misogynistic paradigm, it can be assigned to women who a) catch STDs b) have sex with crap men c) were previously virgins before they caught an STD off the crap men they slept with for the first time. The converse seems to be if you didn't catch an STD or the man wasn't crap you are saved from slutdom? WTAF.
December 29, 2015
This book was strange and sad and I didn't totally buy the crazy dystopian future she was seeing, but ultimately the book was so smartly written I still mostly enjoyed it. Super bizarre but poignant.
November 10, 2014
This book is weird. If you don't like weird, then move along, because any book that contains the premise of seeing both the past and future upon the consumption of petrified bat remains will probably not be for you.
Yes, it was a weird book with a strange cast of characters, but it worked. Of course, when I had first heard about the whole "ingesting bat leads to superpowers" thing, I was certain there was no way anyone, even the most talented of author, could make it work. But I have terrible initial impressions, so I was wrong again. Even trying to review and describe it sounds utterly insane, and I don't expect you to buy that this works, if you're curious, you're just going to have to read it.
Let's just move along as though the bat thing was normal, for the sake of the review. So, we have Glory, who is about to graduate from high school. She is a hot mess, and hasn't a clue what she wants to do with her life. She has her dad, who is basically a shell of his former self, and though it's clear her adores Glory, he is a bit too broken to be of much help. Glory's mom, Darla, killed herself when Glory was three. Glory is still grappling with the aftermath, and the fact that absolutely no one in her life will talk about it makes her ruminate on it even more. Ellie, who is Glory's "best friend" (only Glory kind of can't stand her) lives across the street in a hippie commune and cares mainly about herself. So Glory plods through life, being cynical and obsessed with picture taking (the latter a hobby of her mother's), not knowing if she will have a future, let alone what it will entail.
One night, Ellie and Glory find a bat (Max Black) and they are unsure if he is dead or sleeping. He is dead, and eventually ends up pulverized, and mixed in the contents of a beer and drunk by both girls, who subsequently can see people's pasts and futures. The visions, though I didn't understand their purpose initially, were incredibly interesting. They could see ancestors long passed, or descendants on Jupiter. But one theme sticks out to Glory, and she pursues it, and ends up meeting some interesting characters along the way.
There are so many amazing themes in this book. A lot of people focus on the feminist theme, and it is there, and expanded upon with the future visions, but there is just so much more to the book. One of the things I found so intriguing was Glory and Ellie's friendship. Glory would be so sick of Ellie, yet she would continue to act (and even think) like a friend would. Glory was very judgy of Ellie's behaviors, but I think deep down, she was concerned for Ellie. Ellie was one of those friends who takes way more than she gives, and I think we can all sympathize with having an "Ellie" in our lives. Like Glory, I would basically harbor resentment, but continue to befriend, so I understood why she acted the way she did.
Family is another big theme in this book. I love how Glory's relationship with her dad develops and grows as she pushes him to open up about the past and allow her to discover her mother for herself. Glory is basically terrified that she will be just like her mother, that her cynicism and jadedness has doomed her to the same fate. Glory has to discover her mother and herself to figure out how similar or different they may be.
For awhile, I wondered what all the transmissions (especially the future ones that Glory was borderline obsessed with) had to do with anything, but as the book wrapped up, it all clicked. It was like putting the pieces of the puzzle together, and that last one fits into place perfectly, and you are so satisfied. I am not usually big on symbolism and underlying messages and such, but it worked in this book, because it all fell into place so nicely, but not in some cookie cutter, rainbows-and-unicorns way either. I am being vague on purpose, but if there comes a time while reading that you'd ask why? trust that there is an answer.
Bottom Line: Read this book. Seriously, it is clever, and well written, and amazing. Glory is so far from perfect, but I still found her incredibly likable and relatable. This book made me think, make me feel, and make me laugh. It's so weird, but at the same time so much more than weird. I don't think I can explain it any further, it's just the kind of book you need to experience for yourself.
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
Yes, it was a weird book with a strange cast of characters, but it worked. Of course, when I had first heard about the whole "ingesting bat leads to superpowers" thing, I was certain there was no way anyone, even the most talented of author, could make it work. But I have terrible initial impressions, so I was wrong again. Even trying to review and describe it sounds utterly insane, and I don't expect you to buy that this works, if you're curious, you're just going to have to read it.
Let's just move along as though the bat thing was normal, for the sake of the review. So, we have Glory, who is about to graduate from high school. She is a hot mess, and hasn't a clue what she wants to do with her life. She has her dad, who is basically a shell of his former self, and though it's clear her adores Glory, he is a bit too broken to be of much help. Glory's mom, Darla, killed herself when Glory was three. Glory is still grappling with the aftermath, and the fact that absolutely no one in her life will talk about it makes her ruminate on it even more. Ellie, who is Glory's "best friend" (only Glory kind of can't stand her) lives across the street in a hippie commune and cares mainly about herself. So Glory plods through life, being cynical and obsessed with picture taking (the latter a hobby of her mother's), not knowing if she will have a future, let alone what it will entail.
One night, Ellie and Glory find a bat (Max Black) and they are unsure if he is dead or sleeping. He is dead, and eventually ends up pulverized, and mixed in the contents of a beer and drunk by both girls, who subsequently can see people's pasts and futures. The visions, though I didn't understand their purpose initially, were incredibly interesting. They could see ancestors long passed, or descendants on Jupiter. But one theme sticks out to Glory, and she pursues it, and ends up meeting some interesting characters along the way.
There are so many amazing themes in this book. A lot of people focus on the feminist theme, and it is there, and expanded upon with the future visions, but there is just so much more to the book. One of the things I found so intriguing was Glory and Ellie's friendship. Glory would be so sick of Ellie, yet she would continue to act (and even think) like a friend would. Glory was very judgy of Ellie's behaviors, but I think deep down, she was concerned for Ellie. Ellie was one of those friends who takes way more than she gives, and I think we can all sympathize with having an "Ellie" in our lives. Like Glory, I would basically harbor resentment, but continue to befriend, so I understood why she acted the way she did.
Family is another big theme in this book. I love how Glory's relationship with her dad develops and grows as she pushes him to open up about the past and allow her to discover her mother for herself. Glory is basically terrified that she will be just like her mother, that her cynicism and jadedness has doomed her to the same fate. Glory has to discover her mother and herself to figure out how similar or different they may be.
For awhile, I wondered what all the transmissions (especially the future ones that Glory was borderline obsessed with) had to do with anything, but as the book wrapped up, it all clicked. It was like putting the pieces of the puzzle together, and that last one fits into place perfectly, and you are so satisfied. I am not usually big on symbolism and underlying messages and such, but it worked in this book, because it all fell into place so nicely, but not in some cookie cutter, rainbows-and-unicorns way either. I am being vague on purpose, but if there comes a time while reading that you'd ask why? trust that there is an answer.
Bottom Line: Read this book. Seriously, it is clever, and well written, and amazing. Glory is so far from perfect, but I still found her incredibly likable and relatable. This book made me think, make me feel, and make me laugh. It's so weird, but at the same time so much more than weird. I don't think I can explain it any further, it's just the kind of book you need to experience for yourself.
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
Read
October 19, 2014Not my favorite of King's books, but still a solid YA read.
The feminism and the glimpses into the future were a little on-the-nose for me, and at times because of that, they got boring and tedious to read. But what King excelled at here -- and what I'd have loved to see more of -- is how she explored the relationship between Glory and her neighbor/best friend Ellie. Ellie's home life is scary and more, her mother is even more terrifying in how she manipulates and converts people into her own personal belief system. There's an interesting juxtaposition of art and reality, and I thought the way that grief was approached, especially grief as occurs with loss by suicide, was good and authentic. Glory is on the verge of a huge life change, and her approach of not fearing it or worrying about it like she's been told she should, is one I almost wish we saw more of.
King offers a really interesting look at friendship here, too, and I'm especially fascinated by how Glory saw herself as an outcast, strange girl who had no friends and yet, that's not how her classmates or the world saw her at all. Perception vs. reality worked really well on that level, as well as on the bigger level.
The feminism and the glimpses into the future were a little on-the-nose for me, and at times because of that, they got boring and tedious to read. But what King excelled at here -- and what I'd have loved to see more of -- is how she explored the relationship between Glory and her neighbor/best friend Ellie. Ellie's home life is scary and more, her mother is even more terrifying in how she manipulates and converts people into her own personal belief system. There's an interesting juxtaposition of art and reality, and I thought the way that grief was approached, especially grief as occurs with loss by suicide, was good and authentic. Glory is on the verge of a huge life change, and her approach of not fearing it or worrying about it like she's been told she should, is one I almost wish we saw more of.
King offers a really interesting look at friendship here, too, and I'm especially fascinated by how Glory saw herself as an outcast, strange girl who had no friends and yet, that's not how her classmates or the world saw her at all. Perception vs. reality worked really well on that level, as well as on the bigger level.
October 8, 2015
This was a new genre for me, kind of contemporary magical realism dystopian. It was phenomenally written. Different. Important. Poignant.
June 4, 2022
3.5⭐ Updated 03/06/22 Adds Full Review
An original and very well written Young Adult novel. Hard to categorize but more dystopian fantasy than anything else; the plot is sort of 'The Handmaid's Tale' meets the Log Lady from 'Twin Peaks', with plenty of teenaged angst on the side. It works, though, with a ton of clever ideas very well strung together. Reccomended. Full review to follow.
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I haven't read much Young Adult fiction since, well, since I was one. I was intrigued by this author and this book, though, after reading the reviews. It has many elements of classic fantasy. An outsider, marked by a tragedy, receives special powers after drinking a magic potion ( in this case a desiccated bat) and is assigned a destiny to save/change the world. Along the way she gains understanding of the tragedy that shaped her ( her mother's suicide) and escapes a curse. Throw in high school graduation, alienation/reconciliation with her family, the discovery of her true purpose in life and her true love and you have King's very original book. As you might expect, some moderate suspension of disbelief is required. I found the origin of her Second American Civil War ( that's the Handmaid's Tale element) hard to swallow. Then I recalled the book's designed for the YA audience and not nasty old cynics like me. It's all good.
Reportedly King has written a collection of adult oriented short stories. I am very interested in seeing how King applies her unique style to older readers.-30-
An original and very well written Young Adult novel. Hard to categorize but more dystopian fantasy than anything else; the plot is sort of 'The Handmaid's Tale' meets the Log Lady from 'Twin Peaks', with plenty of teenaged angst on the side. It works, though, with a ton of clever ideas very well strung together. Reccomended. Full review to follow.
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I haven't read much Young Adult fiction since, well, since I was one. I was intrigued by this author and this book, though, after reading the reviews. It has many elements of classic fantasy. An outsider, marked by a tragedy, receives special powers after drinking a magic potion ( in this case a desiccated bat) and is assigned a destiny to save/change the world. Along the way she gains understanding of the tragedy that shaped her ( her mother's suicide) and escapes a curse. Throw in high school graduation, alienation/reconciliation with her family, the discovery of her true purpose in life and her true love and you have King's very original book. As you might expect, some moderate suspension of disbelief is required. I found the origin of her Second American Civil War ( that's the Handmaid's Tale element) hard to swallow. Then I recalled the book's designed for the YA audience and not nasty old cynics like me. It's all good.
Reportedly King has written a collection of adult oriented short stories. I am very interested in seeing how King applies her unique style to older readers.-30-
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June 9, 2014I thought that this book was fascinating because Glory O’Brien’s vision of the future (actual visions, in this case) was centered around feminism and women’s rights.
So often we have future stories that are like, ‘well, what’s really important is this bomb or this battle or this EVENT.’ But what’s important here, to this teen girl main character, is the effect the events have on the treatment and rights of future women.
I think that’s really great – and a paradigm shift from our typical futuristic stories.
So often we have future stories that are like, ‘well, what’s really important is this bomb or this battle or this EVENT.’ But what’s important here, to this teen girl main character, is the effect the events have on the treatment and rights of future women.
I think that’s really great – and a paradigm shift from our typical futuristic stories.
April 25, 2020
Tiene mérito que haya conseguido engancharme un libro que arranca con dos amigas bebiéndose el polvo de un murciélago momificado que creen que es Dios y en el durante las siguientes 60 páginas lo más impactante que pasa es que a una de ellas le pegan las ladillas. Es un libro rarísimo y me da la sensación de que no he comprendido ni la mitad de lo que la autora quería transmitir. Pero me ha gustado, a su manera. Rara. Rarísima.
July 5, 2014
Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is dark, surreal and poignant. Written in a fluid and compelling style, it's really quite a literary masterpiece that further solidifies my love and admiration for A.S. King's prose. To me, this book is perfect.
Glory O'Brien is quite a mess. She's about to graduate from high school and she has literally no idea what to do with her life ("I had a week until I graduated. I had zero plans, zero options, zero friends.") Her mother checked out on her family when Glory was just a little girl. ("My mother wasn't conveniently dead, like in so many stories about children, whether they jarred dead bats or were attracted to beasts in woodland castles. She didn't die to help me overcome some obstacles by myself or to make me a more sympathetic character.") She was depressed, she couldn't handle life anymore, and so she stuck her head in the oven and flipped the metaphorical switch. Damaging as it must have been to a little girl's psyche, Glory is not a complete freak. She's just perceived as one by others, who assume there must be something wrong with her, considering. And sometimes it's just easier to roll with it.
Her life tastes like radiation, because after her mom's death her dad got rid of the oven and now all they ever eat goes through the microwave. She has one friend that she doesn't even consider a real friend. Ellie is just.. well, Ellie. She's someone Glory is stuck with, someone who lives across the street and has always been there, though only in a purely physical sense. ("Was everyone stuck with geographical friends like this? Longitude-and-latitude friends?"). She loves photography, just like her mother did, and takes pictures of just about anything she finds interesting. And she gives them titles.
One day, Glory and Ellie discover a mummified (petrified?) bat, and they decide it's God. They stuck him in a jar, and eventually, this happens:
"So we drank it - the two of us.Ellie drank it first and acted like it tasted good. I followed. And it wasn't half bad.
When we woke up the next morning, everything was different. We could see the future. We could see the past. We could see everything."
You might say,"Why did you drink a bat?" Or, "Who would do that?"
But we weren't thinking about it at the time. It's like being on a fast train that crashes and someone asking you why you didn't jump before it crashed.
You wouldn't jump because you couldn't jump. It was going to fast.
And you didn't know the crash was coming, so why would you?"
From that point on, both girls can see snippets of people's pasts and futures. Their visions are really quite random, but what they reveal about the future is really quite shocking. The question is, what will they do with their knowledge?
Undeniably, this book is a retreat from the real world; an engaging, dangerously powerful and completely original vision of both the future and the past, with an insightful look at the present. Reading this book was a joy. And a joy that cannot be eclipsed. I can see myself reaching for it time and time again, if not to re-read the entire thing, then at least to savor the highlighted passages. The brilliant and memorable thoughts and observations. They're resonating deep within, and the aftertaste they leave is 60% fascination and 40% satisfaction.
Bottom line is: Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is a rare treat among YA literature, and one absolutely not to be missed. It's a smart, sharp, deftly written tale and it's filled with existential themes, dark humor, emotional resonance and artistry. You really don't want to skip this one.
Glory O'Brien is quite a mess. She's about to graduate from high school and she has literally no idea what to do with her life ("I had a week until I graduated. I had zero plans, zero options, zero friends.") Her mother checked out on her family when Glory was just a little girl. ("My mother wasn't conveniently dead, like in so many stories about children, whether they jarred dead bats or were attracted to beasts in woodland castles. She didn't die to help me overcome some obstacles by myself or to make me a more sympathetic character.") She was depressed, she couldn't handle life anymore, and so she stuck her head in the oven and flipped the metaphorical switch. Damaging as it must have been to a little girl's psyche, Glory is not a complete freak. She's just perceived as one by others, who assume there must be something wrong with her, considering. And sometimes it's just easier to roll with it.
Her life tastes like radiation, because after her mom's death her dad got rid of the oven and now all they ever eat goes through the microwave. She has one friend that she doesn't even consider a real friend. Ellie is just.. well, Ellie. She's someone Glory is stuck with, someone who lives across the street and has always been there, though only in a purely physical sense. ("Was everyone stuck with geographical friends like this? Longitude-and-latitude friends?"). She loves photography, just like her mother did, and takes pictures of just about anything she finds interesting. And she gives them titles.
One day, Glory and Ellie discover a mummified (petrified?) bat, and they decide it's God. They stuck him in a jar, and eventually, this happens:
"So we drank it - the two of us.Ellie drank it first and acted like it tasted good. I followed. And it wasn't half bad.
When we woke up the next morning, everything was different. We could see the future. We could see the past. We could see everything."
You might say,"Why did you drink a bat?" Or, "Who would do that?"
But we weren't thinking about it at the time. It's like being on a fast train that crashes and someone asking you why you didn't jump before it crashed.
You wouldn't jump because you couldn't jump. It was going to fast.
And you didn't know the crash was coming, so why would you?"
From that point on, both girls can see snippets of people's pasts and futures. Their visions are really quite random, but what they reveal about the future is really quite shocking. The question is, what will they do with their knowledge?
Undeniably, this book is a retreat from the real world; an engaging, dangerously powerful and completely original vision of both the future and the past, with an insightful look at the present. Reading this book was a joy. And a joy that cannot be eclipsed. I can see myself reaching for it time and time again, if not to re-read the entire thing, then at least to savor the highlighted passages. The brilliant and memorable thoughts and observations. They're resonating deep within, and the aftertaste they leave is 60% fascination and 40% satisfaction.
Bottom line is: Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is a rare treat among YA literature, and one absolutely not to be missed. It's a smart, sharp, deftly written tale and it's filled with existential themes, dark humor, emotional resonance and artistry. You really don't want to skip this one.
October 25, 2016
This book...it made me go insane. There's no way to describe it other than that. At several parts throughout the book, I would have to close the book, sit there staring into nothingness, cry, and think about how messed up society and just life in general is.
At this point, you may be wondering, "WTF? Then why'd she give it four stars if it was that disturbing to read?" The things is, I are books based on the level of impact they've had on me, and this one had a huge impact. It made me sit on my bed for hours at a time, thinking more deeply about life than I ever have before.
Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is a disturbingly fascinating book, and would be good for all of you out there that like to question every single thing about life.
At this point, you may be wondering, "WTF? Then why'd she give it four stars if it was that disturbing to read?" The things is, I are books based on the level of impact they've had on me, and this one had a huge impact. It made me sit on my bed for hours at a time, thinking more deeply about life than I ever have before.
Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is a disturbingly fascinating book, and would be good for all of you out there that like to question every single thing about life.
March 16, 2015
What a strange book. I read it because it's on the Andre Norton shortlist as part of the 2014 Nebula ballot. I found it compelling enough to read the whole thing, but at the same time there were a lot of things that were bothersome about it. Glory is very... teenage-angst-filled and unlikeable. Her best friend is utterly toxic. The two girls chug down the remains of a dead bat with their beer (yes, really) and gain the abilities to see the familial pasts and futures of people they see. Glory quickly pieces together these tidbits to form a narrative of a second Civil War in the near future and the roles that she and those around her will play in the event.
The feminist message of the book is extremely heavy-handed, and in some major ways does not make sense. Yes, there are a lot of dopes in Congress, but I don't see it any way plausible that all women will be banned from working ANY jobs. That then leads to a Civil War where women are enslaved as breeders--rather Handmaiden's Wife-style.
It's an intriguing book, but so many of the ideas are portrayed in black and white, the characters included--the majority of the cast feels realistic in a very dour way.
The feminist message of the book is extremely heavy-handed, and in some major ways does not make sense. Yes, there are a lot of dopes in Congress, but I don't see it any way plausible that all women will be banned from working ANY jobs. That then leads to a Civil War where women are enslaved as breeders--rather Handmaiden's Wife-style.
It's an intriguing book, but so many of the ideas are portrayed in black and white, the characters included--the majority of the cast feels realistic in a very dour way.
November 5, 2017
Probably more like a 3.75 star read, but I'll round up.
This book was weird. Basically, Glory and her best friend Ellie mix the ashes of a petrified bat with beer, drink it, then are granted the ability to see visions into the history and future of people they make eye contact with. Yeah. Weird.
I didn't particularly love any of the characters, including Glory, but they were still all quite fascinating. Ellie and her almost cult upbringing, Glory's dad suffering from the grief of a wife who committed suicide thirteen years earlier, and Glory herself who is unsure if she's destined to end up like her mother.
Very strange, but I dig strange. I think if you have read A.S. King in the past and enjoyed it, you'll likely appreciate this book as well.
This book was weird. Basically, Glory and her best friend Ellie mix the ashes of a petrified bat with beer, drink it, then are granted the ability to see visions into the history and future of people they make eye contact with. Yeah. Weird.
I didn't particularly love any of the characters, including Glory, but they were still all quite fascinating. Ellie and her almost cult upbringing, Glory's dad suffering from the grief of a wife who committed suicide thirteen years earlier, and Glory herself who is unsure if she's destined to end up like her mother.
Very strange, but I dig strange. I think if you have read A.S. King in the past and enjoyed it, you'll likely appreciate this book as well.
April 27, 2016
A.S. King is becoming my favourite person.
Everything about her novels are fascinating.
Please do give this a go.
Everything about her novels are fascinating.
Please do give this a go.
February 23, 2016
2015 Reading Challenge #35: A book set in the future.
Glory y Ellie son tan darks que comen murcielagos.
No bromeo. Literalmente se comen un murciélago. O, para ser mas exactos, se toman las cenizas de un murciélago momificado lo que ocasiona que comiencen a tener ¡visiones del futuro! Suena genial, ¿cierto? Lamentablemente, este es uno de esos libros donde la idea es mejor que la ejecución.
La trama es original pero al final no va a ninguna parte. La distopía del futuro no tiene sentido. Y, aunque la escritura definitivamente tiene sus momentos, falla en que es tell-no-show.
Sin embargo, mi principal problema con la historia radica en que: odio a Glory . King intenta pintarnos un personaje feminista e incomprendido. Y debo admitir que al principio me lo creí, pero a medida que fue avanzando la historia comencé a odiarla y no pude parar.
Glory habla de feminismo y de los derechos de las mujeres, habla de ir en contra de los estereotipos de genero y en todas sus visiones del futuro ella es la líder de la rebelión feminista que lucha contra las nuevas leyes de New America que establecen que las mujeres no pueden trabajar. Pero mientras hace todo esto, llama a su mejor amiga -Ellie- puta porque "no abotona su blusa lo suficiente" y tuvo sexo con UN chico.
No sólo eso, sino que no para de decir lo mala amiga que es Ellie porque es "tan egocéntrica". Pero cuando Ellie necesita un abrazo, Glory no se lo da porque que horror, se le pueden pegar los piojos.
Y ese fue el preciso momento en que comencé a odiarla.
Glory además tiene un complejo de superioridad que resulta extremadamente desagradable. Para ella TODO el mundo es estúpido, excepto ella y su padre porque o sea, los demás hablan idioteces mientras que ella y su papá hablan de arte y el sentido de la vida. Y eso es una cita casi literal.
Lo peor de la situación es que Glory nunca cambia. Inclusive cuando Ellie le hace una fiesta sorpresa por su graduación, Glory sigue siendo la misma idiota snob.
Asi que si buscas historias bizarras lee The Night Gwen Stacy Died o L'Écume des jours. Pero por tu propio bien: no leas esto.
Glory y Ellie son tan darks que comen murcielagos.
No bromeo. Literalmente se comen un murciélago. O, para ser mas exactos, se toman las cenizas de un murciélago momificado lo que ocasiona que comiencen a tener ¡visiones del futuro! Suena genial, ¿cierto? Lamentablemente, este es uno de esos libros donde la idea es mejor que la ejecución.
La trama es original pero al final no va a ninguna parte. La distopía del futuro no tiene sentido. Y, aunque la escritura definitivamente tiene sus momentos, falla en que es tell-no-show.
Sin embargo, mi principal problema con la historia radica en que: odio a Glory . King intenta pintarnos un personaje feminista e incomprendido. Y debo admitir que al principio me lo creí, pero a medida que fue avanzando la historia comencé a odiarla y no pude parar.
Glory habla de feminismo y de los derechos de las mujeres, habla de ir en contra de los estereotipos de genero y en todas sus visiones del futuro ella es la líder de la rebelión feminista que lucha contra las nuevas leyes de New America que establecen que las mujeres no pueden trabajar. Pero mientras hace todo esto, llama a su mejor amiga -Ellie- puta porque "no abotona su blusa lo suficiente" y tuvo sexo con UN chico.
No sólo eso, sino que no para de decir lo mala amiga que es Ellie porque es "tan egocéntrica". Pero cuando Ellie necesita un abrazo, Glory no se lo da porque que horror, se le pueden pegar los piojos.
"I nodded but didn’t offer a hug. Lice spread somehow. It’s a fact."
Y ese fue el preciso momento en que comencé a odiarla.
Glory además tiene un complejo de superioridad que resulta extremadamente desagradable. Para ella TODO el mundo es estúpido, excepto ella y su padre porque o sea, los demás hablan idioteces mientras que ella y su papá hablan de arte y el sentido de la vida. Y eso es una cita casi literal.
"I didn't fit into any conversation I ever heard because all people talked about was dumb crap that I didn't give a shit about. Nobody talked about art. Nobody talked about how the mourning dove lied."
Lo peor de la situación es que Glory nunca cambia. Inclusive cuando Ellie le hace una fiesta sorpresa por su graduación, Glory sigue siendo la misma idiota snob.
"Watch out if any of those commune people use the bathroom or sit on the couch."
Asi que si buscas historias bizarras lee The Night Gwen Stacy Died o L'Écume des jours. Pero por tu propio bien: no leas esto.
December 16, 2014
A.S. King has frequently dabbled in magical realism, and GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE brings that aspect of her style to the fore. When Glory and her 'best friend' Ellie drink a petrified bat (long story), they start seeing visions when they look at people. Ellie mostly sees domestic histories, but Glory sees a war coming in fifty years - a war over women's right to work, among some other women's rights.
Her work with character is as on point as ever. Glory has just graduated high school and intends to take a gap year. Already unsure of what she wants to do next, the fact that she doesn't see anything about her own future deepens her worries about her path in life. She becomes obsessed with a journal that her mother left behind after committing suicide, a tome full of musings and (haunting) photos and family secrets. The past, the present, and the future intermingle as Glory discovers all sorts of new connections between the people in her town.
Back to those scare quotes around best friend. Ellie is a member of a commune run by her mother. She and Glory haven't truly been close since she left to be homeschooled, but Ellie clings to Glory as her connection to life outside. Glory is uncomfortable with the divide between them, especially Ellie's greater experience with boys. I really liked how King explored the fraught relationship between the girls, and what the way they related to each other and their powers meant about them as people.
I didn't always find the future sections convincing. I mean, the leader of the conservative side of the Second Civil War calls himself Nedrick the Sanctimonious. Maybe if his enemies called him that ... I can see the roots in current events, but still thought it was too extreme. However, the various implications about the length and outcome of the war made it work a little better for me. It still felt a bit far-fetched and sketchy. At the same time, it is supposed to be sketchy since Glory only sees the future in intimate flashes.
GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE will satisfy A.S. King fans, and perhaps draw in some more who are intrigued by the stronger speculative element. King's agenda is pretty obvious, but tempered by the nuanced way she writes Glory's present-day feminism.
Her work with character is as on point as ever. Glory has just graduated high school and intends to take a gap year. Already unsure of what she wants to do next, the fact that she doesn't see anything about her own future deepens her worries about her path in life. She becomes obsessed with a journal that her mother left behind after committing suicide, a tome full of musings and (haunting) photos and family secrets. The past, the present, and the future intermingle as Glory discovers all sorts of new connections between the people in her town.
Back to those scare quotes around best friend. Ellie is a member of a commune run by her mother. She and Glory haven't truly been close since she left to be homeschooled, but Ellie clings to Glory as her connection to life outside. Glory is uncomfortable with the divide between them, especially Ellie's greater experience with boys. I really liked how King explored the fraught relationship between the girls, and what the way they related to each other and their powers meant about them as people.
I didn't always find the future sections convincing. I mean, the leader of the conservative side of the Second Civil War calls himself Nedrick the Sanctimonious. Maybe if his enemies called him that ... I can see the roots in current events, but still thought it was too extreme. However, the various implications about the length and outcome of the war made it work a little better for me. It still felt a bit far-fetched and sketchy. At the same time, it is supposed to be sketchy since Glory only sees the future in intimate flashes.
GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE will satisfy A.S. King fans, and perhaps draw in some more who are intrigued by the stronger speculative element. King's agenda is pretty obvious, but tempered by the nuanced way she writes Glory's present-day feminism.
December 9, 2022
What if you could be a modern day prophet, what might it be like to see events from the future? Glory finds herself able to do that . Could finding her future be the secret to ending the visions? Is there a connection between her visions of the future and her mother's past ?
If you like quirky stories like Midnight at the Electric, Landscape with Invisible Hand or other books by A.S. King, give this one a try.
If you like quirky stories like Midnight at the Electric, Landscape with Invisible Hand or other books by A.S. King, give this one a try.
June 12, 2023
Rating: 3,5 stars
This was interesting. Dark. Captivating. Weird. Almost gave up because I couldn't get in to it. Something felt off but I can't pin point was it the writing, storyline or the characters.
Somewhere around the third of the book got much better. This magical realism, dystopian, feminist story got a better flow. Even got more optimistic and I started to like the characters. It ended good but rushed.
I will pick up more books from this autor.
This was interesting. Dark. Captivating. Weird. Almost gave up because I couldn't get in to it. Something felt off but I can't pin point was it the writing, storyline or the characters.
Somewhere around the third of the book got much better. This magical realism, dystopian, feminist story got a better flow. Even got more optimistic and I started to like the characters. It ended good but rushed.
I will pick up more books from this autor.
November 6, 2018
The description for this YA book turned out to be misleading (or at least over-hyped and exaggerated). But I liked the story I got. In fact, I liked it a lot.
But please fire whoever wrote the description that touts it as an EPIC sci-fi type of tale. It's almost the exact opposite of that: a slow-paced, slice-of-life, magical realism/fantasy (sort of, but not overwhelming), with little "action."
I didn't find it that weird, other than the whole seeing-the-future premise* (and a laugh at how this ability was acquired!). It's mostly a very human and down-to-earth tale. I enjoyed the two slightly offbeat girls (Glory & Ellie) and their story, which took place over just a few days close to Glory's high school graduation.
* not a spoiler; it's on the back cover
Some of the visions were wonky, but that sort of added to the charm. I mostly sped-read through those, anyway. Other than possibly some missed opportunities for use/misuse of the special abilities, I don't have anything to whine about here.
LOLs: One and one-half (and a few grins).
BONUS points for: A character with a retro, non-digital hobby. Some good father-daughter moments. Weird neighbors.
VERDICT: 4+ quirky YA stars, bumped to 5*. I think this is a case of a book actually better for being what it is, rather than what was advertised.
* bumping up because a) I'm not a Young Adult, b) this is the most interestingly odd YA book I've read in 2018, c) feels like a keeper & possiby a re-read one day.
PARENTAL UNITS:
P.S. just $1 at a certain dollar-all store, where occasionally there are gems among the overstocks.
Here is MY corrected GR description of the book:
But please fire whoever wrote the description that touts it as an EPIC sci-fi type of tale. It's almost the exact opposite of that: a slow-paced, slice-of-life, magical realism/fantasy (sort of, but not overwhelming), with little "action."
I didn't find it that weird, other than the whole seeing-the-future premise* (and a laugh at how this ability was acquired!). It's mostly a very human and down-to-earth tale. I enjoyed the two slightly offbeat girls (Glory & Ellie) and their story, which took place over just a few days close to Glory's high school graduation.
* not a spoiler; it's on the back cover
Some of the visions were wonky, but that sort of added to the charm. I mostly sped-read through those, anyway. Other than possibly some missed opportunities for use/misuse of the special abilities, I don't have anything to whine about here.
LOLs: One and one-half (and a few grins).
BONUS points for: A character with a retro, non-digital hobby. Some good father-daughter moments. Weird neighbors.
VERDICT: 4+ quirky YA stars, bumped to 5*. I think this is a case of a book actually better for being what it is, rather than what was advertised.
* bumping up because a) I'm not a Young Adult, b) this is the most interestingly odd YA book I've read in 2018, c) feels like a keeper & possiby a re-read one day.
PARENTAL UNITS:
P.S. just $1 at a certain dollar-all store, where occasionally there are gems among the overstocks.
Here is MY corrected GR description of the book:
October 1, 2017
Quick review for a quick read. "Glory O' Brien's History of the Future" is a novel that tugged at my heartstrings in very key moments, but ultimately, I thought the novel had mixed execution for the aim it went for. I ended up reading this after "Still Life With Tornado" which had a similar thematic that played with timelines and magical realism.
This book deals with Glory's experiences in dealing with her fractured family and relationships following her high school graduation. When Glory and her best friend end up drinking the ashes of a petrified bat, they end up having visions of the future and past for every person they look upon. There's a dystopian-esque, bleak future painted within Glory's vision for the future world, and she tries to weigh what it all means relative to the people around her and her own role in the future to come. It's an interesting concept, though not nearly as intimate or concrete for execution as I would've loved. Some parts were excellent in presentation, because I knew it tied into a lot of the pains that Glory's going through - her mother's suicide, falling out of favor with her best friend, struggling to deal with certain events in her past and present. I really enjoyed Glory's prominent voice and nuances, though some moments are difficult to read through since she's struggling with the present moralities. I appreciated that she was shown actively weighing the balance of such moralities throughout the narrative. It made Glory feel real and like a teenager just trying to see things through things that were intimate to her experiences and relationships.
I think the pacing of the novel was something of a slow-burn, slice of life drama with a magical realistic twist, so those who might want something that moves a bit more quickly or with direct conflicts may find parts of this narrative difficult to move through. I enjoyed it more from the audiobook narration of Christine Lankin, whose performance adds to the emotion and personality into each of the variant characters and events here. In the end, I liked the read, but I felt like it might've went too broad in scope to really have as much of the impact it was aiming for. It's an ambitious book, one I think teens would enjoy, for sure, though I think the execution varied in quality through the narrative.
Overall score: 3.5/5 stars.
This book deals with Glory's experiences in dealing with her fractured family and relationships following her high school graduation. When Glory and her best friend end up drinking the ashes of a petrified bat, they end up having visions of the future and past for every person they look upon. There's a dystopian-esque, bleak future painted within Glory's vision for the future world, and she tries to weigh what it all means relative to the people around her and her own role in the future to come. It's an interesting concept, though not nearly as intimate or concrete for execution as I would've loved. Some parts were excellent in presentation, because I knew it tied into a lot of the pains that Glory's going through - her mother's suicide, falling out of favor with her best friend, struggling to deal with certain events in her past and present. I really enjoyed Glory's prominent voice and nuances, though some moments are difficult to read through since she's struggling with the present moralities. I appreciated that she was shown actively weighing the balance of such moralities throughout the narrative. It made Glory feel real and like a teenager just trying to see things through things that were intimate to her experiences and relationships.
I think the pacing of the novel was something of a slow-burn, slice of life drama with a magical realistic twist, so those who might want something that moves a bit more quickly or with direct conflicts may find parts of this narrative difficult to move through. I enjoyed it more from the audiobook narration of Christine Lankin, whose performance adds to the emotion and personality into each of the variant characters and events here. In the end, I liked the read, but I felt like it might've went too broad in scope to really have as much of the impact it was aiming for. It's an ambitious book, one I think teens would enjoy, for sure, though I think the execution varied in quality through the narrative.
Overall score: 3.5/5 stars.
August 25, 2014
I have to start by reiterating how talented I think A.S. King is as a writer. Seriously loved Ask the Passengers, but this book just falls flat for me. All through the story I kept thinking how much it reminded me of Andrew Smith's Grasshopper Jungle and then at the end King thanks him for being her mentor and it all came together. Unfortunately, King cannot pull off the bizarre storyline in the same fashion that Smith can. In this story Glory and her friend/not-friend drink a petrified bat (who Glory believes is God) and they are suddenly able to see transmissions of people's past, present, and future. Glory writes down everything she sees which mainly includes visions of a second Civil War in which America is split into two and women are no longer allowed to work and are being stolen and captured for procreation purposes. But, there was never any further explanation of how or why these events could possibly occur. I realize that's not the purpose of the story, but it was still infuriating. It drew away from what the author was trying to accomplish and furthermore, while King was trying to make her point heard it came across way too preachy and it was clear this was HER rant and not the voice of Glory. There were some nice moments watching Glory's relationship with her family grow and develop, but if you truly want bizarre stick with Smith and choose King for her better contemporary works.
April 22, 2017
3,5/5
Si tuviera que definir a este libro con una sola palabra sería: raro. Porque, ¿cuántos libros conocéis en el que la protagonista se beba a un murciélago que le proporcione poderes?
Pero esto no es una historia de súper héroes ni mucho menos. Es una historia feminista y una crítica social, pero también una historia sobre la pérdida, tanto emocional como personal, y, además, una historia con tintes distópicos.
Una mezcla extraña, ¿verdad? Pues sí, pero creo que la autora ha mezclado todos esos elementos de manera más que notable y ha conseguido hacer una novela curiosa y que esconde muchos mensajes entre sus líneas.
Pero voy a contar un poco de qué va. La protagonista es Glory, una chica de 18 años, a punto de terminar el instituto y que se siente completamente perdida.
No sabe qué quiere hacer con su vida ni tiene planeado nada. Además, se siente cada vez más distanciada de su única amiga, Ellie, cree que ya no tienen nada en común y sabe que su amistad está abocada al fracaso.
Reseña completa: http://beingsaray.blogspot.com.es/201...
Si tuviera que definir a este libro con una sola palabra sería: raro. Porque, ¿cuántos libros conocéis en el que la protagonista se beba a un murciélago que le proporcione poderes?
Pero esto no es una historia de súper héroes ni mucho menos. Es una historia feminista y una crítica social, pero también una historia sobre la pérdida, tanto emocional como personal, y, además, una historia con tintes distópicos.
Una mezcla extraña, ¿verdad? Pues sí, pero creo que la autora ha mezclado todos esos elementos de manera más que notable y ha conseguido hacer una novela curiosa y que esconde muchos mensajes entre sus líneas.
Pero voy a contar un poco de qué va. La protagonista es Glory, una chica de 18 años, a punto de terminar el instituto y que se siente completamente perdida.
No sabe qué quiere hacer con su vida ni tiene planeado nada. Además, se siente cada vez más distanciada de su única amiga, Ellie, cree que ya no tienen nada en común y sabe que su amistad está abocada al fracaso.
Reseña completa: http://beingsaray.blogspot.com.es/201...
March 22, 2016
3,5/5
Buena novela, desde luego de calidad muy superior a mucho de lo que hay de literatura juvenil en el mercado. Bastante recomendable; sorprende mucho en cuanto a tono y forma. Reseña completa: http://www.libros-prohibidos.com/a-s-...
Buena novela, desde luego de calidad muy superior a mucho de lo que hay de literatura juvenil en el mercado. Bastante recomendable; sorprende mucho en cuanto a tono y forma. Reseña completa: http://www.libros-prohibidos.com/a-s-...
January 16, 2015
Read twice. Twice brilliant.
January 12, 2015
As recently as the day I started Glory O'Brien's
History of the Future
, I would've told you that A.S. King was my favorite YA author. I'd read four of her novels -
Everybody Sees the Ants, Reality Boy, Ask the Passengers
and
Please Ignore Vera Dietz
- over a six-month period, and I loved every one of them.
Then I read Glory O'Brien , King's sixth novel published in six years. I went into it knowing nothing about the plot, just kind of that there was a general feminist theme. This book was nothing like I thought it would be. It's like A.S. King unleashed all of her ambition to go "epic" but had none of the inspiration to back it up.
Nothing was happening - barely a plot, barely any humor, and characters that were flat and lacking in motivation, all tied together by a premise that shattered credibility. The most major plot-driving details are wholly unbelievable, but not to the main characters, who react first with fear, then by a shrug of acceptance, then by enthusiasm. No gradual transition or explanation either, just fear to acceptance to enthusiasm.
This didn't seem like an A.S. King book to me until the transition into the third act and even then, it seemed like A.S. King on autopilot. Relatively speaking, though, after how slooow the first two acts were, the third act was a huge improvement to me. Maybe by that point I'd moved through the stages of grief to acceptance, though. Like, there was nowhere for the book to go for me but up.
The weirdest thing to me, after finishing Glorio , is that there was no discernible sign from the outside press that Glorio is at best mediocre. Glory O'Brien has five starred reviews. Five. It made all the major 2014 year-end best-of lists, and soon it'll start winning awards. The entire 'thinking' YA literary world has assigned nonexistent meaning and entertainment value to this C- book.
Is it possible that:
1) A discerning critic can be brainwashed into rubber-stamping anything by a certain author as brilliant?
2) It's a political move, they know the book is crap, but it's been predetermined that now is King's time to shine?
3) Critics are worried that coming out against this book may be interpreted as, 'This hard-hitting feminist subject matter makes me uncomfortable, and secretly I disagree that women are intrinsically equal to men'?
4) I am wrong, and Glory really is genius?
It'll be interesting to see if King has exhausted most of her reservoir of genius by publishing her first 6 books in 6 consecutive years. I wonder if she'll just stay on that schedule and keep squeezing them out like clockwork. Shit, she's more successful now than ever, so why not?
Then I read Glory O'Brien , King's sixth novel published in six years. I went into it knowing nothing about the plot, just kind of that there was a general feminist theme. This book was nothing like I thought it would be. It's like A.S. King unleashed all of her ambition to go "epic" but had none of the inspiration to back it up.
Nothing was happening - barely a plot, barely any humor, and characters that were flat and lacking in motivation, all tied together by a premise that shattered credibility. The most major plot-driving details are wholly unbelievable, but not to the main characters, who react first with fear, then by a shrug of acceptance, then by enthusiasm. No gradual transition or explanation either, just fear to acceptance to enthusiasm.
This didn't seem like an A.S. King book to me until the transition into the third act and even then, it seemed like A.S. King on autopilot. Relatively speaking, though, after how slooow the first two acts were, the third act was a huge improvement to me. Maybe by that point I'd moved through the stages of grief to acceptance, though. Like, there was nowhere for the book to go for me but up.
The weirdest thing to me, after finishing Glorio , is that there was no discernible sign from the outside press that Glorio is at best mediocre. Glory O'Brien has five starred reviews. Five. It made all the major 2014 year-end best-of lists, and soon it'll start winning awards. The entire 'thinking' YA literary world has assigned nonexistent meaning and entertainment value to this C- book.
Is it possible that:
1) A discerning critic can be brainwashed into rubber-stamping anything by a certain author as brilliant?
2) It's a political move, they know the book is crap, but it's been predetermined that now is King's time to shine?
3) Critics are worried that coming out against this book may be interpreted as, 'This hard-hitting feminist subject matter makes me uncomfortable, and secretly I disagree that women are intrinsically equal to men'?
4) I am wrong, and Glory really is genius?
It'll be interesting to see if King has exhausted most of her reservoir of genius by publishing her first 6 books in 6 consecutive years. I wonder if she'll just stay on that schedule and keep squeezing them out like clockwork. Shit, she's more successful now than ever, so why not?
November 2, 2014
Reading this was such a struggle. I'm a big fan of A.S. King's writing, but this book was just... Well, the premise, and I guess the whole theme of the book, was ambitious, and it didn't quite pull off the effect it wanted.
I don't wanna make an extra long rant so I'll just try to sum up a few of the things that I thought were misses:
The petrified bat thing was just plain weird. Not even the good kind of weird. Just weird. I thought the whole transmissions thing would be interesting, but it was mainly unbelievable to the point of being ridiculous.
The future (world-building) was...ehhh. The tunnels/Sniper storyline added some excitement/mystery but overall it was...ehh. Eyebrows raised and all. (And OF COURSE the protagonist and the people she interacted with would be at the center of the huge war. Out of the millions of people involved, they just had to be the Most Important Characters. Of course. Sigh.) King is better writing contemporary.
I really disliked Glory. She behaved like she was cooler than everyone else (and this is my biggest first person POV peeve); although she frequently says she's not normal, quite a few times it's implied that not normal = better. Which = nope. She was just quite condescending towards society in general. And she was so mean towards Ellie! Friendship goes both ways, ya know. It can't be just the other person's fault. I thought Glory was very dishonest and especially self-centered as well, so plenty of times I wanted to scream LOOK IN THE MIRROR FIRST MISSY.
And the slut shaming! I can't. For a book that championed feminism, it was ironic that the protagonist actually called out girls who frequently have sex "sluts." Like, actually. I was a little disgusted at this point — women are allowed to enjoy what they want to enjoy if they choose it, without being labelled as anything. Even worse, there's an actual passage there where Glory was all, Good thing I'm not part of the sex-crazed society! Good for me! Right. Lift yourself up while judging/belittling other people. That's great. *rolls eyes*
And it's so freaking preachy. I like books that are subtle, where I'm allowed to draw my own conclusions. This book seemed too heavily opinionated and insistent — and it wasn't Glory's voice I was hearing at times. It was the author's. Which made it all the more difficult to take in Glory's POV — because there are breaks where you just know it's the author preaching her thoughts, not Glory.
And it was just dull. Mostly. I mean, I seriously wanted this book to be interesting and intriguing and empowering. But I took SO long to finish it because there's no element of I can't wait to know what happens next. Just I am so done with you and your "problems," Gloria O'Brien. So I guess you could say I just pushed through so I can finish and finally move on without looking back. Sigh.
I don't wanna make an extra long rant so I'll just try to sum up a few of the things that I thought were misses:
The petrified bat thing was just plain weird. Not even the good kind of weird. Just weird. I thought the whole transmissions thing would be interesting, but it was mainly unbelievable to the point of being ridiculous.
The future (world-building) was...ehhh. The tunnels/Sniper storyline added some excitement/mystery but overall it was...ehh. Eyebrows raised and all. (And OF COURSE the protagonist and the people she interacted with would be at the center of the huge war. Out of the millions of people involved, they just had to be the Most Important Characters. Of course. Sigh.) King is better writing contemporary.
I really disliked Glory. She behaved like she was cooler than everyone else (and this is my biggest first person POV peeve); although she frequently says she's not normal, quite a few times it's implied that not normal = better. Which = nope. She was just quite condescending towards society in general. And she was so mean towards Ellie! Friendship goes both ways, ya know. It can't be just the other person's fault. I thought Glory was very dishonest and especially self-centered as well, so plenty of times I wanted to scream LOOK IN THE MIRROR FIRST MISSY.
And the slut shaming! I can't. For a book that championed feminism, it was ironic that the protagonist actually called out girls who frequently have sex "sluts." Like, actually. I was a little disgusted at this point — women are allowed to enjoy what they want to enjoy if they choose it, without being labelled as anything. Even worse, there's an actual passage there where Glory was all, Good thing I'm not part of the sex-crazed society! Good for me! Right. Lift yourself up while judging/belittling other people. That's great. *rolls eyes*
And it's so freaking preachy. I like books that are subtle, where I'm allowed to draw my own conclusions. This book seemed too heavily opinionated and insistent — and it wasn't Glory's voice I was hearing at times. It was the author's. Which made it all the more difficult to take in Glory's POV — because there are breaks where you just know it's the author preaching her thoughts, not Glory.
And it was just dull. Mostly. I mean, I seriously wanted this book to be interesting and intriguing and empowering. But I took SO long to finish it because there's no element of I can't wait to know what happens next. Just I am so done with you and your "problems," Gloria O'Brien. So I guess you could say I just pushed through so I can finish and finally move on without looking back. Sigh.
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