What do you think?
Rate this book
I See You Now
“If there was any future I could possibly hope to change, it was this one.”
In the uncertain world of Hana where children of government officials are thrust into a teenage military program for the country’s survival, four childhood friends join with vigor and anticipation. One of them is in love with someone she can’t have. One of them feels invisible to the very people he calls friends and family. One longs for acceptance even as he continues to hide his secrets.
And lastly, there’s Dae Ahn, plagued by visions of the future.
A future that is becoming increasingly unpredictable and terrifying. A future she can’t control. Surrounded by secrets, lies and betrayal, it’s no surprise when these friendships break apart. Ten years later, the world they’re striving to protect is crumbling. Does she have the power to manipulate fate into something good or is the worst always inevitable?
Exploring themes of anxiety, identity, regret and truth, I SEE YOU NOW is a YA dystopian full of heartache over the past and longing for a safe future.
In the uncertain world of Hana where children of government officials are thrust into a teenage military program for the country’s survival, four childhood friends join with vigor and anticipation. One of them is in love with someone she can’t have. One of them feels invisible to the very people he calls friends and family. One longs for acceptance even as he continues to hide his secrets.
And lastly, there’s Dae Ahn, plagued by visions of the future.
A future that is becoming increasingly unpredictable and terrifying. A future she can’t control. Surrounded by secrets, lies and betrayal, it’s no surprise when these friendships break apart. Ten years later, the world they’re striving to protect is crumbling. Does she have the power to manipulate fate into something good or is the worst always inevitable?
Exploring themes of anxiety, identity, regret and truth, I SEE YOU NOW is a YA dystopian full of heartache over the past and longing for a safe future.
617 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 11, 2025
About the author
Valerie Cotnoir
6 books51 followersValerie Cotnoir is a graduate of Thomas Edison State University with a Bachelors in History. She was born in Montreal, Canada, but lived for fourteen years in Plano, Texas before moving with her family to the Raleigh area in North Carolina. She is the oldest of four and has two sisters and one brother. She has been writing since she could hold a pencil and reading books just as long. Her favorite pastimes (besides reading and writing, of course!) include working with preschoolers, watching movies and spending time with her family and friends. Her published novels are "Bridget's Journey" (2013 - middle grade historical fiction), "Everlasting" (2015 - YA fantasy) and "The War Within" (2020 - YA historical fiction/fantasy).
Literature Approved Reviewer on:
http://literatureapproved.com
Bookstagram: @vcotnoirauthor
Literature Approved Reviewer on:
http://literatureapproved.com
Bookstagram: @vcotnoirauthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 7, 2026
I loved it! What a journey - this book was so engaging and hard to put down! So many twists and turns and the creative fantasy elements. Seeing the future might sound like a fun ride to some, but it could also be overwhelming and scary. I enjoyed seeing and feeling Dae's character growth throughout this story as she comes to terms with her abilities in such a real, human way. And all the friendship drama! I especially loved that it felt like watching a Kdrama, with all my favorite tropes - back hugs, leaning on his shoulder on the bus rides...
November 11, 2025
I devoured this book! It has all the feel of a traditional dystopian world, while also feeling so homey and personal, like you were a part of the friend group. The characters and their struggles felt so relatable to me, I can’t wait to reread this book and annotate it!!
March 15, 2026
A page turner! I didn't want to put it down! Honestly, I wouldn't have minded if it was longer. Such a good read.
June 8, 2026
First of all, I can tell the author truly poured their heart into this, and that alone makes this a beautiful book. One of my favourite things about this book is that I feel like I got to know the author as well as her characters.
That being said, this book is not at all what I was expecting. I picked it up because the blurb intrigued me and I love supporting indie authors, but upon finishing it, this really wasn't the kind of book "for me," and I think I might have been able to figure this out sooner if the blurb had taken a slightly different approach. There were elements of this book I enjoyed, but overall I was expecting a faster-paced, intense dystopian, and this felt to me like a raw, introspective romance set in a dystopian time. I wanted to know how it ended, but found myself speed-reading chunks of exposition to get back to the plot (especially toward the end). Also, for a YA novel, this book only spent 100 pages ish (out of 460ish) focussed on teenaged characters and their problems. Most of the book followed the same characters when they were 26, which is quite a bit older and a bit of a stretch for YA.
And as mentioned, I'd class this book as a ROMANCE, as the character arcs heavily rely on romantic elements, and the plot resolves with romantic love and sacrifice as a theme. It even has a love triangle. From the blurb, I expected a bit more focus on the friendship component, and this was more romance than I'd bargained for (even when I started expecting it as a subplot).
This book would be great for people who like chonky books with pages of introspection and clear dialogue. If you're not sure if you'd like it, this is rough draft of how I'd tweak the blurb based on my experience:
"In the uncertain world of Hana where teenagers are thrust into a miliary program for the country's survival, eager student Dae Ahn is plagued by visions of the future--a terrifying, unpredicable future she can't control. Surrounded by secrets, lies, and betrayal, Dae runs to save her friends and family from herself--from fate itself.
Ten years later, she must return to the war for her country, her mind, and her heart. But can she stop her own fate and turn it into something good? Or will her worst visions prove true, stealing the life of the one she loves most?
Exploring themes of anxiety, identity, regret, and true love, I SEE YOU NOW is a New Adult drama full of heartache of the past and longing for a safe future."
That being said, this book is not at all what I was expecting. I picked it up because the blurb intrigued me and I love supporting indie authors, but upon finishing it, this really wasn't the kind of book "for me," and I think I might have been able to figure this out sooner if the blurb had taken a slightly different approach. There were elements of this book I enjoyed, but overall I was expecting a faster-paced, intense dystopian, and this felt to me like a raw, introspective romance set in a dystopian time. I wanted to know how it ended, but found myself speed-reading chunks of exposition to get back to the plot (especially toward the end). Also, for a YA novel, this book only spent 100 pages ish (out of 460ish) focussed on teenaged characters and their problems. Most of the book followed the same characters when they were 26, which is quite a bit older and a bit of a stretch for YA.
And as mentioned, I'd class this book as a ROMANCE, as the character arcs heavily rely on romantic elements, and the plot resolves with romantic love and sacrifice as a theme. It even has a love triangle. From the blurb, I expected a bit more focus on the friendship component, and this was more romance than I'd bargained for (even when I started expecting it as a subplot).
This book would be great for people who like chonky books with pages of introspection and clear dialogue. If you're not sure if you'd like it, this is rough draft of how I'd tweak the blurb based on my experience:
"In the uncertain world of Hana where teenagers are thrust into a miliary program for the country's survival, eager student Dae Ahn is plagued by visions of the future--a terrifying, unpredicable future she can't control. Surrounded by secrets, lies, and betrayal, Dae runs to save her friends and family from herself--from fate itself.
Ten years later, she must return to the war for her country, her mind, and her heart. But can she stop her own fate and turn it into something good? Or will her worst visions prove true, stealing the life of the one she loves most?
Exploring themes of anxiety, identity, regret, and true love, I SEE YOU NOW is a New Adult drama full of heartache of the past and longing for a safe future."
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews