The Future is Written

by Jonas Saul

When Sarah Roberts blacks out, she wakes to find prophetic notes mysteriously written by her own hand. After receiving a message that someone is about to be kidnapped with instructions on how to stop it, Sarah’s convinced it won’t be hard to do. She is wrong.

The kidnappers take Sarah instead. She’s thwarted them in the past, and they want to know how she keeps showing up where she has no business being.

Sarah needs help from the police, but they’re hunting her for a different reason. They found her notebook riddled with prophetic messages, linking her to crimes and unsolved cases. Is she a vigilante keeping score? Or on a citywide crime spree?

Armed with a note that simply states, save yourself, Sarah struggles to stay alive using her wit and street smarts.

Several years ago, someone murdered Sarah’s sister, Vivian. Now, communicating with Sarah from the other side, they’ll hunt the man who did it and the people who would do it again―to Sarah.

Genres: Mystery Thriller, Young Adult

448 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2018

About the author

Jonas Saul is the bestselling author of the Sarah Roberts Series—more than two million sold!—and has written and published over sixty thrillers. After acquiring an agent, he signed several deals in Los Angeles, with MadRiver Pictures optioning his Sarah Roberts Series—over forty books!—(currently in development).
Jonas has often outranked Stephen King and Dean Koontz on Amazon over the past decade. He’s regularly invited to be a guest speaker, teacher, or workshop presenter at international writing conferences and film festivals worldwide.
He hosts multiple annual retreats in Greece, where he currently lives—writer’s, screenplay, and reader’s retreats. He focuses his teaching on how to get tension and emotion in every scene and on every page, how he made it as a creator/writer, the path to success in this business, and the pitfalls to avoid. Visit the Imagine Greece Retreats website at www.imaginegreeceretreats.com, or email him directly.
Jonas Saul is an acclaimed author, teacher, and professional freelance editor. He lends his editing prowess to several publishers and offers private editing services to clients. His website, www.imaginepress.org, is a testament to his editing skills, featuring numerous testimonials from satisfied authors. Jonas is an email away for those needing professional editing.
To book Jonas for a speaking engagement at a writer’s conference/festival, to have him on your jury at a film festival, or even to say hello, email Jonas directly at jonassaul@icloud.com.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Adaptive Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Shortly before starting this book I learned that this is very far into the Sarah Roberts series. THE FUTURE IS WRITTEN by Jonas Saul is about a woman that frequently experiences blackouts and awakens to find notes to herself about what she needs to do/what will happen. I definitely wish that I had known before starting this that it was so far into the series, but it does read as a standalone.

Sarah Roberts wakes up from a black out to find notes from herself. These messages are warning her that someone is going to be kidnapped - she even has instructions on how to stop it. Shouldn't be that hard, right? Wrong. Despite trying to protect the intended target, Sarah is taken instead. She's been able to out-smart them in the past, but now the kidnappers are demanding to know how she always manages to show up where she isn't wanted. All she has is a note from herself saying, "save yourself", and she will do whatever it takes to keep herself alive.

Meanwhile, the police are on the lookout for her. They've uncovered Sarah's notebooks, which are full of messages to herself about previous crimes and unsolved cases. Is this directly linking a criminal to her crime spree? Is she a vigilante? The police are on the hunt for Sarah.

Jonas Saul did a great job weaving a suspenseful tale. I really enjoyed the character of Sarah, but I needed more information about her blackouts and visions. Something I know I will be able to understand better if I read more of the series. However, don't let that deter you! This is fantastic as a standalone. Some parts felt a little choppy at times, but not enough to ruin the flow of the novel. There was a lot going on, but not too much to where I couldn't keep characters straight - it kept up a good pace.

Overall, if you want a suspense novel with a unique concept then I'd recommend picking up the Sarah Roberts series.

I give this 4/5 stars!

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

First things first: this was really outside my wheelhouse. Not my thing at all. However, the premise was an interesting one, something with potential. This author will be coming to a conference that I’m attending in August and I try to read something by each key note speaker before the conference so I will know who I want to hear more from. I had to order this book by interlibrary loan—my local library had nothing by this author. It turns out that this book was actually a collection of three (as I discovered at the end) though I had guessed that as I was reading.

Thrillers are really not my cuppa tea. I had a similar experience with another author at the conference last year—he was a lovely man, I just couldn’t enjoy his books. Which is fine. There’s a lid for every pot, and these type of books just aren’t my “lid.” I had to laugh, though, when I realized that the bad guys in both this and one of the books I read last year threatened their male associates with castration if they failed. Seriously, is this a thing?

I have come to the conclusion that thriller readers are in it for the plot and only the plot. The characters tend to be cardboard stereotypes and the action is non-stop, with no chances to slow down and consider implications or underlying themes. The paranormal aspects of this book were what made it tolerable for me—Sarah (the main character) is an automatic writer who receives messages from the “Other Side.” Sometimes oddly specific—be under this bridge at this time on this day. Bring a hammer. There’s enough ambiguity to make it challenging.

I realized as I read the afterword that I’ll be interested to hear this author speak at least once at the conference. He described the vivid dreams that he had of his deceased brother that inspired the novel. I’ve experienced similar things and could appreciate what he has done with his ideas.

[Megan Middlebrooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 75%
The book sounded interesting based on the premise on the back of the book, psychic girl with powers solving a mystery. However, the summary on the back of the book was the first like 100 pages. you figure out alot of the information about the mystery in that first part which made the rest of the book unengaging. The characters were very bland, the main character was ok at best. I rarely dnf books so late in but I was just bored. It was a loop of the same events happening.

[Kerry Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonas Saul is an amazing writer. I find it difficult to put his books down because I want to know what's going to happen next. This particular book is the first three books of the Sarah Roberts series combined. You'll see how Sarah started her journey and understand why she is so special. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good action packed story. And, there are many more books in the series for you to watch how Sarah matures and becomes stronger, physically and mentally. You won't be disappointed.

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe this is book 20 in this series.  It reads amazingly well as a stand alone.  I never once felt lost throughout this entire read.  Told in 3 parts, we see Sarah Roberts grow, not only as a woman settling into herself, but as a hero in her own right.  Her visions from her dead sister help to prevent certain crimes from happening and have also saved her own life on several occasions.  However, almost the entire book holds on to her going after the man who killed the sister she didn't even know existed. 

For a book that's over 400 pages long, it's extremely fast paced and keeps your attention with the short chapters.   I did feel that some things were a bit repetitive.  Here she goes again, back in peril, getting out of it, showing her strength, yada yada.  However, it never took away from me wanting to see how she was going to get out of it- IF she did - and what would happen when and if she reached her end goal.  Just how much can one woman take?!  I will say one thing though - in movies and books alike it seems when the villain EVER gets a chance to kill the person who has been after them for years, they NEVER shoot them in the head!  And never check to see that they are actually dead. WHY?!  

I really found the concept of the autowriting and getting information from the dead extremely interesting.  Even more so after I read the afterword from the author.  Whenever I see an author take an experience from his own life and bring it into a book, I cannot help but like that book even more.  This paranormal touch to the otherwise action thriller was a nice addition. 

[Randy McCharles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy of this book. I hadn't read Jonas Saul before, and boy have I been missing out. The Future is Written is a fantastic read I couldn't put down. Excellent story, lightning fast pace, but oh the characters. From Sarah Roberts all the way down to the briefest walk-on, each character leaps off the page, larger than life. If you like stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, you can't go wrong with Jonas Saul.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I walked past this book on two different occasions at Barnes & Noble before buying it the third time around. The cover caught my eye every time, and while the description of the book seemed less intriguing, I felt pulled to it nonetheless. That’s right. I judge books by their covers. And nine times out of ten, I’m thrilled with the result.

I literally read this book in less than 48 hours. I couldn’t put it down. It’s action-packed, to say the least, and it was written in my favorite format with ultra-short chapters that makes reading fun and easy.

So Sarah Roberts is an ‘automatic writer’ (a type of psychic), and she receives messages from her sister Vivian. Thing is, Vivian is dead. She was murdered a long time ago, and now she’s recruited Sarah to help her track down her killer in the name of vengeance. Sarah is stubborn, street smart, and an all-around badass.

And my absolute favorite thing about this book? No cheesy love story! Thank you, Jesus! This book is all about Sarah’s vigilante justice and the lengths she’ll go to not only to find Vivian’s murderer, but also to protect other innocent people. She has friends and allies throughout her journey, sure, but she’s no damsel in distress. I can’t even express how refreshing it is to read about a female character who just kicks ass and takes names. No cliche romance necessary, thank you very much.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, a warning: the writing style is simplistic. And when I say 'simplistic', I mean you're going to question whether you picked up a YA book on accident. Extremely short sentences, third grade level words, two page chapters most of the time, you get the drift. Also, a cliff hanger ending at each chapter.

Which meant that for the first third of the book, I didn't like it at all. Was ready to put it down, except for, you guessed it, those darn cliff hanger chapters. Not to mention the chapters were only two pages, so I kept on reading? It was easy!

And like magic, I got into it. And more into it. And a two star book became a four star book by the end. Man, I don't know, it's a ridiculous plot, a soap opera of a plot, but it totally works. This girl, Sarah, gets messages from her dead sister, Vivian. She responds to the messages and solves crimes! Basically. The End.

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The future is written

Sarah is an automatic writer and she blacks out when it happens when she wakes up she sees what she has to do what needs to be done usually to protect someone. Not necessarily someone she even knows.

Esmerelda is a psychic and sees the danger Sarah is in before Sarah sees it herself

Dolan was the first person was see Sarah find, save youself Dolan but save yourself from what.
But then Sarah is kidnapped and she is thought to be a killer instead of the victim.

In part 2 we see Sarah able to control her ability and find that her automatic writing is really messages from beyond the grave. Ooooh.

This was really interesting and I dont know why more people haven’t read it, I highly recommend and cant wait to read the rest of Sarahs story!

[Samantha Feiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this book was incredibly fast paced and was a real page turner. I usually despise books that are from multiple characters point of view by for this one, it totally worked. The book is in 3 parts that, in my opinion, should have been 3 different books. Although since they’re at least separated into parts, I can be happy with that. I felt like I wanted a little more closure at the end and a lot happened really fast right at the end. The rest of the book is fast paced but the end had a whole bunch that was sort of... brushed off. All in all, if you like a book that’s about a badass girl who good with a gun, you’ll enjoy this book. I personally couldn’t put it down.

[Sabrina Voerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very fast paced, which makes the book fly by. However, none of it is entirely memorable because of how quick things are going from start to finish. The main character, Sarah, is a bit of a Mary Sue. That tough "I don't have friends" exterior is a trope that I find hard to identify with. She was too capable and handled far too much entirely on her own, it just seemed like all she did was sleep in hotels and shoot people in the legs. I liked the concept, but I think overall it felt very young and rushed.

[MARINA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been an avid Jonas Saul reader for a few years, and every time his new book comes out, I always preorder one. I love Jonas’ easy captivating writing style, as well as I love watching the characters change and evolve throughout the novels.

The Future is Written is not a new novel. It is a book with the first 3 novels of the Sarah Roberts series combined together. They made sense to be combined, and for those of us who’ve read these novels a while back, this was a wonderful journey back to Sarah’s humble beginnings. It was so great to be reminded how Sarah got started on her journey and get reacquainted with the characters.

Anyone who is not familiar with Jonas Saul should start with this book as this is the perfect starting point in the Sarah Roberts series (currently at 19 books with book 20 release pending). Every subsequent book and story line seems to be better than the preceding one, and the books are hard to put down. Characters are starting to feel like friends, and you miss them when you’re not reading these books.

Highly recommend getting this book whether you’re a new reader or a current reader of Jonas’ books.

[QueenofBooksandDarkness · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The kidnappers take Sarah instead."
Over. And Over. And Over.

Let me start this review by saying, it took me much longer than expected to finish this book. I got through the first 300 or so pages within a day or two, but by the last 200 pages, I had to put the book down and pick up something else because I was not about to get a DNF in the first MONTH of 2020.

Alright. For this book, I want to start with the things I didn't like.

This was one of the most repetitive books I've ever read. It felt a little bit like the Star Wars movies, repeating the same tropes and events with small changes, like location, or people involved. At first, I was interested because I thought maybe after the first two times getting kidnapped, the writer would do something new and exciting. I kept hoping they would change it up. But, no. Saul continue portraying Sarah, the protagonist, as either kidnapped or running for her life, often times both. I might have been more interested had it not been for the repeating motif. (I'm still not sure if this book is made up of the other Sarah Roberts books, in which case, I withdraw my issue with repeating themes. Still, the writer should do something different with this series.)

I really was not a fan of Sarah as a character. At first, I liked her because she seemed ready to do whatever it took to save people and uphold this idea that she was a hero. She was an intense character, but still likable. And then, fast-forward four years and Sarah is no longer a young girl who readers might actually like. She is brash and a little bit of a jerk. Not only does Saul not show her character development AT ALL, he develops the main protagonist into someone that the reader probably won't like. I understand the aspect of female empowerment and creating a heroine that stands up for herself and take nobodies crap, but she kills (sorta . . . indirectly) someone with the first few pages of this massive transformation. She just SHOOTS someone. The girl introduced in the first part of the book would never have killed someone (kinda) unless absolutely necessary. Even if she didn't mean to kill the guy, there was probably a better way to show that Sarah is not messing around.

There were so many plot holes in this book that I sometimes had trouble following the story. It's one thing if you want to make a big reveal at the end of the book of who the ACTUAL antagonist is, but the whole Jack Tate issue really upsets me. He is introduced as this helpless man. We are given a third-person omniscient POV, seeing into Jake Tate's head and seeing his emotions. It seems obvious that he is a victim. But, somehow he ends up being the mastermind behind the whole sordid human trafficking ring? How is that possible when in another part of the story, he explains how he was shot in the head and doesn't remember things about his past? Who shot him in the head if not the man that he originally claimed? Why connect himself with the man that he is claiming shot him when he is actually that man? I have so many questions and absolutely no answers. This is one of MANY plot holes that this book leaves gaping into it's conclusion.

Time to get to the good stuff, although, it is very hard to follow "I hate the protagonist".

The prose in The Future is Written was mostly fantastic. It was exactly what I would have wanted for a fast-paced thriller such as this. Sometimes, I read thrillers that get bogged down in little details and go so far into detail that it takes away from the intensity of the situation. I did not feel that way about Saul's writing. He left things simplified when necessary and added detail when it called for it. I have trouble with thrillers where it almost seems as if the protagonist is stopping to think about something when they should be running for their lives. Sarah ran for her life and didn't stop to think. It kept me in the moment and allowed my heart to race alongside Sarah's.

Her power and the belief of those around her seemed believable. I can't stand books with supernatural element where the people surrounding the protagonist are just blindly accepting of it as absolute truth. Saul did a great job of building to those she cared about believing her. It took time and a lot of proof, but eventually they just decided to accept what they couldn't understand. It's even more interesting to me that Saul introduced a character that was obsessed with her story and her gifts. I enjoy seeing new tropes fleshed out in such a meaningful way. If this book was a true story, you better believe that Sarah would have a fanbase and some poorly done website on WordPress that talks about the different odd events surrounding her gift. My only real wish for this is that Saul had fleshed out more of the "why" and "how" behind her power, although I know that wasn't the point of the book.

There were so many places Saul could have taken this book, so many ways it could have been made into something more. But all in all, it was moderately enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend it to people who get bored easily of the same repeating story, but if you just want something fast paced and easy to power through, this might be the book for you. This book is fast-paced, with never a dull moment, never a moment when Sarah isn't running for her life. Saul is all-in-all a good writer, but needs to work on story-building and crafting new and unique ideas for his own works.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

[Stephanie Galay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonas Saul weaves a tension filled journey through the States then through time as Sarah Roberts seeks to find vengeance for her sister Vivian's death.

The Future is Written is fabulous. It twists and turns and goes places we don't conciously want to go.

I recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries, thrillers, anything with even a hint of the paranormal.

I look forward to reading the rest of the Sarah Roberts books and Jonas's latest, The Immortal Gene.

[Kait Vargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of the plot, and I liked the three parts to this book. But the characters are so flat, there’s little development in anyone besides Sarah, and even she only becomes better at things related to “the job”. Parts of it were also just too unrealistic for me. I like fast paced, easy to read books but this was almost too fast. I may read other books in the series, but I also may not. It really could go either way.

[Bill Sanwald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good premise, good characters. For me, about 100 pages too long. It got to the point where I thought I was reading the directions on my shampoo bottle... lather, rinse,repeat. I may try another book by Jonas Saul to see what else he has been up to.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a girl named Sarah who receives psychic messages that allow her to save people in need. These messages are very vague, so imagine her surprise when one day she ends up the one kidnapped! The first part of the book leads us through this dilemma, and it only gets better from there (but no spoilers!) I really enjoyed this book. I was a bit confused when I began, and the cover declares it a Sarah Roberts story, so I was worried I was jumping into the wrong part of the story (perhaps a sequel), but I quickly realized otherwise. I didn’t love all the swearing (swearing isn’t really my vibe), but other than that, I don’t know that there’s anything I would have changed.
There was something I really appreciated, though. In part two, it often referred the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints. Their plural wives and the young age at which they marry was pertinent to the story, and I was grateful Saul had done his research and knew to distinguish them as FLDS. I’m sure many of his readers haven’t heard of them and still maybe thought he was just referring to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed Mormons, though we no longer claim that nickname), but he did his part as an author to use the correct name for their group. Thanks for that!

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing style was very quick and choppy which made it very tiresome and repetitive to read. The lack of detail honestly made the book confusing and stiff. Sometimes it felt like the author was trying too hard to be cool with his constant description of reckless driving, gun toting, and bad guy talk.

As for the plot, it held my interest for the first chapter but afterwards the writing style started to irk me. Also, some plot points or character details were mentioned but never brought back up again when it seemed they would be contributing to the overall plot. I had so many interesting theories on what could happen next and all I got was endless car chases. Also, the villains of the story seemed very sloppy for being part of this giant trafficking organization, which made the book feel extra unrealistic and cliche.

The characters are really flat too and reading the conversation between any of them is just painful. The relationship between Parkman and Sarah was so forced and dry. The relationship between Sarah and her sister doesn't make sense either; sometimes dear sister can write a note for Sara, othertimes a whole page despite Sara's constant drivel about how she can only receive small notes.

I couldn't wait to be over and finished with this. Do not recommend.

[Keenan Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are more books already out in the series but I don't think I'll be seeking them out. This book is a collection of the first three in the series. I was interested during after the first book and early into the third but by the time I neared the middle of book three, I was ready to put it down.
Even with the damage inflicted upon Sarah, the book gives a feeling that everything will work out for her. Maybe knowing that there are more books in the series makes it a little anti-climatic and perhaps I would have felt differently about the book if I had read it when it was first published.
Each chapter is a maximum of 3 pages. This made for easy put-down and pickup which I think really helped me finish the book. I could pick up anytime for a little bit and get through a good portion of the story. Overall, meh.

[Meghan B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea that this book had been apart of a whole series until I started reading and saw some people mention this detail in the reviews.. For this book being apart of a series, it definitely acted as a well written stand alone. The author created this book into three parts. By separating the three pieces, it helps clarify certain details and allows the reader to not be confused. I love how the author used a lot of his real life experiences to create this story. The realness of the details and how he explains the history is quite extraordinary. While I do think Sarah and Parkman should be an item, I’ll settle for a close friendship.. Lol.

[Jeff Stathopulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book was inconsistent, story line was good, pace was good but there were too many moving parts. There were too many convenient plot twists to really be a riveting thriller. That's said I enjoyed the story as well as the premise - I'd even read another book if there was one, just might not be first on the list. It felt like it could have used another rewrite with a few if the author's darlings left on the cutting room floor. Less stuff would have made for a more powerful book and an extra star.

[Haley Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book before and decided to give it a try after reading the back. It was incredible! There are three parts in the book which originally were three separate books! It kept me on the edge of my seat! The only thing that I didn’t enjoy about the book was the length, otherwise it is a must read!

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really recommend this book, I really liked it. It really kept me going. Once I started reading I didn't want to stop. It makes your mind rush, its really exciting a a page turner. A really good thriller, although in some parts it is confusing but it gives you that adrenaline rush feeling.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a totally different story than I’ve ever read, yet still believable. It was a bit heavy on the violence that I think could’ve been without, and I wish there was more tie in to her parents and the last twist at the end. Overall, great story.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page turner. The main character really develops during the story and the ending was satisfying if a bit abrupt. I would have like a glimpse of the “after”.

[Anna Kensak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a major page turner for sure!

[Reese Molyneux · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really good book, just wish it would’ve been broken up into multiple books because it was a really long read.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! Quick paced writing, short chapters following events in the story, unnecessary details not included . . .

Will check into other Jonas Saul books.

[Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Cassie McDannel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really good up until part three, then it kind of gets dragged out.