Review: Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pub Date: October 14th 2014
Pages: 320

Short Sweet Synopsis: Glory is graduating from high school, but unlike her classmates, she has no plans for her future. While hanging out with Ellie, her best friend, they decide to drink a petrified bat (no joke) and they both develop the power to see a persons past, present, and future just by looking them.

I'm sure some of you are rolling your eyes, but A.S. King makes this crazy plot work! Yes, Glory's psychic ability that shows a future less than ideal is a bit of a stretch, but Glory faces plenty of real life issues.  Some of her problems are complex, like worrying that she might have the same flaw that lead to her mother's suicide, Glory also faces more mundane teen problems, such as questioning her friendship with Ellie. As the friends have gotten older, Glory feels like Ellie is too self-absorbed and that their interests no longer align.

If you think these are the only struggles Glory faces, you are mistaken. She is trying to piece her remaining family back together, because things have just been in a weird limbo since her mother's death. If that wasn't enough, Glory is creating the History of the Future to figure out how to avoid the terrible future her new ability has unveiled.

I like that Glory is a quirky character. She isn't super popular and doesn't have a lot of friends, but she isn't a social outcast. She follows her own lead and enjoys viewing the world through her camera's lens than through other's perspectives. This may sound lonely, but Glory is a bit of an introvert and likes to take her time deciphering the world around her.

Maybe this all sounds a bit complicated and bizarre, but that is what makes the book so exciting! It is unlike anything I have read before and I fully appreciate A.S. King's willingness to take risks on writing a completely out there story. If you are looking for a book unlike anything you've read before then Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is a book for you. I would recommend it to fans of Going Bovine by Libba Bray and Every Day by David Levithan.