From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is an epic star-crossed romance about a girl who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.
The world Prenna James comes from is in ruins. She and the others who escaped are here to prevent humanity’s destruction. But if they don’t follow The Rules, everything that matters will be gone: Friends. Families. Dreams. Love.
Ethan Jarves can never know Prenna’s secret. That she’s not from another place.
She’s from another time.
"This gripping story is set in a world unlike any other and inhabited by beautifully imagined characters that stay with you long after the last page.” – Sara Shepard, bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars
“An appealing romantic thriller . . . [also] a potent reminder that we inherit the future we buy with our actions today.”—Cassandra Clare for the New York Times Book Review
“Fast-paced, gripping, and romantic.”—Publishers Weekly
“Lightning-paced . . . like a cinematic blockbuster.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The Here and Now could just as easily sit among the time-travel sci-fi, coming-of-age, or romantic thrillers of YA. Honestly, even though I really don't know how to categorize it, I loved it.”—Happily Ever After/USA Today
Initial thoughts: Well, that was a disappointment. You'd think time travel could give rise to more ideas besides playing cards and lustful thoughts, both of which mattered way too much to The Here and Now. I had a great deal of expectations because The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants fills me with such fond memories. I didn't expect to be so severely let down by the same author. The science in this science fiction was rather lacklustre and gave way to a lot of mundane details.
There were some half-hearted discussions on the danger of meddling with the past and the impact of it on the future, as well as how the human immune system might hold up differently across time. Sadly, these concerns faded to the background while the flirtations between Preena and Ethan too centre-stage. On a scale of romantic to creepy, it tipped more towards creepy for me as Ethan, who was fully aware that intimacy with Preena could kill him through unknown diseases didn't care, as long as it meant he could sleep with her. Just, no.
At least the narrator was good. Listening to the audiobook is probably the only reason I managed to finish this one.
