Mike A. Lancaster

The Future We Left Behind by Mike A Lancaster

TITLE: The Future We Left Behind
SERIES: Point 4 #2
AUTHOR: Mike A Lancaster
PUBLICATION DATE: November 13, 2012
PUBLISHER: Egmont USA
PAGES: 384 pages
FORMAT: E-ARC
SOURCE: NetGalley
RATING: 3 stars

Peter Vincent has lived his life trying to please his father. He takes extra science courses, follows every rule, and doesn’t question authority. But lately, he has spent more time disconnected to the Link than on it and when he meets Alpha, his whole world is thrown off its axis. Suddenly every day things that he doesn’t even think about seem wrong to him and he can’t help but be drawn to Alpha and her secrets.

It’s been a little while since I read a dystopian YA. I’ve been rather disconnected from them because they are so prevalent right now, I just don’t want to run the subject into the ground. It’s a little bit of a different take on the future ****SPOILER****what with aliens implanting software in our human minds and controlling us remotely. Seriously, that is the conclusion it comes to.****END SPOILER**** and I found that interesting and a little off-putting. For once, it’s not about a society that has evolved into a government system so rigid that it controls everything you do, which was exciting, but I’m not entirely sure I really like the spin that was put on it.

The story is well written and suspenseful. I couldn’t help but keep reading to find out what secrets Alpha was hiding, what the deal was with Peter’s parents, and exactly why it told the way it was. The story opens up with futuristic computer programmer running across a bit of code that doesn’t feel write and spends days decoding it until it finally turns out to be Peter’s diary. From this point, the story is told from Peter’s perspective. But at the same time, I just didn’t love it. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and they did seem real to me. I know, it was dystopian and that means things are different, but I should still be able to connect with the characters on some basic level. I felt an instant connection with Katniss when I started The Hunger Games, so don’t tell me that it isn’t possible. Once I found out the main plotline ****SPOILER****AKA, that the aliens were behind all their problems…oh for fuck’s sake it really bugged me.****END SPOILER**** I found most of the rest of the story preposterous. About halfway through the novel, I really just lost interest and found myself web surfing instead of reading. This is never a good sign.

The relationship between Peter and Alpha was lack-luster a best. Though this doesn’t fall into dreaded insta-love territory (thankfully the L word is never is never mentioned between the two), they just don’t click well for me. They have little to nothing in common except past history that neither of them are really aware of and a love for the same fruit soys (aka food in the future). They felt more like Hermione & Harry instead of the Hermione & Ron vibe I feel sure the author was going for. Wow…..I just used a Harry Potter reference…

Anyway, I just didn’t feel the teenage attraction pouring through the pages like I wanted to. Essentially, it had all the right ingredients for a good dystopian, but it just fell flat for me. I think dystopian fans may enjoy it, but it is a coin toss.