This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs 
 I'm a time travel/parallel life reading junkie. I seriously can't get enough of them. So when Karen Akins (author of Loop and Twist, both time travel books) told to read Future Shock I listened. I wasn't really sure what to expect since I hadn't heard of the book before she mentioned it. I went in blind in a way and I liked that. What I got in the end was a pretty good character driven story that made you wonder if the future is set or if you really can make a change that will change your destiny. 
 Future Shock is about Elena, a rough 17 year old Foster kid with an indescribable memory that has been through the ringer. Scared to turn 18 and be aged out of the system Elena is trying to set up be future so she can go to college. When an advanced technology company comes knocking on her door with an offer to sign-up for an experiment and they will pay her a lot of money. With few options available to her Elena agrees only to find out she will be traveling 10 years into the future with 4 others. When things don't go as planned and they are sent 30 years into the future and not 10 she must figure out who to trust and if the future she learns she does have is changeable. 
 Action 
 I really liked the plot/action of Future Shock. Was it perfect? No. But it was quick and fast paced so I was never bored with the story. I liked how the time travel wasn't complicated so I didn't have to keep tying to figure out how it would all work. It all just clicked and made sense for me. There were definite parts that I felt weren't really handled well and that we're a little too convenient to work out, but the story was enjoyable so I didn't let that bug me. What I really liked was the thoughts the plot gave you. While reading you can't help but wonder if your future is determined no matter what you do or if you can actually change it. 
 Backdrop 
 The setting was pretty cool. It wasn't flying cars and hover-boards, but it was modern LA with some twists. That right there made the story more believable. I wasn't sitting there the whole time thinking there is no way that would exist or this would exist. Okay, so there were some things that were more wishful thinking but you know what that was okay with me because why not dream. It was cool though to get to travel to familiar settings and places and for it not to be completely taken over by technology. It made it comforting. 
 Characters 
 By far my favorite part of Future Shock was the characters. To be honest I didn't like them in the beginning. I felt like they were all over the top and unrealistic. But as the book progressed and I got to know them my feelings started to change which is actually what happened to the characters too. As they got to know each other they found things they liked and respected about one another. Elena really grew on me. She had a hard life and was trying to live it the best she could. She just wanted to go to college so she could help people like her and I started to love that about her. She did seem a little older than her 17 years but as you got to know more of her story you understood why. She had been through a lot. I also really loved Adam in his geeky, nerdy way, and I loved Chris as we got to know more about him. The characters became the best part for me in the end. 
 Final Thoughts 
 All in all I enjoyed Future Shock and it gave me the time travel fix I crave. I thought it was well done even with the parts that left a little to be desired. It wasn't perfect but it all worked and I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend it when all is said and done.