"The Future of Us" Theme Reading Response

In the book "The Future of Us" by Jay Asher and Caroline Mackler there are a few themes. One of the themes is that you can't change what's meant to happen. In the book the two best friends, Josh and Emma discover Facebook on a CD-ROM in 1996, before Facebook was even invented and they can see their futures 15 years into the future. Josh and Emma have been friends forever but grew apart after Josh developed feelings for Emma. Facebook brings them closer together but when they see their lives, which may or may not be what they want, they tweak things in the present, causing "ripples" in time. They don't know how big the changes may be but let's just say every time they click back things have changed. I think one example that shows that you can't change what's meant to happen is a theme in the book is when Emma try's to change little things it effects her future. Another example is when Emma and Josh get into a fight and it changes their friendship for life. These are examples why the theme in the book is that you can't change what's meant to happen.

 
        One example in the book that shows that you can't change what's meant to happen is when Emma try's to change things in the present, it effects her future. You see this in the book in many ways. One example in the book that shows this is that when she rips up the picture from GoodTimez pizza with her friends, she does it because she's mad and she knows she puts it on Facebook, so then in the future you can see that there's lines where she taped it back up. Although this is small you later see that it happened in the past. This is one example of how you can't change what's meant to happen. Another example that shows how things that Emma changes in life affects her future is calling Jordan Jones Jr. Jordan was meant to be her husband but when she reads that she isn't happy as his wife she figures out a way to stop from marrying him. She calls him from present day and pretends that they talked at a party then she crosses Tampa State-where he attends and they meet-off of her college list. Not only did Emma affect her future love life, kids, possible job from college education and future home town but she may have just changed it to someone bad, luckily she did not that time but you can see how it affected the future and yet she kept meddling, she changes her home, her husband twice more and her kids. This shows how the present effects the future and how you can't change what's meant to happen.

 
Another thing that shows how the theme of the book is that you can't change what's meant to happen is when Josh and Emma get into a fight. When Emma try's to show Josh how things in the present cause ripples in their future, it turns it into a stupid and dangerous game Josh gets angry and tells yew to stop. Then she keeps going and goes further. Josh just sits there telling her she's making a mistake until she goes one step too far and kisses Josh. Josh gets angry as a year before he kissed her and she stormed away making things awkward for a long time. He says some very offensive things to Emma and she gets angry, but tries to claim that she likes him. Josh doesn't believe her but actually changes his own future by dating his future wife. This makes Emma jealous and they get into a fight. When Emma checks Facebook and looks under her friends she sees no Josh. She then notices that if she doesn't apologize then they may never be friends again and although she knows this it takes her a long time to find the guts to actually apologize, Josh wants to do the same. This argument shows that you can't change what's meant to happen. 

 
This shows why and how the theme in "The Future of Us" by Jay Asher and Caroline Mackler is that you can't change what's meant to happen. Josh and Emma explain this well as they meddle with their future and end up regretting it and not really knowing what will end up happening. Examples of this are, that changing things in the present will affect the future, and Emma and Josh's fight that causes them not to be friends in the future, until they apologize. This is why I think the theme if this interesting book is that you can't change what's meant to happen.