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

Summary

     Glory O’Briens History of the Future tells the story of Glory O’Brien who seeks out to follow her mother’s footsteps and become a gifted photographer.  Her mother committed suicide when she was four years old; and leaves Glory wondering if she will be following these footsteps left by her mother.  After graduating from high school there are limitless possibilities for Glory, but unfortunately Glory has none.  Until one night, when Glory and her frenemy Ellie make a concoction using not so ordinary ingredients; which makes able to see he past and the future of those she comes in contact with.  She is able to see that a 2^nd civil war has broken out with a tyrannical new leader that is able to raise an army; and women’s rights having disappeared.  She also plays witness to the disappearance of young girls, who are vanishing on a daily basis and being sold off or being interned in camps.  This future frightens Glory so much, that she decides to write down everything that she sees occurred; to be able to prevent it from occurring.  Though she does not see what the future holds for her personally; she is determined not to have it come to life.  

Commentary on Strengths 

     Glory O’Briens History of the Future is a Young Adult novel by A.S. King. The book is a fantasy fiction novel that deals with magical realism and can also be categorized as being science fiction. The book deals with the subjects of death, friendship and delves into the topics of justice, feminism, and sexuality.   Glory O’Briens History of the Future will make the reader think about how much should one actually be allowed to see into the future, and should she be allowed to change only the negative aspects of her life.  The book was the recipient of the 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. It was also listed on Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Books for 2014 list and was 2014 Andre Norton Award Nominee.  

Readers also enjoyed 100 Sideway Miles by Andrew Smith; How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon, Starbird Murphy and the World Outside by Karen Finneyfrock, Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson, and Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

Additional books written by the author are The Dust of 100 Dogs, Everybody Sees the Ants, Ask the Passengers, I Crawl Through It, and Me and Marvin Gardens.

Teachers can find ideas about how to incorporate this book into their lesson plans by visiting the following website:  http://media.hdp.hbgusa.com/titles/assets/reading_group_guide/9780316222723/EG_9780316222723.pdf

King, A. S. (2015). Glory O'Briens history of the future: a novel. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

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