There was a lot in this book that I truly loved. The premise felt so original, and the hopefulness and tone to the story were contagious.

I just kept waiting for something more; a hook, or a storyline that I fully connected with, but in the end the story fell short for me.

Kellner is an impressive author though and I'd definitely read something else by the author.

I absolutely loved the cover of this book and was really intrigued by the premise! I have had it on my nightstand for some time and really have struggled to get into it. I have really struggled to connect with any of the characters which is always really important to me. Unfortunately it's going to be a DNF for now. I hope to try again at some point as I find sometimes its just not the right time for a book and you end up loving it later on!

The premisse caught my attention immediatly - and lets be honest, as did the cover.
But sadly, this fell a bit short for me. I had wished to love this but found myself not wanting to pick it back up.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

One quiet afternoon in 2037, Joyce Denzell hears a thud in her family’s home library and finds a book lying in the middle of the room, seemingly waiting for her―a book whose copyright page says it was published in the year 2200. Over the next twenty-four hours, each of the Denzell family members discovers and reads from this mystical history book from the future, nudged along by their cat, Plato. This was such a unique premise for a book and I was really hoping it was great. It was an okay read but didn't meet my expectations. I did really enjoy Grandmother's stories.

The description of this made me think I'll love it, and it just took FOREVER for me to finish this book - I really didn't want to leave it at DNF.

The book was generally fine, but really hard to connect with and draw me in - again, it took me months to finish a book that at its core should have been just a fun interesting read.

fun read! just was missing the interesting hook to keep me interested at all time.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an early review.

A family from 2037 finds a mysterious book that has been published more than 150 years in the future. Over the course of a day the family members read stories about what-could-be from this book.

A story within a story is not one of my favourite tropes but I went along, because the book was hailed as science fiction, not fantasy. Alas, it's more speculative fiction, to be more precise eco-fiction, than science fiction; but it is set in the future.

The stories within the mysterious book were good on their own and I think the book could have done without the stilted conversations of the framing story.

Due to the third person POV narration it was hard to connect to any of the characters. They felt very two-dimensional and often the reader is being told about their feelings rather than shown. I really liked the cat, though.

This is very much a book within a book as it demonstrates various members of a family reading a book which mysteriously appears, and therefore, we also get to read the book verbatim alongside them.

The premise of the book is an interesting one, and I was keen to read it. The idea of a book from the future which explains how the world will progress is an exciting concept. When the book, The History of the World To the Best of Our Knowledge, Researched and Compiled for the Hall of Records by The World Council Committee for Remembrance Published 2220, appears to Joyce from nowhere she, of course, wants to read it.

What I did not quite understand was why the whole family, who find the book at various points, are so reluctant to share it with one another. Perhaps, I just missed the point with that aspect.

However, the actual book, Hope, felt like it was two very different books. The contents of the mysterious book flowed really well and were pleasing to read. Interestingly, the parts with the family felt more stilted, as though they were included solely as a vehicle for portraying the book from the future, but this is more of an observation than a criticism. I almost felt the author would have presented a better book if she had just told the story of the futuristic book.

This was SO bizarre, in the best way. I'm admittedly not a cat person, but I found myself wishing to live in the world Kellner built here.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Parts of this book were filled with hope, both of the feline variety and for the future. Cats play an important role in the tales. They act as a guide to the humans both in the dystopian future described in the story and in getting the modern family to read the book. They play pivotal roles. And the humans are going to need every bit of help they can get.

It tells the worst case scenario of climate change where humans destroy the planet. Much of the land is ruined, that is what has not been consumed by the oceans and other bodies of water. Most of the population dies off and the few survivors have almost insurmountable challenges they must face before civilization can reform in a new and improved form. The Bill of Rights and Responsibilities sets out a world that would be the dream of many where peace, equality and justice were available to all. It is a euphoric vision that follows the depths of despair.
It can be a bit preachy but the author has a clear agenda that the reader must accept in order to get through the book.

But some of the storytelling by the Grandmother is beautiful. With Hope, the kitty, she and her new family, create their own world and do more than survive. It is an uplifting oasis in a sea of gloom. I was not sure I was going to finish the book but I am glad that I did. Three purrs and one paw up.

I must say I requested for this based off the cat on the cover and I was also intrigued by the blurb of the past and future.

This story follows a family in the present day year of 2037 who mysteriously found a book published in 2200. They take turns reading from the book, A History of the Future. What unfolds in this future book is the story of survivors who are navigating a changed world due to climate change. There is also mysterious cat who is constantly looming around the family.

Kellner has a wonderful way of weaving a lesson in our treatment of our earth. She touched on the issue of the harsh reality of climate change and the impact it has on our future. I love how she used science and history to support her story which makes it more realistic and believable. However, I feel so disconnected from the present family. I don't feel like they added any depth to the story in the book and they also didn't make any attempt to do anything about what they learnt.

Overall, it is still an enjoyable read for me. Thank you to NetGalley and SparkPress for the arc.

When an unassuming family stumbles across a strange book in their library, a world of possibility and hope opens up.

This was such a unique story. The kind that is fiction, but you hope one day might be real. The world deamt up by Kellner is ideal, and such a co trast to our current state.

This book certainly has a lot of important messages and made an impact.

What a wonderfully unique story! I wanted to curl up with the mysterious purple book too and Plato sounds wonderful. Certainly food for thought... Will recommend to my readers who will enjoy this tale!

Interesting story posing the question “If you had the chance to know what’ll happen in the future, would you?”

The Denzell family is presented with this exact opportunity when a mysterious book appears in their library. We follow each family member as they read the stories of Little Bird/Grandmother, Le, Mia, Gabe and Ruth.

I liked the format of Hope, A History of the Future - we’re reading along with the Denzell family. This gives you time to mull over what’s learned about the future by each family member. These interludes give you time to reflect and think, which I enjoyed. It also creates a feeling of “Keep going, I want to know more” which gave the book a nice pace.

I enjoyed the stories of Little Bird, Ruth, Gabe and Mia in the future. They all suffered hardships and loss but didn’t let this ruin them. I think the title of the book is extremely apt: Hope, as that’s the feeling you get as you read the story. The world has been destroyed but there’s always a glimmer of hope.

I found Grandmother and Le’s story (another story from the future) bittersweet. On the one hand, sharing knowledge of the past is the best way to avoid repeating a disaster. But knowing why Grandmother is sharing the story of her life with Le and others in their community acknowledges what’s about to happen.

I wouldn’t call this book a call to action, but it does pose some interesting questions as you read. It’s a reminder of what could happen to our world if we don’t look after it.

All in all, an interesting and thought-provoking story.

Based in precedent and scientific prediction, this book gives a fictional taste of what our world could become, due to the current projections of our political and environmental climates.

Despite having high hopes for this book, I found it a little wanting. The worldbuilding is well-explored and it feels realistic to the point that I never questioned that that was what the future would turn into if The History of the Future didn't show up in the middle of Joyce's library floor, yet it was hard to sink into this book as a story. The sequence of the 'future' stories made narrative sense, but for me it felt too disconnected to the present day timeline with Joyce's family. With each aspect of the book being told from a different member of the family it was hard to get to know each character individually, which made them fall flat and underdeveloped. While the prose of the characters from the future seems almost objective as it lays out how the world as we (the reader) know it is destroyed, the present-day characters' reactions to such 'facts' preaches to the reader without much room for sophistication or subtlety. In its entirety, this book made me think a lot about the future and how it could be possible to change our course, but it won't be one that I will read again.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC!

Hope, a History of the Future is unlike anything I've ever read before (alright, if pressed, I might liken it to Lois Lowry's The Giver and/or Matt Haig's The Midnight Library).

This book has an incredibly intriguing premise - a history book, published in the future, detailing a past that has yet to unfold... Climate change and the dangers of inaction add a haunting sense of foreboding realism.

I was drawn in by the premise and I appreciated the author's poetic writing style throughout the work. However, I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I believe it has a lot of value but, in order to fully appreciate every detail, this book must be studied, not just read. For this reason, I think it could be a worthy addition to school curricula.

An interesting read. 3 Stars.

The goal of this book is telling a story about what could happend due to climate crisis. I admire and share the goal and loved the start of this story.
Pluto was a favorite of mine and I love story about libraries and books.
Unfortunately the story became too confusing and didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was originally attracted to this book because of the enchanting cover with the gorgeous black cat. I absolutely love cats, science fiction, and mysteries!

Upon reading this story, I was left with mixed emotions. At times I felt a heavy sadness due to the calamities that befall the earth and the people of the future. Yet I still found the descriptive imagery during the later stories of hope to be beautifully written.

One of my favorite parts of the novel was the development of the characters from the story that was being read. I enjoyed discovering how their lives were all connected with one another as their stories unfolded. Unfortunately, I did wish that the present-day characters were more dimensional. The animals-especially the cat-were my favorite!

On a side note, the drawings were also fantastic! I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed them!

While I don’t necessarily agree with the philosophy depicted in this story concerning the future course of our planet and how to correct it, I did appreciate the care and thought that was obviously put into its development. It is a very well-written novel. It is the type of story that I found myself reflecting on long after finishing it. For me, it was a reminder to be grateful for all I have been blessed with and to not take it for granted.

Thank-you to NetGalley and SparkPress for the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC of this novel. The views and opinions expressed in this review are my own.