Every so often I read a book, that just falls flat. There is nothing that stands out as being wrong with it, and when I go through the checklist-- plot, characters, writing quality-- it all check's out, and yet, I'm left feeling like something is missing. The Futures, by Anna Pitoniak, is one of those books.
The Futures is the story of Julia and Evan, two college sweethearts who move to New York City in 2008 to start their lives together. Evan has a high powered job at a hedge fund. Julia flounders a bit finally ending up with an assistant job at an arts-related foundation. But, as many of us will remember 2008 was the start of the global financial crisis and Julia & Evan's own struggles mirror those of the larger world.In fact, there is a lot of struggling in The Futures. There is the struggle as Julia & Evan try to make their relationship work outside of the cocoon of university life. There is Julia's struggle to find her own path after so many years of simply completing assignments. There's Evan's moral struggle as he learns of the misdeeds of the hedge fund he works for. Struggle is written into the very structure of the novel, told in alternating perspectives, as the two characters attempt to describe and make sense of the same events.
And then there is my personal struggle as I attempt to understand why this whole thing just didn't work for me. The plot was believable, although it was easy to see where it was going. The characters are authentic, if a bit dull. The insights ring true, if somewhat cliched. The writing is capable, but not vibrant. I wonder if, perhaps, I am just a little too old for this book. As the characters realize that figuring out what you want may be just as difficult as obtaining it, my reaction was essentially, "yep, old news." Interestingly, the characters did not face the common struggle of earning enough money to survive in NYC. Evan's job casually doled out $20K bonuses and Julia's wealthy family doesn't think twice about supporting her for months as she wanders the city streets enjoying ice cream cones. By eliminating the need to secure the basics of survival the author frees up the characters to struggle with the core questions of who they want to be and how they choose to get there. These are worthy questions, explored by coming of age novels for generations (a fact that Pitoniak alludes to when she has Julia go on a classical literature binge) I just wish this one had offered more.
Have you read The Futures? Do you have a favorite novel about transitioning to adulthood? Let me know!
