Set before and during the financial crash of 2008 in New York The Futures is an astonishing book which I was gobsmacked to discover was a debut novel. Written from two different points of view we watch markets crumble, lives destroyed, relationships struggle and the line between right and wrong become blurred through the eyes of Evan and Julia.

Meeting at Yale Evan and Julia quickly fall in love. Coming from different worlds they are mismatched; he is a Canadian hockey player from a small town whose flight to Yale was his first trip out of Canada and she is the daughter of a successful lawyer whose holidays were spent visiting Europe. He gets a job at a prestigious hedge fund whilst Julia flounders, unemployed and unsure what she wants to be now she is a grown up. The scales are suddenly tipped with Evan, on the surface, the most successful of the two and Julia trailing in his wake. No matter how hard Evan works though he will never quite measure up saying early on:

“My money came like water from a pump, flowing only as long as I kept working. Hers came like a spring whose source was bountiful and deep”

This inequality and fear of not being quite good enough pushes Evan into a dangerous world and shines a spotlight on their differences.

The financial crash is very recent history, I clearly remember the collapse of bank after bank and Anna Pitoniak really brings the fear, uncertainty and unease of that period to life. It reminded me at times of City On Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg which explored New York in the late 1970s when it was verging on bankruptcy. Both books treat New York as a character; its lure, beauty and cruelty seeps out of every page.

I really liked reading from both Evan and Julia’s viewpoints, things are slowly revealed which make things clear and although this isn’t a book of twists and turns I loved how it developed. There are key sections of the novel which differ depending upon whose story it is; the core information is the same but the details are slightly different (much like in the TV Show The Affair) which I absolutely loved – these subtleties meant that my sympathy was constantly being pulled in two different directions. It also helped to ramp up the pressure and increase the sense of impending doom.

The Futures is a novel about many things; love, loyalty, ambition, youth, hope and inequality to name a few. It is a tightly written book; there are no superfluous passages and my attention didn’t wander. It was unputdownable and a real page turner, I loved it.

The Futures by Anna Pitoniak is pitched as the next great romance novel to come from New York. It tells the story of Julia and Evan, young graduates of Yale who meet early and fall in love, moving to New York after graduation to work. This novels tells their story of chasing romantic and dreams of financial success in one of the most exciting cities in the world, at the threat of losing their own identities and their relationship. At the age of 31, maybe I am too old and cynical for such a book, however I highly doubt that a gap of 6 or 7 years should be enough for me to find these characters unrelatable. I found to an extent that I could relate to Evan, however Julia was incredibly difficult to warm to and some of her actions were unjustifiable. I have never stepped foot in New York, but I feel that this novel could have been more representative of the city itself. Another reviewer pointed out that all the characters in the novel, are white and middle-class and in a way that is quite disappointing. In this multi-cultural world, how can a book which is meant to be the next great romance novel, be once again two Anglo-Saxon middle-class people? In conclusion, though an entertaining read, I feel this is not a book that I will read again or recommend to a friend.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Futures - Anna Pitoniak.

A compelling dual narrative following the stories of Evan and Julia as they graduate from Yale and seek their fortune in New York City anticipating a golden future; it is both a love story and a coming of age tale with all the trials and tribulations that brings..

Pitoniak weaves effortlessly through past and present gradually exposing the narrative of Evan and Julia’s relationship. From radically different backgrounds, they fall in love whilst a Yale and set forth to discover the adult world after they graduate but the tables quickly turn. Evan, a small town Canadian boy snags a prime job in finance while Julia, from a privileged background is left behind, bored and floundering in a dead end, poorly paid job. The pressures build. Evan is always busy and Julia is tired and spiritless. As they gradually drift apart the pressures and disasters of the 2008 crash envelop them. We are shown the cut throat world of finance and how fundamentally good people can be drawn unwittingly into corruption. How the wrong word in the wrong ear can bring about devastating consequences.

This is an engrossing read with well rounded, believable characters. Evan and Julia are very human. They have flaws and there are times when we dislike them, when we think, ‘What are you doing?’ “Why don’t you…” but we also feel for them and with them. They are nice people trying to make sense of the world and make a go of life.

Pitoniak’s prose is elegant and at times lyrical. This is a hugely accomplished book for a debut novel. From the first page it grabs you and the skilful plotting and pace never falters.

I received and ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

The description is what initially drew me to read this book, it sounded like an interesting concept and it started well. I liked how it was written from both PoV's. However, after a while it got a bit too repetitive and slightly boring, I found myself skipping over sections, I wasn't really sure where it was heading.

I related to Julia when she talked about what to do after college she had "No idea what I wanted. There was so much out there." But I thought it was too stereotypical with the drinking, partying, and sex as a way to cope with the unhappiness in their lives.

I felt compelled to finish it and persevered to the end. It is well written and I felt the insight into their lives and the emotional turmoil they went through was spot on. I just didn't enjoy it like I thought I would.

Whilst the New York backdrop was written beautifully, and the technical detail of the financial markets was detailed yet accessible - I really struggled to engage or care about either of the main characters, they were just 'there'. I didn't care if they sorted their lives out as I hadn't been captured by the people of the story. Julia was just selfish and Evan blinkered, I did there was a sense of peace towards the end however.

2008 and Yale graduates Julia and Evan have arrived in New York to start the rest of their lives. Dating throughout college they have decided to live together but whilst Evan has already secured a job in a hedge fund, Julia is unemployed and floundering. Evan is a small-town boy from Canada who is loyal and trusting, he finds that he is drawn into a dodgy scheme by his boss. Julia is a privileged child who has never wanted for anything so it is relatively easy for her to get a job in the arts through family connections. As their relationship is tested by Evan's job and Julia's dissatisfaction, the financial crash puts things into perspective.

I found this book easy to like. It is not a challenging read yet there are big issues touched upon. It is not a simple romantic novel yet there is a lot about love and relationships. It is not a polemic on society yet there are poignant metaphors. It is not a thriller yet there is a real pace to the narrative. I found the characters interesting, there was little that I liked about Julia and I felt empathy for Evan but they work as a couple. All in all it is just a really enjoyable debut novel written by an assured writer.

An intricate love story winding around real life issues of morality and the perversity of young person's emotions. The author shows sensitivity in crafting this novel. A good read!

This story is set in New York and is an emotional love story between Evan and Julia. This is a rollercoaster of a story beginning with how Julia and Evan meet and how they start out in life together and the pitfalls of their relationship. They are a complex couple with challenging friends but this is a story of how relationships change, how work gets in the way and how love wins through in the end.

This is a compelling story, beginning with a college relationship and continuing as the couple, Julia and Evan, begin their lives and careers in New York. Evan gets drawn into events beyond his control in his job in finance, whilst Julia is less sure what she should be making of her life. The build up to a car-crash of a climax is very well done. However, I felt a little let down as the book continued - what happens to the couple after that is more predictable and almost chick=lit in treatment - without spoilers it is difficult to explain why. I would still recommend this book.

4☆ A portrayal of Growing up, life and Relationships.

The Futures is a book about Growing up and discovering the ups and downs of work, life and making relationships work.

It is written in Julia and Evans point of views, which some readers find tedious.
I didn't find this too much of a problem ad it was fairly easy to follow the story.

Julia and Evan fall in love whilst studying at Yale. Julia and Evan decide to take the next step and move to New York all be it at the start of a Financial Crisis of 2008!

However life doesn't always go according to plan. So when Evan gets a very good job at a Hedge Fund, Julia is left still pondering what she wants to do with her life, Increasingly feeling shut out and lonely.

Julia is from a privileged upbringing so she finds it easier. She starts work at a non profit charity through her family connections.
But Evan on the other hand is working so hard to help nail a very risky deal and trying to impress he's boss and with the financial crisis looming over he's head he unknowingly shuts Julia out.
Working longer and longer hours. This is not without big risks and potential fall out!

At Yale their lives were simple.
Now in the real world things are tough and they quickly start to drift apart, doing things separately.

So when Julia runs into a friend from Uni she is drawn towards him and the attention she so desperately craves from Evan.
You can see very quickly this is only going to end in disaster!

The reason this book is so good is because the characters are so believable!
Nearly every young adult has asked themselves what they want to do with their lives and got no answer!

Anna cleverly portrays the struggles of the real world and how difficult growing up  and standing on your own two feet actually is. Also maintaining healthy loving relationships. The key being communication and taking time for each other.

I really enjoyed reading Futures.
It was believable but a little predictable at times. Anna created believable characters and real life situations and for this I applaud her. Especially as this is her debut novel.

I would recommend this book to others.
Especially readers who enjoy coming of age books, relationships, general fiction and an interest in financial general fiction.

'The Futures' reminds me of my 17 yr old granddaughter who happens to be in love and coming towards the end of her Course at College. Decisions, decisions!

I enjoyed this novel much more than I thought I would. I am not usually keen on novels that has alternating viewpoints, but must say on this occasion, it was very well done. Highly recommended.

Review has been left on Goodreads and will also be left on Amazon shortly.

I really enjoyed this novel and read it very quickly. If you like Girls you'll really enjoy this: Julia and Evan's relationship reminded me of Marnie and Charlie.

I thought it was extremely up to the minute and relevant, particularly the setting in the financial world. I felt for the characters and the device of telling the story from their separate viewpoints made me empathise with both.

Probably the thing I liked best was the vivid and energetic portrayal of New York. It was almost like a character in the story and if you know the city even a little bit you will really enjoy the author's energetic presentation of it.

An OK read. I struggled to maintain an interest in either the characters or their storyline. I wanted to enjoy it. However, i found myself flicking through it towards the end.
Disappointing.

There were 3 things that caught my interest in this book, one was that it was an author I’d not read. The second reason was that it was set in one of my all-time favourite cities in the world, New York City and third was this in the blurb, “…. this is a love story. But nobody said it ends happily”. That would normally put a lover of romance and happy ever after reads straight off but not me. I was in the mood for something that would shake my reader mind off its axis! Yes, I was intrigued and keen to read more!

I quickly learnt the first half of this book was quickly giving you the background of how Evan and Julia met. Both of them had come from very different backgrounds. Evan had moved from small town in Canada and was seeking more out of life after seeing his family struggle to make ends meet. Julia’s life couldn’t have been more different. She came from an affluent family and wanted for nothing. Evan and Julia were deeply in love throughout their college years and enjoyed the life they had, it was only after graduation their relationship developed cracks.

Their struggles were very relatable and the author did a great job of putting this across to the reader. The circumstances they both found themselves in were real and what made it even more authentic was the story was set around the financial crash of 2008. The dynamic of Evan and Julia’s relationship shifts when Evan gets a chance of a great job while Julia’s career falters somewhat. This is where I disliked her greatly, her woe is me attitude and whining really grated on me. Rather than take control of her life she looked for other people to change it rather than straighten her spine and take responsibility herself.

This novel is told both points of view which really helped me understand their story. Sometimes I lost track of where I was when the author took you back years to a scene which was relevant but it just took me a while to grasp. Other than that, which could be purely a personal opinion, the writing was excellent and for a debut novel fabulous! Also I have to commend the author as she really did her homework when it came to all the financial aspect of the story.

It’s easy for me as the reader so see where their relationship fell down and as they say hindsight is a wonderful thing. They were mistakes on both sides but for me one more than the other. To fully appreciate the story I highly recommend you read it. I thoroughly enjoyed Julia and Evans journey through college and their adult lives and it did make me think back to my own life. The only reason I gave the book 4 stars was because of my continued dislike of Julia and also the ending! Of course I won’t give it away but wow, it really did make me scream!

Julia and Evan, recent Yale graduates, about to embark on adult life together, in a squat New York apartment. Evan has the job of his dreams with hedge fund company,Spire and Julia, well Julia has no job and no idea what she wants to do.
As Evan works long hours and is barely at home, Julia becomes more and more despondent until a chance meeting finds her working for a charitable foundation, a job she will grow to hate.
The cracks slowly begin to appear in Evan and Julia's relationship. When Julia meets fellow ex Yale student Adam, she embarks on an affair that will have enormous repercussions not only for Julia but for Evan as well..
We might think we are adult and grown up when at University, its perhaps our first time away from parents, the first time we can make our own decisions, but there is always a safety net of pastoral care to fall into. Launching into the job market, moving in with your boyfriend, that's when real adult life starts and you finally have to grow up. That's what this novel is primarily about. It conveys what happens when Julia and Evan's imagined expectations do not match reality, when suddenly faced with grown up problems they fail, fall out of love and have to go back to the drawing board and rebuild.
It is a novel told in alternating chapters, depicting both sides of the story, detailing their individual and conflicting emotions. As a reader I often found that I wanted to bang their heads together, make them realise what the other was feeling and sort it out!
The Futures is a novel of place, of how wonderful a city such as New York can be if all is well and how just as we fall out of love with a person we can also fall out of love with a place. Pitoniak was very good at portraying the vastness of New York and its endless possibilities as Julia and Evan arrive, before its charm slowly diminishes and begins to feel small and claustrophobic as their lives fall about.
It may be a little predictable in places but that does not detract from what is a well wriiten and highly enjoyable novel
Thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for a proof copy to read and review.

I really enjoyed this book, it's reminiscent of other great coming of age books. I found the portrayal of Julia and Evan to reflect the trials and tribulations of becoming an adult -- with all the ups and downs that a relationship can bring. I loved the setting in New York and it brought back good memories of times in NYC in my twenties. If you like books about relationships, New York or twenties angst, then you'll enjoy this. 4.5* stars from me, it's right up my street!!

A highly readable and well-observed portrait of Millennial malaise. A touch slow towards the end, but an engaging setting and characters who are lovably flawed and very relatable.

The Futures portrays the transition of a young couple between graduation and going out in the wild world.

Evan comes from a modest background in a small rural community. He is a good Hockey Player and has worked hard to obtain entry in Yale.

Julia, on the other hand comes from a very privileged background. Everything has always come easy to her and most of her decisions are influenced by her "snob" parents.

Evan and Julia meet each other at Yale University and fall in love. They have a fairly stable relationship until they move to New York after graduation. Evan is offered a once in a lifetime job in finance whereas Julia struggles to obtain employment until she is offered a job through mutual acquaintances. It's not ideal and the money is poor but she can always rely on her parents!

Evan is singled out to help with what looks to be a profitable project. He works all hours and the relationship starts to fall apart. Julia starts to feel "abandoned" and when she meets someone from her past, she takes it as a good sign that the future will be brighter! All this is happening during the financial downturn. Evan's project is not as above board as he was led to believe. He comes across some information by accident and starts to worry. He doesn't confide in anyone but Julia who is still looking for something more in her life. Will she ever be happy with her lot?

It wasn’t easy for me to take a liking to Julia. She is selfish, immature and self centered. She also makes one mistake too many when looking for the unattainable. Evan makes his own mistakes but he is loyal. When things come to a head, the betrayal that surfaces results in bitterness.

It's an interesting storyline which reflects the damage of the financial crisis in 2008. I found it to be a little too lengthy in places and the ending is a little abrupt, but satisfactory. An epilogue could have added a better note to the novel. Overall, it's a credible story which shows that the grass is not always greener on the other side and that growing up can be a struggle.

I received a complimentary eARC from the publisher via NetGalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this digital ARC for an honest review.

I just couldn't get on with this book at all. In fact I struggled to finish it. But I think it's just not my kind of book. I just couldn't engage with the characters. So why 3 stars? Simply put the writings great, it's so well structured. This woman can write! And I suspect she'll be a force to be reckoned with in American literature. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Julia and Evan fell in love when they were undergraduates at Yale. After graduation and on the eve of the great financial meltdown of 2008, Julia and Evan move to New York City. Evan gets a job at a hedge fund. Julia has only known a life of privilege and is increasingly feeling left out of Evans secretive life. With banks failing, Evan becomes involved in high stake deals at work.

The chapters alternate between Evan and Juli viewpoint. A tale of love and betrayal. The characters are believable but Julia is not always likeable. Although some of the plot is predictable, it's still a decent debut novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Uk -Michael Joseph and the author Anna Pitoniak for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.