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

King, A. (2014). Glory o'brien's history of the future. Little Brown and Company. New York; Boston.

Glory is graduating high school but hasn't any idea of what the future holds for her.  Her mother committed suicide when she was just four and this event has her thinking about lots of things including the meaning of life in general. One day she and her friend Ellie decide to make a drink from dead bat remains and beer and suddenly have the power to see a person's past and future. She has an ability to see the world and its disturbing future which includes a  civil war, a cruel new leader, and the disappearance of women's rights and safety.  She attempts to write down all that she sees in order to make a difference in a future world.

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is considered to be a specific kind of fantastic fiction called Magical Realism which contains magical elements in an otherwise realistic world.  In this story the magical element is Glory's ability to see the world's future through the sudden power she receives after drinking bat remains and beer together...who knew?  The story also has elements of dystopian literature when describing the government of the future.  This book has powerful themes about women's rights and although Glory is a teenager, her points of view are not stereotypical of one. It is a book that combines many serious issues both personal and worldly with a lot of entertainment value.