Book Review: Future Proof by David Atkinson

What would you do if you could go back in time and change your life? Which regrets and mistakes would you fix? What would your life look like now?

In Future Proof an experimental medical treatment goes wrong which allows Sam Harris to do exactly that. He starts by standing up to the kids who bullied him at school and then sets about trying to fix the mess he made of the rest of his life. However, as he discovers, changing his past doesn’t always guarantee a brighter future.

GENRE: Sci-fi/Time Travel Drama

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Atkinson is an Edinburgh based writer. His first Romantic Comedy Love Byte (published by Buried River Press) was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelist Association award. The follow up book SQUEEZED was well received as was The Second Live of Nathan Jones, published by One More Chapter, an imprint of Harper Collins.

Future Proof has been well received so far and has already won the Page Turner Genre award (December 2022) and promises to be something a little different.

Review

I love time travel stuff of practically every variety, so I might be a little biased as I knew going in that I was going to enjoy this. And I did! It's more in the vein of The Time Traveler's Wife than all the other types though, which means if you're here for the science aspect, you might be disappointed.

I can't imagine how trippy it would've been to be in Sam's shoes. Imagine waking up and your life has changed, and again, and again, and worse, no one realizes what or how much has changed — then one day you're suddenly locked in a particular life that's not what you wanted? The author conveys all that confusion, panic, fear and doubt very well; Sam's voice is strong and compelling, even when he's in the body of his five-year-old self.

The story is a fascinating look at life and love, made especially more memorable by the accompanying original songs! Even I paused to think about my own choices and "trauma" and wondered how my life could've changed if those points in my life went differently.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Future Proof: The Album

Did you know that the book is accompanied by an all-original album? Each song has been specifically written to correspond to a key point in the book, which the author hopes will enhance the overall reading experience. As a music lover and someone who also composed songs for my books, I really enjoyed this addition!

My only comment is that, while I could guess the moments/key points, it would've been nice to get some signs in the book itself. Like maybe a "listen to [SONG] now" or something like that? Some lyrics under the chapter title, to hint that it's time to listen to the song/s? I read the paperback so I'm not sure if there are any in the ebook versions. Not a deal breaker though, just thinking it would be cooler 🥰

About Your Paper Quest

Your Paper Quest is a US & UK based book-of-the-month subscription box that exclusively features books from self-published and independent authors. Each box is curated with a changing theme, offering a wide variety of genres and stories.

Check out their subscription plan and their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

---

Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan

If you fancy a short read, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼

All things end, and all must die.

But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.