"NECESSARY PEOPLE" shows how ambition can impact upon a friendship between 2 people from vastly different backgrounds. One who was born to immense wealth and privilege who is used to the world revolving around herself and those of her class. And the other who comes from a poor, dysfunctional family in Florida, who is determined to make a successful life for herself in the cutthroat world of broadcast journalism within a cable news network in Manhattan.

This is the second Anna Pitoniak novel it has been my pleasure to read. Her debut novel - The Futures - I read a year ago and absolutely loved it (!) Normally, I don't care for reading contemporary fiction. But Anna Pitoniak really has a knack for crafting phrases that a reader won't soon forget and creating characters who become real in your mind. Her writing style is breezy and engaging. "NECESSARY PEOPLE" makes for ideal summer reading. 

"THE FUTURES" has all the hallmarks that make for a compelling, well-written novel. It has a palpable sense of time and place that is readily relatable to any reader. And characters - both major and minor - who spring immediately to life within the first few pages or chapters. What's more: for anyone who has gone through and/or graduated from college or university and then found him/herself at a loss what to do with their life for 2 or 5 years afterward, this is a novel that will give some added perspective to that earlier time of being.

"THE FUTURES" largely revolves around the lives of Evan Peck and Julia Edwards. (The reader is presented with the experiences - separate and shared - of Evan and then Julia across different chapters. Kudos to the author for being able to so deftly place herself in a man's mind.) Evan hailed from a small town in the interior of Western Canada, where his parents had a small grocery business. It was the kind of town that maintained its own slow, measured rhythms. Its inhabitants tended to have modest ambitions and most never left town after graduating from high school. Evan, on the other hand, was one of the few who dared to believe that he could become a part of the wider world, and thrive therein. Hockey was his passion and through it, he secured a scholarship to Yale University in 2004. There, he made the acquaintance of Julia, who came from a well-to-do family in Boston with connections. (Her father was a high-powered lawyer.) They - both freshmen - began as friends and, gradually, that seemingly easy and comfortable friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship. 

What I loved most about "THE FUTURES" is how skillfully Anna Pitoniak was able to make plain and REAL the lives of both Evan and Julia, and how their relationship developed, flourished, and later fell apart. From Yale to post-graduate life together in a modest, walk-up apartment in Brooklyn in the summer of 2008. I'm not going to say much more than that - except that the immediate impact of the 2008 economic crisis is as much a major factor in influencing the heart of the novel as the characters themselves who strut themselves upon the stage in a city that never sleeps. 

Here are a few quotes to give you a flavor of what makes "THE FUTURES" compelling and self-revelatory:

Julia: "I could close my eyes, and the sounds of the party weren't so different from those in college, but I wasn't tricking myself. The feeling in the air had changed. There was a whole world out there, beyond wherever we were gathered. It didn't matter whether it was a cramped walk-up or a tar rooftop or a weedy backyard strung with lights. How you spent your time was suddenly up to you."

Julia: "I suppose, at the time [September 2008], I didn’t understand how rapidly my feelings toward Evan were evolving. ...We’d fought in college, but those fights always felt specific; firewords that faded into smoke as fast as they arrived. But in New York, in the real world, every annoyance and disagreement felt like a referendum on our relationship. The bitterness started to linger. I was seeing growing evidence of why this was never going to work.” 

Hands down, "THE FUTURES" is THE BEST NOVEL I've had the pleasure of reading so far in 2018.

'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. I am not going to write what the story is about for fear of spoiling for others, but I do highly recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.

The Futures by Anna Pitoniak is the story of Evan and Julia as they tackle “real” life in New York after graduating from Yale University. Set in the 2008 meltdown of the stock market, this book has its highs and lows. I am somewhat torn how I feel. Enough compels me to keep reading to see where this “coming of age” story goes and to say that this is a promising debut novel.

Read my complete review at Memories From Books - The Futures

Reviewed for NetGalley

Not only do Julia and Evan have the usual after college experiences, frustrations and challenges that most people have, they also have their social rankings to deal with. And then it is also 2008. And, Evan decides to become a hedge fund trader. On the cusp of the evil empire, Enron, having cooked all their books. Now, we find out that the banking industry is fixing to tank. And Evan's boss, not learning enough from the evil empire, has decided to do a little cooking of his own and include Evan. Maybe not so much cooking as bribing. However, Evan has no idea. He's in over his head.

This poor couple doesn't stand a chance. Julia has a 9 to 5 job and sits home and waits. She's wondering if Evan is the one for her, did she do the right thing, etc. etc. Evan is at work all the time and even when he isn't at work, he is. He's worried about what's going on, what could happen, did he do the figures right etc., etc.

My review makes it sound tedious, but the author makes it sound a lot better, believe me. This was definitely a great read. It was about relationships, life, even a little thriller momentum going through it, and just growing up. Loved it!

Huge thanks to Little, Brown and Company for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.