The Heavens, by Sandra Newman

Dystopian future, time travel, love story, this is a strange book that jumps between Elizabethan England and various iterations of the modern day. It comes mostly from the point of view of Ben, a young man in modern New York, which is odd as he is largely peripheral to the action. This centres on Kate, a young woman who literally does not live in the real world. They fall in love, but again their romance feels almost secondary to the ‘real’ story. Kate has recurring intense dreams of her life as Emilia, an Elizabethan courtesan, and a compulsion that she as Emilia must take some action to save the world. She begins to wake from her dreams to find her world has changed radically – different president, different customs, products and even parents. Her family, friends and Ben doubt her sanity and as the dream/delusion continues so does she. Seemingly flimsy Kate gradually becomes more of a sympathetic character as what is behind her dilemma becomes clearer. At the same time Ben becomes less sympathetic, even though his frustration is totally relatable. If the book has a message it is to live in the moment, because neither the future nor the past really matter.