Future Leaders of Nowhere

Fanfiction
Title:	Future Leaders of Nowhere
Author(s):	PenniesDropping
Date(s):	Published May 2016 – ???
Length:	(incomplete)
Genre(s):	High School AU, Rivals to Lovers, femslash
Fandom(s):	The 100
Relationship(s):	Clarke Griffin/Lexa
External Links:
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Future Leaders of Nowhere by PenniesDropping is a Clexa fanfiction that was originally hosted on Archive of Our Own. It is a coming of age High School AU in which Clarke and Lexa are students from rival schools who meet at a leadership camp. The fic was not completed before it was deleted from AO3 so that it could be republished as an original Young Adult novel with the serial numbers filed off. In the commercial version, Clarke and Lexa's names were changed to Finn and Willa respectively.

The original summary from AO3:

Being selected for the Future Leaders camp is the kind of opportunity over-achiever Clarke should relish. But now she's here, forced to lead her unenthusiastic schoolmates through some kind of roleplaying Survivor High School Edition battle for territory and power, she’s not so sure. Especially when she finds herself up against the likes of brilliant but standoffish Lexa.

The published novel was recommended by Teen Vogue and Book Riot; it was followed by a sequel, All the Ways to Here.

Book Dedication

For all the girls who didn't think they could, you can. For all the girls who didn't get the respect you deserved, you should have. For all the girls who just wanted to see girls like them kick butt and fall in love on their screens, you did deserve better. For all the girls who want their story told, let's start by telling them to each other.

Reactions and Reviews

Of the published novel:

[5 stars]

What a wonderful YA novel! In fact one of the better YA books I have read in a while. For me a good YA novel makes you feel. And this book made me feel good. I had a stupid smile on my face for most of this book. This was really well written, and a joy to read.

This book is about a group of students, who go to a camp for future leaders. The camp is broken into groups, by the schools they go to. Each group is broken up into territories, some dictatorships, some democratic. Finn, is the leader of the worse off group. They have no territory and are stuck camping in tents, unlike the other groups. It's all up to Finn to make sure her people can survive. Finn slowly gets to know the leader of an all girls school group, Willa. Willa can come off a bit of an ice queen, but shes smart and sweet and Finn likes her. While their feeling grow stronger, the game starts to get in the way. Can they make it together, or will the will to win, tear them apart?

What I really enjoyed about this book was the first half was in the head-space of Finn, the second part was Willa. I loved seeing the inner most thoughts of both characters. I loved Finn immediately, but wasn't totally sure what to think about Willa. Once we got into Willa's head-space, I loved her character. Her thoughts and feelings about Finn, were just so sweet and genuine.

O'Beirne wrote this masterfully. The characters acted and sounded like teenagers, but the story was written in a way for an adult to enjoy, the perfect balance. The romance was just so sweet. Even though it stayed more in the PG range, it was perfect for this book. You could absolutely feel the connection the characters had.

I can't say much more than to read this. I find it harder to write a review when there is nothing to criticize, and I worry I won't do the book justice. I have been reading some really mediocre books lately, I am so happy this book was the opposite and so wonderful. Now I just have to gobble up as many other books by O'Beirne, that I can get my hands on.

[5 stars]

Ah-freaking-mazing!!! This book is beyond good. There is not a review that will do it justice, I will try, but I promise you it will fall well short of conveying how awesome this book truly is. Emily O'Beirne is a masterful writer, every single one of her books blows me away for so many reasons, dialogue, characters, tension, everything is hands down done to perfection. This book may be her best yet.

Finn is this amazingly grounded teenager. She is inherently good and people can see that from miles away. You know that this young woman is meant for greatness because she is one of those rare people who have character, charisma and above all else she exudes compassion for others. It's a no brainer that she is chosen by her classmates to lead their motley crew for the leadership camp.

The other main character is Willa. Willa is all business all the time. She is serious where Finn is lighthearted. Willa sees school as her chance to succeed in life and provide financially for her family. As a young child, Willa had to grow up too soon after the loss of her mother. Willa helps her elderly grandmother raise her two younger siblings, she works and attends an upper crust all-girls school on scholarship. She takes her responsibilities to heart and carries the load that many her age and older would be unwilling to. She's much older than her seventeen years. Her classmates view her as aloof in social settings but the ultimate competitor when it comes to academics. She's the kid that studies when everyone else is having fun, she has too. Success via her education is the only option she sees for a bright future. Therefore her goal for leadership camp is to win, it's what is expected of her by her competitive classmates as well to herself.

These two mains couldn't be more opposite but they are drawn to each other right from the beginning. Two very strong females, each with different assets but also so very kind and sweet. I think they were drawn to each other by their inherant strengths and they impressed by what they saw in each other. These characters are complex, multi-faceted and O'Beirne delivers them to you so you become 100% invested in their future. Finn and Willa are described so well you feel as though you know them in real life. You want to know them in real life!

The first half of the book is told from the perspective of Finn. We learn of her struggles leading her group of super smart but a tad lazy teens that really don't want to be at the camp. They have drawn the unfortunate wild card and have to play the role of refugees. They have no land, no resources and are totally dependent on other groups for survival in the game. Her friendship with Willa pushes her to be a better leader and to find her voice. I loved that the book then flipped to Willa's point of view. It was fantastic to see the interworkings of her mind and just how smitten she was with Finn. For someone so serious to just have her heart stolen, those moments were amazingly sweet and tender. The little moments between them made a great book, phenomenal. Your heart is stolen right along with them.

I love how Emily O'Beirne includes diverse characters, bisexuality, and world issues all into a romance novel. It's not preachy, or overdone, but she makes the reader stop and think all within the context of an amazing love story. This writer has serious skill! I loved that each of our mains had strength and frailty. They made each other better, they made others be better. Willa and Finn were awesome characters. I hated to see this book come to its end, and let me tell you when I found out there will be a sequel, there could have been some fist-pumping happy dance moves.

5 Hypergiant Stars!!! So far the best book of 2017. A hard one to top.

[4 stars]

I need to mention right off that I'm not a big fan of YA. Which is why I've avoided Ms. O'beirne's works for so long. But I couldn't help wondering if I was missing out on some outstanding writing, as all of my goodreads friends seem to love her to bits.

Future Leaders of Nowhere is all about a summer camp for select teen over-achievers who've been chosen based on something they excelled in. They take part in a game where teams pretend to be "tribes" jockeying for territory, resources and ultimately survival.

The author writes very refreshing teen voices that feel really authentic. The characters that pepper this book are a pretty diverse bunch, with the leads Finn and Willa coming from hugely different backgrounds and temperaments. Both are natural leaders, very creative, intellectually well-matched. But also ultra competitive and headstrong. Which is all well and good for leading their respective teams to victory, but may not work so well for their budding relationship.

Even if I'm not particularly into YA plots and teen concerns, I liked how the author made these two characters relatable even to adult readers. They have such distinct voices that echo both a youthful exuberance and innocence, as well as discipline, grit and maturity beyond their years. I liked how the author used little family subplots to really flesh out her main characters, showing us another side of them away from the competitive camp atmosphere. But what I liked the most is the author's prose. It's evocative and rich in details yet clear and unambiguous. A pleasure to read.

Why not 5 stars? I found the summer camp game plot to be less than absorbing in the first half (Paused the book to dive into, coincidentally, another YA read, G. Benson's Pieces, something I rarely ever do), When I got back into Future Leaders, things picked up for me when the book switched to Willa’s POV. Not only because I liked Willa and her story better, but because the stakes in the game were much higher then. Both the plot (loved the resolution) and the writing drew me in completely in the second half.

Young adults and people who love YA shouldn't hesitate to pick this up. The story is uplifting, and characters are easy to fall in love with and the writing is just lovely. This looks like the start of a series and though it's unlikely, I'd like to see these two as adults. I can hope, can't I? ;)

4.3 stars

[4 stars]

Well well well .... wasn't that a freakingly adorable story.

Yes, I felt like starting my review with three 'wells', so what ?

#1 F I N N
Headstrong Finn, sweet summer child Finn, loyal Finn, kind-hearted Finn ... yes I liked her, I think you understood that.
She was an extremely interesting character, someone I could easily relate to, because even though she's at a camp for 'future leaders' she doesn't forget who she is just to win this game, she stays true to herself. And also remind other people what being a human being really means.

#2 W I L L A
Let's say hi to our favourite biracial Willa, who has to take care of her two siblings and her Gran, but also finds the time to earn a scholarship and have a part-time job. Let's have a round of applause for her, she deserves it.
I loved how she wasn't 100% good, she made a lot of mistakes, but she learned from them and she listened to what people had to say. She's not a perfect leader, but she's still a great one.

#3 F I N N & W I L L A
They were so cute.
I have to admit at first I didn't know if they were really meant for each other, I had my doubts, because they're extremely different.... but somehow they worked well together.
They had their share of fights, true, but as I said before, they weren't afraid to ask themselves what they did wrong and do better after it.
I also found this relationship quite healthy : Finn helps Willa see she can't do everything on her own and that being a leader doesn't mean doing what's easy but what is right; Willa shows Finn that she is a force of the nature and shouldn't apologize for that.

#4 B O N U S I need to talk about a few things before I'm done with my review:
• Bisexuality. See, I was afraid Finn wouldn't use this word, but she totally did, she totally assumed who she is out loud and I could be prouder.
Finn sighs. "Listen, I'm perfectly happy to help you out with difficult concepts. Like that time that I explained anaerobic respiration to you, but I do not have the time or the energy to explain really basic stuff. Especially when the meaning is in the actual word. Bisexuality. Hear that? Bi."
• Anti slut-shaming. Okay it was only a few lines, but it was there, and it's important to stand against slut-shaming.
Amy frowns. "Don't you feel super creepy using your sexuality to get stuff?"
Amira's eyes flash. "I don't know, don't you feel super judge-y thinking you're better than me because of it? I bet you’re a slut-shamer too."
• Caring. People usually forget to care about each other. They think someone else will do it for them. But the truth is : it doesn't work like that.
"Dad says there are bigger things to worry about than wether there's an invisible entity in the sky."
"Like what?"
"Like equality. Like ending violence. Like making sure all lives matter. He says his religion is giving a crap, because the worse thing people can do is not care."
• Misogyny. It was a recurring theme in this book, and I absolutely loved how well and subtle it was done.
"You know what’s worse than a guy excusing male piggery ? It's a guy telling a woman to chill for being pissed about it !"

4.25

[5 stars]

I find it a little easier to write reviews when there are things I dislike about a book that I want to criticize, and this book is not one of those cases, so this one is just going to be a lot of compliments. I think the keyword for this review might be "naturally" because it just describes everything I loved about this book, and why she's such a good writer: nothing feels forced, rushed or unrealistic. It is the kind of YA book that you can recommend to people who strongly dislike YA; I can't imagine how much someone would have to hate the genre in order not to like this at least a little.

First off: diversity. Emily O'Beirne incorporates it so casually, this is a prime example of how writers can include people of color and it doesn't need to be big deal in the story, because shockingly, non-white people can just exist. Only on Finn's team, we've got a Chinese boy, two hijabis and a boy whose dad is Tongan. (Okay, the hijabis could still be white, but you know. They need representation too.) Willa is half-Indian, and there aren't as many details about her team, but the girls' names (Amira, Maria) don't sound very white either. And that's important, too, because the game they play at camp is all about politics and international relationships, and they can each offer their unique perspectives.

The camp is supposedly for "future leaders", which is the case for the main characters Finn and Willa, but they quickly figure out that some kids were only chosen because they do exceptionally well on some subjects, even if they have no leadership skills whatsoever. (Now that I think about it, that camp would've been hell if all the kids really were "control freaks".) Willa is from a fancy all-girls school and her teammates seem to have a lot more in common with each other than what could be said about Finn's team, where we get a variety of high school types: a sarcastic little shit with a heart of gold, cute best friends who are glued at the hip, a former boy scout who's clearly enjoying the camp experience, a really chill guy who just misses his videogames, and a typical jock. The first half of the book is told from Finn's point of view, and we get to know the others along with her, through conversations and activities, just as naturally as the author does everything else, no exposition needed.

Finn and Willa are both skilled leaders, but they're considered mature for their age for different reasons. For Finn, it's just who she is — "Finn's mum always says that Finn put her out of a job by raising herself." She's even confused by it sometimes because she's never known any other way to be, as ingrained as it is in her personality. Willa, however, was dealt a hand that forced her to grow up too soon. I'm not going to spoil her story but I'll just say that she has to be who she is in order to carry the responsibility she's got on her shoulders. Because of all that responsibility, she can often take things too seriously in the camp, which is the first impression Finn has of her.

Both characters are seriously amazing, with the kind of complex, interesting personalities that you don't always find in YA when the authors don't focus enough on developing them. I was a little wary of the switch from Finn's point of view to Willa's halfway through, but in the end, I was glad that it happened and it allowed the reader to get to know Willa fully, through her own thoughts rather than just Finn's. (view spoiler)

Amazing characters plus amazing writing could only equal in amazing romance, so their relationship is incredibly sweet. It starts naturally — here I come with that word again — which is something that I always love. I'm not the biggest fan of when characters meet and instantly feel strongly about each other. Finn has a lot on her plate, and when things with Willa start to go beyond friendship, she takes her time to figure out her feelings. And not because Willa is a girl; her sexuality is the least of her problems. Then, as soon as things get serious between them, it switches to Willa's perspective, and so we get to read all about her being super smitten, which was ridiculously adorable. She's so amazed by what even the simplest of gestures from Finn can make her feel. I always say this after reading good YA books but teenage love is seriously good for the soul.

Last but not least, the plot is pretty great too. It was what caught my attention the most in the 35-page preview that the writer released, and I loved to read about the game and how all the kids handled it. Especially Finn in her struggle with wanting to play the game properly while some teammates just wanted to do anything to get back into cabins. It was nice to see them all work together and bring their knowledge to the table to help out in whatever ways they could.

Emily O'Beirne really is a wonderful writer, and it sucks that this book hasn't even come out yet because I'm already waiting for the sequel.

Fanworks

Of the published novel:

• Moodboard by hardfeelingsmp3
• Moodboard by alyssafarshot
• Moodboard #1 by celiastjames
• Moodboard #2 by celiastjames