The Boy From Tomorrow by Camile DeAngelis

My name is Josie, and I've been using a Ouija board to communicate with a boy named Alec who lives in my house, one hundred years in the future! I found it hard to believe at first, but he's shared information that proves he's real. My mother makes a living by communicating with spirits, but I wouldn't tell her about Alec. She's never been very loving, but her behavior is disturbing. She hit my little sister Cassie, locked her in a closet, and fired our tutor! Somehow, she found out about Alec and has forbidden me from talking to him. She wants to gain power and respect in society by taking credit for his information about the future. I wish I could someday meet Alec and escape this house, but can never be. He's given me ideas, but I am the only one who can save my future. 

I found this book on Net Galley, and I enjoyed how the author slowly developed the conflict and suspense. It started as innocent curiosity between children from different eras but became a more serious tale of a powerful mother's domineering control of her home. The story used alternating chapters to share the events in the lives of Alec and Josie. Josie and Cassie were treated like prisoners, as they were often punished by being confined to their room and denied meals. Alec became obsessed with Josie and her problems and offered all the help he could from his world in 2016. Luckily, he had a friend named Danny to support him in his efforts. Alec's mom chalked up his strange behavior to her impending divorce, but she reluctantly had to accept the reality of the magic between her son and Josie. I normally read more adventurous and mysterious stories, but this one had me totally engaged. Perhaps it's my past experiences in working with young people, but I was very sympathetic to Josie's issues and Alec's attempts to help. The author and characters needed to balance the paradox of using knowledge of the future to affect those same events. It presented an intriguing conflict. Overall, this book was an emotional adventure of young people striving to make the most of their lives.