When a time-traveling shape-shifter named The Reminder crashes the final seconds of a high school basketball game in Dubai, teen protagonist Leyth Sharaf and his teammate Ellie are yanked into a swirling portal and into a future that's unraveling fast. Each dystopian destination they land in reveals the terrifying consequence of humanity failing to act. From starvation in Lagos to illiteracy in Helsinki and energy blackouts in Beijing, Leyth and Ellie witness seventeen disasters, each linked to one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Armed with sharp wit, big ideas, and zero formal authority, the teens time-jump back to 2025, racing to rewrite each future. Their solutions are bold and often hilarious: viral social media campaigns that make education trendy again, pancake-flinging protests to stop water exploitation in Toronto, and junk food taste tests that turn teenagers into healthy snack evangelists.
In each mission, they confront inequality, greed, waste, and apathy, but also uncover surprising allies: community leaders, forgotten teachers, underutilized buildings, and their own creative instincts. Along the way, they're reminded that progress isn't about saving the world alone, it's about reminding people of the power they already have.
A fast-paced, funny, and deeply relevant adventure, Seventeen Missions to Save the World makes global challenges human and shows that change starts with awareness, action, and a little bit of chaos. Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Back to the Future, this story inspires Gen Z readers to think globally, act locally, and never underestimate the ripple effects of a good idea at the right time.
