So Yesterday

by Scott Westerfeld

So Yesterday

published

February 2006 (first published 2004) by Listening Library

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binding

Audio Cassette

isbn

0307284573 (isbn13: 9780307284570)

description

Ever wonder who was the first kid to keep a wallet on a big chunky chain, or wear way-too-big-pants on purpose? What about the mythical first guy who ...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1179)

All ratings | 5 stars (194) | 4 stars (267) | 3 stars (262) | 2 stars (74) | 1 star (22) | avg 3.66

all | this edition

Jackie "the Librarian"

Jackie "the Librarian" rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

08/27/08

bookshelves: mysteries, youngadult

Read in January, 2004

My first thought on reading this was: this is a novelization of The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, with cool teen characters, and an over-the-top mystery involving super cool shoes and purple-dye sabotage!
Hunter is on the hunt for coolness and innovations, so when he sees Jen, with her skater style and her shoelaces woven in a way he's never seen before, he knows he's got an Innovator in his sites.
Hunter works for an agency that advises advertisers and companies on trends, recogn...more

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Mason

Mason rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

06/15/08

bookshelves: favorite-books

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: Everyone

This is my favorite book of all time. Seventeen year old Hunter Braque works for a company in New York that specializes in 'cool tasting'. They watch advertisements for shoe companies and decide if it's cool or not.

He meets a girl named Jen, an Innovator (explained in the book), and she has some pretty cool lace designs on her shoes. He brings her to the tasting, and she speaks up on the commercial.

His boss, Mandy, and everyone else liked what she said. Mandy calls Hunter to schedule a m...more

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Jenn

Jenn rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

02/19/08

bookshelves: read-in-2008, young-adult

Read in February, 2008

This is one of Westerfeld's earlier YA novels. That shows in the writing. So Yesterday lacks the fast pace, engaging characters and tight plot typical of the author's later YA books.

The too aptly named Hunter, is a self-professed "cool hunter", someone who seeks out the latest trends before they're trends. Hunter is employed by large coporations to pass on his finds and take part in focus groups so that those expensive marketing campaigns that keep the mega-corporations afloat don...more

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Trin

Trin rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

06/04/07

bookshelves: fiction

Read in February, 2007

Huh. This book has almost exactly the same plot as PopCo, which is odd, because I didn’t pick up either book because I was interested in the subject—secret societies banding together to sabotage large corporations and dilute the evil brainwashing of marketing campaigns—I was curious about the authors. Anyway, So Yesterday focuses on teenagers in New York as opposed to twentysomethin...more

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TheSaint

TheSaint rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

10/20/08

Read in January, 2006

Ever wonder how trends get started? Who was the first person to wear a short skirt with Ugg boots? (Well, actually, it was me a long time ago. Who were the people who copied her? (Paris Hilton) What is cool, and who decides?
So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld is a novel that attempts to answer these questions, while following the main characters on a thriller of a journey through the New York fashion and advertising worlds.
Sure the story is a page-turner, but what you will walk away wit...more

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Kelly

Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

11/07/08

Read in October, 2008

You probably don't know how new trends begin, but it's Hunter's job to spot cool ideas and turn them into the latest trends. That's how he meets Jen, an innovative girl Hunter meets on the street. After Hunter and Jen crash a "cool tasting" where they give their input on corporate commercials targeting teens, Jen comes up with an idea that Hunter's boss Mandy likes so much that she offers them an even better gig. When Hunter and Jen arrive for their first meeting with Mandy, she's disa...more

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Jessica

Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

11/13/08

Read in March, 2008

recommended to Jessica by: No one I saw it at a book fair and recognized the author.
recommends it for: Girls and guys alike who want a little taste of a guess of futuristic life...of teens.

I love reading books by an author that already writes a fabulous book that I have read. Like Twilight and The Host, all of Jane Austen's books and Uglies and So Yesterday both by Scott Westerfeld. This book is really something, it tells about the true roughness of the inner city teen life. One thing I ddin't like about this book was the way that it went so slow and then really fast so it was kind of a plus and a minus in the pace of the story. Plus it kind of had some semi-harsh things in it.

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Awesome Girl Saves The Day!

Awesome Girl Saves The Day! rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

07/30/08

Read in November, 2006

recommends it for: People who can handle complicated stories,

It's complicated, but if you can stick with the story long enough it gets really good. I found it really fresh, and very different from most of the stories we normally see.

"At the top of the pyramid there are Innovators. The first kid to keep her wallet on a big chunky chain. The first to wear way-too-big pants on purpose.

Next level down the pyramid are the Trendsetters.

The Trendsetter’s goal is to be the second person in the world to catch the latest disease. They watch c...more It's complicated, but if you can stick with the story long enough it gets really good. I found it really fresh, and very different from most of the stories we normally see.

"At the top of the pyramid there are Innovators. The first kid to keep her wallet on a big chunky chain. The first to wear way-too-big pants on purpose.

Next level down the pyramid are the Trendsetters.

The Trendsetter’s goal is to be the second person in the world to catch the latest disease. They watch carefully for innovations, always ready to jump on board. But more importantly, other people watch them. Unlike the Innovators, they are cool, so when they pick up an innovation, it becomes cool.

Below them are the Early Adopters.

Adopters always have the latest phone, the latest music player plugged into their ear, and they’re the guys who download the trailer a year before the movie comes out. And one vital difference from Trendsetters: Early Adopters saw their stuff in magazine first, not on the street.

Further down we have the Consumers. The people who have to see a product on TV, placed in two movies, fifteen magazine ads, and on a giant rack in the mall before saying, “Hey, that’s pretty cool.”

Last are the Laggards. I kind of like them. Proud in their mullets and feathered-back hair, they resist all change, or at least all change since they got out of high school. And once every ten years they suffer the uncomfortable realization that their brown leather jackets with big lapels have become, briefly, cool."

17-year-old Hunter Braque is a Cool Hunter, the second level on the Cool Pyramid. He helps pick everything that you see on the covers of magazines for the latest fashion, tech, anything. If it's popular, Cool Hunters piced it. So, when he sees Jen's shoelaces, he wants them to be the next big thing. He doesn't know that Jen's spirit for adventure will lead him into a shadowy version of his world, with anti-corporations, fake magazines, and a secret group dedicated to the "downfall of consumerism as we know it".
...less

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Gopakumar

Gopakumar rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

07/22/08

Read in January, 2007

"…the first rule of consumerism: Never give us what we really want. Cut the dream into pieces and scatter them like ashes. Dole out empty promises. Package our aspirations and sell them to us, cheaply made enough to fall apart."

"At the top of the pyramid there are Innovators. The first kid to keep her wallet on a big chunky chain. The first to wear way-too-big pants on purpose. To wash jeans in acid, stick a safety pin in something, or wear a hooded sweatshirt inside a leath...more "…the first rule of consumerism: Never give us what we really want. Cut the dream into pieces and scatter them like ashes. Dole out empty promises. Package our aspirations and sell them to us, cheaply made enough to fall apart."

"At the top of the pyramid there are Innovators. The first kid to keep her wallet on a big chunky chain. The first to wear way-too-big pants on purpose. To wash jeans in acid, stick a safety pin in something, or wear a hooded sweatshirt inside a leather jacket. The mythical first guy who wore his baseball cap backward.

When you meet them, most Innovators don’t look that cool, not in the sense of fashionable, anyway. There’s always something off about them. Like they’re uncomfortable with the world. Most Innovators are actually Logo Exiles, trying to get by with the twelve pieces of clothing that are never in or out of style.

Except, like Jen’s laces, there’s always one thing that stands out on an Innovator. Something new.

Next level down the pyramid are the Trendsetters.

The Trendsetter’s goal is to be the second person in the world to catch the latest disease. They watch carefully for innovations, always ready to jump on board. But more importantly, other people watch them. Unlike the Innovators, they are cool, so when they pick up an innovation, it becomes cool. A trendsetter’s most important job is gatekeeper, the filter that separates out real Innovators from those crazy people wearing garbage bags. (Although I’ve heard that in the 1980’s, there were some Trendsetters who actually started wearing garbage bags. No comment.)

Below them are the Early Adopters.

Adopters always have the latest phone, the latest music player plugged into their ear, and they’re the guys who download the trailer a year before the movie comes out. (As they grow older, Early Adopters’ closets fill up with dinosaur media: Betamax videos, laser discs, eight-track tapes.) They test and tweak the trend, softening the edges. And one vital difference from Trendsetters: Early Adopters saw their stuff in magazine first, not on the street.

Further down we have the Consumers. The people who have to see a product on TV, placed in two movies, fifteen magazine ads, and on a giant rack in the mall before saying, “Hey, that’s pretty cool.”

At which point it’s not.

Last are the Laggards. I kind of like them. Proud in their mullets and feathered-back hair, they resist all change, or at least all change since they got out of high school. And once every ten years they suffer the uncomfortable realization that their brown leather jackets with big lapels have become, briefly, cool.

But they bravely tuck in their Kiss T-shirts and soldier on."...less

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Alexis

Alexis rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

06/29/08

bookshelves: teen-fiction

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: readers of smart teen fiction, Westerfeld fans

In So Yesterday there's a different world existing alongside our own. It's a world of cool, determined by the Innovators, spread by the Trendsetters (the "cool hunters"), picked up on by the Early Adopters, played out by the Consumers and clung to with a vengeance by the Laggards.

Hunter Braque is a Trendsetter. He searches for trends, passes them on to be produced, and keeps the ball rolling. Then he spots Jen, an Innovator, and from there his conception of the Cool Pyrami...more In So Yesterday there's a different world existing alongside our own. It's a world of cool, determined by the Innovators, spread by the Trendsetters (the "cool hunters"), picked up on by the Early Adopters, played out by the Consumers and clung to with a vengeance by the Laggards.

Hunter Braque is a Trendsetter. He searches for trends, passes them on to be produced, and keeps the ball rolling. Then he spots Jen, an Innovator, and from there his conception of the Cool Pyramid is thrown for a loop. There's a shoe - a really f-n cool shoe, a kidnapping, an anti-client, and a whole bunch of really pissed off rich kids. Jen's thirst for adventure pulls Hunter along, forcing him to confront what he already knows about the reality of the cool pyramid - that there's something off about it, and a new player is stepping in.

In the reality of the novel, Scott Westerfeld would be an Innovator. It's difficult to explain his books, because they always have so many complex layers running matrix-like through them. I appreciate it when authors have clearly done a lot of research for their novels, and I love it when they seamlessly incorporate all that work in a way that enhances the story and builds it into something more. Kelley Armstrong is another author who has obviously done her research and created a wonderful series as a result. Michael Crichton also falls into this category, but his novels are more of a regurgitation of facts than a carefully structured plot, and the tone is more "look how smart I am" and less "I'm trying to write a smart novel you will enjoy." (Not that I haven't enjoyed Crichton novels in the past. I have, but now that I'm older I can see that they come across as pretentious.)

Scott Westerfeld is one of the most innovative, original writers of teen fiction working right now. His books are smart, fast-paced, exciting and fun. Like Peeps included tons of information about parasites to provide a comparison to the vampire parasite of the story, So Yesterday contains many facts about inventions and innovations in a way that helps push the story along. Hunter is a likable main character and a good narrator, the supporting cast is amusing, and the "Innovator facts" are informative and relevant.

I've read most of Westerfeld's books and liked them all, but I can't shake the feeling that's he's not really sticking the landings. By that I mean I'm not always crazy about the way his books end. There's nothing wrong with the endings, per se. All the plot threads get tied up neatly, but I feel like a couple of them get frayed first. I can't really describe it, as it's more of a general feeling, but it's the reason I give his books 4 stars instead of 5. Regardless, I highly recommend him as an author, and So Yesterday is a quick, smart read for an older teen or twenty-something. ...less

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1 comments

Waffle...♥

Waffle...♥ rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

05/14/08

bookshelves: eighth-grade, favorites, historic, inspirational, romance, suspense, young-adult

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Waffle...♥ by: Muahh :]
recommends it for: Everybody!

I LOVED IT!!! Though it confused me totally at the end and I held off the last few chapters for a week because I was so bored of it... but it's a GREAT book! This is one of Scott's earlier novels so it isn't as suspenseful and fast pace as his currents... otherwise still awesome! Totally recommended.

Everybody, join SHIFT today! Haha. :D

Wow... this is SO cool! Watch this: Bugs on your leg... bugs on your back... bugs crawling through your hair... bugs, bugs, bugs. Okay do you feel the bugs now? I think that you do (or will in a minute or so). Go ahead, scratch. ...more

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7 comments

Molly

Molly rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

01/05/08

I haven't read this for a year or so, but its plot is refreshingly unexpected and fresh. It has to do with the people who are the trendsetters, the innovators. Like, the Very First ones to do something that became a fad. The first one to.... for example, wear bell bottoms, or... sag their pants. the innovators make anything look cool, like if they had a bad hair day it would probably start some kind of grunge look trend. Then there's the people running around trying to catch these innovators in ...more

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Gelsey

Gelsey rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

10/01/07

Read in October, 2007

I just love Scott Westerfeld. He's a great author and deserves way more recognition that he's getting. His plotlines are fascinating, and I always like his characters. He's just a really, really good writer.

So, I read the Uglies trilogy a little while back. (I highly recommmend it.) I liked it so much that I decided to read his other works, starting with this one. But, I didn't get around to reading it until now.

Hunter, the main character, is a Trendsetter; he's the guy who searche...more

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Kathryn

Kathryn rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

10/13/07

bookshelves: fiction, life-issues, love-story, young-adult

Read in December, 2006

Hunter isn't an innovator or even a trendsetter; he is just invisible in his search for all things cool. Until he meets the ultimate innovator of cool, Jen. Together they set out for a wild ride to protect coolness as we know it but find that maybe "cool" needs to be change up every once in awhile.

In the usual Westfield style, this book hits modern satire head on, making readers question what makes cool and why we are all so set on finding it. The characters are also amazing examp...more

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Mark

Mark rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

11/19/07

bookshelves: sf

Read in November, 2007

Hunter is a teenager with the job of spotting trends for major manufacturers to tap into, but he is limited to be a follower of the trends. He meets Jen who is an Innovator, one of the rare few who starts those trends. The two of them encounter a mysterious organization who is either ultra-hip or anti-hip, either criminal or beneficial, either out to help the teens or out to get rid of them. Another sharp book from Scott Westerfeld that d...more

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Seth

Seth rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

04/13/08

Read in January, 2006

recommended to Seth by: my sister
recommends it for: everyone

I cannot say enough about Scott Westerfeld's highly digestible prose and brilliant, all-encompassing grasp of our complicated and rapidly evolving times. He can take post-cyberpunk (Uglies) or epic space opera (The Risen Empire), mix in some Nancy Drew, David Cronenberg, and a little bit of pixie dust, then out pops a very readable book that will keep your brain spinning for weeks.

In So Yesterday he steps away from the sci-fi genre and explores the world of popular culture which we all know ...more

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Jennifer

Jennifer rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

04/09/08

bookshelves: 2008, favorites, scifi-fantasy

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: anyone

This was soooo good - Westerfeld is truly a genius in his field - and unlike the Uglies series, this one is easily enjoyable by guys and gals alike - stepping back from "the whole world" this book focuses on marketing, consumerism and the elusive "cool" - and of course a bit of kissing thrown in for good fun. It definitely kept me guessing, proving that some authors at least are smarter than their readers (that's a big compliment - I get so annoyed sometimes when I am always ...more

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Cameo

Cameo rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

12/27/07

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: Ario

This is the YA version of Pattern Recognition, basicly. Where Gibson went a little too esoteric, Westerfeld stays sane and keeps to the action. Some major plot points regarding tech were a little too glaringly wrong for me to take seriously in some points, but overall, I think Westerfeld nails the allure and fun of coolhunting, and offers great use of lingo and philosophy. This book is much more fresh and youthful than PR, yet lacks the depth that made PR so eerie and futuristic.

While this...more

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Julie

Julie rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

10/07/08

bookshelves: fiction, young-adult

Read in October, 2008

Scott Westerfeld has become one of my favorite authors. So Yesterday is another fun, fascinating, thought-provoking entry in his catalogue of works.

Focusing on the definition of "cool" and how things become that way, Westerfeld weaves an interesting tale of "cool hunting" gone awry. I always learn things from Westerfeld's books, whether it's (more than I ever wanted to know) about parasites or innovations or sociogenic diseases.

Definitely recommended for anyone...more

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Riannon

Riannon rated it:

(review of isbn 1595140328)

08/12/08

Some parts of this were really fun to read. I am, however, not sold on the whole idea of "cool" as Westerfeld tries to create it (as a recognizable, definable, quantifiable thing), and not being a high school student anymore, I felt a bit silly even reading parts of the book. The word cool was overused (and has been in this review already, since twice is certainly too many, for which I apologize).

The bottom line on So Yesterday: I felt that it, as a book, was trying too hard, as w...more

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avg rating (this edition): 0.0 (0 ratings)
number of reviews: 151

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