Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before

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3.55 of 5 stars 3.55  ·  rating details  ·  283 ratings  ·  71 reviews

If Albert Kim has learned one thing in his tragic adolescence, it's that God (probably a sadistic teenaged alien) does not want him to succeed at Bern High. By the end of sophomore year, Al is so tired of humiliation that he's chosen to just forget girls and high school society in general, and enjoy the Zen-like detachment that comes from being an intentional loser.

Then he...more
386 pages
Published September 30th 2008 by Hyperion
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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 641)
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Thomas
Albert Kim totally made this book for me, believe it or not. The story is about this socially awkward teenager, who has never experienced high school popularity or any social connection with basically anyone from his school. One summer he gets a job at a hotel and meets this really hot/nice girl, and gradually they fall for each other... but the thing is, this girl is really popular. So when the school year starts, you can imagine how difficult it would be for the two of them to have a relations...more
Jennifer Wardrip
Reviewed by Bookluver_Carol for TeensReadToo.com

If Albert Kim has learned one thing in his tragic adolescence, it's that God (probably a sadistic teenage alien) does not want him to succeed at Bern High.

By the end of sophomore year, Al is so tired of humiliation that he's chosen to just forget girls and high school society in general, and enjoy the Zen-like detachment that comes from being an intentional loser.

Then he meets Mia Stone, and all the repressed hormones come flooding back. Mia, his...more
Becky

The first time I met Mia we ended up in a hotel room by ourselves.

Albert Kim is many things, but popular isn't one of them. He's more likely to be friends with the sixth graders down the street than his own classmates of either sex. More at home playing video games than interacting with real people. But the summer he gets his first job--as a janitor at a nearby inn--he begins to mature--slightly at least. One of his coworkers is Mia, a classmate who is popular and beautiful and utterly out-of-th...more
Patricia
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Sam McGraw

Albert Kim is living the loser's life at Bern High, and he is having some major social issues. But, he finds this amazing girl who just happened to break up with her jock boyfriend, and things seem to be working out. This, to me, sounds like a somewhat typical viewpoint of a high school guy. I believe that David Yoo, the author, wrote this story so he could relate some of the problems he faced growing up as an Asian American in an American high school. The entire story is aimed towards teenagers

...more
Wendy
I don't really bother summarizing plots in reviews, because a) others have already done so and b) I tend to read reviews AFTER I read the book, so I'm looking for opinions and insights rather than trying to decide whether or not to read a book. I don't even mind if the reviewer barely mentions the book, as long as I see how the book connects to whatever they're ranting about. So I write reviews for those like me.

This was one of a few YA books I've read recently that were written in the 21st cent...more
Michelle
There's something about Stop Me that makes me want to laugh, cry, scream, worship it an altar, and throw it against the wall - all at the same time. I blame it on the wonderful storytelling and amazing MC. I don't care what anybody says; Al is a terrific narrator whose thoughts I enjoyed the entire way through.

Another aspect of the book that made me fall in love was its pure simplicity. I mean, it's another boy-meets-girl, boy-falls-for-girl, boy-and-girl-start-dating book. But it's just so muc...more
Mary
As I read this book, I kept trying to remember why I ordered it. I think it was because there's a tie-in to Romeo and Juliet - although it's more a result of a few mentions by the narrator, Albert Kim, than any actual parallels in the story itself. In fact, Albert compares his own life and first love to Shakespeare's couple. Albert Kim is a Korean-American, high achieving, sousaphone-playing high school boy with no social life whatsoever except playing with a group of 6th grade neighborhood boys...more
Alex
First off, I love that David’s Asian- Korean to be exact. Being Asian also, I can relate. He jokes about his parents and a lot of his nerdiness he blames on being Asian. He reminds me of Patti in Good Enough by Paula Yoo. They’re both Korean, hilarious, and with parents who care mostly about grades.

Albert is one crazy character. At the beginning, he was really awkward- so awkward I’d physically wince when he opened his mouth to speak. But when he was with Mia, he became really cute and sweet and...more
Jen
First off - I loved this narrator. Sure, he was so immature that he made you cringe much of the time. Just like you'll yell "Don't go in there!" to a girl in a horror movie you'll want to sew up Albert's tongue half the time: making him unable to do or say one of the hundreds of things he does or says throughout the book. I think that's what I loved so much about this book - it was such a spot on representation of how dumb and self centered some boys and girls can be at (ahem) some ages.

The las...more
BAYA Librarian
R While David Yoo is ridiculously fantastic at capturing the painful and irrational emotions of social hermit Albert Kim breaking his way into high school life with his first girlfriend, the plot of "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before" feels overwritten with many superfluous details. The story takes place in the 1980s, made foggily clear by references that make the characters seem outdated and really pretentious about only listening to old bands and remembering "the good ol' days" that they...more
Doug Sacks
Humorous and entirely believable. You root for Albert all the way, even in his lowest moments. Yes, boys do act this way... So vulnerable and so strong at the same time, both Mia and Albert are very human characters. I will say that the book is both sarcastic and serious and while I liked a lot of the humor, this direction often led to bland stereotypical secondary characters. Yoo's observations on high school dynamics are spot on and his asides about Albert's Korean parents were funny. Some may...more
Alex
This has been moved back and forth on my to read pile, so when I finally started, I was very pleasantly surprised by this touching story of misfit Albert. Albert has figured out high school, if he just acts like he is not there then no one will bother him, and this works well for two years, until he has a summer job with the most beautiful girl in the school. As the summer wears on, they fall for each other, but since Albert has withdrawn so far into himself, he has no idea how toreact when they...more
Sharon
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Hannah Goodman
I just love David Yoo's characters. They always make me laugh. Albert Kim's struggle to fit in is hilarious and cringe-worthy. You see the tornado coming and you can't get out of the way so you just stand and watch the inevitable. I also like that the characters aren't stereotypes–particularly the popular girl that Albert has a crush on and then winds up in a relationship with.

My only criticism is that I found the vagueness of the time period kind of distracting and the whole thing with the ex-b...more
cecilia
I could definitely picture Albert as an awkward boy trying to fit in to impress the girl. I appreciated his attempts at humor and winced as they fell flat with his audience. He tried hard to be the patient and understanding boyfriend as Mia nursed Ryan to health, and I wanted to knock some sense into Mia as she continually chose Ryan over Albert without fully realizing how it was damaging her relationship with Albert.

I had expecting this to be a little funnier, and I am sad that it failed in tha...more
KRISTI  ♫ ♪
11 CHAPTERS IN: A hilarious book. Although it goes a little slow in the beginning and it's kinda boring, it gets A LOT better. It's so funny and I love how it's on the guy's point of view because not many romance books are on the guy's point of view. It's funny because you can read what the guys think of girls and all their thoughts.
DONE WITH BOOK: Wow. INCREDIBLE. A very well-written book. I have to admit, it is a little fast but it's really really funny. I like how it's on a guy's point of vi...more
Jennifer
This is funny and cringe worthy at the same time. Awkward teen finds love, loses love and grows up just a little bit. So why the 4 stars, the characters are not cookie cutters and all have depth, you will laugh out loud, it is both sweet and realistic at the same time. All the characters are very solidly TEENS, they are both mature, and grown up at times while also being completely confused with no life experience at the same time. They reminded me of what it is like to talk to my own 17 almost...more
Bryan
I thought this book was amazing. First off, this book is written by an Asian.. How amazing is that!? Also, the character is Asian, and that's also brilliant. The fact that the character is Asian, is that I can connect to the story better, because I have experienced what he had experienced. Or at least most of his experiences. This book has a great plot, and is a good read. It's about an Asian's kid's love life, and how it works out. Themes like, hatred, misunderstanding, and love are all present...more
Shayna
http://bibliophilialovestory.wordpres...

Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before by David Yoo is an entertaining, fast-paced story of first love that will resonate true with many readers. Yoo has managed to make Albert, the story’s socially awkward protagonist, into a loveable character we want to win. Yoo’s charm and wit are what make this love story unique, and I can certainly say I haven’t heard this one before. If you are looking for more heartfelt love stories, check out Elizabeth Scott’s bo...more
Ari
I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would but I still enjoyed it. I think I was expecting more laugh-out-loud humor, but the humor here is more dry and you may miss some of the references and jokes. My biggest problem with Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before was Albert. It's not good when you don't like the main character. Perhaps I was like the rest of the kids at Albert's school, succumbing to the spell of The House. I thought Albert acted like an almost completely clueless jerk...more
Teen
First off - I loved this narrator. Sure, he was so immature that he made you cringe much of the time. Just like you'll yell "Don't go in there!" to a girl in a horror movie you'll want to sew up Albert's tongue half the time: making him unable to do or say one of the hundreds of things he does or says throughout the book. I think that's what I loved so much about this book - it was such a spot on representation of how dumb and self centered some boys and girls can be at (ahem) some ages.

The la...more
Shaya
Jun 12, 2009 Shaya rated it 3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Shaya by: Robert
Stop Me If You Heard This One Before is the tale of Albert Kim who starts off high school deciding he's going to be an intentional loser. The summer before his junior year he takes a job at an inn and Mia, who is very popular and part of the "perfect couple", is his coworker. In the beginning Albert is a jerk which is a little hard to read through but then he figures out how to be nice and treat her well and by the end of the summer they are together. (She broke up with her boyfriend, Ryan) But...more
Heather
Rating A+

Summary I've said before that I'm kind of a big fan of David Yoo's work and that, I believe, it's equally hard to write incredibly funny stuff as it is to write "poignant" or "dramatic" stories. And, travelling on that same road, Yoo one-up's himself with his sophomore novel, Stop Me If...

This book is equal parts funny (actually hilarious), heart-breaking, and thoughtful. The characters were actually better drawn, more mature, than they were in Girls for Breakfast. For example, the prot...more
Jon-michael
The first time I met Mia we ended up in a hotel room by ourselves.

Albert Kim is many things, but popular isn't one of them. He's more likely to be friends with the sixth graders down the street than his own classmates of either sex. More at home playing video games than interacting with real people. But the summer he gets his first job--as a janitor at a nearby inn--he begins to mature--slightly at least. One of his coworkers is Mia, a classmate who is popular and beautiful and utterly out-of-th...more
Marilyn
Mar 25, 2009 Marilyn rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 8th grade and up
This would've been better if it was half as long and focused more on Albert's budding friendships with his neighbor Brett and Brett's group. The obsessiveness of Albert's love for Mia got very tiresome and boring. As did the obsession with her ex-boyfriend, Ryan, and his bout with cancer. I know that's what this book is about but it became so long-winded and dull that I almost put it down. Yoo is a funny writer; I'd definitely read more of his work if he continued down that road.
Jacob D
I thought it was a good book because it was funny. it is about a kid who keeps getting transferd right when he makes friends and is unhappy about it. during his highschool year he makes a mistake that makes him a social outcast. When he gets a summer job he meets a hot girl, and they begin to like each other. My favorit part is when he can't talk to her because he is wierd and he try'sbut just ends up scarring her. I would suggest this book to people who like commedies.
Alexandra
This book was...weird. very weird.
You know that switch in your brain that tells you when you shouldn't say something? It sort of seemed like Albert didn't have that. Or any limitor at all. He just randomly sprouts the most random stuff, and the most embarassing things happen to him..
Most of the book I just was shaking my head, hoping to dear God that wouldn't ever happen to me. But, it also was hard to feel any deep pity, because he DID sort of bring it on himself... but the ending was cute. ve...more
Alexis
Jan 16, 2009 Alexis rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: 2009
I went back and forth about how I felt about this book. At some points I really liked it, at other times I was frustrated and there were a few plot points that I really disagreed with.

Still, I felt it was quite believable and gave a good representation about how people learn about relationships and dating and some of its challenges.
Stella
This book has sort of a 'John Green' feel (but not really, if that makes sense) so if you like him, you'll probably like this book.
To be honest, at the end I half-expected (and hoped) that Albert would actually end up with Brett, but alas, 'twas not to be.
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Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before (Paperback)
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David Yoo's first collection of essays, The Choke Artist: Confessions of a Chronic Underachiever (Grand Central) is out June 19, 2012. He is a graduate from Skidmore College with an MA from the University of Colorado-Boulder. His first novel, Girls For Breakfast (Delacorte) was a Booksense Pick, an NYPL Books For the Teen Age selection, and a Reading Rants Top Ten Books for Teens choice. He lives...more
More about David Yoo...
Girls for Breakfast The Detention Club The Choke Artist: Confessions of a Chronic Underachiever Guys Read: Funny Business: A Fistful of Feathers Who Can Save Us Now?

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