Series: standalone
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Read By: Scott Brick
Publisher: Listening Library (Razorbill)
Release Date: September 9, 2004 (hardcover)
Genre: Young Adult Contemp Romance Suspense
Content Rating: Teen (a few words of minor language, kissing, underage drinking)
Format Read: Audio CD (6 discs)
Length: approx. 6 hours, 33 mins
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: Azon | B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound
Summary:
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 wore his baseball cap backwards? These are the Innovators, the people on the very cusp of cool. Seventeen-year-old Hunter Braque's job is finding them for the retail market. But when a big-money client disappears, Hunter must use all his cool-hunting talents to find her. Along the way he's drawn into a web of brand-name intrigue, a missing cargo of the coolest shoes he's ever seen, ads for products that don't exist, and a shadowy group dedicated to the downfall of consumerism as we know it.
* * *
So Yesterday was a favorite physical read back when it released in 2004, so I couldn't help but buy the audiobook when I saw the CD set at a used bookstore a few years later. I never got around to listening to it though, until I received a few puzzles this Christmas and needed something to occupy the other half of my attention while I obsessively put them together. Considering the book is over 15 years old I was curious if it had withstood the test of time, being about what was "cool" in the mid-2000s and all, but to my surprise I think it held up exceptionally well.
So Yesterday is essentially about a boy who falls for a girl who gets him into some serious trouble. It's part cool-hunting mystery, part questionable adventure, and part guy romance, which equaled a fun if somewhat unbelievable story. Hunter, cool-history nerd extraordinaire, was a relaxed but entertaining point-of-view character, and Scott Brick's narration gave him a smooth, enjoyable voice. I recall there was a lot of description, especially locational in New York City, but while I found it interesting in the moment none of it stuck with me (I don't absorb well by listening). I did try to pay closer attention to the product and cultural references though, and despite the 15-year lag either things haven't really changed all that much or Westerfeld was a cunning writer because for the most part I felt it could still be set today - or at least today's teens shouldn't find it too "dated." Overall, So Yesterday was an entertaining listen with an engaging mystery adventure, fun male POV character, and amusing romance that should hold up as a timely read even today. Highly recommend as a listen or a read.
Scribble Rating:
4 of 5 Scribbles
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