Audiobook Review: So Yesterday (Scott Westerfeld)

Title: So Yesterday
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.

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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

Manga Review: Emma Series (Kaoru Mori)

Title: Emma
Author: Kaoru Mori
Volumes Reviewed: 5 (omnibus editions, complete)
Publisher: Yen Press
US Release Date: May 2015 - August 2016
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Content Rating: Adult (some unnecessary nudity, kidnapping)
Format Read: Hardcover
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: Azon | B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound (see note below)
Summary (of Volume 1):

Calling upon his inimitable former governess, young aristocrat William Jones is startled to find his knock answered by a clever, bespectacled maid--Emma. From that moment forward, the two are drawn to each other and slowly but surely grow ever closer. But as the love between Emma and William builds, so too do the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart. For in Victorian London, some things are simply not done, and marrying outside of one's social class just happens to be one such taboo...

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Series/Purchase Note: This physical US edition consists of 5 omnibus volumes. The original Japanese release consisted of 10 volumes. The digital US version appears to be for sale as 10 individual volumes as well.

Author Kaoru Mori's current ongoing series, A Bride's Story, about a traveling Englishman and the local families he meets in 19th-century Central Asia, is one of my favorites. Because of it I consider the author's signature style to be elaborately drawn details and backgrounds, an abundance of interesting historical minutiae, and occasional unnecessary female nudity. Emma was Mori's debut series, and when I was recently able to borrow the complete omnibus set from the library I decided it was time to finally give it a read.

At its heart, Emma is a lord-and-maid forbidden romance set in the late Victorian era. But as is custom with Mori, it's really about so many more people than that. The first 3.5 omnibus volumes mainly center on maid Emma and wealthy William's sweet but fraught romance. Despite a few dramatic turns, the couple was rather plain for me and their relationship a relatively simple one. Because of this, there was a lot of room to introduce and expand a host of colorful side characters who quickly and easily outshone the quiet couple. As the focus on Emma and William's romance faded halfway through volume 4, the lesser cast, with a few new faces, were given time to shine in a collection of short stories exploring everyday life in England. While not as interesting as the exotic culture in Bride's Story, these side narratives proved even more entertaining than the main one, and I learned a few new things about English history and social structure. The last few chapters do return to culminate the quiet couple's romance though, and with most of the characters receiving hopeful resolutions in their lives and loves, the series ends with a sweet and boisterous conclusion.

Conclusion: While not as good as Mori's current series, Emma was an interesting saga of maid love. Entertaining enough to hold my attention through five extremely thick and heavy hardcovers, the detailed artwork and historical tidbits were intriguing, and the side characters and their stories were fun. If you enjoy Mori's A Bride's Story then I do recommend trying this series as well, especially if you have a penchant for English period dramas as I do.

For Fans Of: English period dramas

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

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