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.

*          *          *

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

Series Blast: THE EARTHBOUND SERIES (Aprilynne Pike) + Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the final book in Aprilynne Pike's Earthbound Series, EARTHRISE, Me, My Shelf & I is hosting a Series Blast! If you've been eagerly awaiting Earthrise, you can READ THE FIRST EIGHT CHAPTERS HERE while you purchase your copy (links below)! If you have yet to check out this Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy series, information and links for all three books are below, along with an International giveaway to win a signed set of the entire series!

THE EARTHBOUND SERIES by Aprilynne Pike
Book 1: Earthbound (7/30/13, Razorbill)
Book 2: Earthquake (7/8/14, Razorbill) 
Book 3: Earthrise (9/1/15, Imaginary Properties)

Summary for Book 3:

Even with the power to create and destroy at will, Tavia Michaels couldn't save her parents. She couldn't save the boy she's loved for countless lifetimes. She barely managed to save herself from the treachery of supposed friends. So how can she save the world from a deadly plague--and the immortals spreading it? As the events of EARTHBOUND and EARTHQUAKE reach their thrilling conclusion, no one is safe--Tavia least of all!

ADD TO GOODREADS
EARTHBOUND | EARTHQUAKE | EARTHRISE

PURCHASE LINKS
EARTHBOUND: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
EARTHQUAKE: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
EARTHRISE: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Critically acclaimed, #1 New York Times best-selling author Aprilynne Pike has been spinning tales since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found out running; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne lives in Arizona with her husband and four kids; she is enjoying the sunshine.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

GIVEAWAY

1 WINNER will get a full set of signed books in the EARTHBOUND series from Aprilynne Pike. (Books are a combo of HC and PB due to how they were released)

4 WINNERS will each get a signed paperback of  EARTHBOUND

Must be 13+ To Enter  |  Open internationally
Please see terms and conditions for full contest rules.

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Release Day Blitz: AN EMBER IN THE ASHES (Sabaa Tahir) + Giveaway

One of the most anticipated YA reads of this year, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir, releases today, and I am excited to share in the celebration! If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book be sure to check out all the details below, along with a special introduction from Sabaa herself! And don't miss out on the giveaway at the end for signed copies of the book, along with some awesome sword letter openers, courtesy of Sabaa, Penguin Teen, and Rockstar Book Tours!

A letter from Sabaa Tahir

Dear Readers,

Today, my “baby” AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is finally out in the world! From inception to pub date, this journey took eight years. And what a journey it was: writing, rewriting, revising, editing, querying, submitting; Meeting other debuts, bloggers, booksellers and librarians, and hearing their thoughts on EMBER. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the radness.

And now, the book is here! I am so excited to see it in the hands of readers. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To celebrate release day, I’m giving away two signed, first-edition hardcovers of the book. Details below!

All my best,

Sabaa

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: AN EMBER IN THE ASHES

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Pub. Date: April 28, 2015

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 464
Summary:

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

Add it to Goodreads PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS

TUMBLR  | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST

GIVEAWAY

• 2 winners will receive a signed hardcover of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES. US Only.
• 3 winners will receive a hardcover of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES and a Sword Letter Opener! US Only.
• Ends on May 9^th at Midnight EST

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WoW: An Ember in the Ashes (Sabaa Tahir)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: An Ember in the Ashes

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill

Summary:

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.
 
ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier— and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.
 
When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

Add to Goodreads

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Found out about this amazing book not even a week before I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC! *flails* But I have to wait until January at the earliest to read it (my reading schedule cracked the whip *sob*) so I'm still "waiting on" it with great anticipation!

So what book are you waiting on?