So Yesterday

Starred review from October 4, 2004
Aptly-named Hunter spots street trends for "a certain shoe company named after a certain Greek god." When he meets Jen, he notices her unique shoelaces, and realizes she is an Innovator, a person who invents trends (he's a Trendsetter, someone who is "cool, so when they pick up an innovation, it becomes
cool"). Mandy, Hunter's boss, invites Hunter and Jen to do some "original thinking," but when the two arrive at the location, they find only her cell phone—and "the coolest shoes we'd ever seen." The pair begins their search for Mandy and the people behind the shoes, before the "bad guys" get Hunter. They depend on other cool hunters, from tech-savvy Lexa to high-society Hillary, to help decipher the clues, and they take risks themselves (going undercover to a posh party, breaking into buildings). There's fun to be had (at the party, rich guests get shampoo samples that turn out to be purple dye), and while readers may lose track of pieces of the plot (or not quite believe the roller skating leader of the underground), they will get swept up in the mystery. Hunter weaves in compelling stories, such as how purple became associated with royalty, and draws a parallel between the spreading of trends and a flu epidemic. (Though the hero refuses to name brands, readers will quickly figure out product names based on his clues.) Ultimately, Westerfeld's (Midnighters
) entertaining adventure doubles as a smart critique on marketing and our consumer culture. Ages 12-up.

July 1, 2006
Gr 7-10 -Scott Westerfeld -s intriguing novel (Razorbill, 2004) is a thriller that involves teenagers who aspire to be the first to discover a new, cool fashion trend. Seventeen-year-old Hunter Braque, a native New Yorker, aspires to be one of the trendsetters, and when he accidentally stumbles on a cache of pristine, vintage sneakers in an abandoned Chinatown building, Hunter -s life takes a number of twists and turns. While the book -s main idea is engaging, Westerfeld -s writing is not. The characters, despite their apparent coolness, do not strike either a sympathetic or absorbing chord with listeners, especially Hunter, who annoyingly speaks a sort of non-brand doublespeak (he can -t bring himself to mention a product -s brand name, so he invents a roundabout substitute name). Actor Scott Brick -s narration is adequate, but fails to compel or draw listeners into the story. While the tale that combines mystery, satire, and love story might entertain listeners, young adults interested in a satirical, utopian novel would be better served by M.T. Anderson -s "Feed" (Candlewick, 2002) or Aldous Huxley -s classic, "Brave New World". -"Larry Cooperman, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL"

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