So Yesterday (novel)
 | This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary. (July 2023) |
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| Author | Scott Westerfeld |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult |
| Publisher | Penguin Group |
Publication date | September 9, 2004[1] |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback) Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 240 (hardback)[2] 256 (paperback)[3] |
| ISBN | 978-1-59514-000-5 |
So Yesterday is a young adult suspense novel by Scott Westerfeld published in 2004. It has won a Victorian Premier's Award[4] and is also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.[5] So Yesterday, the author's third publication, is considered his "breakout novel" and has been optioned to be made into a film by one of the producers of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine.[6] This novel explores issues surrounding marketing, especially marketing targeted at youth, the Technology adoption life cycle, and culture jamming.
Synopsis
[edit]A seventeen-year-old high schooler named Hunter works as a cool hunter, finding and selling new trends to his corporate sponsors. His latest find is Jen, an honest-to-goodness 'Innovator' whom he spots based on her unique shoelaces. Together they are drawn into a mystery when one of Hunter's bosses disappears after she runs a 'cool tasting' for a new brand of shoe. What he finds ends up to be nothing like he had expected.
Characters
[edit]- Hunter is a teenage boy who is what is known as a 'cool hunter.' He is paid by corporations to go out on the streets and figure out what is 'cool.'
- Jen is a teenage girl and potential love interest for Hunter. She is what is known as an 'innovator,' meaning she is creative and comes up with new fashion trends.
- Mandy is Hunter's boss. She works for 'the client,' which is a shoe company (presumably Nike) and at the beginning of the novel, she mysteriously goes missing.
- The Bald Man is someone involved with Mandy's disappearance who follows Hunter and Jen.
- NASCAR Man is a mysterious person working with the Bald Man in some sort of conspiracy.
- Mwadi Wickersham is a roller skate enthusiast who is also involved in Mandy's disappearance.
- Futura Garamond is a mysterious man who has been fired from countless jobs and is known for creating text that is unreadable (his name is a combination of two different text fonts).
- Hilary Winston-Smith is also a cool hunter like Hunter. She is a socialite and reluctantly helps Hunter and Jen in their search for Mandy. Hunter tends to refer to her as Hilary Winston-Hyphen-Smith, or simply Hillary Hyphen, to poke fun at her aristocratic tendencies and lifestyle.
- Tina Catalina is a friend of Hunter's who is obsessed with Japanese pop culture. She helps Hunter and Jen solve Mandy's disappearance.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Penguin Group
- ^ Borders.com Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Borders.com Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Prize for Young Adult Fiction: Winner 2005", State Library of Victoria, retrieved March 5, 2010
- ^ "Best Books for Young Adults 2005", Young Adult Library Services Association, retrieved March 5, 2010
- ^ "The king of cool codes", The Age, January 28, 2006, retrieved March 5, 2010