So Yesterday | Scott Westerfeld | Review
*image via GoodReads
So Yesterday is the modern day story of Hunter Braque a 'cool-hunter' working in the middle of consumer hot spot, New York City, for a big advertising agency. His job is to seek out the most up to the minute and emerging trends, report back to the big dogs at the agency where they’ll make some money out of these so called products of cool. His unusual job leads him to meet Jen. Jen’s an 'innovator'. She’s someone who doesn't follow trends but makes them and a free spirit.
Hunter decides on a whim to bring Jen along to a ‘cool-tasting’ (to view an big brand client’s advert before it’s release to the public), to meet the rest of the cool-hunters and his big boss Mandy. Jen ruffles a few feathers in the pack with her trend-setting views but Mandy takes a shine to her. She invites Jen and Hunter to a secret meeting with a big name client…only Mandy never turns up.
After some initial detective work the two undercover Mandy’s abandoned cell phone in the run-down building they were supposed to meet her by. Jen and Hunter are then thrown headfirst into the underground world of oddly hypnotic products, shady henchmen, mysterious marketing conspiracies and unexpected danger.
So what’s my verdict?
I did really enjoyed this, having picked it on a whim on my Kindle. The story was fast paced with cliffhanger chapters and plot twists galore. It explores themes of consumerism, fads and conformity with a mafia-esque twist. The story itself and it’s messages fall within Westerfeld’s typical line of work on individualism vs mass consumption and as someone who wants to work in this line of work one day, his take on the advertising world was really interesting. Hunter is your typical lonely-boy protagonist, he was unpopular at school and fits well as an observer of cool rather than someone who is cool. Jen on the other hand is a bit of a flight-risk and it’s almost unbelievable that Hunter goes along with her schemes to find Mandy. The characters themselves were what drove the plot, which in itself was a little confusing at times and then ending left me a bit let down.
All in all a good light read and an intriguing plot that Westerfeld’s fans will enjoy.
Reading Soundtrack:
Thrift Shop: Macklemore; Disparate Youth: Santigold; Money, Money, Money: ABBA; Blue Jeans: Blur; 20 Dollar Nosebleed: Fall Out Boy; The Fear: Lily Allen
For lovers of
Westerfeld’s ‘Uglies’ series, consumerism critique and the odd world of advertising.This book was reviewed by regular reviewer Ria, get to know more about her here!
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