So Yesterday (novel)
{{Short description|Novel by Scott Westerfeld}}
{{All plot|date=July 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox book
| name = So Yesterday
| image = So Yesterday (novel).jpg| caption =
| author = Scott Westerfeld
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series =
| genre = Young adult
| publisher = Penguin Group
| pub_date = September 9, 2004[http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781595140005,00.html?So_Yesterday_Scott_Westerfeld Penguin Group]
| media_type = Print (hardback)
Print (paperback)
| pages = 240 (hardback)[http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=159514000X Borders.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708084016/http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=159514000X |date=2011-07-08 }}
256 (paperback)[http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1595140328 Borders.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708084058/http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1595140328 |date=2011-07-08 }}
| 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{{citation |title=The Prize for Young Adult Fiction: Winner 2005 |work=State Library of Victoria |url=http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/programs/literary/pla/yaprize/winner2005.html |accessdate=March 5, 2010}} and is also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.{{citation |title=Best Books for Young Adults 2005 |work=Young Adult Library Services Association |url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/annotations/05bbya.cfm |accessdate=March 5, 2010}} 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.{{citation |title=The king of cool codes |newspaper=The Age |date=January 28, 2006 |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/the-king-of-cool-codes/2006/01/28/1138319484160.html |accessdate=March 5, 2010}} This novel explores issues surrounding marketing, especially marketing targeted at youth, the Technology adoption life cycle, and culture jamming.
Synopsis
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
- 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
- {{Portal-inline|Children and Young Adult Literature}}