1 of 1 copy available
You don’t think about us much, because we are invisible. Well, not exactly invisible. A lot of us have hair dyed in four colors, or wear five-inch platform sneakers, or carry enough metal in our skin that it’s a hassle getting on an airplane. Quite visible, actually, come to think about it.
But we don’t wear signs saying what we are. After all, if you knew what we were up to, we couldn’t work our magic. We have to observe carefully, and push and prompt you in ways you don’t notice. Like good teachers, we let you think you’ve discovered the truth on your own.
And you need us. Someone has to guide you, to mold you, to make sure that today turns into yesterday on schedule. Because frankly, without us to monitor the situation, who knows what would get crammed down your throats.
It’s not like you can just start making your own decisions, after all.
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 backward? These are the Innovators, the people at the peak of the cool pyramid.
Seventeen-year-old Hunter Braque is a Trendsetter, on the second level of the pyramid. His job: find the newest, coolest thing for the retail market. His MO: observe, don’t get involved. But from the moment he meets Innovator Jen James, he can’t help getting involved in a big way.
Part love story, part mystery, part stinging satire, Scott Westerfeld’s spellbinding novel will make you question everything you’ve ever believed about how to be cool.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Awards
-
Release date
October 17, 2006 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780739330203
- File size: 188888 KB
- Duration: 06:33:30
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Levels
- ATOS Level: 5.3
- Lexile® Measure: 770
- Interest Level: 6-12(MG+)
- Text Difficulty: 3-4
-
Reviews
-
Scott Brick expertly draws the listener into the world of consumer cool in this satire of the hip world of teens. Hunter is a New York City teen who is paid by corporations to spot the newest trends in cool. He combines his unique skills and the talents of his friend, Jen, to investigate a missing person and solve a conspiracy aimed at the center of consumer culture. Brick's ease with slang and hip terms allows even uncool listeners to become involved in this plot against the consumer, and his fast pace keeps the adventure moving. Brick easily communicates a wide range of emotions in this fun story. W.V.S. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine -
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"Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
-
September 5, 2005
A teenage male Trendsetter (one who spots trends and makes them "cool") for a shoe company wants to introduce an Innovator (one who invents trends) peer to his boss—but the boss has disappeared and foul play is suspected. PW
's starred review said, "this entertaining adventure doubles as a smart critique on marketing and our consumer culture." Ages 12-up.
-