Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before [Hardcover]

David Yoo (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up

If Albert Kim has learned one thing in his tragic adolescence, it's that God (probably a sadistic teenaged alien) does not want him to succeed at Bern High.  By the end of sophomore year, Al is so tired of humiliation that he's chosen to just forget girls and high school society in general, and enjoy the Zen-like detachment that comes from being an intentional loser.

Then he meets Mia Stone, and all the repressed hormones come flooding back. Mia, his co-worker at the Bern Inn, is adorable, popular, and most intimidatingly, the ex- long-term girlfriend of Ivy-bound, muscle-bound king of BHS and world class jerk, Ryan Stackhouse.  But -- chalk it up to the magic of Al's inner beauty

-- by the end of a summer vacuuming hotel rooms and goofing off together, he and Mia are officially “something.”

Albert barely has time to ponder this miracle before the bomb drops:  Ryan has been diagnosed with cancer, and he needs Mia's support, i.e. constant companionship.  True, he's lost weight and he’s getting radiation, but that doesn’t make him any less of a jerk.  And to Albert, it couldn't be more apparent that Ryan is using his cancer to steal Mia back.  With the whole town rallying behind Ryan like he’s a fallen hero, and Mia emotionally confused and worried for Ryan, Al’s bid for love is not a popular campaign.  In fact, it's exactly like driving the wrong way on a five-lane highway. 

In this desperately funny novel, David Yoo tells an authentic story of first love, and therein captures the agony, the mania, the kicking and screaming that define teenage existence.   

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Asian-American Albert Kim, 16, is extraordinarily successful at cultivating his status as "intentional loser." Having chosen against academic summer camp, he takes a cleaning job at a nearby inn. His coworker, popular and beautiful Mia, has recently ended her long-term relationship with lacrosse team star Ryan and is using her job as a distraction. Although communication between Albert and Mia is initially strained, their sleazy supervisor's rejected advances toward Mia and his attempt to fire her draw the teens together. Their newfound friendship turns to romance before summer's end, but Albert's social status at school puts a strain on the relationship. When Ryan is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, Mia's constant support for him and his near-canonization make things even more difficult. Yoo deftly describes the charged emotions created when a popular community member is stricken by illness or injury; a candlelight vigil, fundraiser, and walkathon are poignant, comic, and unnerving. Although suburban high school life is expertly captured, the abrupt insertion of '80s and '90s pop-culture references detracts from the narrative. Mia might be a little too good to be true, but Albert is a funny, fascinating, and infuriating character. Laugh-out-loud moments and painfully realistic scenes of student life will hold readers' attention.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“It wouldn’t seem possible to make high school jocks, popular girls and losers fresh

and hilarious, but Yoo does it. His Romeo and Juliet story is a winner.... but it’s

Albert’s ice-dry telling of his tale of woe that sets it apart.”—

The New York Times

“Albert is a funny, fascinating, and infuriating character. Laugh-out-loud moments and

painfully realistic scenes of student life will hold readers’ attention.” —

School Library

Journal

“[Yoo’s] writing is laid back, chatty, funny, and disarmingly frank.” —

Horn Book

• A 2008 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books selection

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423109074
• ISBN-13: 978-1423109075
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,512,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything written for a reason..., January 10, 2009

By 

M. Novak "M. Novak" (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before (Hardcover)

This book is wonderful. I read it in two days. I literally could not put it down. It's strong for the most part, with some parts feeling weaker than others:

**SPOILERS**
The first part of this book is so strong that I was jealous. It's so perfectly written. Everything is so subtle. The dialogue is ridiculously strong and this is where the book is actually laugh out loud funny. When Albert and Mia meet is it written beautifully. It made me ache at how realistic it was and how much it made me laugh. This is really the only part of the book that is really, really funny.

The middle of the book is kind of weak. There are a few chuckles here and there, but then it kind of goes in circles with all of the events happening. This is a bad thing, but also kind of a good thing. It seems that in high school, that's how things really happen. Especially when someone has a disease or is on the verge of death. Things seem to blur together and sometimes you can barely make out what day it is and you do crazy things and forget what you're doing sometimes. This is where the dialogue is also weak, which is really the only problem I have with this book. I think David Yoo intended to do things this way though. He totally redeems the story after he and Mia break up. The story seems to get stronger. He makes it a blur in a way, but on purpose. It's very subtle.

The ending is perfect. After Ryan tells Albert that he and Mia had sex, I think he is furious. But when they go back to where the frogs are, he sees things differently. They went through things together, so NOW they're something. It's a beautiful ending, and I totally did not see it coming. The last couple of paragraphs gave me a lump in my throat.

Overall, this book is highly recommended. It says 'young adult' as the target audience. I kind of disagree. The book is about young adults, but there is quite a bit of swearing and talk of sexual things every now and then. I was not offended in the slightest, but basically what I am getting at is that this book is relatable from 16 years on up. It hits incredibly close to home. If your heart has ever been broken, you need to read this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, October 25, 2010

By 

inkwell "weilifan" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before (Paperback)

Funny truthful book about an anti-social, Asian stereotypical kid in High School. Being Asian as well, I can relate to a lot of what is said in the book. Great read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, August 2, 2010

By 

Mrs. Magoo "Mrs. Magoo Reads" (California, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before (Paperback)

From [....].

Title: Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before
Author: David Yoo
Grade: A-
Ideal Audience: Boys & Girls, 14+

Summary: Al lives his life swimming in a sea of unpopularity. The only thing that separates him from the other rejects is that Al voluntary lives this way: it's easier to have only sixth graders as friends than to try to navigate the social structure at his high school.

However, when Al somehow manages to secure Mia (the most beautiful and popular girl at the school) as his girlfriend, he is unwillingly thrust into Mia's circle, full of universally beloved people. But all Al cares about is the fact that he is with the girl he loves.

Then, Al's bliss is intruded upon: Ryan, Mia's ex, develops cancer. Ryan requests that Mia take care of him, and suddenly the two are attached at the hip. It becomes clear to Al that Ryan is trying to get back Mia while using his cancer as an excuse, but no one will hear a word spoken against Ryan.

Can Al fix this one? Or will his lack of social skills prohibit any progress of tipping off Mia to Ryan's plan?

My thoughts: I literally laughed out loud in several parts while reading this book. I did not merely chuckle. I cracked up. It is, hands down, one of the five funniest books I have ever read. Yoo uses a clever mix of humor, sarcasm, wit, and irony to entertain the reader throughout the entire novel.

Although the book occasionally dragged, the majority of the time I was eager to keep reading. You should put this near the top of your to read pile, especially if you're looking for a laugh!