My Awesome-Awful Popularity Plan

By: Seth Rudetsky

Narrated by: Seth Rudetsky, Andrea Burns, Paul Castree, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Gad, Ana Gasteyer, Megan Hilty, Marc Kudisch, Will Swenson, James Wesley

Audie Award Nominee, Multi-voiced Performance, 2013

Justin has two goals for sophomore year: to date Chuck, the hottest boy in school, and to become the king of Cool U, the table in the cafeteria where the "in" crowd sits. Unfortunately, he has the wrong look (short, plump, Brillo-pad curls), he has the wrong interests (Broadway, chorus, violin), and he has the wrong friends (Spencer, into Eastern religions, and Mary Ann, who doesn't shave her armpits). And Chuck? Well, he's not gay; he's dating Becky, a girl in chorus with whom Justin is friendly.

But Justin is determined.

In detention one day (because he saw Chuck get it first), Justin comes up with a perfect plan: to allow Becky to continue dating Chuck, whom Becky's dad hates. They will pretend that Becky is dating Justin, whom Becky's dad loves. And when Becky and Justin go out on a fake date, Chuck will meet up with them for a real date with Becky. Chuck's bound to find Justin irresistable, right? What could go wrong?

Seth Rudetsky's first novel for young adults is endearingly human and laugh-out-loud funny. And any kid who ever aspired to Cool U will find Justin a welcome ally in the fight for popularity.

©2012 Seth Rudetsky (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Outstanding

I absolutely loved this and would recommend it to any listener: young, old, gay, or straight. It was funny and perfectly performed by the full cast.

Great book

had a lot of laughs and absolutely loved the voices used. would recommend to anyone I know.

Hilarious and Touching

Self-absorbed Justin jumps to conclusions about everything while he keeps laser-focused on getting his first kiss from the most popular kid in high school. The multi-voiced narration is delightfully cast, and seamlessly executed. Seth’s voicing of Justin is hilarious as he guides us through Justin’s thought process. Highly recommend!

The Best Audiobook I've Heard So Far

What did you love best about My Awesome-Awful Popularity Plan?

Hands down, the narration. The story was okay, but the narration made it exceptional. I laughed out loud constantly. I've actually listened to the book twice, just because it was narrated so well.

What did you like best about this story?

Again, the narration was just so good. I felt like I was "listening" to a well-done play.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to say, there were so many. I guess I'd have to say the New Year's Eve party.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and laughed and laughed!

Any additional comments?

This is an easy listen. Not much thinking involved, just pure fun and laughter.

Fantastic, Hilarious, Heartwarming

This book is fantastic. Laugh out loud funny, insightful and entertaining. Relatable, no matter who you are. We've all been through adolescence and we've all had our share of embarrassments and epiphanies. This book was highly entertaining. All the narrators were amazing.
I know this review is short, but I am hoping it will entice people to read my review and pick up the book. Seriously. You should totally just pick it up. I am glad I did. I really did laugh out loud. That wasn't an expression.

Ah-MAZ-ingly Entertaining!

If you could sum up My Awesome-Awful Popularity Plan in three words, what would they be?

Fun, fun, (major) fun. It's categorized as a young adult book, but don't let that stop you. And if you're not a gay teenage boy, don't let that stop you either. Because this quest for a boyfriend/girlfriend is something most people can relate to.

What other book might you compare My Awesome-Awful Popularity Plan to and why?

Of course, it brings to mind Seth Rudetsky's other book, BROADWAY NIGHTS, which dealt with the grown-up version of the musically-talented and lovelorn hero, a decent guy who's looking for Mr. Right. This one, Broadway Nights, is hysterically funny and has a lot of insider information about the workings of Broadway. . Seth's use of language is really clever, so much so that I want to listen to the whole book again.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Seth Rudetsky is one-of-a-kind. I can't imagine this book without his narration, because he brings so much of himself to the role. That man can certainly turn a phrase! It's laugh-out-loud funny in places, entertaining throughout, and brings back memories of all that high school drama. Seth voices the main character, with terrific actors like Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Megan Hilty, Will Swenson, Josh Gad, and Ana Gasteyer voicing the supporting characters. It's such an assembly of talent!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It caused a release of endorphins and kept me entertained on an otherwise uneventful road trip.

Any additional comments?

I liked both of Seth's books so much for their pure entertainment value that I had to email him and let him know. He sent me a message from his iPhone (!) a short time later, and now he has a dedicated fan in me. (His YouTube videos and other pursuits are really entertaining as well. He's a versatile musician who plays piano and conducts orchestras. Check him out.)

Not a teen but loved it

Fun, smart and entertaining with a good message. Great, hilarious and nuanced narration. Narration really put it over the top as a good listen.

I Love Seth Rudetsky's books

Any additional comments?

Even though this is a young reader book, I will read anything Seth Rudetsky writes! It was a sweet book, I enjoyed the multiple narrators, that made it fun. Audible - please add all of Seth's books to your list of books!

The most terrible book I actually finished.

Any additional comments?

Did you know an obnoxious and backstabbing kid in high school who would be a bully if only he were more popular? Then imagine sitting through his 5 hour story where he paints himself as the hero.

This is a story about a supposedly very smart science nerd who happens to be gay, except that the ONLY thing he ever cares about is being popular. It reads as though the stereotypical ditsy popular cheerleader who never opened a book in her life was asked to write a story about a nerdy boy.

I could not relate to the main character because he felt contrived. Being a gay nerd myself, I never knew a real person in high school who was so scatterbrained, let alone one who could ace biology tests. Worst of all, I couldn't even warm up to him because he's conniving, back-stabbing, and a borderline sociopath. The only reason he ever shows goodness is if he thinks one of his friends will be upset with him otherwise.

The vast majority of the performers did a great job, but I the main character was just downright annoying. This is probably because of how he was written, but the ditsy intonations exacerbated the problem.

tl;dr: The book is sometimes funny, but not often. Only read if you're the kind of person who really cared about being popular at some point in your life.