Albert is one of the most consistently unlikeable narrators I have ever encountered, and he goes through almost no character growth over the course of the novel. This is a very difficult hurdle for any book to get over, and Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before is not able to overcome. Despite some excellent characterization, interesting situations, and fine writing from Mr. Yoo, Albert's complete and total inability to see anything beyond his own wants and needs makes sympathy for Albert hard to come by. I was only able to make it to the end of the book by imagining Albert's eventual growth, but it didn't ever happen. The one part of the book that I did truly enjoy was Albert's summer working with Mia. When Albert's life is going well, he is funny and charming. ( )

Reviewed by Bookluver_Carol for TeensReadToo.com

If Albert Kim has learned one thing in his tragic adolescence, it's that God (probably a sadistic teenage 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 intimidating, the ex- long-term girlfriend of Ivy-bound, muscle-bearing 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.

STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE was a funny, sad, and wonderful story all at the same time. Yoo really knows how to capture the reader and keep them hooked until the last page.

Albert felt like a real teenage boy and his emotions were captured so well. The love between him and Mia grew gradually and I loved that. They didn't fall in love when they first met; their friendship grew into love. I really liked how Albert grew as a character and had a truly unique voice.

Overall, I highly recommend STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE. It's just such an engaging novel! ( )

First off - I loved this narrator. Sure, he was so immature that he made you cringe much of the time. Just like you'll yell "Don't go in there!" to a girl in a horror movie you'll want to sew up Albert's tongue half the time: making him unable to do or say one of the hundreds of things he does or says throughout the book. I think that's what I loved so much about this book - it was such a spot on representation of how dumb and self centered some boys and girls can be at (ahem) some ages. The last 50 pages or so lagged and I'm not sure the ending was very satisfying, but it's worth checking out if only to read the first few chapters. The descriptions of Albert's physical reactions to being in the same room as a hot girl are some of the funniest most heartfelt bits of teen lit I've ever read. Besides the hot-girl-syndrome effects, my favorite source of comedy and pain in this book are Albert's trying to do well Korean parents. He's the first Korean-American in the family and Alberts shares some really great insights. Trying to pin down the time/setting for this book is difficult, but based on the music, clothing and attitudes, I'd set it in the mid-90s. I'm going to put a hold on Yoo's other YA book, Girls for Breakfast, right now! ( )

http://girlsjustreading.blogspot.com/... ( )

Albert Kim is Korean, a teenager, and a loser who has taken himself out of high school society. He gets to know Mia Stone, a classmate and the coolest girl in school, at their summer job vacuuming rooms at a local inn. An unlikely friendship turns into an even more unlikely romance, which turns sour when school starts again and Mia's ex-boyfriend is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Funny and frustrating, like high school. ( )