Play Audiobook Sample
The House of Tomorrow Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.02) - 1,128 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Sebastian Prendergast lives in a geodesic dome with his eccentric grandmother, who homeschooled him in the teachings of futurist philosopher R. Buckminster Fuller. But when his grandmother has a stroke, Sebastian is forced to leave the dome and make his own way in town.
Jared Whitcomb is a chain-smoking sixteen-year-old heart-transplant recipient who befriends Sebastian and begins to teach him about all the things he has been missing, including grape soda, girls, and Sid Vicious. They form a punk band called The Rash, and it's clear that the upcoming Methodist Church talent show has never seen the likes of them.
With storytelling that is fresh and vivid, The House of Tomorrow is destined to become an instant classic.
Download and start listening now!
"This was recommended to me by an old friend and talented musician. It's a charming coming of age story about teenage boys struggling to live up to their parents' expectations while nurturing their own need for individuality and self-expression. The hook for me is that it somehow manages to weave Buckminster Fuller's philosophy in and out of a punk rock themed plot. I breezed through the 400 pages in less than two weeks, quite engaging."
— Natalie (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
Lloyd James provides the tongue-in-cheek playfulness this story requires and portrays compassion when necessary.
— AudioFile -
“The boys here don’t come of age—girls are just beginning to exist and lifelong struggles are only taking root—but their connection is an honest, noisy, and raucous look at friendship and how loud music can make almost everything better.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review -
“Heartbreakingly funny and deeply compassionate…Bognanni’s timely novel perfectly captures teenage angst in all its raw and riotous discomfort.”
— Booklist -
“I adore this book, not only for its ability to love our ludicrous hearts, but also for the way it makes dividing questions about whether good literature comes from the heart or the mind seem like nonsense.”
— Rivka Galchen, author of Atmospheric Disturbances -
“Under the screaming rage of a Misfits or Ramones song, you can hear a heart beating, and that’s where Peter Bognanni gets to work-his wild and tender book reveals how much a couple of scared boys can say to each other with a little hateful noise.”
— Rob Sheffield, author of Love is a Mix Tape
The House of Tomorrow Listener Reviews
-
" It was nice to read a book by a man about teen boys and their friendship. So many books today are girl centered, as if boys don't read. But this was a good book and I love that it was set in a Bucky Ball house. "
— Stephanie, 2/8/2014 -
" An unexpected pleasure...I loved the interactions between the sheltered, eccentric Sebastion and the rebellious Jard. "
— Carolyn, 2/4/2014 -
" Mike's friend wrote this, I liked it a lot - a little on the YA side but in a good way. "
— Angel, 1/30/2014 -
" Sebastian, orphaned as a child, lives with his grandmother in a geodesic dome in rural Iowa. The poor kid has been raised in isolation, so it's not his fault that he talks like a college instructor. Befriended by Jared, a punk-rock enthusiast recovering from a heart transplant, Sebastian finds out how "normal" families live--and he wants in. This is a fun, oddball book that somehow merges punk music with Buckminster Fuller's philosophies, but Sebastian's remoteness keeps the story from having a real heart. (On first meeting, Jared asks, "Are you autistic?") Gotta love a band named "The Rash," though. "
— Alison, 1/26/2014 -
" Sweet book that was deeply satisfying. A rare story that I did not want to end. "
— Jennifer, 1/16/2014 -
" I picked this up because of my interest in Buckminster Fuller. I'm not sure putting this on the teen-lit shelf is right, but it doesn't feel right as an adult-looking-back-coming-of-age story either. I'm not sure about the rating 3 stars 4 stars maybe more maybe less. Still mulling this one over. "
— Julie, 1/6/2014 -
" I can't remember why I bought this book... lets find out. "
— Rebecca, 1/6/2014 -
" I probably would have given this novel a 3.5-ish except the ending was fantastic and worthy of bumping up the star rating. "
— Nicole, 1/2/2014 -
" Excellent teen angsty book about finding yourself through music. "
— Joshua, 12/20/2013 -
" I needed some fun fiction and really enjoyed this story. "
— Casey, 12/19/2013 -
" It was good but it didn't quite live up to some of the hype I read before getting the book. "
— Holly, 12/13/2013 -
" Liked it! An engaging teen story with believable people in improbable circumstances. Do I get plenty of adjective points? "
— Amy, 8/24/2013 -
" I liked this book. It was not oversimplified and I like it when authors respect their YA audiences that way. The Bucky spin was interesting and the grandma was an unusual character for a YA book. How many teen books are about a boy and his grandma? "
— Shellie, 7/27/2013 -
" I loved the vulnerability of the two main characters, but the story as a whole was kind of boring. "
— Sara, 4/22/2012 -
" Interesting plot. Very easy to get lost in this book. "
— Sarah, 4/20/2012 -
" This book is so great. A cool story about a kid who is raised by his grandmother in the a geodesic dome in Iowa, and what happens when he goes out into the world. Geeky teenagers and punk rock...the author captures the discovery of something you love so well. "
— Mere, 8/22/2011 -
" Fantastic read. Totally creative, and still very easy to believe. Much different experience than I am used to. Super refreshing, and I can't wait to read it again. "
— Toni, 7/14/2011 -
" I didn't expect this to be a young adult novel when I borrowed it from the library, but it was. I loved it nevertheless. "
— Verena, 5/12/2011 -
" Loved the secondary character's 'voice' -- spot-on teenage banter. Edgy language, but nothing I haven't heard in the hallways. "
— Cassandra, 5/9/2011 -
" Coming of age story set-in Iowa. Hope to read more by this author. <br/> "
— Elizabeth, 4/27/2011 -
" The House of Tomorrow is an excellent read with some wonderfully developed characters (particularly Jared). "
— David, 4/21/2011 -
" It was good but it didn't quite live up to some of the hype I read before getting the book. "
— Holly, 4/5/2011 -
" Another good reader (I'm hooked on audio books while driving.) The end of this book made me think of Beth and Marcille. "
— Dad, 4/3/2011 -
" I just realized that I never finished this book. I thought it was good, but not really captivating. I put it down and just forgot to pick it up again. I guess it was just a little too slow for me. I may update this review if I ever finish it. "
— Emily, 4/2/2011 -
" a sweet book about some quirky people and some big and little issues set to the tune of punk rock. "
— Courtney, 3/30/2011 -
" Such a great book. Definitely different than a lot of things I have been reading. I think it's definitely worth reading. "
— Erica, 3/26/2011 -
" Sweet book that was deeply satisfying. A rare story that I did not want to end. "
— Jennifer, 3/22/2011 -
" I needed some fun fiction and really enjoyed this story. "
— Casey, 3/21/2011
About Peter Bognanni
Peter Bognanni is a recent graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was awarded a teaching/writing fellowship for his work. His short fiction and humor pieces have appeared in Gulf Coast, the Bellingham Review and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. He is a 2008 Pushcart Nominee, and his short story “The Body Eternal” was chosen by Stephen King as one of the 100 Most Distinguished Stories of 2006 in Best American Short Stories. He is currently a visiting instructor of creative writing at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
About Lloyd James
Lloyd James (a.k.a. Sean Pratt) has been a working professional actor in theater, film, television, and voice-overs for more than thirty years. He has narrated over one thousand audiobooks and won numerous Earphones Awards and nominations for the Audie Award and the Voice Arts Award. He holds a BFA degree in acting from Santa Fe University, New Mexico.