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    The House of Tomorrow
    The House of Tomorrow
    The House of Tomorrow
    Audiobook10 hours

    The House of Tomorrow

    Written by Peter Bognanni

    Narrated by Lloyd James

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMar 4, 2010
    ISBN9781400185801
    The House of Tomorrow

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    Reviews for The House of Tomorrow

    4/5

    28 ratings20 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Such an unusual story about two teen boys completely isolated from the real world for very different reasons - they seek to find something to make their own, that will feel real and to make them part of a community, in this case, punk rock. Recommend to those who like quirky, heartfelt stories with stronger characters than storyline.
    • 4/5
      In many regards, The House of Tomorrow isn't a spectacular book. It follows a formula that has become trite in fiction. The story largely rolls out as most readers would expect from a coming-of-age story. Every time a new character pops up, you can guess the role they'll play. Stylistically, The House of Tomorrow doesn't stand out.Despite its lack of surprises, Peter Bognanni's debut novel is still an interesting and entertaining read. Though it sticks with the formula and is peopled with predictable characters, the plot itself and the characters themselves are a joy to watch. This is a story about punk rock, geodesic domes, hero worship, education, and friendship. There's nothing formulaic about the individual aspects of the story, just the way they interact with one another.Bognanni does a wonderful job crafting main characters who are believably human despite their strange circumstances. On the flip side, many of the secondary characters are used for irony and laughs. They cross lines, particularly in regards to religion, that make them overdrawn stereotypes. I get it, religion—especially youth groups—can be hypocritical and comical, but the lack of a character who countered this stereotype forced a lopsided story in this regard.The House of Tomorrow is not one of the more memorable stories I've read of late, but it does stand out. Bognanni nails many of the aspects of adolescence that other authors miss. No, there aren't many surprises or unforgettable scenes, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the ride. I loved these characters and I really enjoyed watching their lives unfold. Despite the heaviness of the plot at times, The House of Tomorrow was a fun read.
    • 5/5
      One Saturday night (technically Sunday morning), I was so very tempted to get in my car, set the GPS for Minneapolis and go. I wasn't finished with The House of Tomorrow yet, but I so very much wanted to find Pete Bognanni and thank him. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the reality of this plan sank in pretty quickly. I never even got out of bed. That doesn't negate the fact that I love this book. It's my new little gem.The House of Tomorrow tells the story of Sebastian Prendergrast, a teenage boy who has spent much of his life alone with his eccentric grandmother is a geodesic dome in Iowa. He is homeschooled on the brilliance of Nana's hero and inspiration, R. Buckminster Fuller. While Nana and Sebastian hold paying tours of their home, it isn't until Nana has a stroke that Sebastian experiences any meaningful interaction with other people. It is then that he meets the Whitlow family, specifically Janice Whitlow's son Jared and daughter Meredith. No one knew it at the time, but this meeting would bring a whirlwind of chaos and punk music to everyone's life and would ultimately show Sebastian what greatness truly means.I have never been to Iowa, but I've been to Sebastian and Jared's hometown. I'm not exactly sure how that makes sense, but the small suburb of Grand Rapids, MI where I grew up couldn't be more similar. There were the same types of hardware stores and churches. There were the same types of parents trying to shield their children from a world that is more frightening to them than to their kids. As such, they were protecting their children from the wrong things. However, it's only in that insular innocence that Sebastian and Jared could have been born and dreamed their great dreams. Sebastian's near complete isolation from anything other than his grandmother and her teachings of Fuller's philosophy allowed him to experience all that the world, as fashioned in that small Iowa town, with awkward curiosity and unexpected thrills. Jared's family life was not nearly as stable and sterile as Sebastian's, but he needed the innocence and pure enthusiasm Sebastian brought into their friendship to breathe life into his music. Sebastian was his willing copilot, the only person that didn't treat him like damaged goods. As they influenced one another, the stage was set for the punk rock adventure of a lifetime.Peter Bognanni reminds me so much of Douglas Coupland. I'm now nearly twenty years older than I was when I first read Generation X and Shampoo Planet, but The House of Tomorrow took me to that same place inside. Bognanni's sense of humor, pacing, subject matter and tone burrowed a nest inside of me for The House of Tomorrow that only Coupland has done before. It's the power of reading novels true to the cultural make up of the world as you see it. I hope that both Coupland and Bognanni's work remains popular for years to come, but I believe they wrote especially for people like me. I can relate to characters in so many of the novels I've read, but it's not very often where I feel that characters could relate to me. Sebastian and Jared would understand me, even with our age difference. They would intuitively know my dreams and motivations in the same way that Andy, Dag and Claire did from Generation X. Reading about cultural if not contemporary kindred spirits is a powerful experience.When reading The House of Tomorrow, I felt such exuberance. It was this sheer joy gave me the impulse to hop in my car for a 19 hour road trip. Not long after I finished, my daughter said something about Jeff Kinney while waving her first Wimpy Kid book in the air that perfectly sums up the way I feel. Picture me holding my copy of The House of Tomorrow up high as I announce to the world, "I love Peter Bognanni! He made this book!" It is a wonderful thing that authors can inspire that same passion whether their readers are 6 or *uh hem* over decades older than 6. May we all be lucky enough to continue to discover Jeff Kinneys, Douglas Couplands and Peter Bognannis when we're 86.
    • 5/5
      I was pleasantly surprised by this book. When I first started The House of Tomorrow, I thought it was going to be another story of a homeschooled teen raised by a new-age, out-of-touch grandmother who is forced into the "real world." It did start out that way. Sebastian's grandmother has been raising him in their geodesic dome house, where she homeschools him on the teachings of a futurist philosopher. He rarely leaves the house and his contact with others is mainly with people coming to tour their unique home. When his grandmother has a stroke, he is taken in by a family who is going through some pretty major problems of their own. A single mom is raising two rebellious teens, one of whom has had a heart transplant that his body is rejecting. Sebastian learns about punk music and experiences first love . . . and really his first friendship as well. This book was so much deeper than I expected and really touching and funny. I was hooked from the first page and wasn't let go until the last. This is a book for older teens as their are sexual references and bad language. I highly recommend this thought provoking, as well as entertaining book.
    • 4/5
      Great coming-of-age story about a boy who lives an isolated and home-schooled existince with his eccentric grandmother in a geodesic dome. One day while the Whitcomb family is touring the geodome, Sebastian's grandmother suffers a stroke and is taken to the hospital. This is the catalyst that pushes Sebastian out into the world, specifically into the Whitcomb family. Janice (the mother) is still reeling from a divorce, and her son Jared is recovering from heart transplant surgery. Jared finds Sebastian's upbringing extremely weird, if not cruel, and introduces him to the joys of punk rock. The two become friends and decide to form a punk rock band. The character of Sebastian is amusing, speaking like a scientist much of the time, almost as if he sees the world from an outsider's perspective. Jared is the rebel, full of anger and humiliation at his physical limitations and weakness, but also a very lonely, confused and hurt boy. The friendship between Sebastian and Jared is the heart of the story, as well as Sebastian's growing crush on Jared's older sister. I really liked this story and look forward to more from this author. Recommended to anyone who enjoys quality young adult fiction.
    • 4/5
      Sebastian lives in a geodesic dome with his grandmother who is homeschooling him on the teachings of futurist philosopher R. Buckminster Fuller. When Sebastian's grandmother has a stroke, he is thrown into a relationship with the Whitcomb family that opens his eyes to friendship, punk rock, and first love. Jared Whitcomb is a swearing, chain-smoking heart transplant recipient who befriends Sebastian and begins to teach him about all the things he's been missing: junk food, guitar music, and Jared's sister, Meredith. Jared decides that he and Sebastian are going to form a band and compete in the Methodist church's talent contest.
    • 4/5
      Charming and chock-full of punk.
    • 3/5
      If you like quirky, offbeat books similar to authors like Nick Hornby and Carl Hiaasen, THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW is for you. In this coming of age novel, the main character, Sebastian emerges from his isolated cocoon into the world, eyes wide. Living in a tourist attraction (a geodesic dome) and being homeschooled by his strong-willed grandmother didn't prepare him for the life of a real teen, filled with angst, lust, soda and sugar, and punk rock music. So, when his grandmother has a stroke and is unable to run her house like she used to, Sebastian is thrust into the world with little preparation. But Jared, a wannabe punk rocker/tough guy, is there to help Sebastian discover all the craziness outside the geodesic dome.The characters were multi-dimensional and layered; interesting people I enjoyed spending time with. Sebastian is sweet and good-hearted, completely socially awkward because of his homeschooling. It's fun seeing him interact with the world--like a traveler exploring a completely foreign land or a scientist on a new planet. He's so different than the "average" teen (is there really any such thing as an average teen?), since his upbringing didn't allow for much interaction beyond the odd tourist.When he meets Jared, they're both intrigued by one another (though Jared does his best not to show it) and, at first, believe that they're polar opposites. Their relationship and growing friendship pull the story forward. Jared's a great character--a realistically flawed teen who, under his tough exterior, is looking for a friend. It was pretty cool how punk rock music helped them connect and explore their differences and similarities. Oh, and then there was the grandmother. She was a trip - a futurist with ties to Buckminster Fuller (yes, I had to look him up. He was a real person, an engineer, author, designer, and inventor. Very interesting.).THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW is a surprising novel, written in a strong voice with great one-liners and eccentric characters.
    • 5/5
      The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni is a story about Sebastian Prendergast; a boy who lives in a glass dome with his eccentric grandmother who he calls Nana. Nana kept Sebastian quite separated from the outside world because she wanted him to help fulfill the visions of the futuristic philisopher R. Buckminister Fuller. But, after Nana falls ill he finds himself pulled into the lives of the Whitcomb family which consists of a overstressed mother named Janice, a son named Jared who just recently had his heart replaced and a daughter named Meredith who has slightly whorish tendencies. This book is a great read. If you’re looking for humorous book that has a lot of heart then this is the book for you. The characters are so well developed that by the end you can’t help but feel personally connected to them all. I especially love Jared Whitcomb; he is the most blunt and unintentionally funny character I have ever encountered in a book.All I can say is; if you read it, you’ll love it.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyable. Not sure why it wasn't shelved with YA fiction, b/c that's what it seems to be. GOOD young adult, mind you. It really is a credit to the writing that such odd and (in one case) kind of asshole-y characters can be so likable. A good story of youth, being a misfit, and punk rock.
    • 4/5
      Raised in near isolation and homeschooled by his grandmother, Sebastian Prendergast is in for a big shock when he encounters the "real world". Sebastian lives in a geodesic dome called the House of Tomorrow in a small town Iowa. Not only has Sebastian never been to school before, but his teachings were primarily based on the ideas of R. Buckminster Fuller (aka Bucky), who was a prolific engineer, author, designer, and futurist. This means that Sebastian has some strange ideas (such as that he can telepathically communicate with his grandmother) and a somewhat detached style of behavior influenced by his lack of human interaction (except for the tourists, who are invited to visit the house and encouraged to spend money in the gift shop). When his grandmother has a stroke, Sebastian's life intersects with that of the Whitcomb family, who happen to be visiting the house at the time. Janice and her 16-year-old son Jared follow the ambulance to the hospital, setting into motion the main events of the story. Jared, a chain-smoking, abrasive, recent recipient of a heart transplant, is apparently fascinated by Sebastian, though he shows it in typically masculine ways - through swearing, cryptic emails, and ridicule. Through Jared, Sebastian learns about music, processed food, petty crimes, and live outside the dome. Jared's sister, Meredith, teaches Sebastian her own lesson about how love can be shown. Together, the Whitcombs help Sebastian through this difficult time in his life and are no doubt altered by the relationship as well.Sebastian was somewhat difficult to connect with as a main character. Jared's often caustic remarks were a bit excessive. But overall, the unique setting and circumstances of the story made it a worthwhile read, even if it took a little longer to get into than some coming of age stories. Winner of the Alex Award, this is an adult book with appeal to teens, particularly those who may have an interest in music, not attending school, and/or geodesic domes.
    • 1/5
      I sure hope the movie was better cause this book was nothing but dull and boring and pointless to me....
    • 5/5
      The Short of It:Brilliant, beautifully written and touching in a way that surprised me.The Rest of It:After losing both parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Sebastian Prendergast lives with his eccentric grandmother Nana in a geodesic dome. Nana, who studied with the infamous R. Buckminster Fuller (architect, philosopher and futurist), continues to share his teachings by conducting tours of their very unique home.Most people visiting Iowa come for other reasons, but every once in awhile they have a visitor or two, and that’s enough to keep Nana happy. Sebastian spends his days polishing the dome and as he’s gazing down upon the town below, it occurs to him that he hasn’t seen much of it, or the rest of the world for that matter. You see, the dome acts as a barrier to all things. It protects him, yet it also imprisons him. In his sensible shoes and conservative outdated clothing, Sebastian finds pleasure in simple things, but he secretly desires more. When his Nana falls ill, he meets a family that helps him realize how special he really is.This is a wonderful story and includes the most interesting cast of characters I’ve encountered in a long time. They are terrifically flawed. I seriously loved them all, which I almost never say. Bognanni manages to make them vulnerable in beautiful, subtle ways. The story is funny and sad and touching without being overly worked. The transitions were effortless, or seemed so anyway. I adored this book and this is Bognanni’s first novel! It blows my mind. You know that feeling you get after reading a page or two of a new book? The feeling where you just know that it’s going to be great? I had that feeling throughout the book and the ending did not disappoint. There is so much more to say, but it would be better to experience it on your own.
    • 5/5
      The House of Tomorrow is a coming-of-age story, but it is so much more than that. Sebastian’s narrative voice is quirky and humorous and incredibly sympathetic, and it was the highlight of the reading experience for me. Bognanni’s use of punk rock and the adolescent discovery of music as an outlet for emotion are well-drawn, and he works in the punk rock references perfectly.The voices in this book ring with authenticity and leave you feeling like you know the people within its pages, and you care what happens to them. Bognanni’s dialogue snaps and crackles with the angst and tension of teenage identity crises and family turmoil, and it’s all just kind of perfect. Other reviewers have discussed The House of Tomorrow as a YA book, but I agree with the publisher’s decision to sell and market it as a work of adult fiction. While the central issues of the book will appeal to teen readers, adults who have the benefit of grown-up perspective are more likely to appreciate the narration, humor, and spot-on awkwardness.Read my full review at The Book Lady's Blog.
    • 4/5
      I have never read a book while listening to loud, rowdy music. The House of Tomorrow changed all that. It made me. Filled with punk rock references and teen angst, House of Tomorrow deserved to be devoured while The Ramones pulsed through my head.One of the best things about House of Tomorrow is that it is both a coming of age story and a story about family. Peter Bognanni wrote about Sebastian-a very sheltered boy-and it is this isolation that allows Sebastian to see the things we miss. Sebastian loves his freedom, but he ends up loving family more. Who couldn’t love a book with a message like that??Filled with a great cast of characters and complete with an adorable tale of teenage desire, The House of Tomorrow is a great read for teens and adults who can’t believe they are so old.
    • 4/5
      This novel has a fairly interesting premise. Basically, there is a boy who lives in an isolated dome in Iowa who grows up mainly without parents with just his grandma until, at the age of 16, his grandma has a stroke while some people from town have arrived to take a tour of the dome. It's the first chance the protagonist really has at interacting with people from the outside world and he finds out really quickly he's been very sheltered, especially from the likes of punk rock.

      In many ways, this is a coming of age book...a quirky discovery of teenage humanity and all the gritty angsty music that have defined generations after generations from the Sex Pistols to The Dead Kennedys to The Misfits to Fugazi. It's not an encyclopedia by any means but those familiar a little bit with the history of punk rock will appreciate the novel much more.

      In another way, this book is about family, about life's unfair cruelties, about religion, about wanting to be a world changer, and even a little about religion. But, of course, it's also about girls. As John Cusack would say, "It was about girls, right?"

      Anyhow, this book probably won't change your life but it's thoroughly enjoyable all the same. If you have any idiosyncratic teenagers in your family that are getting into music, especially punk rock, buy him/her a copy.


      Memorable Quotes:

      pg 1 "Every single human being is part of a grand universal plan. That's what my Nana always says. We're not alive just to lounge around and contemplate our umbilicus. We're metaphysical beings!"

      pg. 57 Sebastian buys a Misfits album from The Record Collector:

      "I've made a selection," I said.
      "Amazing" he said. "Way to go."
      He surveyed my choice. "Oh." he said, "you have to be eighteen to buy this one.
      He handed the disc back to me.
      "Eighteen years old?"
      "Yeah," he said. "They measure age in years now, man."
      I turned it over in my hands. There was a sticker on the front that warned about explicit content. The man ignored me now, pretending I wasn't there.
      "It's my first one," I said.
      The man broke his trance. "Your first what?"
      "My first compact disc."
      "You've never bought an album before?" he asked.
      I shook my head. He looked like he was going to choke on his sandwich. And, for a minute, he seemed unsure what to do. He looked around the store, his eyes shifting back and forth. Then he looked behind him at a door to the back room.
      "Jesus." he said.
      I watched him intently.
      I handed the disc back to him and he punched a series of buttons on the register. I placed my bill on the counter and watched it disappear into the cash drawer. Twenty dollars. The man shook his head, uttering more profanity to himself. He ripped the explicit content sticker off the cover and made my change as fast as he could.
      "Now get out of here," he said, "You've seriously compromised my job, man."
      I obliged him, walking a straight path out the door. The fact that I possessed no form of a disc player did not even occur to me at that moment. I had just known, somehow, that I was supposed to purchase the album. It had been there to be found by me."


      pg. 90 "Do you know who Napoleon was?" he asked.
      "He was the emperor of France," I said.
      "Wrong," said Jared. "He was the first punk rocker."


    • 5/5
      I loved this book and don't know why I put off reading it so long. It's a brilliant story of a teen named Sebastian, living with his grandmother in a futuristic house. Sebastian is sheltered by his grandmother who is a follower of a dead guru. When Sebastian meets a "normal" family, he does everything to be around them, getting caught up in their own drama. This book is so well-written and very poignant. Sebastian will stay with you long after you finish this book
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Sebastian Pendergrass does not get out much. He's this homeschooled kid who lives with his grandmother in a dome. He is also the main character of The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni. Sebastian's grandmother gets a stroke, which will have the effect of drastically changing his life, as does the introduction of punk rock to his ears.If you've ever been truly moved by music, I absolutely recommend this book to you. Music is essentially the driving force behind The House of Tomorrow, as it has the power to shape someone, and to free your soul, I suppose you could say. I loved the raw passion on each and every single page.The characters are not glamorous. Every single character within this book was flawed, which I liked. I liked seeing teen boys who swear, mothers who aren't perfect, eccentric grandmothers, and socially awkward boys. Oh my. I enjoyed the grit. Bognanni paints an interesting dynamic of friendship and family relationships. He shows the individual within Sebastian, and Sebastian's relation to society. The topic of do we need other people is explored.Most of all though, it's about dirty punk rock. Not the cute Fall Out Boy, Cute Without The E kind, the scary Sex Pistols kind is more like it in this book. I used to fancy myself a fan of punk music when I was in high school, after all, I owned a Dropkick Murpheys shirt and thick black glasses. Alas, I was not a fan of true punk, unless you count rocking out to I Wanna Be Sedated by the Ramones as being a fan. I don't. That said, I didn't feel lost at all while reading this book. I was somewhat apprehensive, as I thought perhaps this book would be full of hate and anger and scary, but luckily my fears were assailed.Here's some quotes I enjoyed from The House of Tomorrow, as the writing style is the kind I enjoy:"Do you know who Napoleon was?' he asked.'The emperor of France,' I said.'Wrong,' said Jared. 'He was the first punk rocker.''He was the emperor of France,' I said.'Death is nothing but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily,' said Jared. 'You know who said that?''Napoleon?''Yes. And do you know what, Sebastian?''What?''We are dying daily." -pg 90 ARCI'm such a history geek. I love the idea of Napoleon being the first punk rocker, I love it."Punk song are not about hurt, okay? That's country. Punk is about anger and not taking any shit, and living how you want to, and catching an awesome buzz from some beers, and being a shit-head, but a great shit-head." - pg. 191 (ARC)Hah, so funny, and makes me think of teenagers enjoying the pulse of music, and just being angry about stuff.The House of Tomorrow contains profanity, references to sex, all sorts of fun things, but that's never stopped me from reading a book, and I thought it sort of fit. Also, this book is put out by an adult imprint of Putnam, The Amy Einhorn imprint. While this is technically an adult book, the protagonist is a teenager and goes through many teenager things including a search/exploration of identity. I could see this working for the crowd that enjoys Catcher In The Rye, as well as Chuck Palahniuk, as well as High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. It's not quite YA, but I think older teens would enjoy this book.
    • 5/5
      If you’re looking for a change of scenery from your regular reading, something refreshingly innocent, humorous, charming, with a twinge of sadness, but overall hopeful and unique, than The House of Tomorrow is what you’re looking for. Thirteen year-old Sebastian Prendergast lives in a glass dome on top of a hill overlooking a town in Iowa. Yes, I said it, Iowa. An unlikely place for a boy to find himself through punk-rock music, but the Minnesota girl in me loves it.Parentless at a young age, Sebastian lives with his aging grandmother who homeschools him on the teachings of dead philosopher-architect Buckminster Fuller. Sebastian’s grandmother has grand plans for him, somewhat new-age (though she hates the word) worldly plans. And her teachings and stories are all he’s ever known. When his grandmother has a stoke while giving a tour of their dome, Jared is accompanied to the hospital by the Whitcomb family: single mother Janice, sarcastic son Jared, and icy damaged daughter Meredith. On that day, his whole world changes. When his grandmother kicks him out of the dome for having email conversations about punk-rock music with Jared, Sebastian goes to stay with the Whitcomb family. In the course of his weeks with them, he and the Whitcombs are changed and their worlds will never quite be the same.Peter Bognanni’s debut novel made me laugh more than once. The writing quality is good and appropriately simplistic, it’s not trying to make you smarter, or make you feel stupid. It’s trying to move you, and it will. The characters are crisp and realistic, images of them poured off the page as I read, and I can imagine this as a wonderful film. I sympathize with Sebastian, who is naive but not stupid, and I am thankful Bognanni made him intelligent enough with the outside world, instead of entirely unknowing of human interaction. I believe that Sebastian would use the sort of strange scientific language that he did, having been taught by his grandmother inside of a dome for the majority of his life; but I would have found it unrealistic if, say, he had no knowledge of how money works, or how to use a pay phone.My favorite supporting character is Jared. Jared of the too-skinny jeans and punk-rock dreams. Of the stolen cigarettes and sarcastic one-liners. Jared is amusing and witty and wonderful. He and Sebastian form a unique bond and their interactions are the best parts of the story.This book will change you; will make you look up the music of The Misfits; will make you recall your old, yet undying love for The Cure. It will make you nostalgic for your teenage years. It’s simply a really good book; unique, with flawless dialogue, and touching characters that will stay with you when you’re done reading.5 stars(I received this book from the publisher for review)