Play Me [Paperback]

Laura Ruby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

Eddy knows how to play the game of love.

He has all the tricks down cold, and his favorite girls are the ones with cherry lipstick and long legs in fishnets. They know he doesn’t make any promises.

But as graduation looms, the game begins to shift for Eddy. He never expected unattainable and perfect Lucinda Dulko to walk into his life. For the first time ever, Eddy’s not in control. To be with Lucinda, he has to play on her terms.

But what happens to a player when the rules suddenly change? Will Eddy find a way to win it all? Or will he get played?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Set in Ruby's Good Girls (HarperTempest, 2006) universe, this is the story of 18-year-old filmmaker Edward "Eddy" Rochester (named for Orson Welles's version, not Brontë's original), who was raised on cinema by his struggling actress mother. Now she's left the family for a bit part on a formulaic Miami crime show. At the close of senior year, Eddy is not thinking college. His main concerns are making movies (getting MTV to produce Riot Grrl 16 that he and his friends shot) and making moves on girls (lately, the fierce, athletic, unattainable Lucinda Dulko). Normally accustomed to getting girls without getting caught up, he's enthralled. Eventually insecurities and differing game plans for their futures find Eddy in a new role—dumpee. This wrinkle, combined with his AWOL mother and threatened career goals, means an impromptu road trip (important but somewhat tacked on) and serious self-evaluation. Eddy is enjoyable in that charming, self-obsessed, heartbreaker way, and he's flawed and vulnerable enough to be real. While readers will root for Riot Grrl 16's success, what will grab them is the focus on Eddy's relationships—with Lucinda, his mom, his friends (serious Joe, horn-dog video-clerk Rory, faux-punk and bluntly honest Gina), and his family of abandoned men. The best moments involve uncensored Gina or heartbreaking Meatball, Eddy's half brother, who spouts morbid factoids and "dies" various deaths waiting for Eddy to revive him. Pop culture (film related), innuendos, sexual situations (not graphic), and snappy dialogue are all a part of this relationship-centered read.—Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Eddy is enjoyable in that charming, self-obsessed, heartbreaker way, and he’s flawed and vulnerable enough to be real.” (School Library Journal )

“Guy lit with a brain and a heart, this has plenty to offer both romantics and cynics about love, film, and transformation.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 Reprint edition (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061243299
• ISBN-13: 978-0061243295
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,218,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Stepfamilies

More About the Author

Laura Ruby is the author of books for adults, teens and children. Her titles include the Edgar-nominated tween mystery LILY'S GHOSTS (now updated for 2011), the children's fantasy THE WALL AND THE WING (3/06) and a sequel, THE CHAOS KING (5/07) all published by Harpercollins. She writes for older teens as well, and her debut young adult novel, GOOD GIRLS (9/06), also from Harpercollins, was a Book Sense Pick for fall 2006 and an ALA Quick Pick for 2007. She followed this with the teen novels PLAY ME (2008) and BAD APPLE (2009).

Her short fiction for adults has appeared in various literary magazines, including Other Voices and The Florida Review. A collection of these stories, I'M NOT JULIA ROBERTS, was published by Warner Books in January 2007. Called "hilarious and heart-wrenching" by People and "a knowing look at the costs and rewards of remaking a family," by the Miami Herald, the book was also featured in Redbook, Working Mother, and USA Today, among others.

Raised in the wilds of suburban New Jersey, Laura Ruby now lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two cats that serve as creative advisors.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreak from a male perspective, September 15, 2008

By 

The Book Muncher (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Play Me (Hardcover)

Eddy Rochester is a movie fanatic, a wannabe famous filmmaker, and a player. He's figured he's pretty much on the fast track to success with his popular online video series Riot Grrl 16. It's all about him, and the girls love him - at least most of them do. But Lucinda Dulko is different; she's not as easily charmed as Eddy's other conquests. Play Me followes Eddy through his ups and downs with Riot Grrl 16, his relationship with his actress mother, and his various female friends. Eddy has to realize that maybe he's not guaranteed instant success, and that maybe there are other people in the picture besides him.

Laura Ruby weaves and incredibly realistic story in Play Me. Eddy's character is developed so well that I totally felt I could see through his eyes into his life. There's something so believable about Eddy's story that made me want to keep reading. The plot isn't too exciting, but reading this book was such a great experience because I could really feel Eddy's emotions. There aren't many books that I've read that have such a real and honest male protagonist like Eddy. Play Me was a beautifully written and extremely honest story anyone can relate to.

If you're looking for a realistic story to read, Play Me should be your first choice. Fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Catherine Ryan Hyde will also enjoy Laura Ruby's latest novel.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Compulsive Reader's Reviews, September 9, 2008

By 

The Compulsive Reader (Big Rapids, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Play Me (Hardcover)

Eddy cares about two things--filmmaking, and his family. Not the slew of girls he's had by his side and lusting after him over the years. To him, they're just looking for a good time, and not anything substantial. But then the unattainable, fierce, and independent Lucinda Dulko comes along and sweeps him off his feet. Suddenly years or meaningless relationships appear to be wasted time. Eddy and Lucinda have something real, something far more important than anything Eddy has ever experienced before. Or so he thought.

Written with wry humor, startling honesty, great emotion and a good dose of irony, Play Me is one knockout of a read. It's not often that female authors dare to tell the story from a male perspective, but Ruby not only accomplishes this, she excels at it. Her talent is not only obvious in the way that she crafts Eddy and his friends' personalities and tendencies, but also in her ability to pull together the multitudes of details, no matter how big or small, to create a singular story. Play Me is a hard and pragmatic look at teen life today, free of euphemisms, fairy tale crafted happy endings, and plotlines that condescend to the reality of being a teen. The result is a read that any teen can feel an immediate connection with.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully, amazing book in a guy's POV, October 10, 2008

By 

Book-lover Carol "Carol" (Fort Worth,TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Play Me (Hardcover)

I'm sure you've all seen reviews of this book on other blogs. Eddy isn't really a player--he's more like a normal teenage guy. Play Me was very realistic, witty, and funny. The fact the Eddy wants to be a film maker makes the book much more interesting.The fact that Eddy and his friends know a lot about movies showed that Ruby has a big interest in films, and it really translated into the novel. Laura Ruby proves that no only can she write from a female's perspective but also from a male's and is excellent at it. Play Me was different from other YA books because the ending was realistic--not a happily ever after one. Eddy's character was just amazing--as the other character's--and felt as if he attended my school. The plot line was just great and I definitely recommend this book to anyone. Play Me was nothing short of excellent and is a book that any teen can relate to.
-Carol
www.bookluver-carol.blogspot.com