Customer Reviews

Play Me

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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

This book started OK. It was funny, it was original, it was great. I even enjoyed the movie references.

But that didn't last much. After a while, the originality got exhausted, the movie references were boring, and... Well, for instance, the relationship between Eddie and Lucinda was kinda cute, yes, but it felt like plastic.

And maybe it's my fault, because I've been reading too many depressing books lately (no wonder: if they start by making me laugh and they turn depressing after a while, I seriously doubt that's my fault), but the ending just depressed me. Perhaps that's saying too much, but really: the book started as funny, but in the end the atmosphere in the book was hardcore dramatic.

I own all of Laura Ruby's books (Good Girls, Bad Apple, & Play Me) but haven't read any until Play Me. The narrator was male, which made me like the book a little better. I don't think I would have liked it as much if Lucinda or Gina was the narrator. Now from the summary I was expecting the book to be mostly Eddy chasing after a bunch of different girls. This wasn't the case. His being a "player" wasn't really a big part of the book and I liked that his film making took more of an up front role. I liked all the discussion and quotes from different movies and especially their top five lists. I felt bad that Eddy's mother left them to go work on a TV show, but this added a lot to the book. If she hadn't left Eddy's father Marty and Meatball would never have had a role in the book. Eddy's family was one of the most unique I've ever heard, he lived with his father, stepfather, and stepbrother. They all had a great relationship and I liked how they all stuck together after Eddy's mother left them all.

Riot Grrl 16 was the name of the show Eddy and his friends were filming as part of an MTV competition. They put the shows up online and they mostly had nice comments except for one rude commenter- The Tin Man. I wished that the Tin Man's identity was revealed at the end, though. I was thinking that this was going to be a big mystery revealed, but in the end it wasn't really a big deal. I liked all the characters though- Rory, Meatball, Gina. Lucinda wasn't my favorite and although I understand Eddy learned a lesson from her, I wished the ending didn't end as it did. The plot was original and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Laura Ruby. Her characters were great and the plot was also enjoyable. All in all I would recommend this book to everyone, and although some parts weren't my favorite and the summary was a little misleading, it was an enjoyable read. I also really liked the cover.

Rating:
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8.5/10
Ending: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8.5/10
Cover: 9.5/10
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Overall: 42.5/50=85%

Play Me seems like a gothic Dawson's Creek. Although, unlike Dawson, Eddy is quite the ladies man. In the beginning my first impression of Eddy was terrible; he is a young kid that only has one thing on his mind involving every girls pants. Then once Lucinda enters the picture my impressions of Eddy changed drastically. He may be a young man with an overactive sex drive, but I also found him to be a very well rounded character and a genuinely good person that makes many bad decisions. Lucinda on the other hand was a complicated character in my eyes; Eddy's impression of this character sang from the pages, but I saw descrepencies between what Eddy was seeing and what the story was telling me. I felt that Lucinda was very cut throat and a questionably good person. In the end I was comfortable with role that Gina takes on, and Eddy's desicion to seek comfort from her in the end was a very impressive twist. The unexpected trip to see Eddy's mother was quite a shock, but I felt that it was essential to wrapping up this story. This was a good read for the ages recommended, but as a adult that generally loves young adult books I did not find this book to be that great and I can not see myself giving it a return visit.

Eddy Rochester is a movie fanatic and a wannabe famous filmmaker.

When his hit online show, "Riot Grrl 16," is in an MTV contest to be on a reality show called The Producers, Eddy and his team have a lot of work to do.

"Riot Grrl 16" is about Eddy and all the girls that love him. All of the girls except Lucinda Dulko, who isn't as easily charmed by Eddy.

With Lucinda being so unattainable and independent, Eddy couldn't be more attracted.

PLAY ME takes you through the stress of "Riot Grrl 16," Eddy's relationship with his actress mother, and his countless female friends.

PLAY ME is very realistic. You quickly become engrossed in the story because of its believability. You get a great understanding of Eddy and his friends. I love Eddy's sarcasm and how he and his friends talk about movies. You really feel like you're in the conversation.

Laura Ruby writes from a male perspective just as well as she writes from a female one. Eddy is the perfect male protagonist. The book has a great plot and great characters, and is a book that you will instantly become connected with and be entertained by to the very end!

Reviewed by: Tempestt (temppatt)

Ever since he was really little, Eddy has been a huge fan of movies --- mostly because his mother "..ate movies like other people eat potato chips, one after the other, never getting enough." And now, although close to graduation, he is totally tied up in his latest project, the hit online TV show "Riot Grrl 16." It's actually been chosen for an MTV competition, so the pressure is on to step it up. He has a great team (well, sometimes they're great) to work with and a most unusual family.

Gina --- Eddy's leading lady has all the moves down. Perfect for this role, Gina "is in full costume: black cherry lipstick, pink and black hair spiked as high as she could get it, striped shirt, and camos." She creates the right edge needed to help move "Riot Grrl 16" into the big win --- that is, unless she's having one of her psychotic breakdowns.

Rory --- All the technical aspects are handled by Eddy's geeky buddy, Rory, who has built everything from booms to cams. He does his job with only a few sneers and gestures of rebellion. Given something to tinker with, he's the man.

Joe --- Although he's an actor, too, Joe is great at handling the "human" part of the production, giving the other actors "suggestions, motivations, pretensions." He's a method actor, immersing himself in his roles and losing an extra 12 pounds for his part in "Riot Grrl 16." "His face looks like a carved pumpkin. A pissed-off carved pumpkin."

Tippi Hedren --- Tippi is not a movie actress but a very verbal parakeet who loves being carried on Eddy's shoulder. She seems to have a smart remark about everything. "Tippi has her own birdbrained way of thinking about things, but most of what she says is vaguely prophetic, like spam." So when Tippi says, "I think you're a louse", Eddy listens to her.

Meatball, aka Matthew --- Meatball is Eddy's nine-year-old half-brother. "[M]ost of the time he sounds like a professor. He even looks like a professor." Meatball keeps things from ever being dull around their house as he sets up fake trauma scenes for Eddy to figure out. He's also obsessed with a book about corpses called STIFF by Mary Roach.

Marty --- Marty is Eddy's stepfather and Meatball's real dad, though Meatball looks more like Eddy than Marty. It's all very complicated as Eddy's dad, Marty and Meatball all sort of live together. Dysfunctional doesn't quite describe their antics.

Shelby Rochester Fishbone --- Otherwise known as "Mom," Shelby is living in Miami where she's working on a kind of CSI series. Eddy and Meatball have lots of mixed feelings over this relationship. Their mom's absence is a deep pain, though they cleverly work hard at hiding it.

Lucinda Dulko --- Though he didn't mean to, Eddy is suddenly hooked on Lucinda. Their competitive tennis games drive him crazy as she stomps him every time. Lucinda just has that free spirit that won't be tied down. She also brings out the hormones in Eddy. And while he dreams about her and worries about Joe's attraction to her, he's totally lost to her beauty.

With lots of quick dialogue and constant movie references (everything from Citizen Kane to the Coen Brothers), Eddy's story moves at a fast pace. This is one book where the teens actually talk like teens. When Eddy's world begins to go upside down, it is the unexpected support of Gina that carries him through. Though he reaches out to his mother, he begins to see that their worlds don't come together. Being the big player teaches him that he, ultimately, is not the one in charge. Laura Ruby perfectly captures the sense of teen angst and churning energy in these wonderful characters. Sharp, intuitive, funny and sad, teens will feast on this one!

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

Rating: 4/5

Good:

This book was hilarious. I loved Eddy's sarcasm, and the funny approach on things serious and realistic. The characters were different and unique, which is always fun, and the story was something different as well. How often do you come across a book about a player, from the player's point of view? It doesn't happen all that often, in fact I think this is the first I've ever read. The story was definitely interesting, the writing didn't sound funny coming from a female writer, and I was entertained from beginning to end.


Bad:

The conclusion of this book left something to desire. I thought it could have been tied up much more nicely... I was left with one burning question, and it really bothers me that I have to guess. Other than that, it was a very good book. Maybe not one of my absolute favorites, but I am extremely glad that I had the opportunity to review it, and I would definitely recommend it.

Eddy likes girls and sex, and doesn't understand why they so often think it's more than sex. He's a jerk and a bit of a slut, but his complete obliviousness to the hurt he causes makes him somehow harder to hate. You want to hate him sometimes because he's just too confident and so thoughtless, but he loves his little half-brother (who might be his full brother) and his parrot Tippi Hedren, who quotes Hitchcock. He likes to drive and make movies with his friends Rory and Joe. They're currently in an MTV contest to be on a reality show called The Producers. Eddy's life is their show, Riot Grrl 16.

Then Lucinda Dulko walks back into his life. He falls quickly and ignores the other problems in his life. Like I said, Eddy is thoughtless. He believes Riot Grrl 16 will win the contest and makes no contingency plans. He ignores his dad and other dad's advice because he believes he knows best. He pays no attention to Joe, who has begun to explore religion. (PLAY ME briefly mentions the events of GOOD GIRLS, but no knowledge of that novel is necessary to this one. It is, however, a good read.)

I like Laura Ruby and I liked Edward Rochester. PLAY ME was less likeable. There are high points, many of them, but they're followed by dull stretches. The different storylines seem episodic, and some move quickly while others drag. The scene where Lucinda gives Eddy a new tennis racket was vivid, tense, and foreshadowed their break-up. The scene where Eddy and the others met with MTV execs felt like a generic naïve kids meet Hollywood types and couldn't end fast enough.

It's painful to see Eddy come apart, because even though he deserves it and will probably be better for it, the book does rest almost entirely on his voice. To see him lose his confidence and cool is painful. But it all comes to a hopeful ending, one that could be happy if Eddy takes the chances he's been given. Besides liking Eddy, I also liked his relationships with his family and with Gina. Meatball, his little brother, is weird without being overly precious and he makes me think of Harold from Harold and Maude, which is always a plus. Eddy and Gina's relationship is subtle, and Ruby manages to convey quite a bit considering Eddy's lack of anything resembling a clue, and their very real relationship is a nice contrast to Eddy's fairy tale relationship with Lucinda.

It's also fun to play spot-the-cultural-reference. Sometimes Ruby uses something's real name, other times she changes it (probably for copyright purposes). However, there's more than enough material to keep a movie fan happy. I'm glad my ex-roommate was a TCM addict. I know my Hitchcock well enough to understand the references, Vertigo being the only somewhat important one. (By the way, don't try to watch Vertigo and do something else at the same time. You'll have no clue what's going on within five minutes.)

PLAY ME will entertain those familiar or unfamiliar with GOOD GIRLS. Ruby writes wonderful young adult and middle grade novels, and I look forward to her future releases.

From In Bed With Books