Playing with Matches [Mass Market Paperback]

Brian Katcher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2009

“Recommend this to fans of John Green’s books.”—Booklist

Leon Sanders has a mug that looks like it should be hanging in a post office with the caption WANTED FOR SHOPLIFTING AND CREDIT CARD FRAUD. His new locker neighbor is Melody Hennon—class outcast and certified freak. Everyone at school keeps their distance from Melody because she was burned in a childhood accident. Leon has avoided her too, until the day he takes a chance, tells her a bad joke, and makes her laugh. No one, least of all Leon, could have predicted that Melody would turn out to be a funny, smart, and interesting person, or that he and Melody would become good friends . . . and later, more than friends.

But when junior class hottie Amy Green asks Leon out after he saves her from getting detention, his devotion to Melody hangs in the balance. Leon tries to find a way out of this nasty dilemma without hurting anyone, but soon he realizes—a little too late—that playing with someone’s heart is as dangerous as playing with matches.

A 2009 ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up—Leon Sanders, 17, a self-described geek, craves the attention of perfection-personified Amy Green, who consistently ignores him. Resigned to life on the fringes of his suburban high school, he takes comfort in knowing that another junior scores zero for popularity: Melody Hennon, whose severely burned face has made her an outcast. When Leon tells Melody a bad joke and gets a genuine laugh, he is surprised to find an actual person behind the scars, and soon discovers that she shares his interests and offbeat humor. When Melody confides the details of her childhood accident, he tells her about a humiliating encounter with a bully that left him emotionally scarred. As their friendship turns to romance, Leon worries about the opinions of others, but people are accepting of their relationship. Then Leon finally catches Amy's eye. Faced with a dilemma, he allows himself to be lured away from the devastated Melody, but is soon overwhelmed by the emotional consequences. Leon's self-deprecating, ironic humor keeps an authentic edge running through the story as he explores new relationships and roles, and wrestles with doing the right thing. Melody is a resilient young woman whose experience with Leon helps her develop self-confidence. This is a strong debut novel with a cast of quirky, multidimensional characters struggling with issues of acceptance, sexuality, identity, and self-worth.—Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Three billion women in the world, and the universe couldn’t spare one for Leon Sanders. Leon is a D & D-playing, Monty Python-watching, lame joke–telling, high-school junior. An act of kindness with loner Melody, a burn victim with severe scars and facial disfigurement, leads to friendship and then romance. Leon enjoys her company but worries about what others think, while Melody revels in feeling beautiful for the first time. Following a familiar plot trajectory, Leon pushes Melody aside after the class hottie, Amy, makes her move on him. First-time author Katcher pulls out a nice twist at the end, revealing Melody to be a girl who has been through fire both literally and figuratively and has emerged with uncommon strength. This is a successful blend of laugh-out-loud humor and a serious look at relationships. The secondary characters are delightful, including ADHD friends Jimmy and Johnny, Parking Lot Pete, and even Dan, the junior Hannibal Lector, who has more heart than he lets on. Recommend this to fans of John Green’s books; Katcher is an author to watch. Grades 8-11. --Cindy Dobrez --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385735456
• ISBN-13: 978-0385735452
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,213,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Katcher lives in Missouri with his wife and daughter, where he works as a school librarian. He still hasn't paid that parking ticket he got in West Virginia in 1997.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Touching, Heartfelt, and Genuinely Funny Novel, July 12, 2008

By 

Mark Medric George - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing with Matches (Hardcover)

With his debut novel, Brian Katcher has successfully crafted the bittersweet tale of a teenage boy's quest to find love in the tragicomic world of a typical suburban high school.

The novel's protagonist, Leon, is one of a new breed of literary subject: the iconoclastic and self-professed nerd, comfortable in his own skin, but yearning, ultimately, for something more than his circle of male friends can provide. While his long-held crush on the popular cheerleader Amy Green blossoms into something more real (and inconvenient) than he could've ever dared imagine, it is the budding relationship between Leon and Melody Hennon that forms the beating heart of the book. Melody's character is a marvel. Mr. Katcher manages to write a profoundly scarred young woman with such depth that you often forget, as does Leon, that she is scarred at all. While the reality of Melody's disfigurement is always acknowledged, it never overwhelms what is a truly astonishing character. The reader never questions why Leon would be drawn to Melody's wit and warmth, nor do we question her interest in him.

In the end, the plot resists easy answers to the many questions it poses about self-esteem, trust, love, and the great yearning all young people feel for acceptance by their peers. The author mixes laughter and tears in equal measure to produce a nuanced and deeply heartfelt look at young love in all its complex glory. Bravo to Mr. Katcher for a fine debut to his literary career.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "That's exactly what high school is really like!", October 20, 2008

By 

Deborah J. George (St. Louis) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playing with Matches (Hardcover)

The book is certainly entertaining, but what I most enjoy are the insights about human nature in general, and about adolescence in particular. The author has either an amazing memory or an astounding capacity for observation and empathy.

The characters, their motivations, and their actions are entirely believable. The pacing is even, and the plot a perfect recipe for absorbing readers' attention.

The humane, respectful, and accessible manner in which Brian Katcher approaches his characters--and his topic--will win readers' hearts.

Several of my students are choosing to read this book, and they admire the way the author describes the events, personalities, and emotions of high school life with accuracy and compassion.

I hear them laugh aloud as they read, and I see their reluctance to put the book away. This behavior is quite an endorsement.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for teens, September 12, 2008

By 

P. Lenox (St. Charles, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playing with Matches (Hardcover)

As I read this Young Adult novel I was brought back to my own years in high school with all the angst and emotions that entailed. I was rooting for Leon so strongly that it was painful to see him make the inevitable teenage boy mistakes. I was also constantly reminding myself that it was written by a man. The writer was able to capture the emotions of both the male lead and the female characters which was fascinating to read. This is more than YA fiction. It is a seriously good read for anyone.