Playing with Matches

The premise is rather predictable -slacker geek must choose between the nerdy (and in this case, deformed) girl with a heart of gold or the shallow, hot girl- but Katcher writes teens in a funny and insightful way that did not feel like I being ranted at or forced through fluff exposition. I often have trouble laughing at jokes in books because I tend to take all text at face value and simply recognize "humor" as I read through, but Katcher actually made me laugh. (It's a joke that involves loneliness and vomit.)

While I am sure Katcher deserves points for his depiction of a burn victim (who is anything but a victim in terms of how she deals with it - if anything, she is a victim of humanity), I most enjoyed his depiction of a "hot show more chick." All of the main characters are affected by people's readiness to judge based on looks, and the beautiful are no exception. show less

Leon Sanders is a geek, and he is convinced he just can't get a girl to like him. Then he meets Melody -- a burn victim with severe scars on her face and a great sense of humor. As the two strike up a friendship that eventually turns to more, Leon must decide what matters most to him.

Leon is a nerd, and for the most part, he's ok with it. He's beginning to realize, however, that being alone is not all it's cracked up to be. During his junior year of high school, he meets Melody. She's funny, she's smart, she's got a "hot body," and her face is severely scarred as the result of a burn. As the two become closer, their feelings change, and it is easy for Leon to forget there's anything different about her face. But when his long-standing show more crush, Amy, finally acknowledges his existence, Leon must decide who he really is and what he really wants.

"Playing with Matches" is much more than a story of boy meets girl, boy screws up and loses girl, boy gets girl back. Katcher infuses his characters with enough authentic dialogue and vibrant wit that it's easy for the reader to fall in love with them. While Leon is far from a perfect prince, it is his imperfections that make him believable. Melody, as well, is no damsel in distress but a tough, smart, thoroughly engaging character whom the reader cannot help but admire. As their stories unfold, Katcher steers clear of the typical YA romance tropes, aiming instead for authenticity and heart. He succeeds. This book would be an excellent addition to any 9-12 high school library. show less

Leon Sanders' locker neighbor in high school is Mellody, the school freak who was horribly burned in a childhood accident. Most people ignore-- and openly ridicule-- Mellody. But when she laughs at one of Leon's stupid jokes, he begins to think that she might not be all that bad. In fact, he comes to realize she's quite pretty once you get past the horrible burns and skin grafts on one side of her face. But when Leon's dream girl-- the school's hottest hottie Amy Green-- turns her attentions full force on Leon, he must decide between a super-sexy but shallow dream girl and the intelligent, interesting but physically scarred Mellody. Brian Katcher's first book is well written, and being told from Leon's point of view will appeal to high show more school boys as well as girls. Leon's voice is fantastic; the writing is both funny and poignant, and provides readers with the opportunity to question what they would do in a similar situation. Highly recommended. show less

Leon Sanders wants a girlfriend desperately but he has low expectations about his prospects. He also has low self esteem and when he makes Melody Hennon smile, he overcomes his squeamishness about her looks and becomes friends with her. Melody was severely disfigured in a fire when she was four years old. As their friendship grows, like any teenage boy Leon begins to notice her nicer physical attributes and begins to have romantic feelings for her, but he cannot overcome his fear of what others will think of him for dating her, after all she’s the school pariah. To complicate matters, Leon saves his crush, Amy, from a suspension and then she begins to show some interest in him. Leon is torn between his growing feelings for and show more intimacy with Melody and his opportunity to date a girl who, in his view, is a living angel. The character development is strong, especially of Leon and Melody. Katcher writes about Leon’s struggles and Melody’s strength poignantly but it is hard to accept that a boy as insecure as Leon would ever become involved with Melody in the first place. The book raises important questions about looks, how people treat those who look differently, popularity, and relationships. show less

Overall, a good read. I really enjoyed the Melody/Leon dynamic and Leon's friends. I didn't always care for the humor. Some of the jokes don't hold up now due to their unpolitically correct nature. And Leon was a little iffy. I get he's a horny teenager, but I found him too sex-obsessed at times.

But dude. he starts kissing Amy and already trying to take her toward the bed/couch. like no, bro.

Still, I liked this book. Read it twice.

Nineteen-year-old cabbie Ed Kennedy has little in life to be proud of: his dad died of alcoholism, and he and his mom have few prospects for success. He has little to do except share a run-down apartment with his faithful yet smelly dog, drive his taxi, and play cards and drink with his amiable yet similarly washed-up friends. Then, after he stops a bank robbery, Ed begins receiving anonymous messages marked in code on playing cards in the mail, and almost immediately his life begins to swerve off its beaten-down path. Usually the messages instruct him to be at a certain address at a certain time. So with nothing to lose, Ed embarks on a series of missions as random as a toss of dice: sometimes daredevil, sometimes heartwarmingly safe. show more He rescues a woman from nightly rape by her husband. He brings a congregation to an abandoned parish. The ease with which he achieves results vacillates between facile and dangerous, and Ed's search for meaning drives him to complete every task. But the true driving force behind the novel itself is readers' knowledge that behind every turn looms the unknown presence - either good or evil - of the person or persons sending the messages. Zusak's characters, styling, and conversations are believably unpretentious, well conceived, and appropriately raw. Together, these key elements fuse into an enigmatically dark, almost film-noir atmosphere where unknowingly lost Ed Kennedy stumbles onto a mystery - or series of mysteries - that could very well make or break his life. - Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library show less

Playing With Matches – Brian Katcher YA fiction
As with many young adult books Playing With Matches deals with high school’s fringe elements, but with a bit of a twist. Seventeen-year-old Leon Sanders is a member of a vast group at school – the invisible majority – a group he’s worked hard to enter. He still has horrible memories of middle school when he was picked on and bullied relentlessly. But still out of reach to Leon is the girl of his dreams, Amy Green, the golden-haired cheerleader he’s been lusting after since elementary school. Closer to home is the owner of the locker next to Leon’s: Melody Hennon, a withdrawn girl whose face was disfigured in a childhood fire. Compared to the harassment Melody has had to endure show more Leon has it easy. When she laughs at one of his lame jokes Leon begins to realize that underneath her disfigurement Melody’s a regular girl who loves the same dorky movies, music and TV shows that he likes. They spend more time together and fall into a relationship, until the day that the unthinkable happens, Amy Green asks Leon to come to her house. There is some predictability in the outcome of the story as Leon begins to learn that beauty is only skin deep, but Katcher’s take is funny, sensitive and entertaining. show less