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 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. ( )

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. ( )

Reviewed by: Jorge (Class of 2013)

How far would you be willing to go to impress someone you like? Would you swallow a cigarette to save that person from a detention or a suspension? Leon’s crush towards Amy Green, a beautiful blond haired cheerleader, makes him do the unthinkable. In the novel "Playing With Matches" by Brain Katcher, a boy named Leon is faced with two decisions. One to stay with Melody, or two chase after his dream girl Amy Green.

This book was written for Sandra, the author is Brain Katcher. "Playing with Matches" is listed under the Gateway Reader Awards. Katcher is a Missouri author born in St. Louis. He attended the University of Missouri.

This story takes place at Zummer High School in St. Christopher, Missouri. Leon, Amy, and Melody are the 3 main characters. Leon is a loser in everyone’s eyes, he asks his friend Rob to tell him what’s wrong with him. Rob tells Leon that he’s a dork because he reads for fun, wears shirts with sayings, chases after girls like a dog, and tells lame jokes. Leon realizes his flaws and with some advice from some friends he learns to treat everyone; every girl the same. Later in the story he decides to work with Melody in a school project. Melody wasn’t a typical girl, her face was filled with scars and was severely damaged from a fire, she experienced when she was a younger. This flaw doesn’t stop Leon from treating her like the rest. They work together on there project and they soon realize that they have lots in common, leading to a relationship. At the same time Leon noticed something else. Leon begins to realize that Amy likes him back, and Leon decides to break up with Melody. His love towards Amy is so strong that earlier in the story he ate a cigarette to save Amy from a detention or a suspension. As you can see Amy was like a goddess, blond hair, nice muscular arms, and to seal the deal she was a very pretty cheerleader.

"Playing with Matches" is a book that relates to many groups of people in any high school, it made me want to keep reading because it was so good, making every page flow smoothly, making this almost 300 page book fly by. "Playing with Matches" gave a look into a boy that wasn’t very popular; his feeling for a pretty cheerleader describes many boys at any typical high school. Most boys picture themselves with a cheerleader, being able to say: I’m going out with a cheerleader gives some people confidence. It relates to the truth in most high schools. Most people don’t stop and realize that looks and love are two different things and this story shows that love is better than looks in the long run but many people figure that out later.

"Playing with Matches" is a great book; I felt that the author had great detail, lots of emotion, and high school drama that relates to typical high school life. The book appeals to males and females. It shows how boys chase after girls in school and sometimes they prefer the prettier girls over the ones that actually would stay with them. For the females it shows how boys like to change their minds, and how teenage boys try so hard to impress the females. ( )

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 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. ( )

omg this was really i sad story i mean what a jerk the guy but looking at it in the point of view of him"come on u too would have done it "i mean leave the girl ( )