Perhaps one of the most unconventional books I've read this year has been Adam Selzer's novel Play Me Backwards. Some of the concepts are strange, I'll give you that. But underneath all the freshman humor and cliche heavy metal references, there's a very awesome coming-of-age story that's got all the feels of a John Green book. I've got to admit it: I really enjoyed this one way more than I expected!
Back in middle school, Leon Harris was a proud member of the Gifted Pool along with all the other brains, geeks, and outspoken political advocates. He was ambitious. He was creative. He was going places. But that was then. That was before his girlfriend and love of his life, Anna B, broke his heart by moving to England and out of his life forever.
By senior year, Leon has really let himself go. Nowadays he spends most of his free time in the back room of the Ice Cave (the less frequented of the town's two ice cream parlors) with all the other slackers, freaks, and metalheads. Leon has pretty much become slacker himself. In fact, he may not even graduate on time. Leon may not be living the dream, but he's content to skate through in a haze of don't-really-care.
Then Leon receives some earth-shattering news: Anna B is coming back to town for a visit. Maybe even moving back permanently!
There's no way Leon wants his old flame (whom he never got over) to see what a loser he's become. So he seeks out the unconventional wisdom of his friend and coworker, Stan, who may (or may not) possess dark mystical powers. And Stan is all too happy to help...for a price, of course. Mwa-hahaha!
Stan instructs Leon to complete several odd and seemingly unrelated tasks: Listen to the unabridged audiobook of Moby Dick, find the elusive white grape slushie, date a popular girl, join yearbook. Stan promises that by the time Leon has finished these missions, he will be a new man and worthy of Anna B once more. And never one to question Stan, who has been known to work miracles (it's, like, been documented), Leon begins his quest...
What follows is an often hilarious, often cringeworthy, and sometimes heartbreaking journey of personal growth and transformation that makes for a worthwhile read. Now Play Me Backward may not be for everyone as it does contain some mature humor and situations. But this one's perfect for fans of Going Bovine and other books with quirky, unusual stories. --AJB
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