Play Me Backwards: A Novel by Adam Selzer

August 2014  from Simon and Schuster Indiebound BN.com Indigo Amazon Leon previously appeared as an eighth grader in How To Get Suspended and Influence People, now available in a "Now With More Swearing" edition.

PLAY ME BACKWARDS by Adam Selzer even the most dedicated slacker is devoted to something... "Hilariously subversive, but also tender and poignant. 9/10." - VOYA "Timelessly true to life...diabolically funny...in the tradition of Rob Thomas' Rats Saw God" - Booklist "Mordantly funny" - Publisher's Weekly "Refusing to rely on burning passion or overwrought sentiment" - Kirkus Related Posts Youtube Playlist Pinterest Board Soundtrack EP #satanicYA A committed slacker enlists the help of his best friend (who may or may not be the devil) to get his act together in this novel filled with humor and honesty, ideal for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Leon Harris isn't exceptional and he isn't popular. He's the kind of guy that peaked in middle school, when once upon a time he was in the "gifted" program and on the fast track to Ivy League glory.  Now, a high school senior, he's a complete slacker who spends his time hanging out in a third-rate ice cream parlor with his best friend, Stan, a guy who (jokingly, Leon thinks) claims to be Satan. Committed to his sloth, Leon panics when he finds out that Anna, the love of his life aka middle school girlfriend, might be moving back to town.  Determined to get his act together, Leon asks Stan for help. Stan gives him a few seemingly random and mysterious assignments. Date a popular girl. Listen to "Moby-Dick," the audiobook. Find the elusive white grape slushee. Join the yearbook committee.  As each task brings Leon one step away from slacker city and one step closer to Anna, he starts to wonder if maybe he shouldn't have promised Stan his soul after all... Also: there's plenty of sex and swearing in it, and no hidden religious messages, so don't worry, kids.