Paradise Rules - by Jimmy Gleacher (Paperback)

About the Book

Filled with sex romps, high-stakes gambling, and over-the-top partying, "Paradise Rules" is an unusual and endearing love story that chronicles a teenager's struggle to make sense of his dysfunctional family and the wealth and decadence that surrounds him.

Book Synopsis

TRUE OR F A L S E ?

It's only a week into summer break and already seventeen-year-old Gates has . . .

a) Hustled millionaires on the golf course

b) Tried to stop his mother from having a(nother) nervous breakdown

c) Promised to lose his virginity with his girlfriend, Mel . . . which would be great if he hadn't already lost it to his forty-year-old godmother

d) Almost killed a man

Yeah, Gates has a lot of secrets, but he's determined to keep his heart true. When he's not swinging golf clubs like a pro, he reads pulp fiction to old folks at the retirement home. And despite his occasional slip-ups--drinking before noon and sneaking glimpses through his sexy godmother's open negligees--Gates only has eyes for Mel. But she knows he's hiding something, and she's beginning to lose her patience.

Just as Gates is about to spill his shameful secrets, he gets tangled up in a golf club scandal that jeopardizes his dreams of a normal life. He's never been a fighter, but this time he finally pushes back at the world--which could have been a breakthrough but turns into an epic fail. Probably because Gates fights back dirty. Now his life is on the verge of ruin, and he's got no one to turn to for help.

Or so he thinks. Because what Gates is about to discover might hit him with the most amazing shock of his life.

Review Quotes

"PARADISE RULES is alternately sweet and dark, exploring an older woman's sexual relationship with a teenage boy. We see the opposite all too often and Gleacher's take is unique, navigating all the confusion and destruction, yet there is humor woven into every beautiful page."
-- Jill Kargman, author of SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A NUT

"PARADISE RULES is hilarious, disturbing, and stylish. Gleacher writes about the untapped subject of the gray area created when a teenage boy and an older woman enter a sexual relationship. Gleacher writes about this taboo sexuality in an adventurous fashion through a 17 year old narrator who bursts with heart even during his most mischievous moments."
-- Pittacus Lore, author of the New York Times bestseller, I AM NUMBER FOUR

"PARADISE RULES is one of the funniest and provocative coming of age novels I've ever read. Once again Jimmy Gleacher has managed to be simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious."
-- Carolyn Karasyov author of THE INFIDELITY PACT

"Wickedly funny. Ballsy and bold. An authentic adolescent narrator who you can't help but love. I found myself thinking about Gates long after I finished the book. I think this will be Gleacher's breakthrough book."
-- James Frey

About the Author

Jimmy Gleacher is a screenwriter and author of Paradise Rules. His short stories have appeared in The Sun, The Lullwater Review, and Damaged Goods.