Play Dead

By Ryan Brown

Today's #1 New York Times bestselling thriller writers agree: Ryan Brown's compulsively readable first novel is unbeatable-a darkly humorous, rich and pungent zombie shocker that melds our national obsession with football and the newest wave of fascination with the undead.

For the first time in Killington High School history, the Jackrabbits football team is one win away from the district championship where it will face its most vicious rival, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. On the way to the game, the Jackrabbits's bus plunges into a river, killing every player except for bad-boy quarterback Cole Logan who is certain the crash was no accident-given that Cole himself was severely injured in a brutal attack by three ski-masked men earlier that day. Bent on payback, Cole turns to a mysterious fan skilled in black magic to resurrect his teammates. But unless the undead Jackrabbits defeat their murderous rival on the field, the team is destined for hell. In a desperate race against time, with only his coach's clever daughter, Savannah Hickman, to assist him, Cole must lead his zombie team to victory

. . . in a final showdown where the stakes aren't just life or death-but damnation or salvation. Boundlessly imaginative and thrillingly satisfying, Play Dead gives small-town Texas an electrifying jolt of the supernatural, and is unquestioningly The Zombie Novel of the Year!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
• Release date: Aug 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780731815425

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown is an actor who has starred on the daytime dramas Guiding Light and The Young and The Restless, and has appeared on Law & Order as well as in feature films for Lifetime Television. He is the author of two novels, Thawed Out & Fed Up and Play Dead. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

Reviews for Play Dead

[saramllr · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

An undead high school football team plays a championship game against their biggest rivals.

[mikedraper · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a novel that is just plain fun to read.The author wanted to write a story when he saw what was going on with steroids in sports and succeeds with this novel.Set in Texas, the story also is a satire about the fanatical following of high school football and the manner in which football can almost take over small town life.In the story, the local high school football team, the Killington Jackrabbits, are having their best year and are one win from going to the district championship.The key to the team is the quarterback, Cole Logan. He's attacked one morning by three men wearing masks. He believes they are members of the rival team, the hated Elmwood Heights Badgers. When Cole refuses to throw the game, they cut off two of his fingers. However, not thinking too well, they cut the fingers from the wrong hand and Cole can still throw a football.With this scheme doesn't work, the Badgers stage an accident where the school bus carrying the Jackrabbits crashes and goes off a bridge into the water below, killing the entire team, or, maybe not.Both Cole and the coaches daughter, Savanna Hickman, are entertaining characters. These high school students have a love-hate relationship that is interesting and humorous in the situations in which they find themselves.Cole's next door neighbor, Mona, has the ability to work with black magic. With her participaion in the story, I was reminded of Stephen King's "Pet Sematary" where animals return to life but eventually behave in a horrofic manner.Overall, I recommend this book for its entertainment value and message about the abuse of steroids. The conclusion was a stretch but it delivered a fun story and readers interested in a good yarn without regard for logic, would be entertained.

[scuzzy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I put this review on my blog, but when it comes to putting a rating on it, i just cannot give it a four. Its not that good, but it is better than a 3.5 if that makes sense?In the search for a new writer to enjoy, I stumbled upon this book, a new release on feature in my local library (Trevor Inch Memorial Library, Rangiora) and due to the jacket, decided to give it a go. When it is advertised as “the zombie novel of the year. The comeback story of the season”, you cannot help but be intrigued by this story, and as writing goes, this is a pretty good one for a debut writer.It follows the pending clash in High School Gridiron between two neighbouring towns who hate each others guts, and when one team dies in a horrific bus crash, it seems all bets are off. But in an effort to keep the story going, the author introduces a bit of black magic, a pact that lays souls on the line, and a team doing more steroids than a Tour de France stage. I found it tongue in cheek, and suspect that is was the intent of Brown, and if so he has done it well. While there are a couple of bits that push the already distended boundaries of possibility too far, it is graphic, gripping, and American High School humourous – this would make an interesting movie. I read it in three days so it is a testament to either a) I have no life, and/or b) it is well written. Now, a little about the writer himself, it seems he has been in movies and TV (including that hit drama Young & Restless – so he must know horror!) – I showed my wife his photo and yes, he is not a bad looker (as guys go), but strikingly like a morph between Pitt and Kilmer. Judge for yourself.Thanks Gael for recommending another writer to me, I will sample a book of hers after my next book I also got out of the library. Watch these spaces…

[lovejoy_rat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was a riot to read - the dialogue was whip-smart and funny, and the story flowed smoothly. It was an interesting twist on a zombie tale, mixing Texas football and good old-fashioned witchcraft. Cole Logan and Savannah are a great team, and I cheered for them every step of the way. You kind of have to suspend your disbelief for a while with the zombie parts of the story, but I guess that to be true with any zombie novel really. The bus accident that happens early on in the book is truly horrifying - the author lets you get to know the doomed players on the team, so you really feel Cole's loss when they die. Mixed in with all the zombie mayhem are closer to reality story lines of abusive parents, alcohol and drug addiction, financial duress, and all the emotional fallout that goes along with them. It really is a sports triumph story with a bit a supernatural twist. I look forward to reading the rest of Ryan Brown's stuff. :D

[jewelknits · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not being much of one for zombie thrillers, I opened this book with a bit of trepidation. Oh ... my .... goodness!! WHAT a TOTally fun book!!! I zinged through it in less than 24 hours ... and it's not a small book!You'll be smack-dab entranced within the first 10 pages .. I kid you not! There are zingers and twists and little tidbits that make you chuckle. You have the obligatory "boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy hates her back" type of romantic entanglement, BUT you have so much more! The action is fast-paced, the characters are believable (even if what happens to some of them is not), the writing is engaging and funny.A couple of my favorite lines:"I think you're going to have to kill him, Logan""Why?""'Cause he said the game would only happen over his dead body.""Shit.""It's Hubie. Freddy's in the crapper.""When's he back?""Oh, I'd say about two Marlboro's and an Archie comic from now." Maybe I'm twisted (well, alright, maybe I am, just a little), those lines just cracked me up!! (You'll have to read the book to see why!) Seriously, buy it!!

[rexrobotreviews · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Play Dead by Ryan Brown is frightening, fast and flat-out funny. Definitely not a book you want to take seriously. I was a little concerned half way through that the plot had gotten a little flat and more horrifying than hilarious- not that horror is a bad thing. Football isn't for everyone. Neither are zombies... but combined? Brilliant!The Killington High Jackrabbits has never had a successful football team, but their time has finally come. They have two games left to claim the district championship. At the final game they will come head to head with their number one rival, the Elmwood Badgers. There has been bad blood between the two towns since the time they were first founded and it is time for them to duke it out on the field. But a terrible prank prevents the Jackrabbits from even making it to the stadium. Their team bus goes over the bridge and takes a trip down the river- eventually sinking, pinning and drowning every player but QB Cole Logan. Now there is only one thing left for Cole to do. Get revenge.So, just how does one go about getting revenge and settling the score? Turn to black magic, of course! Haha. Now that Cole has magically brought his entire team back to life, he has 48 hours to win a game and send his team back to their grave before all hell breaks lose. He and Savannah, the coach's distant daughter, must control the team as they can't stop themselves from eating everything... horses, cows- even their parents. Can Cole and Savannah beat this race against time and secure a victory to save the souls of his teammates and spread revenge amongst the berating Badgers?I truly loved our hero, Cole Logan. He is your typical high school bad boy- motorcycle, piercings, daddy issues and a past. Although he is a loner, he will live and die for his football team. He's counting on the team to help him win a college scholarship- he's got to get out of Killington. My favorite moment! Cole throws himself off a cliff into the river to rescue his teammates from the water logged bus. Cole is incredibly passionate and the whole scene is ridiculously intense. This isn't the only time Cole shows magnificent passion. There is a very fun "beat down" scene that I enjoyed- Cole knows how to stand up for himself and those that he cares for. Savannah is another story. She doesn't seem passionate- her character is a little flat. Cole makes up for that.I have to say that I was pretty excited to receive this book in the mail for review. I love zombies! (You can thank Robin Becker of Brains for that.) The cover alone got me excited to read this. Play Dead was full of fresh ideas that are wildly engrossing. It was a quick, entertaining read and I recommend it to any zombie or football lover. (Don't worry, the football isn't overwhelming- read it even if you aren't a fan of football!)

[cinnleigh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I know what you're thinking. Football and zombies? A fantastic and energetic sport combined with the gruesome and not so energetic undead? Well…yeah! When you think about it they're actually pretty similar. In football, players try to kill each other to get control of the ball; zombies…well, they may try to rekill each other to get control of your brains. Stick them together and you've got a winning combination.PLAY DEAD by Ryan Brown was fascinating mainly because I wasn't expecting it, yet it combined two of my favorite things. I love football and I love zombies. I've read a number of stories where the paranormal has been thrown into something pretty well known but this is the first time I personally have seen football hit with the paranormal bug. I'm loving it.The plot for this is pretty straightforward. The Killington High School football team ends up drowning in a river after their bus decided it needed a little bath. Cole, the quarterback and star of the team is the only survivor. Something just isn't right though. Cole has a feeling the accident wasn't truly an accident and he believes that their rivals, Elmwood Heights, is behind the tragedy. So what's a quarterback to do when a major game is coming up and his entire team is dead? Turn to black magic of course!That is some serious commitment to football! The football scholarship on the line may have influenced Cole a bit as well.Successfully risen from the dead, the football team must not only hide their secret from their parents and rest of the town, but fight to actually claim victory in their beloved game as well. There's more than reputation at stake here - their very souls are on the line. Add in a little romantic touch with the coach's daughter, Savannah and Mr. Brown has created a fantastic read.For those readers out there who may be shying away because the book involves football, I'll tell you up front that there are football references within the story. Plays and penalties are explained; famous players are described. I understand the references so I can't make too much of a judgment call as to how easily someone unfamiliar with the sport would be able to understand these references. What I can say, however, is that the general plot of the book will not be lost if you simply skip over the technical passages within the story.Aside from the awesome idea behind this story, my favorite aspect of PLAY DEAD was the writing. The game scenes were described in such a way that it was easy to visualize what was going on. The main characters were developed well and there were even a few side characters that became pretty memorable. Fair warning time: There is a decent amount of cussing throughout the book. Normally that bothers me in a story but oddly enough, it actually flowed well in PLAY DEAD. Who knows, perhaps I’m just predisposed to accepting cussing in football or from the undead. I would recommend this book to any thriller fans out there (and no, I don’t mean Michael Jackson’s Thriller), football fans, or zombie fans. This is a great book for lovers of the game or those who get a certain tingly thrill from reading about decomposing undead.