Today’s #1 New York Times bestselling thriller writers agree: Ryan Brown’s compulsively readable first novel is unbeatable—a darkly humorous...
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Sep 17, 2010
Chris
rated it: 
As promised in a blurb, this debut novel by former TV and film actor, Ryan Brown, is very much like Friday Night Lights meets Romero's Dead films, but with a healthy dash of satire. Just imagine the works of Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, Christopher Moore and you'll get what I mean. But toss in a spicy dollop of Texas horror-meister Joe Lansdale and you'll see what I mean. While the zombie-action doesn't begin to take place until about halfway through the novel, I found this novel easy to get through
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Jul 26, 2011
Stephanie
rated it: 
(3.5 stars)
This review originally appeared at <a href="http://www.readinasinglesitting.com/2011/07/27/review-play-dead-by-ryan-brown/>www.readinasinglesitting.com</a>
As an Aussie, I’ve always been intrigued by the fact that gridiron players suit themselves up in helmets and padding and all sorts of protective gear. After all, Aussie Rules football seems to be about sustaining as much injury and wallowing in as much mud as possible within those four 30-minute More...
This review originally appeared at <a href="http://www.readinasinglesitting.com/2011/07/27/review-play-dead-by-ryan-brown/>www.readinasinglesitting.com</a>
As an Aussie, I’ve always been intrigued by the fact that gridiron players suit themselves up in helmets and padding and all sorts of protective gear. After all, Aussie Rules football seems to be about sustaining as much injury and wallowing in as much mud as possible within those four 30-minute More...
Jul 22, 2011
ALPHAreader
rated it: 
Killington High School and Elmwood Heights have a long, nasty history. Their rivalry goes back to the town’s founding fathers – but in recent years the animosity has been taken out on the football field between the rival high schools.
Tensions are running especially high when victory is in sight. Three teams are left and for the first time in a long time the Killington Jackrabbit’s are close to a win, after a long dry spell. But the rumour around town is that the Elmwood Heights Badg More...
Tensions are running especially high when victory is in sight. Three teams are left and for the first time in a long time the Killington Jackrabbit’s are close to a win, after a long dry spell. But the rumour around town is that the Elmwood Heights Badg More...
Nov 05, 2010
Patrick
rated it:
Play Dead is a story about a down and out Texas football team that has never been much to talk about...until a new Coach and a new quarterback turned their luck around. Now, with the help of Coach Hickman and Cole Logan, the renegade QB, the Killington High Jackrabbits are one game away from the District Championship and a meeting with the hated Elmwood Heights Badgers.
But apparently, the steroid guzzling badgers, led by Line Backer Booker Flamont, have decided that it would be best if the More...
But apparently, the steroid guzzling badgers, led by Line Backer Booker Flamont, have decided that it would be best if the More...
Oct 11, 2010
Bookish37
rated it:
A football rivalry between two Texas towns turns into mayhem and murder, when a quarterback is viciously attacked and then a school bus full of players is killed on the way to a district qualifier. Cole Logan, the quarterback who was assaulted, and the coach's daughter team up with a local witch, who loves football, to resurrect the team and exact justice from the rival players. Only what they bring back from the dead is very, very hungry and not just for a victory on the field. Though a victory
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Jul 08, 2010
D. Eric
rated it:
Zombie football, how can you not like it (if you like zombies and football)? That being said, I just liked this book. It seems to be written by someone without firsthand experience of playing football (or he forgot what it was like) who ignores the powerful groups that control high school football--especially in Texas. And, zombies aside, it just pushes the boundaries of possibility too far. Here is the May Publishers Weekly review. It gives a good idea of the storyline but makes the book ou
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Jul 02, 2010
Mary
rated it:
Brad Thor called you the "new Stephen King." Can you give us a quick description of PLAY DEAD? PLAY DEAD is part sports satire and part horror-comedy. Set in Texas, it’s about a high school football team that dies in a horrific prank gone wrong and comes back from the dead as zombies. Only a victory over their vicious district rivals (who also happen to be their murderers) can save the their souls. Think FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS meets DAWN OF THE DEAD.
You have a fantastic resum More...
You have a fantastic resum More...
Jun 01, 2010
Patrick
rated it:
What we have here is a zombie vs. steroid high school cheaters football game. I looked at the photo of the author and decided that I didn't want to like this book. (He is blond and all American and has a cocky charming smile that makes teenaged girls tempted to buy this book only to sleep with the image of his face between their legs. Qualities I wish I have.)
But I do.(Not the qualities but the fact I liked this book)
The beginning is creepy with the description of the undead p More...
But I do.(Not the qualities but the fact I liked this book)
The beginning is creepy with the description of the undead p More...
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May 29, 2010
Kristi (Books and Needlepoint)
rated it:
My Thoughts: I enjoyed reading this book. To me, it was a very tongue-in-cheek jab at football in Texas - where one team is taking enough steroids to choke a horse and the other team is brought back from the dead for "one last game". And the fact that the opposing team would try to take out Cole by injuring him and when that didn't work try to take out the team. At the same time there was a lot of gore (they are zombies) and a lot of humor.
"But did you get a More...
"But did you get a More...
May 18, 2010
Cheryl
rated it:
Killington’s high school football team, The Jackrabbits have played a good season. They are only one win away from becoming district champions. The town and the boys are pumped.
Cole Logan is the quarterback for the Jackrabbits. He is accosted by several of the Badgers. The Badgers are the Jackrabbits rivals from Elmwood Heights. Two of Cole’s fingers are hacked off. Cole refuses to go to the hospital. Savannah, the sheriff’s daughter drives Cole home.
Black Mona is rumore More...
Cole Logan is the quarterback for the Jackrabbits. He is accosted by several of the Badgers. The Badgers are the Jackrabbits rivals from Elmwood Heights. Two of Cole’s fingers are hacked off. Cole refuses to go to the hospital. Savannah, the sheriff’s daughter drives Cole home.
Black Mona is rumore More...
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May 18, 2010
Cinnamon
rated it:
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 exp More...
PLAY DEAD by Ryan Brown was fascinating mainly because I wasn't exp More...
May 17, 2010
William
rated it:
Play Dead by Ryan Brown
My first reaction to this book was, oh brother another zombie story. You can’t swing a dead body around without hitting a zombie or vampire book. To my surprise I enjoyed the book. This would be an entertaining Friday Night Lights book exhibiting the gritty competitive football played in rural Texas without the zombies. With the Zombies this is an Urban Fantasy.
For those of you who grew up in a more suburban atmosphere, you will have difficu More...
My first reaction to this book was, oh brother another zombie story. You can’t swing a dead body around without hitting a zombie or vampire book. To my surprise I enjoyed the book. This would be an entertaining Friday Night Lights book exhibiting the gritty competitive football played in rural Texas without the zombies. With the Zombies this is an Urban Fantasy.
For those of you who grew up in a more suburban atmosphere, you will have difficu More...
Jun 03, 2010
Karin
rated it:
PLAY DEAD by Ryan Brown is NOT a YA novel. However, that being said, it definitely could be. The only thing that would keep this off of my middle school shelf would be the language. Other than that, this would be the perfect book for the boys in my school. It is filled with football rivalry and gory zombie scenes.
PLAY DEAD is the story of high school football rivalry gone terribly wrong. The Killington Jackrabbits are one game away from winning the District Championship. If they More...
PLAY DEAD is the story of high school football rivalry gone terribly wrong. The Killington Jackrabbits are one game away from winning the District Championship. If they More...
Jul 15, 2010
Nichole
rated it:
I picked up this book after a friend of mine brought it back from a thriller writer's conference. This was the first I decided to check out after sorting through the stack of books he had acquired. I really didn't know what to expect from a book that was described as a thriller/comedy about zombies. I personally am not a zombie friend but decided to give it a go. I easily read through the first 100 pages enjoying the storyline, bit different from the other thrillers I read. It is a fast and fun
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May 17, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
This is one entertaining book. I quickly became interested even in the football aspects of this book, mainly because he referenced two good QB players. Elway (hey, I am a die-hard Bronco's fan!) and Flutie (my second fave team is the Patriots). So, right there, I knew I would enjoy this book. I also love the cover of this book. Zombie football players. Heh... 101 jokes here people! Oh, and for those not that into football, do not worry. There really is a story around football more than the foot
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May 19, 2010
Theresa
rated it:
When I read the synopsis for this novel, how could I resist? Take a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, throw in a football team of zombies, add some dark humor and it promises to be an entertaining read. I was certainly not disappointed.
"Play Dead" had an interesting story line that held my interest and kept me in suspense. I found myself not only engrossed and wondering what would happen next, but chuckling and laughing out loud at times.
I found myself real More...
"Play Dead" had an interesting story line that held my interest and kept me in suspense. I found myself not only engrossed and wondering what would happen next, but chuckling and laughing out loud at times.
I found myself real More...
May 18, 2010
Mindy
rated it:
My Take: Ok so Football and Zombies. Football is usually not my cup of tea but I love the movie and series Friday Night Lights and this said that it was set in Texas amongst all that football hysteria ( hey I grew up in Indiana and know about hysteria (basketball). I have read several books about zombies lately (Forest of Hands and Feet, Dead Tossed Waves) and lets face it the author is really cute. (I know that this has been mentioned several times). So I thought I would take a chance.
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May 18, 2010
Rex Robot Reviews
rated it:
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 dis More...
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 dis More...
Jun 03, 2010
Giovanni
rated it:
This is Ryan Brown’s debut novel; reading the novel you would never tell though. I have to admit it is a shifting of the gears for me to go with this genre once a week at least, but I think the challenge is well worth it. Especially if there are more books of this quality out there. Fortunately I seem to be finding them. Saturday I will be dropping in a post on Jonathan Maberry’s The Dragon Factory, the novel rocked.
Play Dead boiled down is a basic story of the different types More...
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Jul 18, 2011
Michael
rated it:
"Play Dead," by Ryan Brown is just plain fun.
Set in Texas, the story describes the problem of steroids in sports and is also a satire about the fanatical following of high school football and the manner in which football can dominate small town life.
The local high school football team, the Killington Jackrabbits, are having their best year and are only one win away from the district championship.
The key to the team is quarterback Cole Logan. He's at More...
Set in Texas, the story describes the problem of steroids in sports and is also a satire about the fanatical following of high school football and the manner in which football can dominate small town life.
The local high school football team, the Killington Jackrabbits, are having their best year and are only one win away from the district championship.
The key to the team is quarterback Cole Logan. He's at More...
May 05, 2010
Falling Off The Shelf
rated it:
This review was originally posted on my review blog : http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com
The Killington High School has never felt the glory of victory at the district championship. This is the first year that they have even come close to coming out victorious in the end. They are only one win away, and now they must compete against their most ferocious rivals, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. The two separate towns have been at each others throats for as long as the two towns have More...
The Killington High School has never felt the glory of victory at the district championship. This is the first year that they have even come close to coming out victorious in the end. They are only one win away, and now they must compete against their most ferocious rivals, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. The two separate towns have been at each others throats for as long as the two towns have More...
Jan 05, 2012
Marvin
rated it:
I didn't go into this book expecting something different, but it's what I got. Play Dead is just full of so many wonderful characters. Some say it's sort of like Friday Night Lights meets George A. Romero, but I have disagree. That analogy makes it seem that the whole novel is about zombies, and besides that I cannot stand Romero films. I say it's more like an adventures combination of True Blood Meets Friday Night Lights. The word zombies never actually comes up and it's more to do with the dar
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May 22, 2010
Kristina
rated it:
This was a fantastic book and not at all what I expected from the cover. I'm not sure that I can tell you EXACTLY what I expected, but it was more along the lines of vampires or raging zombies in my mind. Now they did have "zombies" but anyway...
I'll say that I was pleasantly suprised by Ryan's story telling abilities all the way around. The setting for the story was great and so were the storyline and characters. I'd hate to give anything away about this one but I'll say t More...
I'll say that I was pleasantly suprised by Ryan's story telling abilities all the way around. The setting for the story was great and so were the storyline and characters. I'd hate to give anything away about this one but I'll say t More...
May 18, 2010
Mary (BookHounds)
rated it:
Friday Night Lights with Zombies! This is a smart and witty debut with all of the pathos of almost adult high schoolers mixed with a horror fest that is football. Except that horror fest turns into a funny commentary on high school and sports. I am not a huge football fan, so I was a little worried when I started to read this, but just like Friday Night Lights, football is just a background for the real story here about a football team that turns into zombies. Brown gets right to the story w
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May 17, 2010
Bridget
rated it:
When a fatal school bus kills everyone on board except for the school quarterback, Cole, he knows deep in his bones that it was no accident. His team, the Jackrabbit's were determined to beat the Elmwood Heights Badgers and win the district championship. Their dreams were cut short in this tragedy but Cole isn't ready to give up. With a little help thanks to black magic, Cole resurrects his teammates. This is where the story gets really interesting.
I read a bunch of rave review More...
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Feb 12, 2010
Veronica
rated it:
"I got an advance readers copy last October and read it one sitting. I'm not real big on zombies but this just drew me in from the very start. Definitely a Team Zombie fan now.
About Play Dead:
Its very fresh, original and wildly entertaining. Ryan Brown has nothing to be worried about. Play Dead is going to win over plenty of readers and become instant bestseller. I have nothing but praise for this debut author, Ryan Brown. I definitely will recommend this tite and More...
About Play Dead:
Its very fresh, original and wildly entertaining. Ryan Brown has nothing to be worried about. Play Dead is going to win over plenty of readers and become instant bestseller. I have nothing but praise for this debut author, Ryan Brown. I definitely will recommend this tite and More...
Dec 23, 2010
Robert
rated it:
Ryan Brown, Play Dead (Gallery, 2010)
I had gotten it in my head somehow that Ryan Brown's debut novel, Play Dead, was teen lit. Then I got it, and saw the blurbs. Lee Child does not blurb teen lit. And then I read the first couple of chapters, and Brown doesn't write like a YA author. There are a few things about the book that make it look like it was maybe retrofitted for the teen crowd (specifically the main romance), but it reads like an adult novel. So if you're out of college and More...
I had gotten it in my head somehow that Ryan Brown's debut novel, Play Dead, was teen lit. Then I got it, and saw the blurbs. Lee Child does not blurb teen lit. And then I read the first couple of chapters, and Brown doesn't write like a YA author. There are a few things about the book that make it look like it was maybe retrofitted for the teen crowd (specifically the main romance), but it reads like an adult novel. So if you're out of college and More...
Feb 06, 2011
Julie
rated it:
This review was originally posted on my blog: http://jewelknits.blogspot.com/2010/05/p...
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 " More...
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 " More...
Dec 30, 2010
Nancy
rated it: 
Review on my blog: www.amusingreviews.blogspot.com.
My Take: I can't deny the premise is pretty original; steroid pumped teenagers who are deadly serious about championship who plan and execute (no pun intended) a prank of epic proportions.
{I've always wanted to use the word "epic" in a coherent sentence. Did it sound as cool as when the movie announcer says it?}
By reading publisher's review, you already know the prank lands the team in a very bad pl More...
My Take: I can't deny the premise is pretty original; steroid pumped teenagers who are deadly serious about championship who plan and execute (no pun intended) a prank of epic proportions.
{I've always wanted to use the word "epic" in a coherent sentence. Did it sound as cool as when the movie announcer says it?}
By reading publisher's review, you already know the prank lands the team in a very bad pl More...
May 18, 2010
Carmaletta
rated it:
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