4 out of 5 Robots!
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!)
Book Details:
Hardcover: 344 pagesPublisher: Gallery; First Edition edition (May 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439171300
ISBN-13: 978-1439171301
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