Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Guest Review #3: Play Dead by Ryan Brown (Blog Tour and Giveaway!)

Play Dead

Title: Play Dead
Author: Ryan Brown
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: Horror
Format: Review Copy from Publisher
ISBN: 978-1-4391-7130-1
Price/Pages: $24.99/344
Release Date: May

Description from Publisher's Website:

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!


Michelle's Two Cents:
I received this ARC a few months ago from Simon and Schuster for fun, not necessarily to review right away. I had it on my list to read but my husband snagged it first! When I saw the Blog Tour going on, I emailed Sarah at Simon and Schuster and asked if he could hop on board and maybe do a Giveaway too! So, she sent us a copy and here we are. Sean read it a few months ago so he is a little rusty in remembering some of the finer details but he did remember he found it to be a hoot!

Sean's Review:
Play Dead was definitely a fun, fast-paced read. I am fan of horror novels in general and though this is a bit more on the campy side, I did find it absorbing and finished it in just a few days.

I haven't read a lot of Young Adult but this one read much like that genre. The plot line was relatively uncomplicated and it seemed the adults went along with some pretty wacky, unrealistic things; things you would not think a sensible adult would do. Zombies? Ok.

But I set aside my skepticism and enjoyed it for the candy that it was. Zombies, Revenge, Horror, Black Magic, Adults acting crazy, Jocks gone bad. A little flashy, a little sparkly, like realty TV.

Think of it as Pet Semetary with Jazz Hands.

Rating: 4 stars/ 6 stars
Recommended for a quick, summer read.

Giveaway (of my ARC) Rules:
* I wouldn't cry if you became a follower to my blog first. :)
* I would love it if you lived in the US. I'm just too broke to send it anywhere else.
* I would love it if you would leave me a comment and your email.
* Do you have a Zombie Survival plan?

GIVEAWAY WILL GO UNTIL JUNE 1!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by.

Michelle and Sean



12 comments:

Jenny said...

This book looks reallly scary!! Even it if is campy, lol. Oh, and pet semetary with jazz hands is the best quote ever, haha.

jennala(at)cfl(dot)rr(com)

Ryan said...

Hmmm....well I've been a follower for a while and since I live in Kansas (though why I've doomed myself to that is beyond me) I qualify for the US postage rate.

This rambling will be my comment other than that the cover is sorta cool.

I would think the only zombie survial plan would be not to do what they did in "Dawn of the Dead". Do you know how many service entrances are in a mall? You would never be able to shut yourself in safely, at least not in any sort of reasonable time.

Oh yeah, my email is fforganyr@yahoo.com

Momma Told Me said...

My Zombie Survival Plan is to do it up in zombie makeup and costume a-la Zombieland style to trick the brainless fools.
six_one_nine_girlie86 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Tales of Whimsy said...

How fun! I love that the hubby did a review.

(not an entry)

Julie@My5monkeys said...

no entry but liked the joint review of this book and I do think that it was crazy that the adults went along with it...but as a zombie book--it was one of the better one. :)

Teresa said...

I love that your hubby did a review. I've been trying to talk mine into doing one :)

You don't have to enter me as this isn't really my sort of book (I scare easily)

Teresa said...

okay, maybe I'll give it a try!

teresasreadingcorner@gmail.com

Elise said...

I'm a new follower.
I definitely like zombie thrillers so this would be an interesting read.
And my zombie survival plan would be to hide in a coffin that had an air hole of course so they would think I was dead already.
caliblue7 at gmail dot com

Book-eater Ivan said...

Well, I do not qualify for the US part, but I would still love to say some things:

The cover ROCKS! It's one of those that I could stare and admire forever (Have you seen the back-cover of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter? it's another one of those book covers) I just love gore!

Became a follower, would like to hear more from you.

Oh, and my only plan for Zombie invasion? Just blast their heads off before they turn me into one of them (but eventually they will).

Happy reading!!!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I like zombies! I think the checklist from the movie Zombieland is goo survival tactics. Always remember the double-tap!
wolferock AT earthlink.net

toothybooks said...

this looks like it would be a fun and entertaining read.

toothybooks@gmail.com

Aimee said...

Does owning a copy of The Zombie Survival Guide count as a survival plan? How about "aim for the head & don't get bit"?
Love the review. Sounds like a good book. Please accept my entry. Thanks!

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com