Ryan Brown

Zombies Football =the entire plot of Play Dead. After a rival team's prank goes horribly, horribly wrong the Killington High football team is killed...but conveniently a witch is nearby to bring them all back (except for Cole and the coach, who survived). The rest of the novel is about the romance between Cole and the Coach's daughter, jokes about how you can't tell a teenager from a zombie, the rival team's absurdities and football. There is a lot about football in here, which I wasn't expecting despite the premise and knowledge of what the book is about.

I'm a zombie fangirl, if you say zombie I'm there to read the book or watch the movie pretty quickly, but I can admit nothing like this has been around before. The reasoning is slim at best, and at worst there is none. The book meanders from plot point to plot point, giving only basic facts and cliche'd reactions. Cole is the proverbial bad boy with a heart of gold, Coach Hickham is determined to win at any cost and is hiding a secret, his daughter is a plucky school reporter falling for Cole...there isn't much depth to the characters or their personalities.

And unfortunately football overshadows even the zombie aspect. You would think with a book about zombies playing high school football that may be the focus of the book, but the 'big game' that Elmwood (the rivals) were so worried about (absurdly so) is given maybe three dozen pages total. Most of which is a straight football narrative.

I give the author, a former soap opera star and son to the infamous Sandra Brown, credit for an original idea that at least stands out (on paper) from the tsunami of other zombie-centric media, but I don't believe he had the writing experience to make it more than marginally interesting. He wasn't able to balance the horror with the football antics, nor provide enough depth to have characters stand out or mean something.
… (more)

Cole Logan is the star quarterback of the Killingston Jackrabbits high school football team. They have a history of being absolutely terrible and rarely finishing the season with a winning record. For the first time ever, they are 1 win away from the district championships. The small town is frenzied with excitement, the young boys who make up the team are swollen with pride, and Cole Logan finally feels like he has a chance to make something of himself.

On the night of the final game, on the way to the opposing teams stadium, the bus tragically crashes into a river, killing the entire team. Except Cole. Unwilling to accept what has happened, he seeks the help of a fan, a mysterious cat lady who is thought to be a witch who casts curses on people who cross her.

So is the plot to this rather ridiculous novel. Zombies. Playing American football. I knew going in that the plot would be silly, but my understanding was that it was going to be humorous. Well, it wasn't. Not only that, but it was just too over-the-top for me.

The plot was too absurd, not just because it was as preposterous as I expected but because there characters' behavior was completely unbelievable. The football players were about as obnoxious as a group of teenagers ought to be, but the adults weren't a whole lot better. There is a poorly written subplot, which was mostly just ridiculous at first, and it all leads up to a climactic football game which turned out to be incredibly dull. It was too predictable, so I was just waiting for it to end.

I won't say that the book wasn't entertaining. It's quick, and it's one of those books that'll make you want to read 'just one more chapter,' but it's too silly to take seriously and not funny enough to consider a comedy. It's just...mediocre. That's all I can say for it.… (more)

Ryan Brown knows how to entertain his audience. He writes with a style that is both fun as well as humorous, and that, to me, is what makes his books a great read.

In "Thawed Out & Fed Up", the main character, Sam Bonham is pathetic - a drunk and a total loser. He's a character you just like to dislike, but at the same time, you can't help but feel just a bit sorry for him. As time goes on, your dislike changes... discovering Sam isn't so bad after all - he's just flawed, and you know flawed heroes make the best ones.

Sam's sidekick and mentor, appears on the scene, just like he fell out of the sky. Oh wait... He did! That mentor adds a little fantasy that gives the story a fun twist. With "The Duke" teaching Sam a thing or two, this tale of redemption has a lesson to learn: putting the needs of others before your own. A lesson we could all use at one time or another.

This book will appeal to both the male and female reader. I does contain some adult language and situations that might not be suitable for the younger audience, however, it would be a great read for the older teen through adult.… (more)