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Playing Possum
Despite her dead-end job, her life is going pretty well. She has a decent place to live, good friends, and she's saving up for an engagement ring for her longtime girlfriend.Then she's ambushed in a deserted parking lot by the unlikeliest of predators... PLAY DEAD Horrified by Tiffany's close call, she at least believes that the worst is over now. But then Tiffany starts acting strangely. And are her teeth getting sharper...? OR FIGHT BACK Rebecca and The chief of police and her husband took their niece Vanessa in years ago when her father threw her out. They're used to caring for everyone (including the strays their daughter Sophia brings home). But when the town comes under attack from ravenous furry hellbeasts, it might be all they can do to just protect themselves... NOTHING WILL SAVE YOU NOW. -------------------------This is a Creature Feature For Charity, with all proceeds going to the World Wildlife Fund. Cover art by Kealan Patrick Burke.
163 pages, Paperback
Published April 7, 2020
6 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Rabig
47 books36 followersI love mythology and fairy tales (those form the basis of about 60% of my current projects), Pacific Rim, Firefly, The Avengers, tea, Welcome to Night Vale, and chocolate. Recently, I've had several short stories (and soon novels!) published by the wonderful Less Than Three Press.
Though I write mostly fantasy and romance, my first and main love will always be horror. A few years ago, my grade-school librarian came up to me at work and said it was nice to see me again. I was surprised she recognized me, considering how many kids she'd interacted with over the years, and she laughed. "True, but not many kindergartners come up to my desk wanting to borrow Dracula, dear."
Basically, I was doomed from the start.
Though I write mostly fantasy and romance, my first and main love will always be horror. A few years ago, my grade-school librarian came up to me at work and said it was nice to see me again. I was surprised she recognized me, considering how many kids she'd interacted with over the years, and she laughed. "True, but not many kindergartners come up to my desk wanting to borrow Dracula, dear."
Basically, I was doomed from the start.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 29, 2022
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!
AND SO SPOOKTOBER BEGIIIIIIINS!
i am a huge fan of animal-horror books. i don't care about the type of animal or the quality of the writing—if there's a monsterfied animal running amok and attacking folks, i am there, rooting for nature.
possums eating human flesh? yeah, sign me right the hell up.
first things first: if you are an animal enthusiast
you will already know that there is a difference between a possum and an opossum.
i disagree with that cutie v. freaky distinction, since i think opossums are every bit as cute as their australian counterparts
#nofilter
but in this book, and to most people stateside, these critters are 'possums,' dammit, and that silent "o" gets dropped like it was never even there because silent letters are for suckers and if you want to get noticed, it's better to scream.
i know a lot of people have knee-jerk negative reactions to possums, with their plague doctor faces and graspy-tentacle tails
but they're harmless little critters; their defense mechanism is pretending to be dead, for goodness' sake, and all that hissing and tooth-baring ain't nothing but bluster
as sophia, the book's preteen possum advocate, has learned from animal advocates on the youtube: "...it's near impossible to provoke a possum into biting you. They're sweethearts."
they eat ticks and cockroaches by the thousands, they're essentially immune to rabies, and they're the only marsupial we have in the u.s., so we should cherish them and give them all of our bananas.
however, it must be said: possums do not give a fuck. i was leaving my friend's place one night, and as i opened the door to the foyer, i noticed a possum waddling down the stairs approaching the exterior door.
i crouched down to say hello through the glass because i am a Friend to the Animals, and that mofo hissed at me.
it then waddled back up the stairs and i opened the door, whereupon it looked over its shoulder at me and hissed AGAIN, like i was the intruder preventing him from getting to his apartment.
i respect that attitude.
another thing possums do not give a fuck about is genre conventions. in this book, the first victim of the monstrous marsupials, whose bites turn people into human-sized possums, is the one who would ordinarily be the final girl: a good and decent young woman who storms out of her boyfriend's place after calling out his friends on their racist jokes. true, she accidentally hit the possum with her car, but she was trying to HELP it when it attacked her.
and what about the aforementioned sophia—defending their reputations, rescuing a batch of baby possums from the pouch of their dead mom, feeding them kitten formula and calcium supplements with a teensy eyedropper and trying to save their lives. do the possums spare her?
no spoilers here, although i will disclose that possums can really RUIN a wedding reception.
this one is great fun, and it ends with what i hope is a foreshadowy tease for another book, featuring another species.
fun formatting facts: there are no page numbers, it skips from chapter nine to chapter eleven (but there's no missing content; chapter ten is just silent like the opossum's o), there's a secret code for those of you who speak languages or are tattoo artists:
my favorite formatting idiosyncrasy is that the trigger warnings are AT THE END of the book. no, i won't tell you what they are. animal horror is strictly survival of the fittest.
(wait for it......)
fun fact that isn't about formatting: the very morning i started reading this book, i was hand-feeding a squirrel (see above: Friend of Animals) and it misjudged what was me and what was nut and it BIT my thumb! i have not yet turned into a squirrel, but i'm still holding out hope. and nuts.
this book is part of a series of killer-animal books whose faux-distressed covers were designed by kealan patrick burke:
i have already read The Roo and both The Buck Stops Here and The Cassowary are on their way to me as i type this, but i have only been able to find 'dillo mentioned online, with no way to throw money at it and have it here in my home.
any information about when it will be published/where i can get a copy would be greatly appreciated, because i am NOT going to type 'dillo into amazon again and have their algorithm shout OH YOU MEAN DILDO? HERE IS A SELECTION OF DILDOS FOR YOU SINCE YOU LOVE DILDOS SO MUCH!
in conclusion, possums.
holy shit, i just learned she wrote Backyard Zombies, which i read YEARS AGO for a project. small world!!
come to my blog!
AND SO SPOOKTOBER BEGIIIIIIINS!
i am a huge fan of animal-horror books. i don't care about the type of animal or the quality of the writing—if there's a monsterfied animal running amok and attacking folks, i am there, rooting for nature.
possums eating human flesh? yeah, sign me right the hell up.
first things first: if you are an animal enthusiast
you will already know that there is a difference between a possum and an opossum.
i disagree with that cutie v. freaky distinction, since i think opossums are every bit as cute as their australian counterparts
#nofilter
but in this book, and to most people stateside, these critters are 'possums,' dammit, and that silent "o" gets dropped like it was never even there because silent letters are for suckers and if you want to get noticed, it's better to scream.
i know a lot of people have knee-jerk negative reactions to possums, with their plague doctor faces and graspy-tentacle tails
but they're harmless little critters; their defense mechanism is pretending to be dead, for goodness' sake, and all that hissing and tooth-baring ain't nothing but bluster
as sophia, the book's preteen possum advocate, has learned from animal advocates on the youtube: "...it's near impossible to provoke a possum into biting you. They're sweethearts."
they eat ticks and cockroaches by the thousands, they're essentially immune to rabies, and they're the only marsupial we have in the u.s., so we should cherish them and give them all of our bananas.
however, it must be said: possums do not give a fuck. i was leaving my friend's place one night, and as i opened the door to the foyer, i noticed a possum waddling down the stairs approaching the exterior door.
i crouched down to say hello through the glass because i am a Friend to the Animals, and that mofo hissed at me.
it then waddled back up the stairs and i opened the door, whereupon it looked over its shoulder at me and hissed AGAIN, like i was the intruder preventing him from getting to his apartment.
i respect that attitude.
another thing possums do not give a fuck about is genre conventions. in this book, the first victim of the monstrous marsupials, whose bites turn people into human-sized possums, is the one who would ordinarily be the final girl: a good and decent young woman who storms out of her boyfriend's place after calling out his friends on their racist jokes. true, she accidentally hit the possum with her car, but she was trying to HELP it when it attacked her.
and what about the aforementioned sophia—defending their reputations, rescuing a batch of baby possums from the pouch of their dead mom, feeding them kitten formula and calcium supplements with a teensy eyedropper and trying to save their lives. do the possums spare her?
no spoilers here, although i will disclose that possums can really RUIN a wedding reception.
this one is great fun, and it ends with what i hope is a foreshadowy tease for another book, featuring another species.
fun formatting facts: there are no page numbers, it skips from chapter nine to chapter eleven (but there's no missing content; chapter ten is just silent like the opossum's o), there's a secret code for those of you who speak languages or are tattoo artists:
my favorite formatting idiosyncrasy is that the trigger warnings are AT THE END of the book. no, i won't tell you what they are. animal horror is strictly survival of the fittest.
(wait for it......)
fun fact that isn't about formatting: the very morning i started reading this book, i was hand-feeding a squirrel (see above: Friend of Animals) and it misjudged what was me and what was nut and it BIT my thumb! i have not yet turned into a squirrel, but i'm still holding out hope. and nuts.
this book is part of a series of killer-animal books whose faux-distressed covers were designed by kealan patrick burke:
i have already read The Roo and both The Buck Stops Here and The Cassowary are on their way to me as i type this, but i have only been able to find 'dillo mentioned online, with no way to throw money at it and have it here in my home.
any information about when it will be published/where i can get a copy would be greatly appreciated, because i am NOT going to type 'dillo into amazon again and have their algorithm shout OH YOU MEAN DILDO? HERE IS A SELECTION OF DILDOS FOR YOU SINCE YOU LOVE DILDOS SO MUCH!
in conclusion, possums.
holy shit, i just learned she wrote Backyard Zombies, which i read YEARS AGO for a project. small world!!
come to my blog!
March 30, 2026
I’ve read some really funky horror stories over the years. Killer zoo animals, kangaroos, storks, and of the course the classics like sharks, etc. Needless to say, I don’t trust animals. Not ants or cats or even those judgmental chihuahuas. It’s only a matter of time before they strike back and take over. Ok, I’m being way dramatic and joking on the animal trust thing, but we’re talking about cursed, killer opossums. We should be making jokes. This story was hokey at the right times and was written to be a silly, fun-filled horror ride, and it absolutely grabbed the opportunity. The characters were a bit different than normal stories of the kind, but all hit the right notes. And, while I won’t ruin anything, some of the content made me think of Black Sheep (Not the Chris Farley one), which was fun to see. The violence was adequate and didn’t go overboard, and there was a good deal of action, some of which involved using potato guns to fight off these fuzzy little fiends. My only critique here was that there were a good deal of characters, and it was hard to keep track of everyone with the fast pace of the story. I also loved to see that the proceeds would go to to World Wildlife Federation, too. Such a great cause and what better type of book to encourage the safety and care of animals, right?
September 6, 2020
After several strange possum occurrences begin randomly appearing, a small community becomes rightfully concerned about the odd behavior from not only the furry rodents, but from several of the towns residents. A further investigation not only leads to the strange truth, but to an all out battle against hordes of possum.
In the tradition of such classic movies as The Birds and Piranha, quintessential books such as The Rats, The Swarm and Roo, comes the next great "animals attack" effort. Playing Possum by Stephanie Rabig. These menacing marsupials of fur, teeth and snake like thrashing tales are the protagonists in this well written animalistic horror ride. The story has plenty of depth with a constant evolving plot comprising of spooky graveyards, hoodoo magic and curses that would make the most heinous witch shudder with fear. Capitalizing on the their intimidating appearance, Rabig has successfully developed a thrilling slice of fiction made from enough hisses and bites to make the reader squirm in their seat for many pages. Not to mention, one can’t help but gush over the eye catching and absolute gorgeous cover art accomplished by the talented Kealan Patrick Burke. All of these great attributes belong to this lovable B-movie experience and are the reasons you should grab a copy.
There is a good sized fanbase, including me, for these type of books especially when they are done well, as this one is. The story relishes in its descriptive action sequences, characterization, unexpected twists and of course the wonderful ending that places the gruesome cherry on top of the savory skeletal roadkill remains. (which happens to be a common delicacy for the possum). Take care, for they are coming your way.
In the tradition of such classic movies as The Birds and Piranha, quintessential books such as The Rats, The Swarm and Roo, comes the next great "animals attack" effort. Playing Possum by Stephanie Rabig. These menacing marsupials of fur, teeth and snake like thrashing tales are the protagonists in this well written animalistic horror ride. The story has plenty of depth with a constant evolving plot comprising of spooky graveyards, hoodoo magic and curses that would make the most heinous witch shudder with fear. Capitalizing on the their intimidating appearance, Rabig has successfully developed a thrilling slice of fiction made from enough hisses and bites to make the reader squirm in their seat for many pages. Not to mention, one can’t help but gush over the eye catching and absolute gorgeous cover art accomplished by the talented Kealan Patrick Burke. All of these great attributes belong to this lovable B-movie experience and are the reasons you should grab a copy.
There is a good sized fanbase, including me, for these type of books especially when they are done well, as this one is. The story relishes in its descriptive action sequences, characterization, unexpected twists and of course the wonderful ending that places the gruesome cherry on top of the savory skeletal roadkill remains. (which happens to be a common delicacy for the possum). Take care, for they are coming your way.
August 22, 2021
Cheesy animal horror with lesbians? Yes, please!
May 27, 2020
Playing Possum is a fun creature feature with a unique antagonist (as the title indicates): possums! This was a quick and fast-paced read - and I enjoyed all the squirmy rodent-infested horror. I have always had a slight distaste for seeing them: those eyes, those naked ratty tails, those sinister and sharp teeth-filled mouths, etc.... yikes! You can practically hear the hissing, scurrying, screeching, and crying! Runnnnnnnnnnnnn from them!
In this story, I got a little confused from time to time with the amount of characters that were being introduced but I was able to slow down and sort it all out.
Definitely check this book out if you are into creature features and SyFy-esque horror! A fun ride that I recommend - 3.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads!
In this story, I got a little confused from time to time with the amount of characters that were being introduced but I was able to slow down and sort it all out.
Definitely check this book out if you are into creature features and SyFy-esque horror! A fun ride that I recommend - 3.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads!
July 31, 2025
Ah, the B creature feature, I am so happy you are part of my rotation these days. Especially in the summer, one of these can help you through a heatwave. And I mean, Were-Possums? I feel like my work here is done!
Obviously, this is a fun book that approaches its Horror with a bit of twinkle in the eye but it handles its characters with a lot of care and love. Indeed, if you're someone who loves to root for a likeable cast this is your book! For me that layer of small town, working class folks all coming together and standing up for each other was a bit thick. I know I will come off as an absolute jerk here but for my taste everybody was a bit too nice and too worried, even within the battle they always had a moment for a sweet conversation. I guess I wanted a bit more carnage and I always have a harder time believing characters are are inherently good but more so spending valuable creature time on sugary interactions is where I struggle.
But enough of me being a Grinch about the fact that the jerks of the story exist mostly off page. Aside from the annoying group of boys in the opening chapter, there's the father of the MC who kicked her out when he learnt that she was gay, so Vanessa was taken in by her aunt and uncle who are the nicest people you can imagine (maybe that's why Vanessa as a full on adult still calls them Aunt Becca and Uncle John... Only me who thinking that's weird when adults do that?). Then there's her young teenage cousin who is deeply into animal rights and her fiance Tiffany who ends being the first victim of the Were curse, basically where the fun begins. Though maybe I had even more fun with the attacking packs of Possums? I mean they are such weird, docile creatures so turning them into vicious herds is hilarious in itself but the were-transformation has its own hilarity. Chaos and mayhem ensue. But I gotta give it to Rabig: within all that ridiculousness she wrote a couple of sincerely suspenseful moments. Definitely a positive surprise in that area.
I was not very enthralled with the reason behind all this, speaking of off page villains. Not too get too spoilery (but I have to a little), we go the voodoo route and to blame is someone who is related to a side character who didn't play a role until half way through. It's not webbed into anything that's happened so far and the whole explanation doesn't connect with the themes of animal rights or gay liberation so it was very left field and dare I say a bit lazy? Especially since it utilizes the magical negro trope without having any thematic context to the story told so far. It just didn't come together well, imho, and on top I am just not someone who loves the "it's dark magic" explanation generally. Curses, spells etc. just don't fascinate me as much as let's say an animal mutation about wild life striking back would have!
But that's not to say I didn't gulp this down in one day and cheer on the townsfolk firing potato guns at the feral possums, because I so did! It's a fun B-Horror but it also could have been an amazing B-Horror with some different choices. But depending on who you are as a reader you might not be held back by the same things I was?!
Obviously, this is a fun book that approaches its Horror with a bit of twinkle in the eye but it handles its characters with a lot of care and love. Indeed, if you're someone who loves to root for a likeable cast this is your book! For me that layer of small town, working class folks all coming together and standing up for each other was a bit thick. I know I will come off as an absolute jerk here but for my taste everybody was a bit too nice and too worried, even within the battle they always had a moment for a sweet conversation. I guess I wanted a bit more carnage and I always have a harder time believing characters are are inherently good but more so spending valuable creature time on sugary interactions is where I struggle.
But enough of me being a Grinch about the fact that the jerks of the story exist mostly off page. Aside from the annoying group of boys in the opening chapter, there's the father of the MC who kicked her out when he learnt that she was gay, so Vanessa was taken in by her aunt and uncle who are the nicest people you can imagine (maybe that's why Vanessa as a full on adult still calls them Aunt Becca and Uncle John... Only me who thinking that's weird when adults do that?). Then there's her young teenage cousin who is deeply into animal rights and her fiance Tiffany who ends being the first victim of the Were curse, basically where the fun begins. Though maybe I had even more fun with the attacking packs of Possums? I mean they are such weird, docile creatures so turning them into vicious herds is hilarious in itself but the were-transformation has its own hilarity. Chaos and mayhem ensue. But I gotta give it to Rabig: within all that ridiculousness she wrote a couple of sincerely suspenseful moments. Definitely a positive surprise in that area.
I was not very enthralled with the reason behind all this, speaking of off page villains. Not too get too spoilery (but I have to a little), we go the voodoo route and to blame is someone who is related to a side character who didn't play a role until half way through. It's not webbed into anything that's happened so far and the whole explanation doesn't connect with the themes of animal rights or gay liberation so it was very left field and dare I say a bit lazy? Especially since it utilizes the magical negro trope without having any thematic context to the story told so far. It just didn't come together well, imho, and on top I am just not someone who loves the "it's dark magic" explanation generally. Curses, spells etc. just don't fascinate me as much as let's say an animal mutation about wild life striking back would have!
But that's not to say I didn't gulp this down in one day and cheer on the townsfolk firing potato guns at the feral possums, because I so did! It's a fun B-Horror but it also could have been an amazing B-Horror with some different choices. But depending on who you are as a reader you might not be held back by the same things I was?!
August 6, 2020
This was a lot of fun.
Characters I absolutely loved, furry critters that love to attack some of those characters I loved, and a ton of humor on the part of the author (the potatoes and the chickens made me smile).
Definitely an entertaining adventure!
If I wished for anything, it would be a higher body count. Yes, I'm bloodthirsty. The book wasn't quite the bloodbath I'd hoped for, but I still really enjoyed the read.
Would happily read the author again in the future!
Characters I absolutely loved, furry critters that love to attack some of those characters I loved, and a ton of humor on the part of the author (the potatoes and the chickens made me smile).
Definitely an entertaining adventure!
If I wished for anything, it would be a higher body count. Yes, I'm bloodthirsty. The book wasn't quite the bloodbath I'd hoped for, but I still really enjoyed the read.
Would happily read the author again in the future!
December 12, 2020
A super bonkers mix of a creature feature and a curse story, a little ridiculous at times, but enjoyable and creepy.
November 19, 2020
I really loved this book. It was a great, fun read. I loved the incorporation of a variety of characters; queer, POC, and women in important roles. Very nicely written and looking forward to reading more from this author!
March 13, 2021
Playing Possum - 4/5
By Stephanie Rabig
I really enjoyed this story about the were-possums. I thought it was quite an interesting take on the whole ‘were’ category of the creature feature. I had serious Zombeaver vibes the whole book. Now, I loved that movie so it really can’t be a bad thing!
I really loved the main characters - all kick ass women. The heroine of the whole story was someones great-grandma! You can’t get much better than that! I liked how the author mixed in real life problems with impossible ones, which really added to the story.
I did feel that the book could have been edited slightly better, as I found a random kanji character in one of the words. I also found it confusing when we switched POV and had to reread a page several times so I could figure out who we were following.
Non content related - there were no page numbers to this book and I don’t know, it felt like a bit of a big deal to me!
It definitely made me feel good buying this book as all proceeds from the sales will benefit the World Wildlife Federation.
By Stephanie Rabig
I really enjoyed this story about the were-possums. I thought it was quite an interesting take on the whole ‘were’ category of the creature feature. I had serious Zombeaver vibes the whole book. Now, I loved that movie so it really can’t be a bad thing!
I really loved the main characters - all kick ass women. The heroine of the whole story was someones great-grandma! You can’t get much better than that! I liked how the author mixed in real life problems with impossible ones, which really added to the story.
I did feel that the book could have been edited slightly better, as I found a random kanji character in one of the words. I also found it confusing when we switched POV and had to reread a page several times so I could figure out who we were following.
Non content related - there were no page numbers to this book and I don’t know, it felt like a bit of a big deal to me!
It definitely made me feel good buying this book as all proceeds from the sales will benefit the World Wildlife Federation.
August 9, 2022
3.5 out of 5.
This is a bit of cheese creature feature fun, like the 2014 movie Zombeavers, so If you liked it you will like this, I was hoping for a bit more ridiculous creature carnage, but overall a quick fun read.
I did notice a few odd things, my copy doesn’t have any page numbers and there is no chapter 10, the story lines up, so I don't think anything is missing, I think it is just a editing error.
This is a bit of cheese creature feature fun, like the 2014 movie Zombeavers, so If you liked it you will like this, I was hoping for a bit more ridiculous creature carnage, but overall a quick fun read.
I did notice a few odd things, my copy doesn’t have any page numbers and there is no chapter 10, the story lines up, so I don't think anything is missing, I think it is just a editing error.
March 22, 2021
You can read my full review at: https://strangersights.com/playing-po...
Do you ever just really want to read a book about killer possums? Yeah, me too. This is just that book.
Do you ever just really want to read a book about killer possums? Yeah, me too. This is just that book.
November 26, 2023
Sadly didnt love this one. I am not sure if I was expecting something else, wasnt in the mood or I just wasnt getting into it as it did severely lack character development and well, any sort of major direction. It was a small book, written for charity, probably wouldnt have bought it knowing this as a book written not for anyone's actual gain isnt really a book you try to sell a heap of I guess so that is why. But look, I didnt hate it, it just took me far too long to get through it and every time I picked it up, I honestly just couldnt get into it. I enjoyed what character development there was. I did like the story line of how the girls got together and the hardship to which they got there. Anyone that disowns their kids due to their sexuality really has some serious issues. But sadly the whole possum angle didnt grab me, the witchcraft element was wishy-washy and hard to fully get into and the entire booked seemed scatted and rushed. But it is a short book so I have to expect that to a degree. But yeah, I normally get into anything to be honest but I truly struggled with this one. So just a couple of stars from me. Hoping I can pass it on to someone that will get a lot more out of it.
October 22, 2023
The most wholesome possum horror novel I've ever read.
November 6, 2025
This wasn’t right; possums were supposed to play dead or something, not attack.
M'kay, that was really fun, quick read. Stephanie Rabig's - underlining her name is NOT Rabid which this book kept making me think of - "Playing Possum" is a well-written, small-town Americana "it's a creepy night out there y'all" kind of tale. I wouldn't necessarily go into looking it if you're looking for horror because it's pretty tame in that regard. What I would do - which I didn't know to do before I, um, did it - is that all proceeds from this book go to the World Wildlife Fund, so, again, you can enjoy this book thoroughly and enjoy doing a good deed, too (or feel extra shitty if you stole it). Plus it's got some really positive aspects like legitimate, real-to-life family situations, an honest-to-gosh-feel-good LGBTQ+ sub-story (is that right [the sub-story designation, not the other bit]? It's not central-central but it is key!) and a very cool, "ooo bet ya didn't see that coming" ending.
It’s near impossible to provoke a possum into biting you.
Really, there's nothing stopping you from grabbing a copy for the whole family. I mean, there's no sex, only some mild cursing, some fairly well-framed weapons use, and a few people getting chewed on and/or eaten by wild animals… you know, normal everyday stuff that we see whenever the Orange Tyrant isn't busy starting another trade (or real) war. One thing I cannot confirm if it matters is exactly where in the aforementioned Americana this book takes place, but I will say that wherever it is they should have LOTS of possums running about and not be all that surprised that at least one family knows about hoodoo. Hoodoo being that voodoo that you - or again just one group - do so well. For, yes, they do something to, well, quite a number of creatures both great and small that nobody else could do. Oh and potato guns also have to be legal, even in church. Trust me on this.
We’re moving to Hawaii! They don’t have possums! Right?
But seriously, Rabig WITH A G does a good job of framing a lot of likeable folks and creating a pretty insane situation that if you've ever been around possums before sounds pretty plausible more or less (mostly less … noting my late father was the neighborhood possum trapper - strictly catch & release! Especially as he could let them out in the countryside on the way to work afterwards). Again possums are not typically aggressive critters although they're not known to be overly friendly with outdoor cats (who do NOT like sharing their outdoor food) nor any dogs that catch their scent. So right off the bat we should all know that something is definitely amiss and it's not just the fact that Uncle John is just like the nicest human being that has ever lived ever ever. And Sheriff Mom is pretty cool, too, though she can be a bit overprotective ("If any one of you hurts my daughter, I will shoot you in the face."). Just watch your language and keep your grades up please.
She let out a sob that sounded more like a hiss, exposing wickedly pointed teeth.
But overall, it's a decently executed book, except for maybe when this symbol showed up 痴 instead of the anticipated apostrophe 's' (no I haven't looked it up as there's way too much talk in these parts about curses to feel comfortable doing so)! I wouldn't say that the pacing is lightning fast but it works well enough. Yeah, it's kind of bizarre when all the "transitions" begin to happen, for example, "Gone, too, was her black skin; it was covered entirely in gray-white fur." (hey, I'm covered in white hair, too, including an all-white ZZTop beard! And I have bad teeth! Have I been hoodoo'ed, too, um, too?). But overall (I said that already, sorry) it was a fun book to spend a few hours with. And I'll definitely be looking into more of these offers that support good causes and place possums on their rightful throne of leading the planet into a bright future, with mankind shackled at their weird, scratchy little feet. I welcome out new screaming overlords! Um…
M'kay, that was really fun, quick read. Stephanie Rabig's - underlining her name is NOT Rabid which this book kept making me think of - "Playing Possum" is a well-written, small-town Americana "it's a creepy night out there y'all" kind of tale. I wouldn't necessarily go into looking it if you're looking for horror because it's pretty tame in that regard. What I would do - which I didn't know to do before I, um, did it - is that all proceeds from this book go to the World Wildlife Fund, so, again, you can enjoy this book thoroughly and enjoy doing a good deed, too (or feel extra shitty if you stole it). Plus it's got some really positive aspects like legitimate, real-to-life family situations, an honest-to-gosh-feel-good LGBTQ+ sub-story (is that right [the sub-story designation, not the other bit]? It's not central-central but it is key!) and a very cool, "ooo bet ya didn't see that coming" ending.
It’s near impossible to provoke a possum into biting you.
Really, there's nothing stopping you from grabbing a copy for the whole family. I mean, there's no sex, only some mild cursing, some fairly well-framed weapons use, and a few people getting chewed on and/or eaten by wild animals… you know, normal everyday stuff that we see whenever the Orange Tyrant isn't busy starting another trade (or real) war. One thing I cannot confirm if it matters is exactly where in the aforementioned Americana this book takes place, but I will say that wherever it is they should have LOTS of possums running about and not be all that surprised that at least one family knows about hoodoo. Hoodoo being that voodoo that you - or again just one group - do so well. For, yes, they do something to, well, quite a number of creatures both great and small that nobody else could do. Oh and potato guns also have to be legal, even in church. Trust me on this.
We’re moving to Hawaii! They don’t have possums! Right?
But seriously, Rabig WITH A G does a good job of framing a lot of likeable folks and creating a pretty insane situation that if you've ever been around possums before sounds pretty plausible more or less (mostly less … noting my late father was the neighborhood possum trapper - strictly catch & release! Especially as he could let them out in the countryside on the way to work afterwards). Again possums are not typically aggressive critters although they're not known to be overly friendly with outdoor cats (who do NOT like sharing their outdoor food) nor any dogs that catch their scent. So right off the bat we should all know that something is definitely amiss and it's not just the fact that Uncle John is just like the nicest human being that has ever lived ever ever. And Sheriff Mom is pretty cool, too, though she can be a bit overprotective ("If any one of you hurts my daughter, I will shoot you in the face."). Just watch your language and keep your grades up please.
She let out a sob that sounded more like a hiss, exposing wickedly pointed teeth.
But overall, it's a decently executed book, except for maybe when this symbol showed up 痴 instead of the anticipated apostrophe 's' (no I haven't looked it up as there's way too much talk in these parts about curses to feel comfortable doing so)! I wouldn't say that the pacing is lightning fast but it works well enough. Yeah, it's kind of bizarre when all the "transitions" begin to happen, for example, "Gone, too, was her black skin; it was covered entirely in gray-white fur." (hey, I'm covered in white hair, too, including an all-white ZZTop beard! And I have bad teeth! Have I been hoodoo'ed, too, um, too?). But overall (I said that already, sorry) it was a fun book to spend a few hours with. And I'll definitely be looking into more of these offers that support good causes and place possums on their rightful throne of leading the planet into a bright future, with mankind shackled at their weird, scratchy little feet. I welcome out new screaming overlords! Um…
September 30, 2020
Folks who know me know that I love Nature Strikes Back movies and books, but they also know I hate books and movies that show violence against animals, which might seem like a contradiction. And sometimes it is; I've been known to stop reading books because animals have been killed, but there are other books that I've devoured. The difference? I guess it has to do with the reason the animal was killed. If you kill a dog for the sake of killing a dog (for shock value?), I'm done. But if the animal is killed in an act of self-defense, that's a different story altogether. Or so my brain tells me.
When I first stumbled on Alan Baxter's The Roo and heard the backstory about how it came about, I knew I had to read it. Likewise with Stephanie Rabig's Playing Possum. I was curious to see what she could do with opossums that would make them scary. I mean, other than just have them bare their teeth, because when they do that, they're freaking terrifying.
Rabig wastes no time throwing the reader into the thick of it when a young woman, after fighting with her boyfriend, is attacked and presumably killed by a bunch of opossums. Then we slow things down a bit when we're introduced to the main character, Vanessa, her family (aunt, uncle, and cousin), and her girlfriend. Things start to ramp up again when Vanessa's girlfriend is attacked. She's taken to the hospital, given the all clear, and is sent home. But all isn't clear, and she starts to feel sick. Vanessa wants her to go back to the hospital, but finances prevent her from doing that. So she stays home...and gets worse. Meanwhile, the opossums are launching attacks all over town, and things go from bad to worse when Vanessa's young cousin is attacked and disappears. Figuring there's safety in numbers, a number of townsfolk head to the clinic. They're scared and confused, and they want to know why the opossums are attacking. They aren't normally pack animals, and the don't usually attack unless threatened, so what's changed. One woman thinks she knows; in fact, she's certain she knows who's behind the attacks and why. And then it's a race against time. Can one old woman and Vanessa's family put a stop to the attacks before the entire town falls victim to the rampaging marsupials.
In Playing Possum, Rabig has created a thrilling take of jealousy and revenge. It moves along at a brisk pace, and rarely lets the reader come up for air before launching them into more mayhem. With Vanessa, she has created a strong, independent woman who is not without flaws. She's fully fleshed out and believable, but alas, she's the only one who is. The other central characters are fleshed out enough so that the reader comes to care about what happens to them, but they don't reach the full three-dimensional nature that Rabig reached with Vanessa. This might have been intentional, in that they feel more like cannon fodder, which means we're guessing all throughout who's going to live and who's going to die. That and the suspense of waiting for the next attack makes for a nail-biting thrill ride that will keep you gripping the roll bar until the ride comes to a complete stop. Be forwarned, Rabig does set things up for a possible sequel, and we can only pray that she follows through and delivers. Final rating, 5 out of 5 stars.
When I first stumbled on Alan Baxter's The Roo and heard the backstory about how it came about, I knew I had to read it. Likewise with Stephanie Rabig's Playing Possum. I was curious to see what she could do with opossums that would make them scary. I mean, other than just have them bare their teeth, because when they do that, they're freaking terrifying.
Rabig wastes no time throwing the reader into the thick of it when a young woman, after fighting with her boyfriend, is attacked and presumably killed by a bunch of opossums. Then we slow things down a bit when we're introduced to the main character, Vanessa, her family (aunt, uncle, and cousin), and her girlfriend. Things start to ramp up again when Vanessa's girlfriend is attacked. She's taken to the hospital, given the all clear, and is sent home. But all isn't clear, and she starts to feel sick. Vanessa wants her to go back to the hospital, but finances prevent her from doing that. So she stays home...and gets worse. Meanwhile, the opossums are launching attacks all over town, and things go from bad to worse when Vanessa's young cousin is attacked and disappears. Figuring there's safety in numbers, a number of townsfolk head to the clinic. They're scared and confused, and they want to know why the opossums are attacking. They aren't normally pack animals, and the don't usually attack unless threatened, so what's changed. One woman thinks she knows; in fact, she's certain she knows who's behind the attacks and why. And then it's a race against time. Can one old woman and Vanessa's family put a stop to the attacks before the entire town falls victim to the rampaging marsupials.
In Playing Possum, Rabig has created a thrilling take of jealousy and revenge. It moves along at a brisk pace, and rarely lets the reader come up for air before launching them into more mayhem. With Vanessa, she has created a strong, independent woman who is not without flaws. She's fully fleshed out and believable, but alas, she's the only one who is. The other central characters are fleshed out enough so that the reader comes to care about what happens to them, but they don't reach the full three-dimensional nature that Rabig reached with Vanessa. This might have been intentional, in that they feel more like cannon fodder, which means we're guessing all throughout who's going to live and who's going to die. That and the suspense of waiting for the next attack makes for a nail-biting thrill ride that will keep you gripping the roll bar until the ride comes to a complete stop. Be forwarned, Rabig does set things up for a possible sequel, and we can only pray that she follows through and delivers. Final rating, 5 out of 5 stars.
November 12, 2020
The possums seem to have gone crazy! They’re attacking people, and those who are bitten start to change. Vanessa is worrying over her girlfriend, Tiffany, who was attacked in the parking lot outside of her job. Vanessa’s cousin Sophia, who loves animals with all her heart, insists possums just aren’t like that, and rescues a bunch of babies after their mother is shot. Unfortunately, it seems the town may be under a curse, and they’re going to need some help to survive the growing army of possums!
Honestly this book is just so much fun. From the raucous family who come wielding potato cannons, to the beautiful relationship between Vanessa and Tiffany, I loved it. The characters have way more depth than you’d expect from a book that’s kind of half-joke. Vanessa lives with her aunt (the police chief), her uncle, and her cousin because her father threw her out for being gay. Sophia and Tiffany are interesting young ladies. Aunt Becca clearly kicks some ass, and uncle John is a sweetheart. The other townspeople–the few we see in any depth–are either fodder for animal attacks or interesting side characters who definitely add to the story.
I absolutely recommend this book, and I hope more authors get drawn into this! Content note for animal harm, of course, although there’s also plenty of animal love. I wish I could explain some later developments in this book that I love, but I don’t want to spoil it. I’ll just say that the ending was awesome!
Review first posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/04/r...
Honestly this book is just so much fun. From the raucous family who come wielding potato cannons, to the beautiful relationship between Vanessa and Tiffany, I loved it. The characters have way more depth than you’d expect from a book that’s kind of half-joke. Vanessa lives with her aunt (the police chief), her uncle, and her cousin because her father threw her out for being gay. Sophia and Tiffany are interesting young ladies. Aunt Becca clearly kicks some ass, and uncle John is a sweetheart. The other townspeople–the few we see in any depth–are either fodder for animal attacks or interesting side characters who definitely add to the story.
I absolutely recommend this book, and I hope more authors get drawn into this! Content note for animal harm, of course, although there’s also plenty of animal love. I wish I could explain some later developments in this book that I love, but I don’t want to spoil it. I’ll just say that the ending was awesome!
Review first posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/04/r...
July 8, 2022
I bought this book mainly because I loved the cover art and I knew that the proceeds went to charity. (World Wildlife Fund, no less!)
I was not expecting to love the story, but I did. It was both hilarious and horrific, in a silly way - like a Goosebumps written for grown ups!
There were admittedly a few errors better editing might have caught - a random Japanese character, a missing chapter number, and trigger warnings at the very end of the book! - but I immediately forgave each one. Instead of being annoying, they just made me LOL, and also, the author wrote this for CHARITY! It all just felt kind of heartwarmingly DIY.
Spoiler: For my fellow animal-loving friend, worry not - this is NOT anti possum propaganda! I was worried while reading the first chapter, after the first narrator worried about getting rabies after getting bitten.
I need not have feared. A page later; the narrator switched to a little girl who was fiercely defensive of the animals, and explained that opossums are practically immune to rabies and most other diseases, and also mostly sweet and harmless to humans. The opossums in this book are INNOCENT, I tell you. Later chapters go so far as to explain that they only turned dangerous after being cursed!
I was not expecting to love the story, but I did. It was both hilarious and horrific, in a silly way - like a Goosebumps written for grown ups!
There were admittedly a few errors better editing might have caught - a random Japanese character, a missing chapter number, and trigger warnings at the very end of the book! - but I immediately forgave each one. Instead of being annoying, they just made me LOL, and also, the author wrote this for CHARITY! It all just felt kind of heartwarmingly DIY.
Spoiler: For my fellow animal-loving friend, worry not - this is NOT anti possum propaganda! I was worried while reading the first chapter, after the first narrator worried about getting rabies after getting bitten.
I need not have feared. A page later; the narrator switched to a little girl who was fiercely defensive of the animals, and explained that opossums are practically immune to rabies and most other diseases, and also mostly sweet and harmless to humans. The opossums in this book are INNOCENT, I tell you. Later chapters go so far as to explain that they only turned dangerous after being cursed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2020
This was a fun book and overall enjoyable read. The plot was pretty solid and I flew through the book.
I do feel like this book needed to be edited a little better, I noticed a lot of grammatical errors that annoyed me. There’s also no page numbers and I just find that weird but definitely not a big deal to most people.
Also I did at times find it hard to follow, it would switch to a different scene or character without introduction and I would find myself confused and pulled out of the story. Overall though it was a quick and fun read by the pool. It reminds me of the comedy horror film zombeavers and lets be honest who doesn’t enjoy a silly creature feature in the summer.
I do feel like this book needed to be edited a little better, I noticed a lot of grammatical errors that annoyed me. There’s also no page numbers and I just find that weird but definitely not a big deal to most people.
Also I did at times find it hard to follow, it would switch to a different scene or character without introduction and I would find myself confused and pulled out of the story. Overall though it was a quick and fun read by the pool. It reminds me of the comedy horror film zombeavers and lets be honest who doesn’t enjoy a silly creature feature in the summer.
August 10, 2020
I grabbed this on Kindle after chatting briefly with the author on Twitter. She mentioned that "Playing Possum" had some B-Movie vibes and I knew straight away that I had to read it.
Possums start acting strangely in a small town and all hell breaks lose. The story follows a group of core characters who have to work together to undo what's been done (obviously, I won't say how!). We are even treated to were-possums - something that I didn't know I needed in my life until right now. WERE-POSSUMS!!!
This is a super fun creature feature and one hell of a ride! It had me smiling from ear to ear.
Possums start acting strangely in a small town and all hell breaks lose. The story follows a group of core characters who have to work together to undo what's been done (obviously, I won't say how!). We are even treated to were-possums - something that I didn't know I needed in my life until right now. WERE-POSSUMS!!!
This is a super fun creature feature and one hell of a ride! It had me smiling from ear to ear.
June 9, 2023
One time I had to relocate like five Opossums on my own because I’m way too cheap to pay for someone else to do it. And I didn’t want them to get hurt. If I had read Stephanie Rabig’s Playing Possum back then I maybe would have called someone and vacated the premise for a bit. This book read like a creature feature from the mid 90’s; think The Relic or Mimic. I’ve always wondered why there aren’t really any opossum horror movies/books out there, and this fills that void perfectly. There’s characters that are so close to people you know in real life you just shake your head, ooey gooey, and some W I L D twists. K thx.
July 12, 2023
This book is the equivalent of having the TV to yourself on a lazy Saturday, all settled into your favorite chair with your favorite snacks as you flip through the channels and find a cheesy flick on SyFy that goes on to become one of your comfort movies for the rest of your life. There's silliness, badassery, a few poignant moments thrown in so that even though you're only with them for a little over 150 (I think?) pages, you're fond of these characters.
I want more of these folks because the found family and friends vibe is strong and I want to see what else they all get up to, but the ending was also so satisfying.
Oh, and bonus points for the Aliens reference.
I want more of these folks because the found family and friends vibe is strong and I want to see what else they all get up to, but the ending was also so satisfying.
Oh, and bonus points for the Aliens reference.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2020
Couldn’t pass up on this one after knowing the profits were being donated to World Wildlife 🖤 but I was hesitant going in. I didn’t want to read a book that villainized such misunderstood creatures.
I need not have worried - Rabig wrote a horror story that was both engaging and respectful of possums. What really impressed me is that she knew her possum facts and seemed to care strongly for America’s only marsupial.
There are a few details that are off (such as proper feeding of orphaned baby opossums) but not enough to merit a lower rating.
I’m recommending this one highly!
I need not have worried - Rabig wrote a horror story that was both engaging and respectful of possums. What really impressed me is that she knew her possum facts and seemed to care strongly for America’s only marsupial.
There are a few details that are off (such as proper feeding of orphaned baby opossums) but not enough to merit a lower rating.
I’m recommending this one highly!
October 14, 2021
This was hugely readable and if pulp horror was like this, I would read the whole catalogue of the 70s and 80s.
Tiffany and Vanessa are about to tie the knot but strange animal activity in their little town will show them that there is no time for... PLAYING POSSUM!
Love the cheesiness of it while handling serious and emotional topics. 10/10 would recommend.
Tiffany and Vanessa are about to tie the knot but strange animal activity in their little town will show them that there is no time for... PLAYING POSSUM!
Love the cheesiness of it while handling serious and emotional topics. 10/10 would recommend.
July 19, 2025
I think I was expected something way way more gruesome than this was. It was a fun little creature feature thats a fun play on werewolves. Quick read just under 170 pages.
There were a handful a characters I had to keep going back to figure out who was who but it is set in a small town and eventually I got it figured out.
There were a handful a characters I had to keep going back to figure out who was who but it is set in a small town and eventually I got it figured out.
July 7, 2020
I’m not usually a fan of creature stories but this was an interesting, original, fast paced story with a couple of twists and turns that was difficult to put down. I will be looking for more horror stories from this author.
September 7, 2023
Werepossums?! Yes!!! I have made this book my whole ass personality. I freaking loved it! It was goofy, had great queer rep, fast paced shenigans and potato guns. The ending now makes me crave a book about those creatures. Good gif this book rocked my socks!
October 4, 2023
First off, the cover art is amazing. It’s made to look distressed like a 1980’s pulp horror novel. It was worth the price just for the cover alone. But, as an added bonus, the story was excellent as well. If you’re a fan of the old creature features you will love this book. 5 STARS…
October 9, 2024
Fun little spin on the Werewolf tale.
The only complaint I have is there was a lot of characters to keep track of and I forgot about some until they reappeared again.
That ending was awesome though!
The only complaint I have is there was a lot of characters to keep track of and I forgot about some until they reappeared again.
That ending was awesome though!
August 19, 2025
The author admits to being a fan of and modeling this story after SciFi channel original movies. In a small town, possums begin exhibiting aggressive behavior and their bites have the effect of turning humans in giant possums. A ridiculous but entertaining addition to the creature feature genre.
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