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Play or Die
Ready to play the game of your life?
Could you stay ahead of a sociopathic hunter being sent your co-ordinates every three hours? Jo Warrington is about to live this nightmare. On a Melbourne city street she is plunged into a game devised by people from the future. Her choices - play or die.
As Jo flees a remorseless Hunter, her watching audience places bets on how long she will survive and awards points for ingenuity. The points allow her to ask questions, but when the answer to one reveals her father's recent death to have been no accident, she resolves to play the game on her own terms.
Desperately searching for clues as the assassin closes in, Jo is tempted when her father’s sexy equipment salesman turns up asking her to trust him, but Richard seems to have his own agenda.
Can Jo track down her father’s murderers before she herself is killed? And what of her viewers from the future? Will they be satisfied with anything less than her death?
A lot can happen in five days.
If you crave the adrenaline hit of an action-packed thriller, then choose a comfy chair to read Play or Die. It’ll be a while before you leave.
This is a novel for young adults and old.
Could you stay ahead of a sociopathic hunter being sent your co-ordinates every three hours? Jo Warrington is about to live this nightmare. On a Melbourne city street she is plunged into a game devised by people from the future. Her choices - play or die.
As Jo flees a remorseless Hunter, her watching audience places bets on how long she will survive and awards points for ingenuity. The points allow her to ask questions, but when the answer to one reveals her father's recent death to have been no accident, she resolves to play the game on her own terms.
Desperately searching for clues as the assassin closes in, Jo is tempted when her father’s sexy equipment salesman turns up asking her to trust him, but Richard seems to have his own agenda.
Can Jo track down her father’s murderers before she herself is killed? And what of her viewers from the future? Will they be satisfied with anything less than her death?
A lot can happen in five days.
If you crave the adrenaline hit of an action-packed thriller, then choose a comfy chair to read Play or Die. It’ll be a while before you leave.
This is a novel for young adults and old.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2012
5 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 1, 2013
This was an amazing action mystery thriller! If you are looking for a fast paced action packed novel, this is the one for you! A psycho killer with 50 million dollars as a reward for killing you, people from the future randomly popping up and offering to answer three questions, a revolution beginning, a world collapsing in 78 years, and a hot man to help all add up to one great book.
October 15, 2012
In the future society presented in this story, the world has been nearly destroyed and the survivors have to spend all their lives in cramped silos only getting to go outside to do the brutal work of cleansing the earth. What better way to make their lives more tolerable than to blend entertainment with revenge against those that they blame for their troubles! This is the basis for "Play or Die", a brutal game show where someone from our time is chosen to be the prey and is hunted by a sociopath whose aim is to kill them to win millions. Jo has recently lost her family making her the perfect candidate to be the prey as her death will have no effect on the future, but Jo isn’t like any prey ever chosen before. She cares about the future and the people in it and so this game might just change everything.
"Play or Die" is amazing. Be prepared for tension that you have never experienced before as Jo tries to evade the psychotic Hunter determined to kill her. The book alternates between nail-biting suspense, action, and stuff that really gets you thinking. Jo is a great character and a good person; whilst fighting for her life she is also trying to discover the truth about her father’s death and learn about the people who want her dead so that she can understand them. This book is very fast-paced and the action is almost constant. Whilst most books span months or even years, "Play or Die" only shows a couple of days of Jo’s life. This makes it feel as if you were experiencing everything that Jo goes through and it makes you feel really involved in the book. Despite the main character being quite young, this doesn’t appear like a YA book. There also isn’t really any objectionable content to make this book inappropriate for non-adults. So I would recommend this book to both teenagers and adults.
Reviewed for readers favourite.
"Play or Die" is amazing. Be prepared for tension that you have never experienced before as Jo tries to evade the psychotic Hunter determined to kill her. The book alternates between nail-biting suspense, action, and stuff that really gets you thinking. Jo is a great character and a good person; whilst fighting for her life she is also trying to discover the truth about her father’s death and learn about the people who want her dead so that she can understand them. This book is very fast-paced and the action is almost constant. Whilst most books span months or even years, "Play or Die" only shows a couple of days of Jo’s life. This makes it feel as if you were experiencing everything that Jo goes through and it makes you feel really involved in the book. Despite the main character being quite young, this doesn’t appear like a YA book. There also isn’t really any objectionable content to make this book inappropriate for non-adults. So I would recommend this book to both teenagers and adults.
Reviewed for readers favourite.
June 15, 2015
This brilliantly original, fast-paced suspense thriller combines the sci-fi excitement of The Matrix with the mordant satire of an apocalyptic spine-chiller, ostensibly about an alternative world but perceptively reflective of our own. Time travelers from the future return to 'punish' their Ancestors, the people of our own time. We have ruined their world, they reason - although their reasons only become clear as the story proceeds.
In a vicious game show that is itself a parody of reality tv they choose an innocent girl, Jo, as their victim. They set an assassin, assisted by professional agents, to hunt her down. And Jo can only save her life by learning the game rules and ingeniously turning them to her advantage.
Rarely has a thriller been this clever or engaging. Surprise follows surprise. Every scene is a page-turner. The story leaves the reader with the chilling question: how much of it is true?
In a vicious game show that is itself a parody of reality tv they choose an innocent girl, Jo, as their victim. They set an assassin, assisted by professional agents, to hunt her down. And Jo can only save her life by learning the game rules and ingeniously turning them to her advantage.
Rarely has a thriller been this clever or engaging. Surprise follows surprise. Every scene is a page-turner. The story leaves the reader with the chilling question: how much of it is true?
March 1, 2013
I really enjoyed this book.
It was easy to read and very captivating.
Such a great idea and believable in a mind blowing way.
The main character is a quick thinker and I am just glad it wasn't me in her situation.
Just a smattering of romance too.
Will read more of her books.
It was easy to read and very captivating.
Such a great idea and believable in a mind blowing way.
The main character is a quick thinker and I am just glad it wasn't me in her situation.
Just a smattering of romance too.
Will read more of her books.
August 3, 2013
Superb - highly recommended. Complex without being complicated, fun without being over-the-top, exciting without being too serious. Beautifully drawn characters that you really feel for. And topped off with a nice globalisation and over-population message.
October 22, 2025
Set in Melbourne and the surrounding countryside, the story follows a woman, chosen by a future dystopian world, to be hunted by an assassin. It’s part of the future world’s entertainment show, where they dish out revenge on The Ancestors (present day people) for ruining the world. The odds are stacked heavily in favour of the hunter, and you wonder how on earth the prey will last any longer than the first chapter.
It’s an easy going book, and a nice easy page turner. I can’t help but draw parallels with The Hunger Games meets Big Brother, although it’s only 2 contestants being watched by a future audience. It’s told from the viewpoint of the prey, Jo.
I was worried it was all going to slide into a fairly mundane read, as after the first ‘day’ or so we’d covered so much of Jo’s tactics, that I wondered was it just going to be rinse and repeat, but the author managed to keep me interested.
You also get a glimpse into the future world, with a series of events unfolding there.
The endings a bit corny, but fits with the tone of the book… and it has a conclusion, you aren’t left hanging.
It’s an easy going book, and a nice easy page turner. I can’t help but draw parallels with The Hunger Games meets Big Brother, although it’s only 2 contestants being watched by a future audience. It’s told from the viewpoint of the prey, Jo.
I was worried it was all going to slide into a fairly mundane read, as after the first ‘day’ or so we’d covered so much of Jo’s tactics, that I wondered was it just going to be rinse and repeat, but the author managed to keep me interested.
You also get a glimpse into the future world, with a series of events unfolding there.
The endings a bit corny, but fits with the tone of the book… and it has a conclusion, you aren’t left hanging.
July 23, 2013
Pros: intelligent protagonist, interesting premise, several plot threads that merge, learn about the future people watching the game, plausible future
Cons: ending gets preachy, one stilted conversation, one info dump conversation
What Play or Die does differently from other books with the premise of a gameshow where one human is hunting another (like The Hunger Games and the short story "The Prize of Peril" by Robert Sheckley) is add two new elements. First, in addition to being hunted, Jo learns that her father's recent death was murder, giving her something to investigate even as she's running from the hunter. She uses Fitani to gain information about the murder, which is pretty gutsy given her position. The second addition is information about those watching the game. Normally these stories focus on the game itself with little, if any, information about how such shows became popular and what sorts of people enjoy watching them. Jo asks about the people of the future, giving the reader a decent amount of information about how they live and why they're out for her blood. Later in the book there are more chapters that take place in the future fleshing out their world even more.
And the future Cole creates is quite plausible, given human nature.
Jo is a fantastic protagonist. She's a highly intelligent 18 year old, who comes up with some very clever means of staying ahead of the hunter. She does make several mistakes, which is only natural given her situation and the number of people who end up looking for her. She feels real - trying to stay ahead, but aware that it's only a matter of time before she slips up and is caught.
I loved that the different plot threads eventually merged at the end, creating a cohesive whole.
Since the book is self-published and it's usually my first question I'll mention that I did notice a few typos and 2 or 3 minor grammatical errors. On the whole the editing in this book was very well done.
My main complaints with the book were that there's one chapter towards the end of the book where two characters in the future are talking that's really an info dump for the reader. While Cole avoids the telltale 'as you know', the characters do a weird 'tell me what you remember about X' conversation that feels off. It's surprising because Cole otherwise was quite clever in how she gave information about the past, making this scene feel very out of place.
Also I got the feeling towards the end that the author didn't believe readers would get her message that it's bad how giant corporations are taking over small businesses because she has a conversation in which she gets downright preachy about it. It's only one conversation but it's a stilted conversation as again, the characters are forced into an unnatural conversation style. It's also unfortunate because the hammering home of the message is completely unnecessary.
All in all, it was a highly enjoyable read. If you like dystopian fiction with some great chills and a few surprises, a touch of romance and social issues, then you'll like this book.
Cons: ending gets preachy, one stilted conversation, one info dump conversation
What Play or Die does differently from other books with the premise of a gameshow where one human is hunting another (like The Hunger Games and the short story "The Prize of Peril" by Robert Sheckley) is add two new elements. First, in addition to being hunted, Jo learns that her father's recent death was murder, giving her something to investigate even as she's running from the hunter. She uses Fitani to gain information about the murder, which is pretty gutsy given her position. The second addition is information about those watching the game. Normally these stories focus on the game itself with little, if any, information about how such shows became popular and what sorts of people enjoy watching them. Jo asks about the people of the future, giving the reader a decent amount of information about how they live and why they're out for her blood. Later in the book there are more chapters that take place in the future fleshing out their world even more.
And the future Cole creates is quite plausible, given human nature.
Jo is a fantastic protagonist. She's a highly intelligent 18 year old, who comes up with some very clever means of staying ahead of the hunter. She does make several mistakes, which is only natural given her situation and the number of people who end up looking for her. She feels real - trying to stay ahead, but aware that it's only a matter of time before she slips up and is caught.
I loved that the different plot threads eventually merged at the end, creating a cohesive whole.
Since the book is self-published and it's usually my first question I'll mention that I did notice a few typos and 2 or 3 minor grammatical errors. On the whole the editing in this book was very well done.
My main complaints with the book were that there's one chapter towards the end of the book where two characters in the future are talking that's really an info dump for the reader. While Cole avoids the telltale 'as you know', the characters do a weird 'tell me what you remember about X' conversation that feels off. It's surprising because Cole otherwise was quite clever in how she gave information about the past, making this scene feel very out of place.
Also I got the feeling towards the end that the author didn't believe readers would get her message that it's bad how giant corporations are taking over small businesses because she has a conversation in which she gets downright preachy about it. It's only one conversation but it's a stilted conversation as again, the characters are forced into an unnatural conversation style. It's also unfortunate because the hammering home of the message is completely unnecessary.
All in all, it was a highly enjoyable read. If you like dystopian fiction with some great chills and a few surprises, a touch of romance and social issues, then you'll like this book.
February 27, 2013
Simply put: Great concept, although I think the end result could have been fine tuned to be much better.
My first issue was that I had NO FREAKING IDEA until a good portion into it what genre/demographic this book was supposed to be. From the cover, I'd guess YA. Except the main character is 18 and independent. So NA? Except her finding her way wasn't part of the story, nor was her character growth an important piece of the plot. So...adult thriller/suspense? We'll stick with that.
What happens when the future comes to target you?
What happens when they want you to star in a brutal reality game, fending for your own right to life?
What happens when you have no choice in the matter?
That's what Jo gets thrust into one morning.
I enjoyed the book, reading it quickly. If you want to get philosophical and think of modern existence as a dystopia, then the book is comparing two dystopias: present and future. How could I not love that?
The problem is that pieces of the story begin to sound like a lecture. I must have skimmed through at least twenty (Kindle) pages without noting anything of importance beside lecture (as reasons of what caused present and future dystopias)...which wasn't entirely relevant to the plot. However I skimmed and flipped away so it didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book but so much.
The ending was also much too fast for my enjoyment - blink and you'll never know how it ends. Everything is wrapped up mostly efficiently, however I felt that it could have been explained more in depth without just slapping a pretty bow on an action scene.
My first issue was that I had NO FREAKING IDEA until a good portion into it what genre/demographic this book was supposed to be. From the cover, I'd guess YA. Except the main character is 18 and independent. So NA? Except her finding her way wasn't part of the story, nor was her character growth an important piece of the plot. So...adult thriller/suspense? We'll stick with that.
What happens when the future comes to target you?
What happens when they want you to star in a brutal reality game, fending for your own right to life?
What happens when you have no choice in the matter?
That's what Jo gets thrust into one morning.
I enjoyed the book, reading it quickly. If you want to get philosophical and think of modern existence as a dystopia, then the book is comparing two dystopias: present and future. How could I not love that?
The problem is that pieces of the story begin to sound like a lecture. I must have skimmed through at least twenty (Kindle) pages without noting anything of importance beside lecture (as reasons of what caused present and future dystopias)...which wasn't entirely relevant to the plot. However I skimmed and flipped away so it didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book but so much.
The ending was also much too fast for my enjoyment - blink and you'll never know how it ends. Everything is wrapped up mostly efficiently, however I felt that it could have been explained more in depth without just slapping a pretty bow on an action scene.
June 25, 2015
With all the open, Australian warmth of Graham Storrs and the hugely enjoyable moral entreaties of E.C. Myers , Brett Battles and Kristen Simmons and their ilk, this was a brilliantly inventive, unaccountably captivating joy from start to finish. Not that the subject matter was particularly pleasant to read about, but what an absolutely riveting cocktail of science fiction and caution. I don't think I've enjoyed a book so clearly sending a message about corporate greed, corruption and murder before. There were parts where the message perhaps overshot the story, but overall I think I found Jo's exploits as engaging as that of her futuristic audience.
I'd have no qualms about recommending this to science fiction fans, those who enjoy thrillers, or in fact anyone who wants to read a proper, engaging story with real people you can believe in. It's a great, all-round novel and without doubt one of the best in its category.
I'd have no qualms about recommending this to science fiction fans, those who enjoy thrillers, or in fact anyone who wants to read a proper, engaging story with real people you can believe in. It's a great, all-round novel and without doubt one of the best in its category.
March 3, 2013
This was an amazon prime book - which is an entirely different conversation (who reads one book a month?) - and I don't think I would have read it except I needed to borrow one for February and finding one that I would read was troublesome. Much of my opinion of the book may be tied up in its source and acquisition, I suspect.
It wasn't bad - sort of a Hunger Games meets An Inconvenient Truth, or Globalization and Its Discontents. People from the future are really mad at us because we destroy the earth so, when they figure out how, they travel back in time and basically take out hits on certain individuals - only they get to watch the chase and vote on it like it was American Idol. Of course all things are not that simple, as the characters find out (the reader figures it out fairly quickly...). The actual set up, and Jo's strategy for avoiding death, is fairly engaging, and even her first forays into audience manipulation are fine. I accepted the plausibility of the time-travel-changing-the-past part (tricky area). By the end, though, I was as exhausted as Jo but didn't have her outlet of violence and romance. Very big letdown.
It wasn't bad - sort of a Hunger Games meets An Inconvenient Truth, or Globalization and Its Discontents. People from the future are really mad at us because we destroy the earth so, when they figure out how, they travel back in time and basically take out hits on certain individuals - only they get to watch the chase and vote on it like it was American Idol. Of course all things are not that simple, as the characters find out (the reader figures it out fairly quickly...). The actual set up, and Jo's strategy for avoiding death, is fairly engaging, and even her first forays into audience manipulation are fine. I accepted the plausibility of the time-travel-changing-the-past part (tricky area). By the end, though, I was as exhausted as Jo but didn't have her outlet of violence and romance. Very big letdown.
September 25, 2013
A fast read that kept me interested. It had a few tiny problems. One for me was the fast ending. Its a keeper.
could be spoilers?
Book was written in 2006 or something but these quotes could be taking from today.
"Beam: Business Exposing Antisocial Monopolies
we keep tabs on the giants and help the little guys wherever we can."
"the gap between the have and the have-nots told another story. Big business was dictating to governments, and no one seemed prepared to do anything about it."
"Don't we have anti-monopoly laws to prevent that kind of thing? We do, but laws are only as good as the governments that enforce them and governments are made up of politicians"
could be spoilers?
Book was written in 2006 or something but these quotes could be taking from today.
"Beam: Business Exposing Antisocial Monopolies
we keep tabs on the giants and help the little guys wherever we can."
"the gap between the have and the have-nots told another story. Big business was dictating to governments, and no one seemed prepared to do anything about it."
"Don't we have anti-monopoly laws to prevent that kind of thing? We do, but laws are only as good as the governments that enforce them and governments are made up of politicians"
April 28, 2016
This was an interesting book because there were two things going on but all working together to make this novel.
1- A girl who is forced to play a game where she is on the run from a guy that wants to kill her for sport at the pleasure of a futuristic society that hates their ancestors.
2- The futuristic dystopian society who are watching the Play or Die game and realizing they do not like their society.
Some how it does work
I really enjoyed this story it was a page turner but then my book ADHD kicked in and stopped reading for a while but it was very easy to pick back up and start reading again.
This is a pretty fast paced short novel that is worthy of a read.
1- A girl who is forced to play a game where she is on the run from a guy that wants to kill her for sport at the pleasure of a futuristic society that hates their ancestors.
2- The futuristic dystopian society who are watching the Play or Die game and realizing they do not like their society.
Some how it does work
I really enjoyed this story it was a page turner but then my book ADHD kicked in and stopped reading for a while but it was very easy to pick back up and start reading again.
This is a pretty fast paced short novel that is worthy of a read.
June 21, 2015
Great concept that delivers!, June 20, 2015
The title says it all, Play or Die. The future is still obsessed with reality tv and the only way to win is to stay alive. I was hooked from the first page. Play or Die has it all: action, mystery, suspense, science fiction and even a bit of romance.
Laced in the story are current events that are real and ignored. Yet, they are woven into the story so well they are never preachy, just thought provoking.
Well done. I hope Jen Cole continues writing and I will gladly keep reading.
The title says it all, Play or Die. The future is still obsessed with reality tv and the only way to win is to stay alive. I was hooked from the first page. Play or Die has it all: action, mystery, suspense, science fiction and even a bit of romance.
Laced in the story are current events that are real and ignored. Yet, they are woven into the story so well they are never preachy, just thought provoking.
Well done. I hope Jen Cole continues writing and I will gladly keep reading.
April 9, 2013
I read this as a free Amazon book for your Kindle. I barely got through it, even though the idea was interesting. I realized now why I didn't like it so much...'cause it's an adult novel. Those always seem more complicated and boring to me. I skimmed through most of the book from the middle-on. It seemed kinda lengthy to me with not enough really going on.
I didn't like how one character explained tons of stuff to the main character all at once.
I didn't like how one character explained tons of stuff to the main character all at once.
July 21, 2015
Overall a decent thrillride. The connection back to books like The Running Man is there, but didn't seem too obvious. The obligatory love story feels a little forced, especially in the beginning. One character has random flipflops in motivations in actions that aren't explained at all well and feel like simply plot devices. A decent read, but won't be on my to read again list.
July 30, 2013
Really enjoyed this one. An interesting concept.
December 6, 2014
E book
May 11, 2016
Really good and well-done story! Being a Kindle free read, it could still use some proofreading, but the story was great!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews