Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com
Benny just turned fifteen. In his world, that means he must find a job in order to continue receiving his rations. The problem is, Benny can't find a job he likes. He and his best friend, Chong, waited too long to get one and all the easy jobs are gone. What's left isn't very appealing. He's tried being a locksmith, a fence tester, a fence technician, a carpet coat salesman, a pit thrower, a crank generator repairman, a spotter, a bottler, and an erosion artist. It seems like the only option left is to join the family business.
Benny's brother, Tom, is one of the most respected and successful zombie killers. The problem is, Benny doesn't know why people think Tom's that great. He's never seen Tom do anything especially exciting or impressive - in fact, he's actually turned away from violence, which makes Benny think Tom's a coward. Tom is nothing like the totally cool Zombie Killers like Charlie Pink-Eye and Motor City Hammer. Benny has never intended to do what Tom does. He's always said no every time Tom asked him to become his apprentice. But, his lack of success in any other job has left him no choice.
Benny learns a lot while out in the Rot & Ruin with Tom. He learns about his own past, what it is that Tom really does, and what separates man from monster. Benny's outlook on life completely changes as he begins to realize there might be more to life than just his small town of Mountainside.
ROT & RUIN is a perfect choice for readers who enjoyed THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. Both books take place in a small town of survivors surrounded by fences that keep the zombies out. ROT & RUIN is set in a time when people still remember what happened when the zombies started rising, so the reader gets some first-hand accounts of First Night (the night the world changed). ROT & RUIN also gives us some of the blood and gore that we sometimes want in a zombie novel.
Jonathan Maberry did an excellent job developing the characters and creating an interesting setting. The reader can get lost in Benny's world. ROT & RUIN gets the Gold Star Award because I couldn't put it down. In fact, I stayed up until 3:30 A.M. one night to finish. This story caused me to cringe, gasp, chuckle, and cry. Absolutely amazing!
Benny just turned fifteen. In his world, that means he must find a job in order to continue receiving his rations. The problem is, Benny can't find a job he likes. He and his best friend, Chong, waited too long to get one and all the easy jobs are gone. What's left isn't very appealing. He's tried being a locksmith, a fence tester, a fence technician, a carpet coat salesman, a pit thrower, a crank generator repairman, a spotter, a bottler, and an erosion artist. It seems like the only option left is to join the family business.
Benny's brother, Tom, is one of the most respected and successful zombie killers. The problem is, Benny doesn't know why people think Tom's that great. He's never seen Tom do anything especially exciting or impressive - in fact, he's actually turned away from violence, which makes Benny think Tom's a coward. Tom is nothing like the totally cool Zombie Killers like Charlie Pink-Eye and Motor City Hammer. Benny has never intended to do what Tom does. He's always said no every time Tom asked him to become his apprentice. But, his lack of success in any other job has left him no choice.
Benny learns a lot while out in the Rot & Ruin with Tom. He learns about his own past, what it is that Tom really does, and what separates man from monster. Benny's outlook on life completely changes as he begins to realize there might be more to life than just his small town of Mountainside.
ROT & RUIN is a perfect choice for readers who enjoyed THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. Both books take place in a small town of survivors surrounded by fences that keep the zombies out. ROT & RUIN is set in a time when people still remember what happened when the zombies started rising, so the reader gets some first-hand accounts of First Night (the night the world changed). ROT & RUIN also gives us some of the blood and gore that we sometimes want in a zombie novel.
Jonathan Maberry did an excellent job developing the characters and creating an interesting setting. The reader can get lost in Benny's world. ROT & RUIN gets the Gold Star Award because I couldn't put it down. In fact, I stayed up until 3:30 A.M. one night to finish. This story caused me to cringe, gasp, chuckle, and cry. Absolutely amazing!
When 15-year-old Benny Imura begins to apprentice with his brother Tom in the art of zombie hunting, he has no idea what hes in for. Before his apprenticeship, Benny only knew that zombies were the disgusting, brainless creatures that infected his parents all those years ago, when zombies eventually took over much of the land, and so they deserve to die. Instead, Tom teaches him a more compassionate way of viewing zoms, and Benny begins to learn that the real monsters might not be zoms, but rather other humans.
ROT & RUIN, acclaimed horror novelist Jonathan Maberrys first venture into literature for younger readers, is so much more than simply a zombie book. It blends great storytelling, adventure, and tender human moments for an altogether satisfying read that is both exciting and emotional.
Benny starts off as a pretty irritating boy, smugly confident in his narrow-minded convictions, but it is the mark of a great author that Benny eventually grew into a mature and more complex young man, a protagonist that I could really get behind. His interactions with Tom are tense with residual anger over the loss of his parents on First Nighta little childish, perhaps, but alright, believable if we cut him some slack. Other than his relationship with Tom, Benny is a pitch-perfect teenage boy regarding his interactions with others: friends, other grown-ups, zombies, etc., a relatable mix of cluelessness, anxiety, and bravado.
The world of Mountainside and the Rot and Ruin is a well-realized one, with plenty of opportunities for secrets, hideaways, and dramatic showdowns. All that Benny knew used to be only what was within the fence that surrounds Mountainside, but as his apprenticeship takes him far out into the Rot and Ruin with his brother, his worldview grows, and with that opportunities for more exciting things to happen. Maberry has brilliantly constructed a world that will never feel too claustrophobic for ideas: there will always be more things for Benny and his friends to discover out there.
And can I just mention how awesome it is that Benny is half-Japanese, half-Irishand its not a big freaking deal? Get out your lassos so you can get me down from where Im floating over the moon!
ROT & RUIN is not flawless: Tom comes off as a bit too perfect, and there are some epic monologues in there that couldnt hide the fact that they were pushing an agenda. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the heck out of my time spent reading this book, and may even dare say that this book will probably appeal to younger fans of The Hunger Games, those who are craving another thrilling yet firmly humanistic series.
ROT & RUIN, acclaimed horror novelist Jonathan Maberrys first venture into literature for younger readers, is so much more than simply a zombie book. It blends great storytelling, adventure, and tender human moments for an altogether satisfying read that is both exciting and emotional.
Benny starts off as a pretty irritating boy, smugly confident in his narrow-minded convictions, but it is the mark of a great author that Benny eventually grew into a mature and more complex young man, a protagonist that I could really get behind. His interactions with Tom are tense with residual anger over the loss of his parents on First Nighta little childish, perhaps, but alright, believable if we cut him some slack. Other than his relationship with Tom, Benny is a pitch-perfect teenage boy regarding his interactions with others: friends, other grown-ups, zombies, etc., a relatable mix of cluelessness, anxiety, and bravado.
The world of Mountainside and the Rot and Ruin is a well-realized one, with plenty of opportunities for secrets, hideaways, and dramatic showdowns. All that Benny knew used to be only what was within the fence that surrounds Mountainside, but as his apprenticeship takes him far out into the Rot and Ruin with his brother, his worldview grows, and with that opportunities for more exciting things to happen. Maberry has brilliantly constructed a world that will never feel too claustrophobic for ideas: there will always be more things for Benny and his friends to discover out there.
And can I just mention how awesome it is that Benny is half-Japanese, half-Irishand its not a big freaking deal? Get out your lassos so you can get me down from where Im floating over the moon!
ROT & RUIN is not flawless: Tom comes off as a bit too perfect, and there are some epic monologues in there that couldnt hide the fact that they were pushing an agenda. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the heck out of my time spent reading this book, and may even dare say that this book will probably appeal to younger fans of The Hunger Games, those who are craving another thrilling yet firmly humanistic series.
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book in the beginning partially because at that point the protagonist was whiny, a bit lazy and full of angst. With that said, he was pretty much how I imagine a fifteen year old boy would be. As I turned the pages, I became engrossed in Benny's story watching as he was baptized into the ways of his world. As a writer, I can really appreciate the depth that Jonathan Maberry layered Benny with as the story progressed. I loved that Benny was a boy who could have just sat back and accepted an existence steeped in denial, but instead chose to take good hard look at the truth and found himself risking everything to change it.
I'm a huge fan of the zombie genre and with that said, I wouldn't consider myself a purist, but deviations from the standards don't always work for me. In the case of Rot & Ruin, the deviations were a welcome, thought-provoking and refreshing change. I also loved that it had an Old West feel, combine that with all the post apocalyptic deliciousness I've come to love and expect from a good zombie book and I couldn't put this down. But more than that, I loved that I got a story with emotion, growth and a more compassionate look at the rotting undead than I'm used to.
I'm a huge fan of the zombie genre and with that said, I wouldn't consider myself a purist, but deviations from the standards don't always work for me. In the case of Rot & Ruin, the deviations were a welcome, thought-provoking and refreshing change. I also loved that it had an Old West feel, combine that with all the post apocalyptic deliciousness I've come to love and expect from a good zombie book and I couldn't put this down. But more than that, I loved that I got a story with emotion, growth and a more compassionate look at the rotting undead than I'm used to.
This was a spectacular post-apocalyptic zombie read. I am honestly a bit burned out on this genre, but I loved this book. It has a more philosophical tone to it than a lot of zombie books out there. I really enjoyed the characters, the world, and the just the way the book was written in general.
I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed it. The narrator graspes the mood of the book very well and does a good job with all the different character voices.
Benny Imura is fifteen and it is time for him to choose his trade. If he doesnt find a job his rations will be cut. Benny lives in a world where most of humanity has been wiped out by/turned into zombies. He lives in the small fenced in community of Mountainside, where most people do their best to ignore the world beyond the fence. Benny lives with his brother, Tom. Tom is one of the few bounty hunters who venture outside the fence into the Rot and Ruin. And...well...Benny is about to find out what Tom really does.
This was a really well done post-apocalyptic zombie read. Tom is really what makes this whole book. Tom has this samurai-like way of looking at the world. He is noble, incredibly tough, and ridiculed by those who dont understand him. Tom sees the zombies and the Rot in Ruin in a way that is wise, sympathetic, and contemplative. Tom is determined to make the zombie-hating Benny see what he sees.
Benny is a brat. He hates zombies and wants them to die, he hates Mountainside and doesnt understand why the people in Mountainside wont reclaim some of the land. He is an all around fifteen year old know-it-all. But as he spends more time with Tom that starts to change.
Nix is the heroine in the story and she has led a rough life. Unfortunately for her its about to get rougher. Some old grievances between her mother and a bounty hunter named Charlie Pink-Eye are about to come to light.
As the story progresses we find that the evil in the world is more about certain people that inhabit it than the zombies. Benny learns the hardest rule of all, which is that there are no laws in the Rot and Ruin.
The book was incredibly well written and very interesting read. I enjoyed the zen-like samurai warrior feel that Tom brings to the story. It was easy to engage with the characters and I really felt Bennys pain as he learned the truth of how the world works. The pace is somewhat deliberate, slowly building tension until things explode into danger and action.
Overall I loved this book. It was an incredibly well done zombie book. It has good action and excellent characters, but also an introspective quality to it that many zombie books lack. Highly recommended to fans of post-apocalyptic zombie books. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, Dust and Decay.
I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed it. The narrator graspes the mood of the book very well and does a good job with all the different character voices.
Benny Imura is fifteen and it is time for him to choose his trade. If he doesnt find a job his rations will be cut. Benny lives in a world where most of humanity has been wiped out by/turned into zombies. He lives in the small fenced in community of Mountainside, where most people do their best to ignore the world beyond the fence. Benny lives with his brother, Tom. Tom is one of the few bounty hunters who venture outside the fence into the Rot and Ruin. And...well...Benny is about to find out what Tom really does.
This was a really well done post-apocalyptic zombie read. Tom is really what makes this whole book. Tom has this samurai-like way of looking at the world. He is noble, incredibly tough, and ridiculed by those who dont understand him. Tom sees the zombies and the Rot in Ruin in a way that is wise, sympathetic, and contemplative. Tom is determined to make the zombie-hating Benny see what he sees.
Benny is a brat. He hates zombies and wants them to die, he hates Mountainside and doesnt understand why the people in Mountainside wont reclaim some of the land. He is an all around fifteen year old know-it-all. But as he spends more time with Tom that starts to change.
Nix is the heroine in the story and she has led a rough life. Unfortunately for her its about to get rougher. Some old grievances between her mother and a bounty hunter named Charlie Pink-Eye are about to come to light.
As the story progresses we find that the evil in the world is more about certain people that inhabit it than the zombies. Benny learns the hardest rule of all, which is that there are no laws in the Rot and Ruin.
The book was incredibly well written and very interesting read. I enjoyed the zen-like samurai warrior feel that Tom brings to the story. It was easy to engage with the characters and I really felt Bennys pain as he learned the truth of how the world works. The pace is somewhat deliberate, slowly building tension until things explode into danger and action.
Overall I loved this book. It was an incredibly well done zombie book. It has good action and excellent characters, but also an introspective quality to it that many zombie books lack. Highly recommended to fans of post-apocalyptic zombie books. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, Dust and Decay.
I think this book just might be my number one all time favorite zombie novel. It is almost like zombie killer super hero's. Took me on a great adventure. Love knowing I am passing it on to someone else to enjoy.
This series is AMAZING. You have to read it over a weekend, or just chose to not go into work because you won't be able to put it down!
It's a great story that appeals to both male and female audiences, because it has the action and suspense that guys want; and it has strong female characters (with some love interest thrown in there) that females like. I had so much trouble putting this down. I really, really, really enjoyed this book and would very much like to see it made into a film or television series.
It's a great story that appeals to both male and female audiences, because it has the action and suspense that guys want; and it has strong female characters (with some love interest thrown in there) that females like. I had so much trouble putting this down. I really, really, really enjoyed this book and would very much like to see it made into a film or television series.
