Review: Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Title: Rot and Ruin

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Publisher:  Simon and Schuster

Publishing Date:  September 14th, 2010

Pages: 458
Audio Length: 13 Hours and 12 Minutes

Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic

Series: Rot and Ruin

Source: Audio

 

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

What made me pick this book up: 

I had originally picked it up because the cover is amazing and creepy. I love the colors and the eye. But also we had it signed at a book convention a few years back.

What did I like about the cover: 

Ugh, everything. The colors are perfect and creepy, I love the eye and the color pops there. Honestly it's creepy and perfect for the book.

What made me read this book: 

Well this is my second time reading it. I read it originally because we had it signed and because zombies. 

I read it the second time because zombies... oh and because I never made it past the first one and I really want to finish the series out. So I started at the beginning again because I didn't remember it.

What did I like the most: 

I really like that it's about zombies, but also more than that. It's about family, and friendship. And of course survival. 

I like books that show how the apocalypse started, but I also really like books that show years after the apocalypse starts. I love being able to read about how they've lived and survived and made a life for themselves. I think the town that they have going for them is pretty cool, and the idea that they could actually rebuild civilization is really cool.

The characters are well written, Benny, the main character is a little whiny at first, but he's like 15. I'm pretty sure every 15 year old is kind of whiny at some point. But he really grows up, he does what he needs to do to survive and to help other people.

Part of why he is so whiny is the fact that he's been sheltered. While he knows about the zombies and what's going on, he really doesn't. He doesn't really understand it until his brother, Tom, takes him out on a bounty and he can really show him and make him understand what's out there.

On that note, Tom is my favorite character. He's so badass, and he really loves Benny. Reading about how Tom takes down zombies, really made me want to love him. You'll have to read the book to understand.

I also really loved reading about the Lost Girl. It's amazing how she survived the way she did.

What didn't I like: 

There was a few parts that just made me so mad. Again, I won't tell you why or what it is. But it made me mad. 

And like I said, Benny is kind of whiny, but again he grows up. 

Other than that, the book is amazing. 

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
Uh yes.

I loved this book so much! I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

“There was a sliver of moon and a splash of stars, and the light outlined her face and glistened on the tears that ran like mercury down her cheeks.” ― Jonathan Maberry, Rot & Ruin

 

JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, anthology editor, comic book writer, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. He was named one of the Today’s Top Ten Horror Writers. His books have been sold to more than two-dozen countries.

He writes in several genres. His young adult fiction includes ROT & RUIN (2011; was named in Booklist’s Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults, an American Library Association Top Pick, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading winner; winner of several state Teen Book Awards including the Cricket, Nutmeg and MASL; winner of the Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards); DUST & DECAY (winner of the 2011 Bram Stoker Award; FLESH & BONE (winner of the Bram Stoker Award; 2012; and FIRE & ASH (August 2013). BROKEN LANDS, the first of a new spin-off series, debuts in 2018.
His thrillers include The Joe Ledger Thrillers from St. Martin’s Griffin (PATIENT ZERO, 2009, winner of the Black Quill and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Best Novel; EXTINCTION MACHINE, (2013; now in development for TV by SONY); PREDATOR ONE, and others. His first middle grade novel, THE NIGHTSIDERS BOOK 1: THE ORPHAN ARMY, was named one the 100 Best Books for Children 2015, with a sequel, VAULT OF SHADOWS debuting this year from Simon & Schuster. His standalone teen science fiction novel, MARS ONE, is in development for film by Zucker Productions and Lone Tree Entertainment. His upcoming standalone suspense novel, GLIMPSE, has gotten advance praise from Clive Barker, Scott Smith, James Rollins, Heather Graham and Charlaine Harris.
His horror novels include The Pine Deep Trilogy from Pinnacle Books (GHOST ROAD BLUES, 2006, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel and named one of the 25 Best Horror Novels of the New Millennium; DEAD MAN’S SONG, 2007; and BAD MOON RISING, 2008), as well as DEAD OF NIGHT, 2011 (named one of the 25 Best Horror Novels of the New Millennium) and its sequel, FALL OF NIGHT, 2014. He also wrote the movie novelization, THE WOLFMAN, 2010, winner of the Scribe Award for Best Adaptation; and DEADLANDS: GHOSTWALKERS, an original novel inspired by the million-copy-selling role-playing game. He has also written the foreword to a new annotated edition of DRACULA from Writers Digest Books.
Jonathan and colleague #1 NY Times bestseller Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures) each wrote an X-FILES ORIGINS novel for teens; with Kami focusing on Fox Mulder in AGENT OF CHAOS; and Jonathan telling the backstory of young Dana Scully in DEVIL’S ADVOCATE.
Jonathan is the creator, editor and co-author of V-WARS, a shared-world vampire anthology from IDW, and its sequels, V-WARS: BLOOD AND FIRE, V-WARS: NIGHT TERRORS, and V-WARS. And he writes a best-selling monthly V-WARS comic. A board game version of V-Wars was released in 2017; and the series is in development for TV by IDW Media.
He is also the editor of the dark fantasy anthology series, OUT OF TUNE (JournalStone), a series of THE X-FILES anthologies which launched in 2015; SCARY OUT THERE, an anthology of horror for teens; and the anthologies ALIENS: BUG HUNT, NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD (with George Romero), JOE LEDGER UNSTOPPABLE (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt) and two volumes of mysteries: ALTERNATE SHERLOCKS and THE GAME’S AFOOT (with Michael Ventrella).

Jonathan was an expert on the History Channel documentary series, ZOMBIES: A Living History and TRUE MONSTERS. And he was participated in the commentary tracks for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED.

His many nonfiction works include VAMPIRE UNIVERSE (Citadel Press, 2006); THE CRYPTOPEDIA (Citadel, 2007 –winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction; co-authored by David F. Kramer); ZOMBIE CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead (Winner of the Hinzman and Black Quill Awards and finalist for a St