Author: Jonathan Maberry
Date of Publication:September 14 2010
Pages: 458
Source: Library
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.
I've always considered zombies to be absolutely terrifying. They're gross, ugly, and as far as monsters go, they're probably the least dangerous because they can't think and move incredibly slowly. What frightens me is that they were people who lost the essence of who they were. They don't think or reason anymore. They are eternally dead and hungry, and it's not like they chose it. They're mindless.
Rot & Ruin explores a world torn apart by these type of zombies. It's a post apocalyptic world years after the First Night and it's bleak. While the writing is pretty light, even through the worst parts, when you really think about it the world in Rot & Ruin is tragic. People have given up on technology and live their lives in fear. Imagine the life you have right now, and imagine it being taken away and all that remains is you. You exist but everything you've known is gone. It's frightening. People lash out and react in different ways, ranging from denial to hatred. There are some very nasty people in Rot & Ruin and they are irredeemable. That being said, even the worst has experienced things no one should see.
Benny is one of those guys that is full of hatred. He's 15 years old and completely immature. It was annoying at some times, but other tines it was hilarious. What I like about Benny is that slowly, he and his friends grow up and change. They learn about this world they live in and make decisions about the future they want. The decisions Benny in particular makes impress me because he is changed by the end of the story.
Benny's relationship with Tom was also a highlight. Their banter wasn't irritating so much as endearing to me, just because I have a little sister and we get into many nonsensical arguments as well. I appreciated how Tom dealt with Benny and Tom became a guy I admired a lot.
There was a lot to enjoy in Rot & Ruin, but there were some issues I had. The first is that nothing happens for a very long time. Most of the first half of the story is about learning about the world, the situation, and the characters. Stuff does happen during that time, but it's not very clear what this book is ultimately about until a little over halfway through. There is also a great deal of dialogue early on which isn't a bad thing, except it gets a little heavy. I think there are at least two huge stories that are told to Benny.
Once you get past the initial hump, the story is entertaining. The characters deal with pain and loss and to be honest, while there may not be an initial connection to them, by the end there is. The ending is also very satisfying and it definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
I like where this story is heading. Maybe Rot & Ruin was long and felt long, but the characters were endearing by the end. I would have liked to have more of a connection to the characters, and I think that will grow with the sequel. So far, Rot & Ruin is a nice start to the series.
3 hearts.
Pages: 458
Source: Library
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.
Review:
I've always considered zombies to be absolutely terrifying. They're gross, ugly, and as far as monsters go, they're probably the least dangerous because they can't think and move incredibly slowly. What frightens me is that they were people who lost the essence of who they were. They don't think or reason anymore. They are eternally dead and hungry, and it's not like they chose it. They're mindless.
Rot & Ruin explores a world torn apart by these type of zombies. It's a post apocalyptic world years after the First Night and it's bleak. While the writing is pretty light, even through the worst parts, when you really think about it the world in Rot & Ruin is tragic. People have given up on technology and live their lives in fear. Imagine the life you have right now, and imagine it being taken away and all that remains is you. You exist but everything you've known is gone. It's frightening. People lash out and react in different ways, ranging from denial to hatred. There are some very nasty people in Rot & Ruin and they are irredeemable. That being said, even the worst has experienced things no one should see.
Benny is one of those guys that is full of hatred. He's 15 years old and completely immature. It was annoying at some times, but other tines it was hilarious. What I like about Benny is that slowly, he and his friends grow up and change. They learn about this world they live in and make decisions about the future they want. The decisions Benny in particular makes impress me because he is changed by the end of the story.
Benny's relationship with Tom was also a highlight. Their banter wasn't irritating so much as endearing to me, just because I have a little sister and we get into many nonsensical arguments as well. I appreciated how Tom dealt with Benny and Tom became a guy I admired a lot.
There was a lot to enjoy in Rot & Ruin, but there were some issues I had. The first is that nothing happens for a very long time. Most of the first half of the story is about learning about the world, the situation, and the characters. Stuff does happen during that time, but it's not very clear what this book is ultimately about until a little over halfway through. There is also a great deal of dialogue early on which isn't a bad thing, except it gets a little heavy. I think there are at least two huge stories that are told to Benny.
Once you get past the initial hump, the story is entertaining. The characters deal with pain and loss and to be honest, while there may not be an initial connection to them, by the end there is. The ending is also very satisfying and it definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
I like where this story is heading. Maybe Rot & Ruin was long and felt long, but the characters were endearing by the end. I would have liked to have more of a connection to the characters, and I think that will grow with the sequel. So far, Rot & Ruin is a nice start to the series.
3 hearts.
Great review, P.E.. I'm quite curious about this one, but it's always a bit annoying when you have to keep on wondering where the story is going for a big part of the book. I'm glad to hear that the characters did grow in the book.
ReplyDeleteIt was a pretty long book, but in the end I think it was interesting enough. Maybe in future books there will be more action?
Delete-P.E.
Zombies! *shudders*
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about this book but zombies are almost never for me. Great review!!
Jen @ YA Romantics
Haha I don't dispute that! I even wrote abut it once :p
DeleteI think this book is different because it doesn't romanticize the zombies. They're disgusting and gross and they're not love interests or anything, which is why I was okay with this book. The cover still makes me nauseous though!
-P.E.
This is a book I have been meaning to read for a long time. I love how the author interacts with everyone and this totally makes me want to read his books!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't noticed that, but it's cool that they do.
Delete-P.E.