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.

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.

-P.E.

I've debated back and forth in my mind whether this actually merits a post. I mean, I'm not writing a review, or a spotlight. There isn't much of a link to books, except a very tenuous link to one series of books by Lia Habel. However, I can't get this out of my head so maybe writing it will help me finish Dearly Beloved.

Zombies creep me out.

Well, duh, you say. They have rotten flesh. They're dead bodies. They want to eat your braaaiinns.

Yeah and that's gross. I can't understand any romantic involvement with a zombie without shivering. It feels icky to me.

Now you mention vampires. Aren't they icky too? Like, they SUCK YOUR BLOOD. They have fangs. You like vampires. Actually, you love them. Damon Salvatore anybody?

Mmm. Damon is yummy. This complicates the issue because it makes no sense that in my mind, vampires are okay and zombies aren't. My mind is kind of a weird place, and this doesn't make much logical sense. I can have crushes on book vampires because there's something so alluring about them. When I think of a zombie, it grosses me out.

This tends to be an enormous issue, especially when I'm reading a book like Dearly Beloved where zombies are meant to be loved. I can't do it. Every time Nora is with Bram, it doesn't feel right. If I was in the book, I would totally hide from the zombies.

I feel awful about it. Why can't I just accept zombies? They're dead people too, like vampires whom I seem to have no problem with. To give a little bit of context, in Lia Habel's series, the zombies aren't all evil. They can turn you with a bite and have some sort of animal instinct that doesn't always end up consuming them. There are intelligent zombies out there who love and think and deserve a chance at an existence. I acknowledge that.

I'm having a lot of trouble reading Dearly Beloved because of the zombies and how conflicted I feel about them. Even if they're sentient beings, I don't know if I would want them in society. Habel's world does have vaccines, but let's just say it's not fool proof. The zombies want rights in government. They want to live alongside everyone else in society, and I feel like the right answer is to welcome them with open arms.

That decision doesn't seem true to me though. If there truly were zombies, they'd be capable of eradicating humanity. They'd overrun us. They would constantly desire to eat our flesh. Even if they are smart and good, how do you separate the conniving, evil ones that are only pretending from everyone else? Especially when they have heightened senses and capabilities. You can't. Just one evil zombie can have some disastrous consequences. This is my dilemma. Society isn't safe with zombies. They have a disease and I pity them, but they should have died. Their life puts people at risk

I was imagining myself in the story and I can't see myself ever letting someone I care about like my sister get close to a zombie. I wouldn't want to take the risk and associate with them, which is all sorts of awful. And then you'd say, what if a family member I care about, like my sister, was a zombie. Would I shut the door on her?

I don't know. I don't actually want to imagine this and hopefully it will never happen so I'll never be in a position to see my choice. It's just that zombies are a risk. I can't see myself welcoming them with open arms. It's awful, but it would probably be easier to kill every one of them than integrate them into society.

If they were to be part of society, I'd want them to be regulated. All their names and locations should be known. They should have weekly or monthly testing, psychological and physical, to see if they could hurt people. I would feel bad about it, but I, under no circumstances can accept putting my family or society at risk by welcoming zombies openly.

The bad thing is, the above paragraph is TOTALLY the starter of some creepy dystopia. The government would know a lot more than they should. That's scary, but I don't see any other solution. No one pities sociopaths even if it's said not having empathy could be a mental thing.

That's why I can't accept zombies, at least not right away. I don't see a harmonious future with them. What am I missing, zombie lovers? And have you ever read a book that you couldn't connect with because of the setting or premise?

*Also, I realize I'm taking a fictional premise created for reader's entertainment way too seriously. Whatever, that's just me.

-P.E.