Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
After rereading this in 2018, I have dropped my rating from 5 to 3 stars.
I enjoyed this book. It was entertaining for the most part, and I believe that Maberry did well at introducing the characters, settings, and circumstances. This just didn't blow me out of the water.
Benny's character development happened so fast. There is a clear before and after the Ruin Benny. Before the Ruin, he was your typical teenager, and after, he was a mature teenager that could suddenly fight and wasn't afraid. That didn't seem very realistic to me.
I believe Tom is still my favorite character. His quotes and mannerism is just the best. He is a fantastic mentor for Benny and Nix, and he is the prime example of good in the Ruin.
The plot was okay, mostly sticking with a small incident that was closer to home than a large incident that concerned the majority of what is left of the world. I'm hoping in future books Maberry will expand the horizon and we can go further from Mountainside and see what else is out there for Benny, Tom, and Nix.
I enjoyed this book. It was entertaining for the most part, and I believe that Maberry did well at introducing the characters, settings, and circumstances. This just didn't blow me out of the water.
Benny's character development happened so fast. There is a clear before and after the Ruin Benny. Before the Ruin, he was your typical teenager, and after, he was a mature teenager that could suddenly fight and wasn't afraid. That didn't seem very realistic to me.
I believe Tom is still my favorite character. His quotes and mannerism is just the best. He is a fantastic mentor for Benny and Nix, and he is the prime example of good in the Ruin.
The plot was okay, mostly sticking with a small incident that was closer to home than a large incident that concerned the majority of what is left of the world. I'm hoping in future books Maberry will expand the horizon and we can go further from Mountainside and see what else is out there for Benny, Tom, and Nix.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Our local librarian recommended Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry for my son; she said she likes to read a couple of chapters of all the new books that come in, but that she could not put this one down. When my son got to borrow the book, he was reading something else and it was sitting around, so I picked it up and was hooked almost immediately. Now, I like to read YA novels already, especially fantasy, but I had never read any of the zombie books. Still, this one immediately caught my attention.
Benny lives in a post apocalyptic world. Fourteen years ago, the dead woke up and became zombies. They bite the living and turn them into zombies, it is almost like a virus. No one knows why this happened, but the result is that the zombies have taken over the earth, except for a few areas where humans are fenced in. Other than killing people, zombies are actually quite passive.
Benny lives with his older brother, Tom ,as their parents were turned into zombies on the First Night. Tom is a well respected bounty hunter, someone who goes out into the Rot and Ruin to track down zombies for people and quiet them, or kill them. Benny has just turned fifteen, the age at which he must get a job or have his rations cut in half. After much resistance, Benny decides to join his brother in the family business of quieting zombies.
Tom, however, is not like some of the other bounty hunters in town, he is not full of bravado and exciting stories of killing zombies. In Benny's eyes, Tom is a coward.
Out in the Rot and Ruin, Benny watches Tom and the zombies and even some of the other bounty hunters. He sees for himself what is really going on and is faced with serious questions, not the least of which is who are the real monsters, the zombies or the humans.
I really enjoyed how this book examined some serious questions and explored what it means to be human, the nature of fear, how societies develop, and how people can close their eyes to what they know is wrong. The writing was good and moved easily and kept me interested. I also liked how the author played with the zombie story line, making it much more than a gruesome suspense or horror book. In a way, the zombies were not a big part of the book, but the set up to explore human behaviour. Rot & Ruin was left open for a sequel, and I have recently found out that it is called Dust & Decay and will come out August 2011. In fact, a four part series is planned. I am looking forward to reading how the series progresses.
Benny lives in a post apocalyptic world. Fourteen years ago, the dead woke up and became zombies. They bite the living and turn them into zombies, it is almost like a virus. No one knows why this happened, but the result is that the zombies have taken over the earth, except for a few areas where humans are fenced in. Other than killing people, zombies are actually quite passive.
Benny lives with his older brother, Tom ,as their parents were turned into zombies on the First Night. Tom is a well respected bounty hunter, someone who goes out into the Rot and Ruin to track down zombies for people and quiet them, or kill them. Benny has just turned fifteen, the age at which he must get a job or have his rations cut in half. After much resistance, Benny decides to join his brother in the family business of quieting zombies.
Tom, however, is not like some of the other bounty hunters in town, he is not full of bravado and exciting stories of killing zombies. In Benny's eyes, Tom is a coward.
Out in the Rot and Ruin, Benny watches Tom and the zombies and even some of the other bounty hunters. He sees for himself what is really going on and is faced with serious questions, not the least of which is who are the real monsters, the zombies or the humans.
I really enjoyed how this book examined some serious questions and explored what it means to be human, the nature of fear, how societies develop, and how people can close their eyes to what they know is wrong. The writing was good and moved easily and kept me interested. I also liked how the author played with the zombie story line, making it much more than a gruesome suspense or horror book. In a way, the zombies were not a big part of the book, but the set up to explore human behaviour. Rot & Ruin was left open for a sequel, and I have recently found out that it is called Dust & Decay and will come out August 2011. In fact, a four part series is planned. I am looking forward to reading how the series progresses.
Thank you Flossie Davis for recommending this book! I loved it! I can't wait to read the next one. The author's perspective on the definition of evil is fantastic and really made me think.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO LOCKED IN ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
I enjoyed this one. Pretty good Zombie book, character development was fantastic
The beginning is slow and Benny seems younger than 15 for most of the book, but it does get better. The middle section is the best and I do plan on reading the next one.