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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I picked this book up completely on impulse back when my local Borders was closing and finally decided to read it. I have to say I am really happy that I did because I really loved this book. The plot was well paced and there was a lot of depth added that made the story really interesting. This book is close to 500 pages but I raced through it and couldn't put it down, especially towards the end. Although there are a few good fight scenes, this book doesn't really focus on that side of the story, which might disappoint some people, but I thought it was one of the best things about the book. I absolutely loved Benny and Tom. They are both such awesome characters. They are both struggling to come to terms with the way of their society. It was fun to see the way Benny changed throughout the book. Tom was probably my favorite character though. As the story goes on you slowly learn more about his life and past and it made me really like him. Also, the epilogue made me cry. I loved this book and can't wait to start the next in the series. www.taysbookshelf.blogspot.com
This had a lot more emotion in it than I expected. Based on how popular it is and how many guys come in asking for this title, I anticipated more gore. If you haven't jumped on the zombie bandwagon, this is a good title to try.
This book started out a bit slow, but once I got into it, I could not put it down. Such a great story line with awesome characters. Benny is someone that everyone can relate to, and the main themes throughout the book are so though provoking and eye opening. I wasn't sure about reading this at first, since it's a 'zombie' book. But now I'm telling everyone about it. I can't wait to read the next one in the series!
Maberry builds a very realistic world, interesting characters and some good philosophical ideas that could be used a fodder for good discussion.
If you're looking for a book focused on the zombie aspect and the gory details (instead of a story that explores family dynamics, morals, and the discovery of oneself with zombies added in the mix), this may not be for you.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
felt a lot like the target audience was 13 year old boys, not a bad thing but i am, in fact, not a 13 year old boy. once it started getting a little more ~philosophical~ though i started to enjoy it more. there isn’t much romance which i personally enjoy, but the bit that there is just feels a little bleh. like the main love interest is his childhood friend who he didn’t start developing feelings until she started to “look more like a woman” 😵💫 and then their relationship flourished off shared trauma which i also don’t find very appealing but hey, maybe that’s just me. i liked it enough to continue the series though!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief
Moderate: Trafficking, Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault, Murder
When zombies went big, I went “eh”. I didn’t read World War z until years after the movie. While I have few loves like WWZ, I’m not that big into the genre in general. But I will say The White Trash Zombie series is hilarious and the protagonist is a favorite.
However, this series caught my eye and has been waiting since 2012 on my TBR (two years after publication). To make it worse, I somehow have a copy of the third installment Flesh & Bone on my shelf. (Maybe I thought it was the first book???)
Finally, though I could deny Rot & Ruin no more; it was free on Riveted Lit for a limited time.
The Good:
+Centers on the original questions of the genre: society & humanity
+Character progression
+Action
+The setting
+The ending
+Love triangle subverted
The Bad & The Other:
-Took a while to get into
-That fucking card!!
-Plot path is mostly obvious
-Girls reduced in fights to let boys shine
-Brothers being half-Japanese is merely a vehicle for the tropes: Katanas Are Just Better, Samurai Cowboy
Rot & Ruin follows two brothers living in a settlement 15 years after the zombie apocalypse. They’re half-Japanese on their father’s side. The older one, Tom, looks like it and wields a katana like a mystical badass, of course. Benny looks white and says the only cool thing about his brother is the katana.
It has many of the zombie genre standards but it’s not tired for me. It took a long time to get into because the building was laboriously slow. It pays off though because one of the main reasons I’d continue the story is for this setting.
Not only do I like how the Rot & Ruin and the settlement are set-up, how people reacted was fantastic.
Rot & Ruin focuses on the being human part better than any other zombie story I’ve read. (though I haven’t read many, to be fair.)
The family business (which was actually a short story that spawned this tetralogy) is unique and touching. I like how it takes us through Benny’s initial mindset that mirrors how people see zombies today to a more thoughtful and nuanced position.
Once things are set up, the dominos start falling and they don’t stop. It’s an action-packed adventure that has the zombie mayhem fans crave. But towards the end, the action scenes consisted of boys saving the girls, despite their fighting ability.
Which brings me to the one damn thing that still pisses me off. It’s the thing I think of first now when it comes to Rot & Ruin.
Zombie Cards are bought and traded in Rot & Ruin. The feature bounties, hunters, and legends. There’s some featured at the end of the story drawn by Rob Sacchetto.
In the book, The Lost Girl is FIERCE. Benny is memorized by her power and eyes in the drawing. But what did Rob Sacchetto draw instead:
WTF is this sexualized nonsense? He even tagged it as Zombie Pin Up Girl, FFS.
I had to red-pen it. If I could draw, I’d make it a submission for The Hawkeye Initiative.
Fuck every single person that approved the decision to include this nonsense and those who don’t denounce it.
Bottom line:
I enjoyed it for the most part. I like where the series is going and have it on my TBR list but eh, it’s not high on the list and I don’t have a real hankering to get to it.
If you’re willing to commit to the slow build up, can tolerate the tropes and sexism, and want a humane theme, it’s worth a shot.
Otherwise, meh. And hopefully, I’ll never see more of that artist’s bullshit. Sad how that's taken over my memory instead of the story.
However, this series caught my eye and has been waiting since 2012 on my TBR (two years after publication). To make it worse, I somehow have a copy of the third installment Flesh & Bone on my shelf. (Maybe I thought it was the first book???)
Finally, though I could deny Rot & Ruin no more; it was free on Riveted Lit for a limited time.
The Good:
+Centers on the original questions of the genre: society & humanity
+Character progression
+Action
+The setting
+The ending
+Love triangle subverted
The Bad & The Other:
-Took a while to get into
-That fucking card!!
-Plot path is mostly obvious
-Girls reduced in fights to let boys shine
-Brothers being half-Japanese is merely a vehicle for the tropes: Katanas Are Just Better, Samurai Cowboy
Rot & Ruin follows two brothers living in a settlement 15 years after the zombie apocalypse. They’re half-Japanese on their father’s side. The older one, Tom, looks like it and wields a katana like a mystical badass, of course. Benny looks white and says the only cool thing about his brother is the katana.
It has many of the zombie genre standards but it’s not tired for me. It took a long time to get into because the building was laboriously slow. It pays off though because one of the main reasons I’d continue the story is for this setting.
Not only do I like how the Rot & Ruin and the settlement are set-up, how people reacted was fantastic.
Rot & Ruin focuses on the being human part better than any other zombie story I’ve read. (though I haven’t read many, to be fair.)
The family business (which was actually a short story that spawned this tetralogy) is unique and touching. I like how it takes us through Benny’s initial mindset that mirrors how people see zombies today to a more thoughtful and nuanced position.
Once things are set up, the dominos start falling and they don’t stop. It’s an action-packed adventure that has the zombie mayhem fans crave. But towards the end, the action scenes consisted of boys saving the girls, despite their fighting ability.
Which brings me to the one damn thing that still pisses me off. It’s the thing I think of first now when it comes to Rot & Ruin.
Zombie Cards are bought and traded in Rot & Ruin. The feature bounties, hunters, and legends. There’s some featured at the end of the story drawn by Rob Sacchetto.
In the book, The Lost Girl is FIERCE. Benny is memorized by her power and eyes in the drawing. But what did Rob Sacchetto draw instead:
WTF is this sexualized nonsense? He even tagged it as Zombie Pin Up Girl, FFS.
I had to red-pen it. If I could draw, I’d make it a submission for The Hawkeye Initiative.
Fuck every single person that approved the decision to include this nonsense and those who don’t denounce it.
Bottom line:
I enjoyed it for the most part. I like where the series is going and have it on my TBR list but eh, it’s not high on the list and I don’t have a real hankering to get to it.
If you’re willing to commit to the slow build up, can tolerate the tropes and sexism, and want a humane theme, it’s worth a shot.
Otherwise, meh. And hopefully, I’ll never see more of that artist’s bullshit. Sad how that's taken over my memory instead of the story.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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