Rot & Ruin (Review)

Title: Rot & Ruin 

Editors(s): Jonathan Maberry
Edition: Hardcover, 458 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Publication Date: October 5, 2010

Source: Purchased from Barnes & Noble

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

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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.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion

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Rot & Ruin was an amazing read!  Intense and scary; just what you want out of a zombie book.  This is a world I never want to live in, and that is a compliment.  The pacing was great, there was so much tension, and I got scared for the characters all the time.  This was the perfect book to read for my Spooktacular Books Challenge!

Okay, so the plot and world building was the best part.  Immediately, the reader gets sucked into the story because Maberry does an amazing job of setting the pace.  Reading the first line, "Benny Imura couldn't hold a job, so he took to killing.", you just have to read on.   Even in the "quiet" moments there is a hint of urgency.  The fact that there are zombies right outside the fence of Mountainside in the great Rot & Ruin was always known (And isn't that a terrific name for the wasteland that is America?) no matter what was going on in the story.

The plot develops quickly, with Maberry always eluding to a bigger mystery.  There are a bunch of cracks leading from the main plot that all circle back around during one point or another.  It was great, because as soon as I thought I had it figured out, something else would splinter.  To make a book like this work, that surprise and tension is needed, otherwise it would have come off as slightly silly in some places.

The world building is masterful.  As the reader moves through the book, she is told more and more about the places and people living in this new America.  And each detail builds such a clear picture in your mind that it's like a movie playing.  The differences between Mountainside and the Rot & Ruin are great.  Both places are painted in a certain light, but as you move through the book that light switches, so you never really know where you're safe!

Rot & Ruin is now on my list of favorite books for good reason.  It was so captivating that I wanted more.  Luckily, the second book, Dust & Decay, is out and I have it waiting on me at my local bookstore.  If you're looking for a scary read for Halloween, have an interest in zombies, or just want a really good book, then go check out Rot & Ruin!  You'll love it!

Extras

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Check out some great bonus content from Rot & Ruin here

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 5/5

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 8.5/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall: 45.5/50: A-

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