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Well executed and a little philosophically deeper than your average post apoc. book

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2016

This is a must read. Character development is excellent, envisioned world has some fresh ideas. Dialog is pretty good (for a zombie book). Overall just well executed.

I have read a LOT of semi pro zombie series that have thousands of very high ratings that are incredibly marginal books. This is not one of those.

The character's emotions and actions are believable. No crazy coincidences, stupid luck etc to get people in or out of trouble.

An example of a series with a large popular folloing is zombie fallout. I gave up reading zombie fallout to book 4. That series was absolutely horrible (unless you like juvenile comedy fart jokes which many do - like deadpool).

This series is a serious book, well written, with characters that are consistent and have a good backstory. There is even some moderately sophisticated philosophy going on as well.

I would put it in the same league as books like the dust/wool series, day by day armageddon, forest of teeth and hands and the remaining as far as being engaging and enjoyable to read.

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Mysti

Disappointing as a zombie book

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2020

As a zombie book, this gets a 1 star... there was really only one tension scene in the whole book and the rest of the zombies were just referred to... very disappointing!

The actual story was decent but not enough to make me want to read the rest of the series... I really wanted a good zombie series. The author is good and the story flowed so I’d read this author again, just not this series... when I pick up a zombie book, I want loads of zombies

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From the United States

Kat

Great character arc

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2013

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I'm sure everyone knows what I'm talking about when I say that reading a new book by one of your favourite authors is kinda nerve-racking. You're excited because it's a NEW BOOK but you're also scared because, well, what if you don't like it? This was exactly how I felt about Rot & Ruin. After all, Jonathan Maberry's Patient Zero was one of the very first zombie books I read, and Dead of Night was one of my favourite books of 2011 - what if I didn't like Rot & Ruin?

The very first thing that struck me about Rot & Ruin was that I didn't really like Benny - whiny and ungrateful and more than a little bit of a spoilt brat. BUT as the book progressed, he changed quite a lot, and by the end I actually did like him quite a bit and I love when a character grows and matures during the course of a book. His older brother Tom is far more likable, with a quiet confidence and sense of right and wrong.

By far my favourite characters in Rot & Ruin were Nix and Lilah - strong and determined female characters are something often missing in zombie books, but Jonathan Maberry can definitely write a good female character.

The world of Mountainside and the Rot & Ruin were infinitely fascinating. The town itself is a mixture of frontier town with bounty hunters and a small village with people going about their daily lives and trying to make the best of a crappy situation.

The Zombies themselves are the standard brain-eaters, but Maberry explores some very interesting ideas both of the characteristics of the zombies (zombies would apparently go downhill by habit as it's easier for them to follow a downhill slope than go uphill - may be an important point during the zombie apocalypse!) and the way that the survivors react to them. Although they are pretty much mindless eating machines, they are still viewed as people, in as much as they can be, and the survivors are incredibly respectful, right down to employing people specifically to end their loved ones' suffering.

The villains are magnificently villainous, especially Charlie - ugh how I loved to hate him. Along with his gang of thugs, he made for a truly despicable, evil character and I couldn't wait to see him get his just deserts.

The final and most moving scene, between Benny and Tom was incredibly bittersweet, and also really showed how their relationship had changed during the story.

I had a rocky start with Rot & Ruin, but by the end I could completely see where Mr. Maberry was going with the characters, the plot and the world-building and I can't wait to see what happens in Dust & Decay.

One person found this helpful

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Nicole S. -- YA Author and Book Blogger

From YABookHaven

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2011

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"Rot & Ruin" is a book I stumbled upon while browsing at my local Borders (before they closed, unfortunately). I hadn't heard much about it at that point, but I'm a sucker for zombies so I decided to give it a shot. I've had the book sitting on my bookshelf for a few months now. As much as I wanted to read it, I just never seemed to have the time. So when I received "Dust & Decay", the second book in the series, from Galley Grab, I decided I needed to make time...and oh do I wish it had been sooner. Now, much like "Warm Bodies", this is a zombie story with heart...and much like "Warm Bodies", I absolutely loved this book.

"Rot & Ruin" is about two brothers, Tommy Imura, a well known bounty hunter, and Benny Imura, his younger brother (a bounty hunter in training). Benny is convinced Tommy is a coward for leaving behind their mother on First Night. It isn't until his brother gives him a job that he begins to understand him and even respect him. What's great about this relationship is that its realistic and it actually grows, it isn't rushed - it develops at a great pace.

Tommy is a well known bounty hunter, but he's different from the other bounty hunters. He isn't out to just kill zombies, he's out to provide closure for families and relatives. He's very different than Charlie and The Motor City Hammer, two men Benny thinks are `cool'. At first you don't see why the men are bad, but as the story goes on and you learn what they do to children, to the zombies, and to people in general - you begin to understand just how horrible they are. But it's their actions that force the relationship between Benny and Tommy to strengthen.

"Rot & Ruin" is a book about zombies, yes, but it isn't only about zombies. It's about society, about people, about the world around us. It'll make you cry. It'll make you laugh. It'll make you think. And most importantly, it'll leave you wanting more.

I have nothing but praise for "Rot & Ruin" and the author, Jonathan Maberry. I can't wait to start "Dust & Decay" (I will make sure to speed through my `'to read" pile so that I can get to it faster).

3 people found this helpful

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He ain't heavy . . . . he's my brother.

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2012

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This 1960's song came to my mind while I was reading this book. And it is so appropriate! Brothers will always be brothers, even if they don't see eye to eye and family does not just mean blood relatives. You can carry and support and have the back of your brother (or sister), always.

Jonathan Maberry can tell a story like no other and he never ceases to amaze me with his writings. He can weave a story like "Patient Zero" with all the action, gore and tons of zombies that need to be killed and then he can tell a story such as "Rot & Ruin" and have you thinking about the humanity of a zombie and their still human family members. Rot & Ruins will have you thinking differently about zombies after you finish reading the book. He skillfully written story takes a different stance on zombies and the survivors of the "First Night" after things go wrong and people start re-animating.

But not only does Mr. Maberry get you thinking about the humanity of zombies but how civilization can easily want to forget what happened in the past and become complacent with their current life style, knowing that they think they are "safe" behind the fences of Mountainside. Are they really? Or are they willing to forget the past to stay safe in their surrounding community and in their minds? This book is not only about zombies but it is about helping others, closure, family and finding out the unknown and being brave enough to do something about it.

If I could give this book six stars, I would. It may be geared for young adults but the story is still exceptional no matter what genre it is geard to. Bravo Mr. Maberry!

2 people found this helpful

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MichaelParrish

Another tour-de-force for Maberry

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2012

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I've never been shy about how much I've enjoyed anything emblazoned with the words "by Jonathan Maberry." This book didn't do anything to change that. The author carved out another unique landscape and populated it with the remnants of humanity - the survivors of First Night, when the dead rose and walked again. Nothing 'new' about zombies, you say? Buckle up kiddies. This isn't a typical zombie apocalypse tale. This story takes place in a settlement of people living as normal a life as can be scratched out when the undead roam outside the city walls. Benny Imura has only ever known a life like this...post-First Night. And its his tale that unfolds in the chapters of this book... and that tale has dangers more fearsome than zombies - getting a job! Thankfully zombie hunters are always in demand.

Jonathan Maberry doesn't have a strong suit. He's got many. Few writers can come close to spinning an engaging yarn with believable characters, tense action, credible dialogue that makes the characters ring true, and tight prose that moves the story along, but doesn't sacrifice the details that make the world all the more real. These are the hallmarks of all his fiction, so it came as no surprise when I picked up this series that he had given us a tale that wasn't "YA," it was a great tale told from the post-apocalyptic world of a teenager, accessible to the YA crowd but not dumbed-down to alienate the folks wanting a mature read for their investment. And for those of you who would normally avoid zombie fiction because you can't handle the gore, or the horror, etc. rest easy knowing that the story gets told without buckets of guts flying. Yes, there are zombies aplenty but Jonathan keeps a breakneck pace without going over the top viscerally. Benny's world will forever be changed from early on in the story, but the details won't make you lose your lunch.

Buy this book. You won't regret it. You'll just want to read on.

One person found this helpful

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Courtney @ Fuzzy.Coffee.Books

This book made me like Zombie Books!

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2011

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What I liked: 1) The post-apocalyptic setting. It didn't really surprise me that I liked this setting, given my love of post-apocalyptic dystopian books. But it was fun to be in that setting without it being really a dystopian society. 2) The writing. You know those books where you actually forget you're only looking at words on a page? This was like that for me. It drew me into the action and I actually had to stay up late to finish it! 3) Benny. I liked how well Benny was developed as a character. He grew up a lot in this story, but you didn't have to look for some hidden clue that he was maturing. It was refreshingly obvious, and I thought it was great. 4) Zoms. The language that Mr. Maberry used was fun. My bookshelf is littered with female writers. I can count on one hand the number of male authors that I've read recently. Reading Mr. Maberry's writing really made me stop and think about the differences I see in writing styles between men and women. It was cool!

What I didn't like: I can't come up with anything!

Overall thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised by this book! For my first foray into the world of zombies, Mr. Maberry's book did not disappoint. There was a good mix of interesting characters, a plot with great twists and surprises, and of course zombies! Zombies still freak me out, but in a way that I like! The second Benny Imura book, Dust and Decay is definitely on my TBR list! I got a chance to meet Mr. Maberry at the Austin Teen Book Festival, and let him know that he will forever be the author who made me like zombie books. (He said that he gets that alot!) ;-) He was a cool guy, and I'd definitely recommend Rot and Ruin to any zombie fan or anyone who hasn't ever read zombies!

One person found this helpful

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Lowcountry Book Lover

A great zombie novel for YA or Adults

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013

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Benny Imura just turned 15. He has to get a job or he starts losing his rations. Living in a fenced-in, protected area might keep you safer from zombies but it also comes with a cost.

Benny tries out many different jobs and none fit him quite right. His brother, Tom, offers to train him as a zombie hunter and he reluctantly agrees to go into the Family Business.

My first taste of this story came from The New Dead. The short story, Family Business, was one of my favorites and I wanted more. I am so, so glad that I immediately ordered Rot & Ruin.

I can't say that Rot & Ruin is a lot of fun as there is a good bit of death and violence. But, Jonathan Maberry can really tell a story. There is a lot of action while still providing a story full of feeling. The relationships are interesting and well-formed. Benny and Tom are a complicated duo. They come a long way from that first zombie hunt to the final scene. The friendship between Benny, Nix, Chong and Morgie is an integral part of the story and I hope that it continues to grow in the next installment. Lilah - well, you really have to read to learn about her. (Side note: there is a character in The Passage / The Twelve named Lila. I hope this is a coincidence. Both are a little crazy.)

Overall, this is one of my favorite reads so far this year and a great start for this zombie series. 5/5 stars.

One person found this helpful

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MyBookishWays

Unlikely Hero

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2010

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Please see this review and others at [...]

Rot & Ruin has zombies. Lots and lots of zombies. It also has all of the good stuff that usually accompanies zombies, thrills, chills, and of course, kills. However, Rot & Ruin is not a zombie book, not in the traditional sense. It's a coming of age story in a time where everything is dangerous, and nothing is quite how it seems, and about the birth of a hero.

The book begins about 15 years after First Night, when the dead started coming back to life, and focuses on Benny Imura, 14, and his older, zombie hunter brother Tom. Benny is about to turn 15, and that means he'll have to get a job, or his food rations will be cut in half. I'll be honest, at the start of this book, I thought Benny Imura, our 15 year old star, was a whining, moody little brat and was actually worried that I wasn't going to like him at all. On the other hand, his older brother Tom was a quiet, kind, strong presence that eventually grew into a much bigger role later in the novel. Benny tries his hand at a number of jobs before deciding, kicking and screaming, to go into the "family business", aka zombie hunting, or as Tom prefers, becoming a "closure specialist". Benny has fuzzy, vague memories about Tom running away with him and leaving his parents to the mercy of the zombies on First Night, and has nursed bitter resentment for him ever since. Benny idolizes the obnoxious, loud mouthed bounty hunter Charlie, and thinks his brother is a coward, not only for what he perceives happened on First Night, but because Tom rarely talks about what he does to put food on the table.

It's only when Tom takes Benny out into the Rot & Ruin (the zombie infested area beyond their fenced in town), that Benny begins to realize just what his brother does on a daily basis, and his entire world view is turned upside down, and when his friend Nix is kidnapped by zombie hunters with the most evil of plans, Benny has to look inside himself to find courage he never knew existed.

This book was hard for me to review, because I recently read Patient Zero, and The Dragon Factory, both by Jonathan Maberry, and I absolutely could not put them down. So, perhaps unfairly to this book, I expected more of the same, just toned down for a Young Adult audience. Rot & Ruin took a bit longer for me to get into, but that was ok, because the payoff was worth it! There's plenty of guts and action to please boy readers, and the characters show much more insight and maturity than many of the YA titles out there right now. There was also plenty to please this girl reader, and there were some heartbreaking moments that really made me love the characters. I wavered between a 4.5 and a 5 on this one, so I'll give it a 5! I'll eagerly look forward to the next Benny Imura novel!

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Different...exciting...and really good.

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2012

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You may think, from reading some other reviews, that "Rot & Ruin", by Jonathan Maberry, is a 'Zombie' book, or a book about zombies. Well, it almost is but then it really isn't. Although there are zombies all over the pages. This is the first book I've read that tells the story from a completely different perspective. In this telling zombies are people, real people - most people lose sight of that - dead people for certain, but people nonetheless. And that is perhaps the central theme of "Rot & Ruin".

The story tells how it happened, but not right off, you have to read a bit. And the protagonists, Benny and his older brother Tom, along with Nix and 'The Lost Girl' are central to everything that happens. Their characters are drawn out well, and truly believable, as are the antagonists. Not the zombies, but, the really bad guys like 'The Motor City Hammer' and his pals. Believe me, though, zombies play a big part in all that happens and they are 'mayhem'.

I don't like spoilers, so I can't tell you what happens. I'll leave that up to other reviewers. However, I will say there's a great story here. It's about fear and bravery, and it's about courage and evil too. It's about children and adults, mostly YA, though, and how they surpass many much older as they travel the road to becoming compassionate human beings. The story is also about friendships, heroes, and love. It's got everything and the story is written intelligently, not mindless like so many "Zombie" books.

I thought this story so good, that I couldn't wait for the ending, and I was sorry when I reached it. Guaranteed I'll read "Rot & Ruin" again.

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Alex Samaras

Outstanding post-Zombie-Apocalypse novel!

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2013

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I've read quite a bit of Zombie fiction. I've read pretty good stuff. I've read pretty bad stuff. I've read stuff in between. I've read a couple Mr. Maberry's other novels involving zombies (Patient Zero, Dead of Night). Where does this novel stand?

It is outstanding! It is certainly among the best zombie fiction I have ever read, and the first I've ever read that really treated the zombies as something more than just an implacable force that the main characters would have to slaughter their way through or die trying. This book is something special. I managed to read it all in one sitting, unable to stop until I finished (at about 3:30am). And when I finally got there, I couldn't help but whisper to myself, "Damn. That was a good story."

It has great characters and great character development. It has an amazing setting. It flows well. It has good action when necessary, and it has good lack-of-action when necessary. It doesn't go over the top trying to explain why the dead reanimate and attack the living; they just do and that is the setting of the story. And, and this kind of got me the most, it forces you to look at the zombies with some compassion rather than just revulsion and hate. This is seriously good stuff.

Warning: If you are looking for a typical zombie gore-fest, then this probably isn't the book for you. Then again, it might still be. Check it out.

I'd recommend this book to pretty much anyone; even those who aren't usually fans of zombie fiction.

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Trang Nguyen

I like the concept but I don't connect with the characters

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2011

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I don't usually read books about zombies. Even as a fiction, the idea of humanmity swept clean and replaced with a sea of the undead is too depressing for me. Plus, it doesn't help that most of the stories involve zombies are repetitive. But the prologue piqued my curiosity, and I ended up going through the whole book. Reviewing this book isn't an easy task since I'm not even sure how I feel about it. Basically, the concept of a zombified civilization isn't new, but the remant world that Jonathan created is somewhat refreshing with a fascinating insight on humanity after The Zombie War. Why do people never want to talk about what had happened in the past? Why do they deem everything on the other side of the fence a taboo, all the while, accepting trades brought in from the outside? Why are they afraid of the zoms but most don't seem to bear any deep-rooted hatred for the monsters? Those questions play with the basic psychology and concept of humanity, blended to Ben's coming-of-age adventure. So, the idea is good, the vision inventive and thoughtful. But when it comes down to execution, or character building, it's where the book fails me. I had an obvious detachment to all of the characters while following their steps into the core of conflicts and dangers. I wanted to know where their decisions lead them to but I wasn't gripped with any excitement or even a tiny dread for their lives. Perhaps, it's because the development of the story and even the "surprises" were kind of transparent in a way. When I saw one event, I could predict the ones that would follow it.

More on the characters, I wouldn't say they are two dimensional but, to me, they are definitely lacking of conviction. At some points, the narration tells more than shows; the writing didn't carry the emotions across. I was told the characters were in grief, rage and pain, however, I never once actually felt or touched by any of the said inner turmoils. For the villains, they are simply surreal and typically evil. Perhaps, that's the author's intention, however, it's proven in most cases that a good ol' complexed villain could also help to strengthen the protagonist(s). In a sense, the characters are to be understood but not to be sympathized with. And it's a real pity because I had loved the moral absolutism the author has brought up through the story. Rot & Ruin might not meet my expectation but it is still a good book in its own category and the message tends to go beyond of a mere zombie-packed action story.

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