Review: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

The world changed when Benny was eighteen months old. First Night, a night when normal humans turned into zombies, took the lives of both of his parents. No one knew the true cause of this “virus”, but ever since this horrid night, all the dead become reanimated.

Benny and his brother, Tom, now live in a small town, a fence is the only thing that separates them from the zombies, the land of Rot & Ruin.  The survivirs life in the dark, refusing to use electricity as they are certain it is what brought on this horrible virus.

Tom is a zombie hunter, an occupation that doesn’t impress Benny.  He can’t forgive Tom for what he did, or didn’t do, on First Night to save their parents.

In this new world they live in, teenages must work once they turn fifteen or they lose their food rations.  Benny literally pursues all other possible occupations before realizing the family “business” of zombie hunting was the only job he could handle.  Reluctantly, Tom takes Benny out into the Rot & Ruin and starts showing him the ropes.  It is only then that Benny sees a completely different side to his brother, and his brother’s form of zombie hunting.

He learns a great deal about his history, his brother, and life outside the fences.  His feelings about zombies completely change, his eyes are opened to a completely different world, one outside the fence that has protected him for most of his life.

Going in, I was anticipating just another zombie book, but Rot & Ruin is so much more than that. It covers a wide range of social issues, including the ethical treatment of zombies.  Maberry does an outstanding job of building and developing each of the characters, and it is rewarding to watch them grow and change throughout the book.  This is Maberry’s first plunge into YA and I sincerely hope he plans to write more!  I’ve been a fan of Maberry’s writing from the beginning, with his Pine Deep series & Patient Zero.  His work never fails to impress me! 

So, if you are going to read one zombie book this year, let Rot & Ruin be it.  You won’t regret it, I guarantee!

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