Review: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Synopsis:
“Benny Imura couldn’t hold a job, so he took to killing.”

In the zombie-infested world Benny has grown up in, every teenager must work once they turn fifteen—or they’ll lose their food rations. Benny isn’t interested in taking on the family business, but he reluctantly agrees to train as a zombie killer with his boring big brother, Tom. He expects a dull job, whacking zombies for cash. What he discovers is a vocation that will teach him what it really means to be human.

As Benny’s worldview is challenged again and again by the lessons he learns from Tom, he is forced to confront another horrifying reality: sometimes, the most terrible monsters are the human ones.

Critically acclaimed author Jonathan Maberry crafts a terrifying future vision of the zombie apocalypse, brought to life through the rich emotional struggles of a teenager trying to find his place in a tumultuous new world.

Review:

This book was definitely interesting. I honestly thought it was going to be a book about zombie-slaying, but I was way off. Sure, there are zombies in this book and some zombie killing, but it is not a normal zombie book by any means. It poses the question of what is morally right and wrong when it comes to zombie killing and life.

I thought the characters were well developed. I enjoyed watching the main character, Benny, grow throughout the novel. In the beginning, he is ignorant of the ways of the world and just seemed to follow the crowd. He definitely grows into a great young man after discovering how his world really operates. The antagonist of the book, Charlie, is a horrible man. Probably one of the most evil characters I have ever encountered in a book.

For me, Rot & Ruin had some slow parts in the beginning, but they were easy to get through. The rest of the book was fast-paced. I did not want to put it down. I do not know if there will be a sequel, but I would not mind if there was. This book is overall pretty great. I liked that it made me think. There were some sad parts, but I think they were necessary to the plot. I definitely recommend reading it if you have the time.

Rating: 4/5

Swords are for fighting,