hannchilada's review against another edition
5.0
First off, I should really say that I have been avoiding this book in my recommendations since the pretty much first day I got Goodreads. I'm not a zombie book person. Reading about killing isn't my thing. But, that's not what Rot and Ruin is about.
Obviously, I'm not the author. But I think that that Rot and Ruin is about following by moral rules, in a world where the rules have been flipped upside down and gnawed on by a zombie.
The first reason I think I liked Rot and Ruin is the sibling relationship. Of course, it's not really realistic to hold a grudge against your caretaker for like 15 years or something. However, I got the feeling Benny never really hated Tom. And when they finally began cooperating, the sibling relationship was one of the most realistic I've ever read.
Tom How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. The way he is so wise and not cocky. (Cocky guys are the worst, can I just say?)The way Tom takes care of his little brother with so much love even though he knows Benny thinks he is a coward makes my little heart metaphorically melt. Plus, he's good with girls. Which is hot.
I also loved Nix. She was fabulous. I like that she was a real girl. She didn't have to prove that she wasn't cliche book character, she just wasn't. She was strong, but acted like a girl would. The perfect combination. I also liked that her and Benny's relationship wasn't spur of the moment, and they showed real characteristics of love. Compassion, sacrifice, protectiveness, etc.
Lastly, Lilah. She gave me the heebie-jeebies.
She was fabulous. And accurately portrayed. Really, all the emotions in this book were justified, and how I would feel if I went through the same things.
Good job, Jonathan Maberry. You reeled me in, even after I insisted I wasn't a zombie book person. You reeled me in and tied me to a tree in the Hungry Forest...oh, nevermind. I'll just read the next one now.
Obviously, I'm not the author. But I think that that Rot and Ruin is about following by moral rules, in a world where the rules have been flipped upside down and gnawed on by a zombie.
The first reason I think I liked Rot and Ruin is the sibling relationship. Of course, it's not really realistic to hold a grudge against your caretaker for like 15 years or something. However, I got the feeling Benny never really hated Tom. And when they finally began cooperating, the sibling relationship was one of the most realistic I've ever read.
Tom How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. The way he is so wise and not cocky. (Cocky guys are the worst, can I just say?)The way Tom takes care of his little brother with so much love even though he knows Benny thinks he is a coward makes my little heart metaphorically melt. Plus, he's good with girls. Which is hot.
I also loved Nix. She was fabulous. I like that she was a real girl. She didn't have to prove that she wasn't cliche book character, she just wasn't. She was strong, but acted like a girl would. The perfect combination. I also liked that her and Benny's relationship wasn't spur of the moment, and they showed real characteristics of love. Compassion, sacrifice, protectiveness, etc.
Lastly, Lilah. She gave me the heebie-jeebies.
She was fabulous. And accurately portrayed. Really, all the emotions in this book were justified, and how I would feel if I went through the same things.
Good job, Jonathan Maberry. You reeled me in, even after I insisted I wasn't a zombie book person. You reeled me in and tied me to a tree in the Hungry Forest...oh, nevermind. I'll just read the next one now.
cdeane61's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it. Obviously written for a younger audience, I think it touches on some points you don't really think about with most zombie books. In particular the feelings of the survivors for those that have been turned, and the need to hire someone to hunt them down and gain some closure.
The treatment of the zombie "virus" as something that reanimated all the dead, not just those bitten is something I had not encountered before.
The story is a fast paced, coming of age tale, that focuses on a zombie hunters younger half brother (just turned 15) and his group of friends who are encountering the same issue - get a job or get your rations cut in half. As such, the beginning of the book is a description of the various jobs available, which paints a picture of the society they are living in.
A good quick read -not sure if I will pursue the sequels.
The treatment of the zombie "virus" as something that reanimated all the dead, not just those bitten is something I had not encountered before.
The story is a fast paced, coming of age tale, that focuses on a zombie hunters younger half brother (just turned 15) and his group of friends who are encountering the same issue - get a job or get your rations cut in half. As such, the beginning of the book is a description of the various jobs available, which paints a picture of the society they are living in.
A good quick read -not sure if I will pursue the sequels.
fictionaluniverse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shan198025's review against another edition
5.0
Just a quick note....parts of this book were in a short story collection "The New Dead", but the parts have been expanded. So anyone who read the short version should still read the whole book. I loved it! I can't wait until the next book comes out.
booknookie's review against another edition
5.0
Visit my blog The Book Chick for more book reviews.
I don’t know if I’m just incredibly lucky or if I have found a way to choose good books. Because my five star ratings and good books just keep pouring in. And I’m a little surprised. As much as I love Joe Ledgers series by Maberry (still more than this), not one of those books (that I have read) have received a five-star rating and yet this one does. But One thing is for sure, Jonathan Maberry takes my mind and heart by storm, Again!
This is a wonderful book and I am surprised over how much I loved it. It is a little different from what I normally read and it is a Young Adult book. YA books are often not for me due to that I often find the books a little meek and dramatic. Not in a good way. Anyhow, this book was nothing like that and it evoke feelings that I did not foresee it would.
Here we get to follow Benny. A fifteen-year-old teenager who live in a world post zombie outbreak. He was too young when the outbreaks began and he can’t remember a world before the Zombies. And I totally loathed Benny in the beginning. Yikes I hated him. Later, he grew on me and by the end of the book, I loved him. Him and his brother Tom. Tom however was old enough to remember the world before the zombies and he is the reason Benny still is alive. But misunderstandings and half-truths have made their relationship hard and they are not that close to each other as brothers should be. Different circumstances outside their own power makes them thrown together and they must work together and fight for their life’s and what’s right.
I often feel that Zombies, like vampires, are a subject that have been done to many times that there is nothing new about it anymore. But I think that Maberry has taken a step back and brought the subject back to its core and just stayed with what’s simple and that worked in favor of the story. It feels real and totally perfect. It even made me cry some parts.
I short, I totally loved it and can’t wait to read the other books in the series. I have ordered the whole box from Book depository and hope it will arrive soon.
I don’t know if I’m just incredibly lucky or if I have found a way to choose good books. Because my five star ratings and good books just keep pouring in. And I’m a little surprised. As much as I love Joe Ledgers series by Maberry (still more than this), not one of those books (that I have read) have received a five-star rating and yet this one does. But One thing is for sure, Jonathan Maberry takes my mind and heart by storm, Again!
This is a wonderful book and I am surprised over how much I loved it. It is a little different from what I normally read and it is a Young Adult book. YA books are often not for me due to that I often find the books a little meek and dramatic. Not in a good way. Anyhow, this book was nothing like that and it evoke feelings that I did not foresee it would.
Here we get to follow Benny. A fifteen-year-old teenager who live in a world post zombie outbreak. He was too young when the outbreaks began and he can’t remember a world before the Zombies. And I totally loathed Benny in the beginning. Yikes I hated him. Later, he grew on me and by the end of the book, I loved him. Him and his brother Tom. Tom however was old enough to remember the world before the zombies and he is the reason Benny still is alive. But misunderstandings and half-truths have made their relationship hard and they are not that close to each other as brothers should be. Different circumstances outside their own power makes them thrown together and they must work together and fight for their life’s and what’s right.
I often feel that Zombies, like vampires, are a subject that have been done to many times that there is nothing new about it anymore. But I think that Maberry has taken a step back and brought the subject back to its core and just stayed with what’s simple and that worked in favor of the story. It feels real and totally perfect. It even made me cry some parts.
I short, I totally loved it and can’t wait to read the other books in the series. I have ordered the whole box from Book depository and hope it will arrive soon.
laramariereads's review against another edition
4.0
I recognize that this is a good book and I would have loved it when I was younger. Especially when The Walking Dead first came out and Zombies were a huge thing. Im just a little too old now to really love it.
There was only one character I didn’t find annoying and bratty, and that was the main characters older brother. I want to read his story, all the emotions I felt in this book were related to him. Yes, I did cry at one point. I think an entire series could be written about Tom (the older brother) and it would have a larger emotional impact and appeal to the older readers.
If I hear the term "Zom" one more time...
I’m not going to continue the series as I don’t think Tom will be in the rest of it the way I want to continue to explore his character. The other characters I just don’t care enough.
There was only one character I didn’t find annoying and bratty, and that was the main characters older brother. I want to read his story, all the emotions I felt in this book were related to him. Yes, I did cry at one point. I think an entire series could be written about Tom (the older brother) and it would have a larger emotional impact and appeal to the older readers.
If I hear the term "Zom" one more time...
I’m not going to continue the series as I don’t think Tom will be in the rest of it the way I want to continue to explore his character. The other characters I just don’t care enough.
everthereader's review against another edition
4.0
Once again, one of my older sister's favorite series. She read when I was young, and I was once again intrigued by it. I found this book far different than any other zombie book I have ever read. In the beginning, I wasn't fond of Benny. He was a jerk and treated his brother Tom terribly. Tom, on the other hand, he was my favorite character. I was kind of surprised that he was that old. I did expect him to be younger, but I was happy at the end. He isn't like other male characters. He isn't a teenager and he acts like a man. Seriously, he needs his own spinoff series from Tom's point of view. I would say he reminds me of Hamato Yoshi from Teenage mutant Ninja Turtles. I liked how Benny's thoughts on Tom changed from the beginning and the end. It really showed the character development. The ending nearly made me cry and desperate for the sequel.
Also, I'd lie to mention: I must say Jonathan Maberry is quite a clever zombie, he knows much about humans and Tom Imura. According to his picture, he is a zombie right?
Also, I'd lie to mention: I must say Jonathan Maberry is quite a clever zombie, he knows much about humans and Tom Imura. According to his picture, he is a zombie right?
haylisreading's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a lot better than I was expecting. The summary sounded really boring but I was pleasantly surprised.
emay_26's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
1.0
I say I read this, when in reality, I read the first ten or so chapters and then skimmed the rest, flipping page by page and staring in dull bemusement.
This is a didactic storybook pretending to be a zombie novel. I miss the originality of the end-of-world young adult novel. I couldn't find it in here.
This is a didactic storybook pretending to be a zombie novel. I miss the originality of the end-of-world young adult novel. I couldn't find it in here.