Monday, December 15, 2014

Middle Grade Monday with Ava: Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Rot and Ruin (Benny Imura #1)
by: Jonathan Maberry
Now available!!!
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Purchased finished copy
Cover image and synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
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. 

Purchase your copy: S & S Canada | Amazon | Chapters/Indigo

Ava's Thoughts:
Rot and Ruin is a book that takes place after First Night, a time when zombies invaded cities and infected people all over. Not the town of Mountainside, though. Not Benny and Tom Imura, though. Tom is known for being a closure specialist, someone who kills zombies peacefully. He journeys beyond Mountainside to quiet zombies, into a place called the Rot and Ruin.

Benny collects zombie cards along with his friends Morgie, Cong and Nix. He has a passion for listening to Charlie Pinkeye and the Motor City Hammer's outrageous zombie stories. That is, until Tom takes him out to the Rot and Ruin. And he gets a rare zombie card, about the Lost Girl.

Benny soon learns that friends become enemies if you have what they want.  And Charlie Pink-Eye wants the Lost Girl card. He is taking people to Gameland, a place where you are forced to fight zombies in a pit, sometimes without something to defend yourself. So Tom and Benny set out to destroy Gameland and quiet some zombies along the way...including two who are very close to the heart.  

I give this book an 8/10 because it was clearly intended for an older audience. Enjoy!

Ciao, Ava

5 comments:

  1. Zombies are so trendy right now, I'll watch or read anything about them. This seems an interesting read, I'll add it to my maybe pile

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  2. I haven't reviewed MG lately. This reminds me that I should... Zombies are really cool too! I don't personally read a lot of them so maybe this book isn't for me, but I do love the title at least!

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  3. Hmm. Despite the fact that this about zombies (and I'm none too fond of them), it otherwise sounds like a good read. Due to the subject material, though, I think the writing may be MG but the audience may be more intended for high school age.

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  4. I read this book a couple of years ago, and I REALLY enjoyed it. I thought it was very interesting especially because I saw a lot of similarities with Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye. I'm glad that you enjoyed this book! Great review! :)

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