Rot & Ruin
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4.7 • 254 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A teen who reluctantly starts work as a zombie hunter uncovers corruption in his community in this first book in the post-apocalyptic dystopian Rot & Ruin series by New York Times bestselling and five-time Bram Stoker Award–winning author Jonathan Maberry.
Benny Imura lives in a zombie-infested America where 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 (or “closure specialist”) with his boring older brother, Tom, but he has no choice.
He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash but seeing Tom’s compassion and quiet bravery while killing zombies beyond the wall changes how he sees the world around him…and the older brother he’s kept at a distance since their parents’ death.
But not everyone treats their hunting career as an important vocation. Thrill-seeking closure specialists and greedy citizens endanger the community’s safety. As Benny fights the corruption, he learns what it means to be human.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The delineation between man and monster, survivor and victim is fiercely debated in Maberry's (Patient Zero) thoughtful, postapocalyptic coming-of-age tale. In Mountainside, an oasis of civilization in a world ravaged by zombies, residents must find work at age 15 or have their rations halved. With every other option exhausted, Benny Imura reluctantly apprentices with his older brother, Tom, as a zombie killer, despite blaming Tom for their parents' deaths. As Benny accompanies Tom into the hostile wilderness, he learns how wrong he was about many things, from the supposed "coolness" of larger-than-life bounty hunter Charlie Matthias to the inhuman nature of "zoms" and the true purpose of Tom's work. The eye-opening experiences continue when Charlie kidnaps Benny's potential girlfriend, Nix, as part of his efforts to track down the fabled Lost Girl, who holds the key to a deadly secret. In turns mythic and down-to-earth, this intense novel combines adventure and philosophy to tell a truly memorable zombie story, one that forces readers to consider them not just as flesh-eating monsters or things to be splattered, but as people. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
.W.O.W.
I just got done reading the lost hero by Rick Riordan (another great book) so my expectations were preeettyy high, but I wasn't let down one bit. The description, pace and creativity were amazing, don't skip this one.
I loved it!
It’s a truly extraordinary book. I love the foreshadowing that is painted in every shadow. At every point, you have to try and remember “what happened that could save them”. It keeps you on your toes, hopeful, and immersed.
For all zombie lovers
As a fan of zombies and all things horror this book at me hooked, I’m glad there 4 more books to read!!!