Rot & Ruin

By: Jonathan Maberry

Narrated by: Brian Hutchison

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author Jonathan Maberry’s Rot & Ruin is his debut work for young readers. Fifteen-year-old Benny Imura lives in a world infested with zombies where, when a kid turns 15, he must get a job to continue receiving food rations. Benny has no interest in the family business of zombie killing, but figures he doesn’t have much of a choice. He’s tried out a bunch of other jobs, and hasn’t found anything he likes. But as Benny starts training with his brother, he learns things about being human that he never expected.

©2010 Jonathan Maberry (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC

Quality, entertaining story

Though this may have been meant as a young adult book, I really believe readers of any age will enjoy it. The characters are very well developed, and the relationship between the main character and his heroic and misunderstood older brother is truly compelling. Combined with the zombie action, a hefty dose of post-apolocolytic bad guys and some coming of age elements for both our young characters, and the next generation after the zombie apolocolypse, I found this a highly entertaining and sometimes very thoughtful and moving adventure. The reader does quite a fine job as well. I highly recommend it!

Good once I got past the first couple of hours

And I almost *didn't* get past those first two hours. So much teenage angst! And worse, predictable angst. It was obvious from the get-go that there was more to the past than what Benny believed. I just couldn't wait for his eyes to be opened.

But once the story moved out into the Rot & Ruin, it got more exciting and interesting. It's a zombie story with a twist, with true evil found not in the shambling undead but in those who would take advantage of the apocalypse for their own personal gain.

all around good book

Gives a whole different perspective on the zombie theme compared to other books in the same category.

Love the book, narrator is "ok"

really love the book. it's very well written but the narrator could do better with emphasis and inflection. dramatic dialogue wasn't used appropriately. still worth a listen though

great book

love the story, read it a few times and wanted to hear it at work. narrator was fine, just weird with how certain points were inflected or voiced

Kinda a zombie western feel to it

Though it seems to take place in the not-too-distant future, this book feels very much like a Western with a Zombie problem. The brothers rang true, the younger resenting the older for what he feels are legitimate reasons, the older quietly letting him find his own way. I'll read the next one, if there is a sequel.

the book

the book is amazing! I loved it and it wanted me to keep reading. now I am going to read the next book and I think that it will be better than the first

Enjoyable and thoughtful zombie story

I'd like to thank the righteously indignant review by smb072 for drawing my attention to this enjoyable book. It takes a lot of imagination, and possibly a victim complex, to see anti-American anti-Christian ideas in this story. In fact, I'm not sure this reader was reviewing the right book. Regardless, I found it enjoyable and you don't have to be a teen to enjoy it. Empathy for those alive who miss those who are undead is the only form of so-called wokeness in this story. An absurd interpretation of events from the religious characters is not at all unrealistic, nor is it anti-Christian. Ill-reasoned beliefs make for defensive reviewers, I suppose (speaking of indoctrination).

Try the book if you like zombie stories and character growth, and if the words 'woke and 'indoctrination' don't stir your emotions.

slow start

the narrator wasn't that great at the beginning. I think he found the characters as the book went on and finished okay. good story

loved it!

I wasn't sure when my son said, you need to check out this book, but I gave it a go and I love it! loved the characters. story line... getting ready for book 2...