Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Goodreads
458 pages, YA Paranormal (zombies), Dystopian
Benny Imara #1
My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis

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.

My 2 cents

Rot and Ruin is a completely fresh new zombie series. It takes zombies in a post apocalyptic setting and creates a smart new dystopian novel. The world building in this book is incredible, and I was sucked in immediately.

The main focus of the story is Benny and his older brother Tom's relationship. Tom saved Benny from "First Night" when he was just a baby and has cared for him ever since. Benny thinks his brother is a coward since he ran away with Benny and left their parents to die. He doesn't believe his brother could be a good "Bounty Hunter."

But Benny must find a job and after several miserable attempts, his only choice is to train with his brother. Tom takes Benny out to the Ruin, and from there, Benny's life is never the same. 

This book is not for the faint of heart. Its extremely violent and gory, as you would expect any zombie book to be. But what I really loved was how real it all felt, and how human the author made the zombies feel. The characters were also really well done. I'm so excited to read the rest of the series!