Dust And Decay by Jonathan Maberry
Dec. 19th, 2012 10:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Benny, Nix and Tom have returned from the heart of the Rot and Ruin with a plan. Ever since they saw a plane fly over the zombie-infested wasteland they’ve been clinging to the idea that there is somewhere out there where people live without fear. Now, after months of rigorous training with zombie-hunter Tom, they’re finally ready to leave their home forever and head into the unknown in search of a better future.
But as soon as they start their journey, everything begins to go wrong. They are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of a rebuilt Gameland, where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all, it seems that the evil zombie-bounty hunter Charlie Pink-eye might still be alive … and out for revenge. Can they make it out of the Rot and Ruin alive?
7 months after ROT AND RUIN and Tom’s taught Benny, Nix, Chong, Morgie and Lilah the survival skills to make the journey out into the Ruin in search of the plane that they saw. But things go wrong almost immediately when an animal attack forces them to split up. As they make their way back to each other, they discover that someone has brought Gameland back to the Ruin and it’s worse than ever. The last thing Benny needs is to see Charlie Pink-eye – the evil bounty hunter presumed to have died 7 months earlier – out in the Ruin. To make it out of the Ruin alive, the group will have to put a stop to Gameland forever …
Jonathan Maberry’s sequel to YA zombie horror ROT AND RUIN has some great scenes and character development but overall it was a disappointing affair that felt like a rerun of many of the themes and storyline in the first book.
What I did like was the relationship between Benny and Nix and the way it develops over the story. Although Benny’s matured a lot since ROT AND RUIN, he’s still got a lot to learn and Maberry does well at having Nix force him to confront his feelings. Similarly, I enjoyed his relationship with brother Tom, who acts as mentor but calls him on his b-s and with Chong and Mortie as he’s forced to confront leaving his two closest friends forever. My favourite character however remains, the Lost Girl, Lilah who’s oblivious to Chong’s crush on her and retains a strong independent streak.
However the resurrection of Gameland felt like a step backwards, with Maberry revisiting the same themes of hypocrisy and cruelty from the same book. The Charlie Pink-eye storyline felt like a bolt on and the revelation about his links to Gameland neither surprised nor really interested me while I found the main villain to be two-dimensional and the vengeance motivation felt overdone.
That said, the book does end with a real shocker and I liked the fact that Maberry expands more on what led to his post-apocalyptic world. The technique of having Nix and Benny recount what they know about zombies is particularly effective.
Although this book didn’t move the story forward enough for me, the way it ended promises a gripping final instalment and I will definitely check it out.
The Verdict:
Jonathan Maberry’s sequel to YA zombie horror ROT AND RUIN has some great scenes and character development but overall it was a disappointing affair that felt like a rerun of many of the themes and storyline in the first book. That said, the ending was a big wrench that promises an interesting next instalment, which I will definitely be checking out.
Benny, Nix and Tom have returned from the heart of the Rot and Ruin with a plan. Ever since they saw a plane fly over the zombie-infested wasteland they’ve been clinging to the idea that there is somewhere out there where people live without fear. Now, after months of rigorous training with zombie-hunter Tom, they’re finally ready to leave their home forever and head into the unknown in search of a better future.
But as soon as they start their journey, everything begins to go wrong. They are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of a rebuilt Gameland, where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all, it seems that the evil zombie-bounty hunter Charlie Pink-eye might still be alive … and out for revenge. Can they make it out of the Rot and Ruin alive?
7 months after ROT AND RUIN and Tom’s taught Benny, Nix, Chong, Morgie and Lilah the survival skills to make the journey out into the Ruin in search of the plane that they saw. But things go wrong almost immediately when an animal attack forces them to split up. As they make their way back to each other, they discover that someone has brought Gameland back to the Ruin and it’s worse than ever. The last thing Benny needs is to see Charlie Pink-eye – the evil bounty hunter presumed to have died 7 months earlier – out in the Ruin. To make it out of the Ruin alive, the group will have to put a stop to Gameland forever …
Jonathan Maberry’s sequel to YA zombie horror ROT AND RUIN has some great scenes and character development but overall it was a disappointing affair that felt like a rerun of many of the themes and storyline in the first book.
What I did like was the relationship between Benny and Nix and the way it develops over the story. Although Benny’s matured a lot since ROT AND RUIN, he’s still got a lot to learn and Maberry does well at having Nix force him to confront his feelings. Similarly, I enjoyed his relationship with brother Tom, who acts as mentor but calls him on his b-s and with Chong and Mortie as he’s forced to confront leaving his two closest friends forever. My favourite character however remains, the Lost Girl, Lilah who’s oblivious to Chong’s crush on her and retains a strong independent streak.
However the resurrection of Gameland felt like a step backwards, with Maberry revisiting the same themes of hypocrisy and cruelty from the same book. The Charlie Pink-eye storyline felt like a bolt on and the revelation about his links to Gameland neither surprised nor really interested me while I found the main villain to be two-dimensional and the vengeance motivation felt overdone.
That said, the book does end with a real shocker and I liked the fact that Maberry expands more on what led to his post-apocalyptic world. The technique of having Nix and Benny recount what they know about zombies is particularly effective.
Although this book didn’t move the story forward enough for me, the way it ended promises a gripping final instalment and I will definitely check it out.
The Verdict:
Jonathan Maberry’s sequel to YA zombie horror ROT AND RUIN has some great scenes and character development but overall it was a disappointing affair that felt like a rerun of many of the themes and storyline in the first book. That said, the ending was a big wrench that promises an interesting next instalment, which I will definitely be checking out.
