Rot And Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

The Blurb On The Back:

Nearly fourteen years ago, a freak virus swept across the world turning the living into the undead. Benny Imura was only a toddler, but his last memory of his parents is tainted by the image of them becoming zombies, and he blames his older brother, Tom, for not saving them.

Now Benny is fifteen, and Tom wants them to put their difficult relationship behind them and work together in the “family business”: as zombie killers. It’s the last thing Benny wants to do, but he needs a job and he thinks it’ll be an easy ride.

But when they head into the Rot and Ruin, an area full of wandering zombies, Benny soon realises that there’s more to the job than just whacking zombies. And, as he’s confronted with the truth about the world around him Benny makes the most terrifying discovery of all, that the worst monsters you can imagine might actually be human ...

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Jonathan Maberry has written a chilling YA zombie apocalypse novel that revolves around a main character whose preconceptions are slowly challenged and who discovers unpleasant truths about the world he knows and the people he cares about. Although it’s a little slow to start, the world-building is great and there is plenty of action as the story progresses, including some chilling zombie attack scenes. There’s a set-up for a sequel, which I will definitely be reading.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the free copy of this book.