quippe | Entries tagged with jonathan maberry

The Blurb On The Back:

Benny Imura and his friends have made it to Sanctuary and found the jet, but they’ve discovered that civilization is struggling to regain its foothold in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Scientists are on the verge of finding a cure for the zombie plague. But what should be a cause for celebration is overshadowed by the disappearance of Dr McReady, a researcher who may have the critical formula for a cure, and Benny’s best friend, Chong, who hovers between life and death after being infected by an arrow dipped in the flesh of a zombie.

Desperate to help Chong, Benny convinced Captain Ledger to mount a search and rescue mission to find the doctor. But with the Reapers still pursuing their plan to turn all zombies into super-fast shock troops even if they can save Chong, can they save themselves?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The final book in Jonathan Maberry’s YA zombie quartet is an event-filled thrill ride with a group of characters who really have to mature and deal with events that even adults find difficult to cope with. I particularly enjoyed the emotional damage that the characters suffer and which they recognise they’re suffering, even as they desperately strive to build a better future because they know that no one else can. It’s a dark book with some unexpected – and brutal – character deaths. If I have a complaint it’s that the denouement goes on a little too long with a couple of surprises too many for me and Saint John and his Reapers are rather two-dimensional and under-developed with the explanation for their loyalty not quite convincing. That said this is a solidly entertaining YA zombie quartet that I’d recommend to burgeoning horror fans.

The Blurb On The Back:

In the land of the dead, four friends search for the key to life …

Benny Imura and his friends are still reeling from the terror and tragedy that has followed them ever since they began their journey through the heart of the zombie-infested Rot and Ruin. But the group know that to survive they can’t look back, and instead must keep moving forward and hope they can find the jet they saw in the skies months ago. If that plane does exist, then humanity itself must have survived … somehow, somewhere.

But as they travel across the wasteland, the friends discover that the zombies are changing … becoming faster, smarter and infinitely more dangerous. Has the zombie plague mutated, or is there something more sinister behind this new invasion of the walking dead?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The third in Jonathan Maberry’s BENNY IMURA QUARTET is a return to form with an action-packed, fast-paced YA story that expands on Benny’s world and introduces a new and dangerous threat to everything he knows. As Maberry says in his foreword, this is also a book about grief – both Benny and Nix are dealing with the deaths of those closest to them, which is having consequences for their own relationship and gives the book a solid emotional core. St John is an interesting antagonist, whose background I won’t spoil but who represents a very real physical and ideological threat but Mother Rose was less well rounded and I wished there’d been a scene between her and new character Riot to expand on their relationship. That said, it’s another dark book, I enjoyed the pace and the ending is such that I will definitely be reading the conclusion.

The 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?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

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.

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.